Algiers | Heartbreaking Bravery

July 31, 2017

A Month’s Worth of Music Videos Worth Watching

Songs weren’t the only category absolutely lousy with gems over the past six or seven weeks. In that same time span, a whole host of outstanding music videos made their way into the world, from old favorites, unfamiliar faces, and just about everyone in between. Below is a compilation of some of the most impressive of those offerings. A few more will be featured in some capacity shortly but for now, enjoy the treasure trove of links below. Dive in and swim around a little, there are a lot of great surprises to discover.

Great Grandpa, Sloan Peterson, Pinact, Zuli, Littler, Dearly Beloved, Tashaki Miyaki, Amy O, Kane Strang, Juiceboxxx, Tall Friend, Peach Pyramid, Siobhan Wilson, Mattiel, Absolutely Not, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Kevin Devine, Widowspeak, Alvvays, Caroline Says, Waxahatchee, Sam Patch, Milked, Mister Heavenly, Mise en Scene, Yi, Japanese Breakfast, The Lonely Biscuits, Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else, New Swears, Lee Ranaldo, Big Hush, Melkbelly, MRYGLD, Phoebe Bridgers, Wilder Maker.

James Elkington, Wolf Parade, Aaron D’Alesio, Dave Depper, Sharkmuffin, Cloakroom (x2), Emily Rockarts, Post Lovers, Pkew Pkew Pkew (x2), Torres, Broken Social Scene, Captain We’re Sinking, Secret Crush, Stars, Le Mutant, Oxbow, Laura Carbone, Hamell On Trial, Ha Ha Tonka, OHMME, Grim Streaker, Cody & Danz, Little Junior, Grey Gersten, Chad VanGaalen, Guerilla Toss, Dutch Uncles, Birds, Froth, The Van T’s, RYAN Playground, The Mynabirds, A Giant Dog, MÄRVEL, Fits, Walrus.

Beach Fossils, Mount Kimbie, Dylan Lancaster, Courtney Marie Andrews, Korey Dane, Fassine, The Savage Radley, Tamino, EMA, Francobollo, Elle Mary & The Bad Men, Wand, Hero Fisher, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Playboy Manbaby, Cotillon, Moses Sumney, The Gift of Gab, Rainbrother, Sheer Mag, The Vacationists, The Broken Hearts, Wild Honey, Auction for the Promise Club, Alice Limoges, Flood Coats, Hammydown, football, etc., Camp Cope, Joy Downer, tunic, Manchester Orchestra, Men I Trust, Oshwa.

Gracie and Rachel, Us and Us Only, Black Kids, Club Night, Angelo De Augustine, Ritual Talk, Algiers, The New Respects, Wieuca, Alex Lahey, Passion Pusher, Steelism, Tattoo Money, Ross Goldstein, Andy Gabbard, Grandbrothers, and a whole series from Raj and the 100’s.

June 19, 2017

Three Weeks Down: A Handful of Streams

It’s been a little over three weeks since the last regularly scheduled post appeared on this site. In that time, a whole host of excellent songs have been released. Below is a long compilation of some of the best of those offerings. There will be compilation lists in this vein for both music videos and full streams following this one. Following those posts, there’ll be posts featuring seven outstanding entries that have emerged in that time from each category. So, dive in, bookmark this page, and click around. A new favorite band’s always just around the corner for everyone, it’s just a matter of taking the time to look.

See Through Dresses, BIRDS, Hater, Elle Mary, Trü, Jason Loewenstein, Rips, Mt. Doubt, Livingmore (x2), Amy O, Japanese Breakfast, Mise en Scene (x2), Algiers, James Riotto, B Boys, The Drums (x2), The Last Dinosaur, Human Potential, The Rememberables, Deer Tick (x2), Rose Hotel, Nathan Oliver, A Giant Dog, Grim Streaker, Worriers, Slaughter Beach, Dog, Mardou, Psymon Spire, Suntrodden, Rainer Maria, Tomten (x2), Jack Cooper, The Fresh & Onlys, Lee Bains III + The Glory Fires, Quiet Hollers, Baby In Vain

Dentist, SOAR, Montrose Man, Sharon Van Etten, Absolutely Not, Randy’s Got A Playdough Face, Katie Von Schleicher, Hundredth, Night Click, CHIMNEY, Atlas Wynd, Exhausted Pipes, Tall Friend, Spodee Boy, Delafye, L.A. Witch, David Nance, Spit, New Swears, Sun Riah, Sleep Party People, Manzanita Falls, Pronto Mama, Cheap Fantasy, Susanne Sundfør, Radula, Frøkedal, Jacques Labouchere, Single Mothers, Cody & Danz, Pill, Bien, Frightened Rabbit, Ratboys, Trouble, Low Hums, Michael Nau, First Light

Alex D Goldberg, SQÜRL, Ride, Dead Heavens, The Domestics, Nathan Oliver, Milburn, House of Feelings, Modern Crowds, Demure for Sure, Broken Social Scene, Dove Lady, bukowski, Partner, The Big Drops, Kazyak, Diet Cig, Monk Parker, Black Thumb, Face of Man, Blimp Rock, DieAlps!, Fronds, Pearl Earl, Abbie Gale, Trevor Sensor, Great Woods, Best Ex, The Bandicoots, Chris Merick Hughes, ¡Moonbeams No Mas!, Tobacco, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Moderate Rebels, Rostam, Fallow Land, Banditos

Hammydown, Institute, Eerie Gaits, Parker Longbough, GILA, Cameron Boucher, The Last Dinosaur, LAPêCHE, The Clientele, Maneater, Holy Wars, Guerilla Toss, Honeyrude, Superorganism, and Rudy Stone.

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May 1, 2017

Algiers – The Underside of the Power (Music Video)

A week ago Fresh Snow, Wilding, The Great Albatross, YUNG, Heaven, CHIMNEY, and Happyness all released compelling music vidoes. Algiers was another one of those acts, returning with the characteristically powerful “The Underside of Power”, drawing once again from an acute understanding of history on both a micro and macro scale and incorporating that knowledge into something as aggressively resilient as it is familiarly sorrowful.

It’s the type of narrative and vision that Henry Busby and Marcus Tortorici bring to vivid life in the direction for the video for “The Underside of the Power”, aided by the intuitive lensing of Anthony Carella. Incorporating public domain footage of the Civil Rights Movement lends the video an air of immediacy, pushing the intensity levels to dangerous levels. Intensity has always been a key component of Algiers’ calling card and “The Underside of Power” doesn’t disappoint, significantly heightening the anticipation for Algiers’ forthcoming record of the same name.

Watch “The Underside of the Power” below and pre-order the record from Matador here.

January 14, 2016

The Honorable Mentions of the 2015 Music Categories

Before diving into the particulars of the forthcoming lists, it’s worth addressing the distinction made in the headline. Each of the categories that received a list in 2015 (music videos, songs, EP’s, albums, odds and ends) will be expanded upon in this post. However, there are still two forthcoming film lists but each of those will include the honorable mentions along with the featured rankings. An obscene amount of great material came out over the 12 months that comprised the past year so any attempts to cover everything would be futile. If anyone’s exhausted the below lists, a more comprehensive version can be found by exploring the following tags: stream, full stream, EP stream, and music video. Explore some of the top tier picks that didn’t make it onto the year-end lists via the tags below.

Music Videos

EPs

Songs

Albums

Odds and Ends

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December 30, 2015

2015: The Best of Watch This

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When Watch This was conceived it was done with the intent to not only critically examine the balance of filmmaking and live performance but celebrate the art of the live video, a format which seems to have fallen to the wayside despite being more fruitful than it’s been since it was introduced. There’s real power behind the clips that manage to seamlessly merge the best qualities of everything that goes into the best live performance videos and they can yield genuinely unforgettable moments (when everything kicks back in on “Waitress”, the held falsetto in “A Proper Polish Welcome”, and a whole host of other chill-inducing moments are scattered throughout this compilation). Those moments are the beating heart behind this series construction and they’re what sustains the project as it presses forward.

Well over 300 live clips were covered on this site in 2015 and this is a collection of 25 that genuinely stood out for one reason or another, whether it was the sheer joy in a performance (Diet Cig), the performer’s ability to freeze blood (Julien Baker, Dilly Dally, SOAK), the trio of artists who appeared on Watch This the most throughout this year (Courtney Barnett, Girlpool, and Torres), an electrifying presentation and performance (July Talk), or a clip that’s a fully functional masterclass in every category that elevates a clip from astonishing to transcendental (Glen Hansard). All of those and more have been plugged into this packet, which culminates in a tour de force reminder of the overwhelming power of what can be achieved on a live platform from the resurgent Sleater-Kinney as one final exclamation point for a truly extraordinary year. So, as always, sit up, focus, adjust the volume, and Watch This.

Watch the 2015 edition of the best-of compilation for Heartbreaking Bravery’s definitive recurring series, Watch This, below. The track list is available under the embed.

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1. Hop Along – Waitress (World Cafe)
2. July Talk – Paper Girl (Audiotree)
3. Ronny – Why Do You Have Kids (Gems On VHS)
4. Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle (BreakThruRadio)
5. Mikal Cronin – Say (WFUV)
6. Molly Parden – Weather (GemsOnVHS)
7. Eskimeaux – Folly (This Has Got To Stop)
8. Waxahatchee – Under A Rock (Pitchfork)
9. METZ – Spit You Out (3voor12)
10. Ought – Beautiful Blue Sky (KEXP)
11. Saintseneca – How Many Blankets Are In the World? (ANTI-)
12. Diet Cig – Harvard (In the Attic)
13. SOAK – B a Nobody Blud (La Blogotheque)
14. Dilly Dally – Burned by the Cold (Strombo Sessions)
15. Alex G + Girlpool – Brite Boy (SPIN)
16. Footings (Jenn Harrington)
17. Mike Krol – Suburban Wasteland + Neighborhood Watch (KEXP)
18. Beach Slang – Get Lost (Cozy Couch Sessions)
19. Public Service Broadcasting – Go! (WNYC)
20. Christopher Paul Stelling – Dear Beast (ANTI-)
21. Courtney Barnett – Depreston (La Blogotheque)
22. Algiers – Blood (WFUV)
23. Torres – A Proper Polish Welcome (NPR)
24. Glen Hansard – McCormack’s Wall (ANTI-)
25. Sleater-Kinney (NPR)

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October 3, 2015

Eskimeaux – Broken Necks (Music Video)

I don’t know how this site has gone 650 posts without ever giving a headline slot to Eskimeaux, whose phenomenal 2015 effort– the coyly titled O.K.— has been in near-constant rotation over the course of the past few months. Gabrielle Smith’s Epoch project has appeared on this site a handful of times and even led off the recently published fall mix. Sooner or later something was bound to crack the feature-less streak and today it arrived in the form of a casually brilliant music video. While the medium did have a fairly strong week, it was the clip for “Broken Necks” that wound up here for reasons that skewed both objective and subjective.

Objectively, it’s a work of technical brilliance from House of Nod, who continue to impress while operating on an exceptionally high tier. Crisp editing (the stop motion is particularly enjoyable), gorgeous visuals, measured pacing, & committed performances all heighten an intentionally loose narrative that capitalizes on the song’s curious exuberance while still carving out space for its inherent bleakness (something that’s punctuated by Smith’s surprisingly capable deadpan moments). Accentuating that whimsicality are the several mini-sequences that play out like gifs, a move that could have proven too twee had it not been effectively balanced out by some astoundingly graceful long shots.

On the subjective side of things, this is a video that illustrates several of the things I love about the place I’ve come to call home for a little over a season. As run-down as it can seem, New York City (and especially Brooklyn) readily facilitates art. It’s evident in everything from the structural layout of the buildings to the graffiti that adorns their walls. For the lack of a better term, there is a strange sort of magic that the area carries, something that’s been heightened by its residents. A lot of the locations that were used in this video have come to have very significant meaning to me and I consider myself fortunate to know a handful of the people involved in the project on both sides of the lens. In that sense, not only does it succeed on its basic functions but it also operates as a living document of a specific place in time.

With all of the reasons listed above infused into one 207-second presentation, “Broken Necks” can’t help but feel (almost excessively) vibrant. It’s the perfect companion piece for O.K.‘s dueling emotional modes and a strong showcase for both Eskimeaux and House of Nod. By virtue of being so thrillingly alive and refreshingly original, “Broken Necks” surpasses merely being notable and draws closer to being unforgettable. A charming and remarkably endearing showcase of wit, composition, and genuine talent, it deserves as many views as possible.

Watch “Broken Necks” below and pick up a copy of O.K. from site favorites Double Double Whammy here. Beneath the music video watch a live performance of the song. Underneath both clips, explore a list of other great music videos to find release this week.

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Puppy Problems – Daisy
Hethers – Guiding Light
J Fernandez – Between the Channels
Tuff Sunshine – Dreamin
Magnet School – British Monuments
Dogs In Ecstasy – Do Me Ronnie
Beliefs – 1992
Bully – Too Tough
No Joy – Judith
Ricked Wicky – Poor Substitute
Moby & The Void Pacific Choir – The Light Is Clear In My Eyes
Sarah Bethe Nelson – Fast Moving Clouds
Other Lives – Easy Way Out
Algiers – And When You Fall
Samson the Truest – Afterall
Mal Blum – Robert Frost
Math the Band the Band – Didn’t Have Time to Think
Destruction Unit – Salvation
Idles – The Idles Chant

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July 21, 2015

Watch This: Vol. 86

It’s been an insane stretch of days, minimizing this site’s output and causing some scheduling neglect. Today will be dedicated to the compensation of that brief absence, beginning with a slightly delayed Watch This. All of the performance captures in the 86th installment of this series surfaced between last Monday and last Sunday, leaving the past few days’ clips eligible for volume 87. Only one of these bands has previously appeared in a Watch This installment, providing a definite change of pace from the past few entries, which have been dominated by site favorites. There are, as always, some genuine treasures to be found here along with a very reassuring sense that we’re living in a golden age of accessibility and forward thinking in multimedia. So, as always, sit back, focus up, adjust the volume, and Watch This.

1. The Muscadettes – Growing Pains (Exclaim!)

Bright and scrappy, when done well, can issue a very palpable sense of place. In the case of this strong performance of “Growing Pains”, The Muscadettes embrace the lo-fi nature of their surf-inflected basement pop and wind up with something that feels more lived-in than nostalgic, while still maintaining a throwback sensibility that suits them to perfection. It’s a perfect summer soundtrack delivered with a bite that’s rare in a genre that’s traditionally (and inherently) laid-back.

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2. Flesh World (KEXP)

Flesh World’s The Wild Animals In My Life rattled the people invested invested in the post-punk genre to their core when it found release earlier this year, furthering the band’s standing among a very specific sect. The band recently swung by the KEXP studios where they filmed a session that looks, sounds, and feels appropriately grim. It’s a five-song performance that demonstrate the band’s strength and scope while also making yet another case for why they’re one of the more celebrated emerging acts in their genre.

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3. Pree (BreakThruRadio)

Every once in a while a band comes along that defies genre conventions and plays some tantalizingly unconventional music with unbridled passion. Usually these bands err more towards noise freakouts and jarring prog-leaning excursions than anything else. Pree take that concept and subvert it into something that’s practically unrecognizable. Defiantly sunny and unabashedly pop, their performance(s) in this BreakThruRadio session are instantly memorable and effortlessly arresting. Don’t miss out.

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4. Ronny – Why Do You Have Kids? (GemsOnVHS)

GemsOnVHS continues to deliver noteworthy performance captures in entirely unpredictable ways, turning to electro-damaged folk artist Ronny for their latest session. Unfailingly gorgeous and unexpectedly spellbinding, this performance of “Why Do You Have Kids?” is a curveball that subsists entirely on left-field grace notes. Intensely compressed and delivered with a startling amount of conviction, it’s a genuine stunner and a perfect introduction to a fascinating artist.

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5. Algiers (KEXP)

Having already established themselves as site favorites and secured a few different spots on various Watch This installments, Algiers’ live prowess shouldn’t come as a surprise. The band’s self-titled album is one of 2015’s most breathtaking releases, deftly combining centuries worth of musical influence into something that doesn’t just feel bold but perfectly timed and possibly even necessary. Alternately haunted and haunting, unerringly soulful, and unbelievably gripping, their session for KEXP is one of the strongest the studio has seen in years.

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June 8, 2015

Watch This: Vol. 80

Over the course of the past few weeks, the influx of outstanding live videos has been staggering. Last week the series was put on a brief hold due to other personal obligations but even then, there was the threat of multiple installments for that particular Sunday. Amassing those with the live clips that followed in the subsequent week brings us to this point: there’s simply too much great material to feature to justify relegating anything exceeding the limit of five to the introductory paragraph(s). With this being the case, there will be seven- yes, seven- installments of Watch This to go live throughout the day (and possibly night).

To that end, this very introduction will be running prior to volumes 74-80 to reduce the levels of overall exposition to provide an emphasis on the material at hand. Site favorites Girlpool and Waxahatchee were seemingly everywhere this week, securing multiple entries throughout this run while Faits Divers spread-out documentation of a set from Ought (another site favorite) managed to do the same. As always, each video featured is an exemplary showcase for both artist and host, covering a wide range of sounds and styles. So, as always, sit back, adjust the volume to your preferred settings, sit up straight, lean in (or back), and Watch This.

1. Shopping – For Your Money (FatCat)

Shopping’s Consumer Complaints finally saw a US release after making its dent elsewhere last year (it appeared multiple times in “best of” categories through niche outlets like maximumrocknroll), ensuring that their songs would once again refuse to leave my head for weeks at a time. One of the most difficult to shake is “For Your Money”, which the band tackles here with no shortage of wiry verve. It’s a strong reminder of the band’s assurance in crafting minimal post-punk that packs in hooks but refuses to pack in its punches. Sustaining tension throughout, it’s a hypnotic look at one of today’s more promising young bands. Get on board now and watch the rewards follow.

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2. Tubelight – Straight Into The Sun (3voor12)

Netherlands’ 3voor12 has consistently cast a spotlight on some of the more fascinating international acts throughout the past several years and Tubelight recently joined their ranks. Offering up a gritty take on post-punk riddled with snarky lyrics and an impressive urgency, they manage to strike a perfect balance between immediate and accessible. “Straight Into The Sun” is a perfect encapsulation of this dynamic, even as it threatens to go off the rails at seemingly every turn. Passionate and unyielding, it’s another unlikely gem that’s not worth missing.

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3. Penicillin Baby – Working Man (Audiotree)

Much like Las Robertas, Penicillin Baby have found a way to incorporate a surf influence without seeming like they’re clinging to a trendy retread as a security device. Instead, that influence seems to invigorate the entirety of the band’s work along with a variety of other touch points from the worlds of 50’s and 60’s pop. Organs swirl, guitars branch off into tangential figures, and the rhythm section keeps everything humming along. Measured and exhilarating, it’s a near-perfect showing for a band that comes loaded with potential. Give into their charms and enjoy the ride.

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4. Algiers – Claudette (WFUV)

WFUV’s capture of Algiers’ “Claudette” finishes off the 1-2 punch combination that started with “Blood”. Once again, it’s a stark reminder of why Algiers are one of the most exciting emerging acts and a perfect example of their ability to seamlessly combine familiar genres into something that feels unique. Taking cues from musical trends that date back centuries and marrying them to a thoroughly modern stance takes a staggering amount of skill and Algiers continue to make it look (and sound) effortless. Bold, brash, and unavoidable, Algiers may just be 2015’s best new band- they certainly haven’t provided any reasons to think otherwise.

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5. Bad History Month – Angel Devil (Pony Problems)

One of the most expansive pieces of the first installment of this site’s year-end project, A Year’s Worth of Memories, was directly centered around Bad History Month, a moniker chosen by a man operating under the psuedonym Jeff Meff. Pony Problems Productions caught Meff in action last year, deliver a stunning take of “Angel Devil” and only just recently made the clip publicly available. As far as artist portrayals go, it feels definitive; a perfect showcase of Meff’s frenetic tendencies and winningly off-kilter songwriting sensibilities. As far as performances go? It’s a technical knockout.

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June 8, 2015

Watch This: Vol. 77

1. Telekinesis (KEXP)

It takes a rare kind of personality to make a completely solo set utterly captivating and Michael Benjamin Lerner has always been one of the people capable of delivering on those levels. That fact’s clearly evidenced in this outdoor set for KEXP, where there’s a clear love for his craft. All of it translates into a vibrant, effortless showcase for his Telekinesis project, including an absolutely mesmerizing cover of Wire’s “Outdoor Miner” to get things moving.

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2. Algiers – Blood (WFUV)

Few emerging bands have given more reason for excitement than the boundary-pushing Algiers. Infusing a vast array of influences into something that feels wholly original, the band’s ascent has been rapid and- more importantly- justified. With the political bent of their music on complete display in the intro of “Blood” furthering the cause for excitement not just on a career level but inciting a deeper fascination on the performance level as well, the cards are lining up for Algiers’ future. Bringing everything to a haunting, weathered realization is the bulk of the performance itself- a jaw-dropping display of raw, innate talent.

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3. Ought – Pleasant Heart (Faits Divers)

Ought’s More Than Any Other Day was one of this site’s picks for the best albums of 2014 and the album hasn’t lost a step since its release. As great as that record was (and it was great), the band’s always excelled more as a live act, thanks to their kinetic motion. All of the best live bands recognize that the greatest advantage of playing the songs is the freedom to warp, subvert, and bend their own art rather than keeping it static. Ought’s never backed away from experimenting with the space they’re given in that setting and Faits Divers has provided exhilarating proof with an inspired take of “Pleasant Heart”.

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4. Waxahatchee – Stale By Noon (Wichita)

A lot of Katie Crutchfield’s most inspired songs, from “Noccalula” to “Singer’s No Star“, have been piano-based. “Stale By Noon” is one of the most recent entries into that repertoire, providing Ivy Tripp with one of its most arresting moments. Allison Crutchfield’s presence somehow makes this particular rendition feel even more intensely personal. Lit by candles and aided by nothing but each other, their instruments, and an adoring audience, this intimate performance of “Stale by Noon” is a powerful testament of both Crutchfield’s unwavering magnetism.

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5. Fred Thomas – Bad Blood (BreakThruRadio)

All Are Saved was my all-too-late introduction to Fred Thomas and it’s also holding firm as one of my favorite releases of 2015. It’s unflinchingly earnest and utterly sincere, grounded in a damaged humanism that makes it easily relatable. Close to every song on the record contains a moment of breathtaking clarity that deals heavily with some of life’s more conventionally unappealing minutiae. “Bad Blood” is a sustained series of those moments, captured here by BreakThruRadio in a clip that manages to secure an emphasis in all of the right places, doing its part to secure Thomas’ spot as one of the strongest songwriters operating today.

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May 23, 2015

Total Babes – Heydays (Music Video)

Throughout the past week there’s been a steady rollout of a slew of great songs and full streams. While the music video category didn’t quite hit the preceding week’s exhilarating highs, there was still solace to be found in some genuinely enjoyable clips from Joe Bordenaro, Algiers (who still have my pick for breakout act of 2015), Weird Mob, and Magic Potion. Topping that batch off is Total Babes’ charming, lighthearted video for “Heydays”. Total Babes, at this point, is mostly known for its connection to Cloud Nothings (the band was founded by drummer Jayson Gerycz, whose work on Here and Nowhere Else was so impressive I shortlisted his turn-in on that record as one of last year’s most memorable moments). The singular vision on display in “Heydays” suggests that may not always be the case.

In addition to being a perfectly crafted burst of irreverent basement pop, the accompanying video comes laced with a kind of very specific comedic sensibility points towards Total Babes staggering self-awareness in terms of identity. All of the factors bode well for the band and subtly factor into the clip’s endearing narrative, which follows an air tube dancer through a turbulent time in his life. Even though our braver protagonist loses his girlfriend, his job, and part of his will to continue, he never loses his smile. Utilizing a simple idea and maximizing it’s unique factors to incredible effect (generating what are essentially organic jump cuts is a brilliant move), the video never loses its sense of playfulness. Masterfully executed, “Heydays” is a welcome dose of wit-laced humor that goes a long way in establishing Total Babes as much more than just a side project.

Watch “Heydays” below and order the album that’s named after the song from the increasingly formidable Wichita here.

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Tag: Algiers