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Tag: Jodi

May 12, 2017

Ratboys – Elvis in the Freezer (Music Video)

In the past four days, a small handful of exceptional records have been released by artists like Tica Douglas, Jodi, Christopher Gold & the New Old Things, Taiwan Housing Project, Great Deceivers, Street Eaters, Show of Bedlam, Nick Pope, and Old Maybe. While all of those are worthy of celebration, this post’s feature fell to a different format: the music video. Ratboys‘ “Elvis in the Freezer” proved far too exceptional to let pass without a closer look.

Director Kenna Hynes was at the helm for the “Elvis in the Freezer” clip and Hynes’ deft touch ensures that the clip’s not only wildly engaging but both heartrending to the point of being emotionally shattering and just heartwarming enough to keep it vibrant. The crux of the story presented in the clip for “Elvis in the Freezer” is simple: a cat dies and a good friend comes to console its owner. What’s impressive is the way Hynes frames this story, utilizing a variety of effects to heighten each emotional beat. From the slo-mo reversals of the opening sequence all the way through the clever Julia Steiner (Ratboys’ guitarist/vocalist and principal songwriter) reveal.

As the clip works its way through each new movement, the song lends the sequences some additional dramatic heft. “Elvis in the Freezer” is the type of track that lets anyone paying attention to Ratboys know that the band’s evolving in increasingly successful ways, sharpening their strengths and injecting a greater sense of ambition into their work. Here, the song works wonders as the soundtrack to a familiar, everyday story that’s undoubtedly struck a major cord with an array of viewers. Both the song and the clip are heartfelt, bittersweet, and memorable pieces of work that deserve to be remembered. Thankfully, “Elvis in the Freezer” is very hard to shake.

Watch “Elvis in the Frezzer” below and pre-order GN from Topshelf here.

April 27, 2017

Cende – What I Want (Stream, Live Video)

A week or two ago, a handful of great songs found their way out into the world. These included tracks from Terror Watts, Benjamin Booker, Soul Low, Jodi, Baby!, Crushing, Art School Jocks, Buildings, Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else, Lusid, and Lauren Ruth Ward. One of the tracks to make a significant impact came in the form of Cende‘s “What I Want”, which follows the gorgeous “Bed” as the release of the band’s forthcoming #1 Hit Song inches closer.

Masterfully composed and precisely executed, “What I Want” loses none of its drive but gains a tender sheen thanks to the backing vocals from Frankie Cosmos‘ Greta Kline. Cameron Wisch, Cende’s bandleader and principle songwriter, conjures up an airy atmospheric that Kline fills to perfection. When Kline’s vocals kick in for the first time, it’s a genuinely breathtaking moment, buoyed by a string arrangement that straddles the divide between sweet and melancholic beautifully, perfectly accentuating Kline’s contribution.

Following Kline’s verse is a bridge that demonstrate the band’s sheer talent, veering between power and innovation with ease. Staccato blasts are met with orchestral dissonance and the song transforms from a modest run into a seething behemoth before falling away to silence. It’s final segment, a volume swell that brings “What I Want” roaring back to life for a brief moment, is the final stroke of genius in what firmly stands as one of 2017’s most captivating releases, reaffirming that every second of “What I Want” is worth exploring.

Listen to “What I Want” (and watch the band run through the song at CMJ 2015) below and pre-order #1 Hit Song from Double Double Whammy here.