live videos | Heartbreaking Bravery

August 18, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 40

Welcome to the 40th installment of Heartbreaking Bravery’s Watch This series, a weekly examination of the best live videos to have surfaced over the past week. Volume 40 has no shortage of riches to offer and may be one of the strongest offerings of the series to date. From two fiery KEXP sessions to the late night performance of the year, there’s a little something for everyone. Acoustic sessions and feedback freakouts are all contained within and, as is always the case, every band to have secured a spot this week puts on a live show that’s worth seeing multiple times over. So, sit back, focus, turn the volume up to deafening heights, and Watch This.

1. Benjamin Booker (KEXP)

With his now (rightfully) hotly-anticipated record just around the corner, the timing on this KEXP Session couldn’t be more perfect. After Booker’s stunning NXNE performance, the amount of verve on display here isn’t the least bit surprising. ATO Records dug up a diamond with Booker and if he winds up making as much of an impact as he deserves, radio stations will be better off for it.

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2. Black Wine – No Reason (Don Giovanni)

Last week Black Wine released the excellent Yell Boss, which included the standout cut “No Reason”. Here, Don Giovanni captures the band running through a brilliant acoustic rendition of that song while also operating as a perfect document of a band having fun just being a band. It’s a riff-happy stomper that showcases the band at their absolute best, making it a can’t-miss affair.

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3. Sharon Van Etten – Serpents (Pitchfork)

There are very few voices on the planet more arresting that Sharon Van Etten’s, which is a fact that’s loosely evidenced on record but becomes irrefutable fact in a live setting. Van Etten’s also an artist that can do wonders with a shifting sonic template and when she taps into her darker side it’s usually enough to stop just about anyone in their tracks. “Serpents” found her perfecting that aesthetic and has only grown as a song since its first reveal, which is something that winds up on full display with this performance from Day 1 of last month’s Pitchfork Music Festival.

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4. Ty Segall – Feel (Conan)

It seemed like ever since Future Islands’ career-making turn on Letterman, people have been desperate to anoint the “late-night performance of the year”. The War On Drugs’ “Red Eyes” run-through (also on Letterman) had a lot of people talking as well (as did The Orwells’ Letterman turn) but none of them have felt as furious, as vital, or as sincerely impassioned as what Ty Segall and his band pulled off on Conan O’Brien earlier this week. Previewing “Feel” off of his outstanding new record, Manipulator, Segall and company fearlessly make their way through some vicious solos, a percussion breakdown, and a barrage of insane falsettos before finally pulling off one of the most memorable television performances in quite some time.

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5. Cloud Nothings (KEXP)

In all honesty, this entire write-up could be dedicated to what Jayson Gerycz pulls off behind the kit here. That kind of talent is rare enough that it borders on something approaching the realms of the inhuman. That it doesn’t overshadow what Dylan Baldi manages to accomplish with his unbelievably intense vocal/fretwork/lyrical onslaught is nothing short of astounding. Cloud Nothings are operating at an obscenely high level right now, with their live shows consistently outstripping what they managed to accomplish with the 1-2 punch of Attack On Memory and Here and Nowhere Else– two of the finest records of this decade. In short: see this band as soon as humanly possible.

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May 13, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 25

As promised, here’s the second part of today’s Watch This double-headed. It’s decidedly more minimal than the last installment in terms of performance content (two of the videos featured here are solo performances) but the featured videos are just as impressive. Ranging from yet another video from Chart Attack’s coverage of the Sonic Boom Records jaw-dropping lineup for Record Store Day 2014 to another Exploding in Sound BreakThruRadio takeover feature, it’s one of the broader installments this series has ever offered up. It’s a great way to showcase some of the best bands from the DIY circuit and all of it’s just begging to be viewed. So, stay reclined, erase the last semblances of that hangover, and make sure to Watch This.

1. Laura Stevenson – The Hole (Radio K)

It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly makes Laura Stevenson so magnetic- it could just be raw talent but it seems to go beyond even that to something more transcendental. The singer/songwriter found a home on New Jersey’s Don Giovanni, a label full of some of the fiercest basement punk bands currently going, while leaning closer to folk than anything else. Impossibly, it managed to be a fit that felt more naturalistic than not and their collaborations have resulted in a handful of incredible releases (the most recent of which, Wheel, was an easy 2013 highlight). Here, she sits down for a stunning rendition of “The Hole”. It’s a mesmerizing performance from a singular talent that’s worth bootlegging for inclusions on a million different homemade mixtapes.

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2. Luke Lalonde – Needle (Chart Attack)

This is the third performance from Toronto’s Sonic Boom Records to be featured over the past two installments of this series. It’s also, arguably, the most arresting. Born Ruffians have always been one of the more intriguing powerpop acts making music and to hear them stripped down to their barest form is surprisingly rewarding. Great songwriting’s always worth listening to.

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3. Mutual Benefit – Golden Wake (Allston Pudding)

Love’s Crushing Diamond was a record that almost felt sacred while it wove itself in and out of dreamlike states. It was one of 2013’s most riveting listens, constantly coming off like the most reassuring hug. It was impossibly fierce in its gentleness, delicately assembled and expertly executed, it established Jordan Lee as an undeniable talent and ensured that just about everyone who should be paying attention to his project was doing just that. Allston Pudding was on hand to capture this video from Mutual Benfit’s first-ever sold out show and the results are entrancing.

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4. Krill (BreakThruRadioTV)

There’s just something about Exploding in Sound’s roster that makes throwing caution to the wind feel appropriate. This is the second video to earn a Watch This feature from the label’s BreakThruRadio takeover. Like Kal Marks before them, Krill took this spot by force through a series of incredible featured performances. Serious Business being Serious Business, there are also a few revealing interview moments intercut with a few separate performance clips. It’s all great fun and worth paying attention to. Oh, and Krill, Krill, Krill Forever.

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5. Radioactivity – Locked in My Head (Razorcake)

It’s been months since a video from Razorcake earned itself a spot in this series, which is a shame because of all the places that regularly wind up in one of these five slots, they’re likely the one that matches the DIY ethos this place celebrates most closely. That reasoning paired with a performance from Radioactivity was more than enough to land this a spot on the list. This is what this place is all about. Watch This and then go spin Radioactivity for the 800th time. It’s impossible to resist.

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May 13, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 24

Technical difficulties have struck again, forcing another late entry into the Watch This series. While it’s sincerely doubtful anyone’s growing frustrated by the lack of the regular Sunday posts for this, the schedule should be resuming soon. This is partly in thanks to the astounding influx of great material that’s been happening lately. There were enough videos to have been released in the past week and a half to warrant a double-header of Watch This, which means that Vol. 25 will be coming soon after this goes live. This installment’s fairly heavy on bands that this place has a well-documented love for. From two of the bands to make the very first 5 to See at NXNE to the very first band to ever be covered here, it feels a little bit like a family affair. It’d be next to impossible to ask for better company. So, as always, sit back, eat a pizza to drive away any lingering hangovers, relax, and Watch This.

1. Audacity – Counting the Days (Jam in the Van)

As mentioned above, Audacity were the very first band to ever be written about here at Heartbreaking Bravery. They haven’t lost a step since that feature and their songs have only grown catchier with time. More good news? Jam in the Van is back at Burgerama which means there’ll be a handful of videos that are likely going to wind up being featured here. There’s something about that combination that just works- and this is a perfect example of that.

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2. Greys – Guy Picciotto (Chart Attack)

At this point, over 100 videos have been covered in Watch This. None of them have featured a performance as fiery as the one Greys turned in at Toronto’s Sonic Boom Records of this song. There really isn’t a reason not to hit play on this one. Have at it.

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3. Ovlov – Moth Rock (Little Elephant)

Yes, an Ovlov song from these same sessions was just featured in the last Watch This– but “Moth Rock” was only uploaded a few days ago. It’s also impressive enough to earn itself a spot on this list. “Moth Rock” sees Ovlov operating at the absolute top of both their songwriting and live talents, making this must-watch (and must-listen) material.

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4. PS I Love You – Sentimental Dishes (Chart Attack)

Judging from this video and the Greys one occupying the two slot this week, it’s fair to be jealous of just about anyone that was lucky enough to spend their Record Store Day at Toronto’s Sonic Boom Records. For the rest of us, an eternal debt of gratitude is owed to Chart Attack for being on hand to capture some of it in extraordinarily high quality. This performance of “Sentimental Dishes” only reaffirms the fact that PS I Love You need to be mentioned way more often in the “best musical duos” conversation. This is some seriously inspired work; don’t let it go unnoticed.

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5. The Men – Going Down (Radio K)

The Men’s discography is remarkably consistent for how frequently the band changes their sound. There are already several arguing their most recent effort, Tomorrow’s Hits, is their high water mark. There are also several that argue it’s impossible to judge the band from the studio alone and that the songs need to be put into a live context for a more accurate test. Occasionally, those arguments crossover. It’d be difficult to find someone from either party who was disappointed with this- and it’s also a perfect way to bring the 24th installment of Watch This to a close. Enjoy!

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December 28, 2013

2013: A Video Review

2013 is just about at it’s end and the window for timely reviews of what it had to offer are shrinking into sizes that border non-existence. That being the case, Heartbreaking Bravery has decided to eschew a traditional recap and instead just post the videos (all courtesy of the site) that were recorded before the camera used to film them got too water-damaged to shoot anything beyond a short clip. Enjoy.