Music Video Premiere | Heartbreaking Bravery

November 17, 2015

Adir L.C. – Buyer’s Instinct (Music Video Premiere)

When I first saw Adir Cohen, who goes under the moniker Adir L.C., it was immediately evident that he carried an easy magnetism. There was a quiet confidence in his posture and it was clear he was surrounded by friends; people gravitated towards him thanks to his soft affability. With all of that taken into account, it wasn’t too much of a surprise when he started setting up behind the microphone at DBTS. Equally unsurprisingly was that those same qualities translated seamlessly through the songs he performed that night, each a carefully constructed tale that were at least somewhat reflective of his wealth of experience as a frequent international traveler.

The bulk of that set was culled from Oceanside Cities, a beautiful collection of expressive, folk-oriented songs that often feel as vibrant as they do weary. Oceanside Cities also boasts a level of grandeur that’s beginning to feel increasingly uncommon in the DIY-leaning scenes. Songs like “Dinosaurs” (which was rightfully paired with a very strong music video) give the record a cinematic, widescreen feeling, which also heightens the record’s more fleeting moments of greater intimacy. One of the moments that hits hardest comes in the form of the heartbreaking “Buyer’s Instinct”, which now boasts a beautiful music video that’s premiering here.

“Buyer’s Instinct” does have a surprisingly optimistic core but it becomes abundantly clear throughout the course of the song that the optimism’s been brutalized over time. Enhancing that subtle, warring aspect of the song are the visuals provided for “Buyer’s Instinct”, which put Cohen in front of some of the most distinctive street art murals in his home of Tel Aviv. The visuals are a striking complement to the nature of the song, each feeding into each other to create something that feels singular even before the superimposed home movie imagery that characterizes a haunting solo section comes into play. As an examination of human nature and the way it can evolve, erode, and decay while still being preserved throughout time, it’s a startling piece of commentary. As a music video for an emerging artist? It’s just about perfect.

Watch “Buyer’s Instinct” below and pick up a copy of Oceanside Cities here.

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November 10, 2015

CITRIS – Little Scars (Music Video Premiere)

citris

It’s been a few weeks since anything that’s run on this site. During that time I’ve relocated from the center of seemingly everything (Brooklyn) back to the middle of nowhere (central Wisconsin). In that interim, I’ve kept an eye on the slew of releases that have made the rounds over the past few weeks and will be addressing the best of those shortly. Breaking the coverage drought– before getting to the several dozen clips, full streams, and songs– it’s my pleasure to once again be presenting a music video premiere for CITRIS.

The musical project of Angelina Torreano and Chris Krasnow, they released one of 2015’s more intriguing records in Panic In Hampton Bays, which came equipped with a handful of songs that had the potential to become very strong singles. One of the strongest, “Little Scars”, now has a beautiful visual accompaniment. Pairing with director Andy Martinez and cinematographer Stanley Steel (who together comprise the production team Andy Martinez and the Stanley Steel), they’ve concocted a hazy, color-damaged, practical effects-laden clip for the song.

Seltzer, emergency packets, home movie footage, pinkish hues, smoky wisps, and a decidedly ’90s aesthetic combine to create something genuinely engrossing. Torreano, as ever, maintains a commanding screen presence, imbuing “Little Scars” with a noir-ish sense of mystique and subdued (read: barely contained) energy. It’s a lively next step for a band that’s growing increasingly assured in its footing and stealthily proving to be a serious threat. Don’t miss out on one of the more compelling DIY clips in recent memory.

Watch “Little Scars” below and snag a copy of Panic In Hampton Bays here.

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October 26, 2015

WASHA – Night/Day (Music Video Premiere)

Every so often, an offer to premiere something from an emerging artist lands in my inbox. Frequently, it’ll be the first I’ve heard of the artist and rarely will it be something that fits this site’s focus. So the moments when those offers actually hit their target, they hit especially hard. Enter: WASHA and the music video for “Night/Day”. Coming in advance of the artist’s upcoming full-length, The Bright.

The project of Dwight Pendleton, WASHA operates most frequently in a morose-leaning bedroom pop mode but continuously finds moments that allow for hope. WASHA also feels, even more than its contemporaries, like a deeply personal journey of self-discovery. “Night/Day” presents all of this and more in a 4:3 ratio that suggest an underlying self-awareness of historical context. Finding subtle ways to showcase the execution, process, and circumstance of an intimate performance, “Night/Day” far exceeds something that seems ostensibly simplistic at first glance to become far more nuanced and meaningful. Strung all together through a muted color palette that complements the song’s downtrodden atmosphere to thrilling effect, “Night/Day” effectively becomes a very tantalizing first look at a project worth anticipating.

Watch “Night/Day” below and keep an eye on this site for ongoing news about WASHA and The Bright.

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October 26, 2015

Young Jesus – Holy Ghost (Music Video Premiere)

Several months ago, this site offered up the premiere of the album teaser for Young Jesus’ outstanding Grow/Decompose, which remains one of this year’s finest releases. Now that the record’s out in the world and the band’s about to go on tour in support of Grow/Decompose, they’ve sent another item through the pipeline: the compelling animated video for “Holy Ghost”.

Once again, the direction and art comes courtesy of Young Jesus’ guitarist/vocalist (and principal songwriter) John Rossiter, who continues to impress with an ever-evolving collage of artistic mediums, all held within one frame as the irrepressible energy of “Holy Ghost” pushes the art to its furthest corners. It’s a staggering reminder of the band’s formidable talent, which remains largely overlooked. However, the band’s ready to combat that with some additional firepower that’s arrived in the form of their new label, Gigantic Noise, which will be reissuing Grow/Decompose on vinyl in early 2016.

With the impending reissue, approaching year-end lists, and the band’s gripping live show all factoring into the mix, Young Jesus seems set for a very promising year. They’re fully capable of infusing every facet of their band with the artistry that permeates “Holy Ghost”, making them one of music’s best-kept secrets. Don’t miss out on the reissue, this video, or any of the band’s upcoming tour dates, which can be found below the video.

Watch “Holy Ghost” below and pick up a copy of Grow/Decompose here.

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August 11, 2015

Strange Relations – Panther’s Conquest (Music Video Premiere)

Photograph by Kate Essick

Back in March, Strange Relations quietly released the excellent -CENTRISM, a collection of songs teeming with a variety of great influences (indie pop, post-punk, new wave, no wave, hardcore, etc.). It’s an album that deserved greater circulation than it initially received- but, like all great bands that have the tenacity to reach wider platforms- they’re staunchly refusing to be dissuaded by something as trivial as small reception. I’m honored to be hosting the premiere of the music video for the shortest, sharpest, and fiercest song on -CENTRISM, “Panther’s Conquest”.

On -CENTRISM the song feels even more vicious than it does as a standalone piece, thanks to the sequencing choice to have it follow the record’s most gentle moment. Freed of sequential boundaries, the Lewis Wilcox-directed clip is allowed both a freedom and a fierceness that feels intrinsically tied to the spirit of the song. Utilizing striking visuals, great framing, brilliant editing, and a strong turn from Isabel Hendrix in the video’s central role, it plays on an unnerving sense of pulp to great effect.

Intercutting performance footage, cleverly placed snippets of lyrics, an empty, foreboding chair in a parking garage, a photoshoot, and more, “Panther’s Conquest” ultimately comes off as an exploration of personal identity, rendering it an accurate presentation of one of -CENTRISM‘s largest overarching narrative themes. As everything rapidly builds to what feels like may be a horrifying climax, the clip subverts expectations and ends with a different kind of powerful statement. It’s an elegant and graceful punctuation mark that makes the sentiments preceding it even more intriguing. Provocative, thoughtful, and full of beautiful neo-noir touches, it’s not a video to be missed.

Watch “Panter’s Conquest” below and order -CENTRISM here.

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April 8, 2014

The Sleepwalkers – Come Around (Music Video Premiere)

There are very few records that have required as much patience as The Sleepwalkers’ just-released Lost My Mind in Stereo. That’s not to say it required a vast amount of dedication to appreciate; it just took a very long time to get released and was difficult not to share with just about everyone. Other than the USA Today premere of the extraordinary lead-off track “My Best Was Never Good Enough“, these songs have only existed in the world as a small handful of rough demos and live staples of Sleepwalkers’ sets. Now, the record’s finally out and the band’s granted this site the music video premiere for standout cut “Come Around”.

Lost My Mind in Stereo is a record full of songs that feel instantly classic, sharp blasts of music that are finely-tuned examples of both great songwriting and American culture. “Come Around” is one of the many examples where all of that is readily apparent. Incorporating everything from 60’s jangle to 90’s powerpop, there are no false notes. In the video, the band plays through the song in Oshkosh, WI venue Reptile Palace and intercuts footage of decidedly freewheeling shenanigans in the Fox Valley area, mostly involving food (Bron Sage’s Kyle Merckx also makes a few brief but memorable appearances). By the time “Come Around” fades into black and flashes a subliminal “WOOF”, it’s hard not to feel like a part of The Sleepwalkers’ world. It’s another instance of the band finding the exact pulse of a very particular timelessness and running with it. We’re all the better for it.

Watch “Come Around” below and make every day feel like the 4th of July.

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Tag: Music Video Premiere