Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Music Video

May 18, 2016

Woahnows – Mess (Music Video)

woahnows

Over the past few days, a whole host of notable music videos have surfaced. In addition to an achingly beautiful clip from Japanese Breakfast (courtesy of the inimitable House of Nod team), Teleman, Night School, gobbinjr, Deerhoof, Vallens, Operator Music Band, Pinkwash, Hinds, Shabazz Palaces, Boogarins, and Moderat all came through with compelling clips while Okkervil River offered up a tantalizing glimpse at their forthcoming record, Away. For sheer energetic force, though, none of the above clips could contend with Woahnows’ delightful “Mess”.

The trio’s latest video uses a grainy VHS aesthetic to its advantage, nicely underscoring the band’s oddball personality. “Mess” is a jaunty ride through one of the year’s best basement pop songs, with the accompanying clip, endearingly, not providing much more than a series of shots that show the band mimicking their way through the song. What’s essential to “Mess” is also the functioning crux of what makes Woahnows such a compelling act in the first place: they’re just out having fun.

Too frequently bands get lost in the guise of performance and it starts inhabiting itself in every facet of their appearance. Woahnows don’t seem anywhere close to falling into that trap. “Mess” is one of the loosest, most carefree clips that anyone’s released this year, effortlessly establishing and maintaining a sense of genuine joy. From the hazy, low-budget green screen effects to the half-dancing, “Mess” stealthily avoids subjecting itself to any looming pressures; Woahnows are making music for the sake of making music. That the clip for “Mess” falls in line with that ethos as much as it does is more than enough reason for celebration.

Watch “Mess” below and pick up the 7″ from Specialist Subject here (or grab a digital copy here).

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May 16, 2016

Charly Bliss – Ruby (Music Video, Live Video)

Charly Bliss LIV

For well over a year now, this site has been anxiously anticipating — and meticulously tracking — the release of Charly Bliss‘ debut full-length. Easily one of the most heavily featured bands of these pages, the quartet’s finally offered up the first glimpse at what will be a viable Album of the Year contender. Before diving too much further into that piece of pop confection, though, it’s worth noting that for one of the first times all year, Heartbreaking Bravery is back on pace with the breaking release cycle.

To that end, these posts will resume including the most notable releases in individual streams, full streams, and music videos. Today saw the release of great new songs from Toys That Kill, The Velveteins, Sudakistan, Andy C. Jenkins, and Sonny & The Sunsets, while Blessed, Thin Lips, and Angel Du$t unveiled their respective records. Capping things off were a trio of music videos from ultraviolence, Turnover, and, of course, Charly Bliss.

Ever since the release of the band’s exhilarating Soft Serve EP — a very real early contender for EP of the Decade — the band’s been on the cusp of greatness. The band’s full-length debut, whenever it finds release, will go a long way in re-affirming the band’s undeniable talent to those already in the know or convince a whole new host of converts that they’re one of the most exciting bands on the planet. “Ruby”, one of many breathless runs through hard-charging, cleanly-produced basement pop, has now emerged as the record’s lead-off single.

In every instance I’ve been fortunate enough to catch the band running through the song, guitarist/vocalist Eva Hendricks has introduced the song with an almost-giddy “this song’s about my therapist!” Hendricks’ forthright honesty imbues “Ruby”, and the bulk of the band’s work, with a palpable sense of both wonderment and charm. Part of what makes Charly Bliss’ music so intriguing is that any projected innocence is routinely cut through with something much darker, a trait that the Andrew Costa-directed clip underscores beautifully by bringing out the song’s most jolting line (“passed out on the subway with blood in my hair”) and then in the video’s nightmarish finale.

“Ruby” is far from being defined by gloom, most of the clip’s an open-hearted ode to public access television (specifically siting the 1984 Ralph “Whistler” Giese clip from Kelly & Company in the music video’s premiere piece for The AV Club). Every member of the band turns in endearing performances as the clip rapidly scans through a series of entertaining cliches. The editing work throughout is strong, hitting its best moment with a perfectly-timed kick from bassist Dan Shafer, and “Ruby” never devolves into chaos or loses its identity despite the overwhelming amount of material brought into focus.

All in all, “Ruby” creates a solid hook for the band’s upcoming release while effortlessly tapping into the band’s oddball identity. Their humor’s tinged with the slightest hint of pathos, grounded in an unflinching reality that the band’s more acutely aware of then they sometimes let on. It’s an invigorating preview of what could eventually come to be regarded as a genre classic, landing a breathtaking series of grace notes that announce the band is more than ready to officially arrive.

Watch “Ruby” below and keep an eye on this site for an inevitable slew of updates on the band’s forthcoming full-length debut throughout the year. Beneath the official clip, watch a video of the band performing the song last year as part of Father/Daughter’s Northside showcase.

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May 13, 2016

Color TV – Anybody’s Girl (Music Video)

color tv

Now that the past month or so has been all but brought up to speed, it’s time to re-adjust the attention to the releases that have been surfacing in the more present release cycle. This post will focus on the music videos that have managed to impress over the past few days, while ensuing posts will tackle some of the excellent songs and full releases to have emerged in that time. Color TV, a new act out of Los Angeles, gets the feature here but it’s also worth noting that a handful of other acts released impressive works as well, among them: Sick Sad World, Frigs, Littlefoot, Moving Panoramas, Snow Roller, Susan, Little Wings, The Blank Tapes, Mrs. Magician, Young Mister, Chastity, and Karen Meat and the Computer.

All of those videos linked above are more than worthy of attention but it was the retro-styled clip for “Anybody’s Girl” that grabbed the feature spot. Utilizing a green screen effect to lightly comedic proportions, the clip’s galvanized by the commitment of Tipper Newton (the guitarist/vocalist and principal songwriter of Color TV) in an energized performance. The song itself is a sharp blast of powerpop, anchored by Newton’s convictions and scathing vocal delivery.

Both the clip (directed by Newton) and the song take a lot of inspiration from the alternative movements of the ’80s and ’90s and execute those cues with an exuberant glee. It’s an extremely charming clip that touches on relationship dynamics in unexpectedly amusing ways. Newton’s forthright with her message and the clip actually benefits from the directness, affording it some extra room for some pointed moments.

With just one screen and some light effects, Newton (and Color TV) have come charging in without warning. “Anybody’s Girl” is an exciting burst of powerpop, ushering in a promising new voice. In just two and a half minutes, Color TV create a winsome identity that’s as self-aware as it is hopeful. Perfect as a soundtrack for warm weather hangs or late night parties, it’s nothing short of a small triumph. The same can be said of the song’s colorful video, which underscores the band’s DIY ethos with a welcome dash of subtlety.

Color TV’s only made two of their songs public but they’ll be a name to watch and they’ll almost certainly be highlighted on this site again.

Watch “Anybody’s Girl” below and pick up the digital single from the band here.

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May 12, 2016

Mutual Benefit – Lost Dreamers (Music Video)

mutual benefit

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Back when Mutual Benefit experienced a breakthrough with the excellent Love’s Crushing Diamond, the project secured the attention of a lot of new listeners and I counted myself among that crowd. As much as I liked those songs on initial listen, they’ve grown on me exponentially over time. It wasn’t until “Not For Nothing” that a Mutual Benefit song knocked me flat (and was very nearly named this site’s Best Song of 2015).

“Not For Nothing” set an extremely high bar for the rest of Mutual Benefit’s upcoming Skip A Sinking Stone, as did its accompanying video. Thankfully, the arrival of “Lost Dreamers” quelled any doubts over whether or not Jordan Lee’s project was capable of living up to the task of matching the masterpiece that was “Not For Nothing”. A great song from the outset, “Lost Dreamers” took on even more poignancy when paired with the Ethan Samuel Young-directed music video. Separation, again, seems to be the defining crux of the song, only this time around that separation is more worldly than physically intimate.

All throughout “Lost Dreamers” there’s an acceptance of the world’s majestic sweep, that’s emphasized by erasing the human torso, allowing the viewer to get a more sprawling sense of the surroundings on display throughout the clip while simultaneously de-emphasizing our place as humans in that world. There’s a statement to be found about nature and industry but that large-scale issue is given minimum impact while the video chooses to present a more acute commentary on human perspective.

Suitably, gorgeous landscape shots comprise the bulk of “Lost Dreamers” visualization while flashes of everyday city life are integrated into the scenery in thought-provoking ways. With the palette almost exclusively leaning towards brights and tans, “Lost Dreamers” eventually registers as more of a celebration of humanity than a condemnation (while still showing a keen awareness of humanity’s potential to be irrevocably damaging).

Eventually, the formula’s switched and instead of erasing the torso, it’s the heads and hands of the people in the clip that have evaporated, subtly illustrating — once again — the importance of human perspective. By switching the focus to physicality, the clip touches on our relative meaninglessness in a way that encourages us to make the most out of what we’re given. In the end, “Lost Dreamers” stands as a moving, subversive reminder of why our own humanity matters while making a case for greater awareness. It’s a sublime piece of art that doesn’t deserve to be forgotten anytime soon.

Watch “Lost Dreamers” below and pre-order Skip A Sinking Stone here.

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May 12, 2016

WRAY – Pined (Music Video)

wray

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

One of the most unbearably tense music videos of 2016 came by way of WRAY‘s Dillon Hayes-directed clip for the outstanding “Pined”. Expertly lensed by Hayden Mason, “Pined” plays almost exclusively to the anxious paranoia that serves as the song’s driving function. Painstakingly choreographed, “Pined” is so meticulously composed that at more than one point it becomes a genuinely unnerving experience.

A loose narrative thread begins to emerge more than full minute into the clip that may or may not  involve the occult but definitely involves an eerie woodland ceremony. At some point a series of shots involving a statue, tree branches, and a reflective body of water are interwoven to amplify the unsettling nature of “Pined” to an even greater magnitude. In the video’s closing moments, all three members of WRAY surround a cassette recorder that plays back field recordings before the POV switches to a skybound view of the trees, allowing some sunlight in, releasing the viewer from the relentless fear that imbued the rest of the clip (while letting it linger via the unanswered questions).

“Pined” is one of the more masterful videos, at least as far as classic filmmaking craft is concerned, to be released in recent memory. It’s difficult to parse, impossible to shake, and easy to admire. Tense and unforgiving, it’s a miniature masterpiece that succeeds in securing interest as it piles on a formidable amount of intrigue. As much of a short film as a music video, it’s the kind of clip you’ll want to show to your friends just so you can spend the next few days dissecting all of its potential meaning (and spend a few more hours getting lost to its spell).

Watch “Pined” below and order Hypatia from Communicating Vessels here.

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May 12, 2016

Patsy’s Rats – Rock N’ Roll Friend (Music Video)

patsy's rats

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Every once in a very rare while, a great song gets a great hangout clip that world-builds so effectively it’s easy to want to dive right into whatever’s being depicted onscreen and just get completely immersed in the experience. The clip for Patsy’s Rats standout single “Rock N’ Roll Friend” is that rare video. Kicking things off with a wink is the shot of someone in an Oldsmobile turning up the radio as the song swells up in the background.

What follows is a whole array of quintessentially Californian imagery: open roads, old muscle cars, skateboarding, and a quality selection of open fields. The band mimes their way through the song, throws guitars to each other, lights one on fire, and very clearly just enjoy each other’s company. It’s a video that lives in a very pure moment and it serves as the perfect antidote to the increasingly grim videos that have been populating the format’s landscape in recent times. Give it a watch (or five) and then call up some friends, take a trip, or just spend some time outside… and then do the whole thing all over again.

Watch “Rock N’ Roll Friend” below and pick up a copy of Patsy’s Rats here.

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May 12, 2016

EERA – Drive With Fear (Music Video)

EERA

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Back when this site ran the Best Songs of the First Quarter list, one of the more singular songs it contained was EERA‘s tremendous “Drive With Fear”, a hazy song that proved to be instantaneously gripping. Now, the song’s received a Katia Granfield-directed video, comprised almost entirely of grainy footage that manages to come across as, disconcertingly, connected and irreparably divorced.

There’s not a solid narrative function to be found in “Drive With Fear”, with Granfield instead adopting an approach more similar to what Shane Carruth managed with Upstream Color: a video designed to play directly to emotional response rather than painting a by-the-numbers plot. What’s surprising is how well Granfield succeeds on that count, “Drive With Fear” is an unsettling watch simply because of how easily it manages to evoke a variety of deep-seated feelings, playing to the songs strengths all the while.

Both a clip worth studying and worth experiencing, “Drive With Fear” winds up being difficult to shake by almost any measure. Strangely, the cognitive dissonance it creates winds up being more inviting than off-putting and, unsurprisingly, investment’s rewarded tenfold. In the end, “Drive With Fear” should be celebrated for its brave refusal to play into something easy; we need challenging art now more than ever and, by that count, this is a perfect introductory piece.

Watch “Drive With Fear” below and pick up a copy of the self-titled EP here.

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May 12, 2016

Ought – Beautiful Blue Sky (Music Video)

Ought VIII

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Very few acts have been as immediately intriguing as Ought, a quarter who experienced a breakthrough with the exceptional More Than Any Other Day and continued to make good on their seemingly endless promise with last year’s strong Sun Coming Down. The band’s still finding ways to promote that latter release and the heady clip for album standout “Beautiful Blue Sky” (one of this site’s picks for the Best Songs of 2015) is the most recent example.

The Bobby McHugh-directed clip seems to focus squarely on a man in crisis, which plays to the neurotic anxieties of the song to a tee. Beautifully shot by Jacob Rosen, “Beautiful Blue Sky” foregoes in easy narrative for something more ambiguous, allowing the viewer to infer and project their own personal interpretations to the proceedings. It’s a neat trick; much of Ought’s music requires investment and a sizable amount of involvement so it’s nice to have that aspect of the band catered to more directly in the visual format.

A committed performance from Matt Drews enhances the clip as he injects his character with a startling amount of emotion, whether he’s in stasis or executing a series of gorgeous lyrical dance moves. Ultimately, “Beautiful Blue Sky” stands as an invigorating piece of art not simply because of its beautiful execution but because it refuses to condescend to its audience. More often than not, those are the exact types of pieces that both beg and reward repeat visits. Be prepared to be thinking about the clip’s contents for quite some time (and enjoy all of the return trips).

Watch “Beautiful Blue Sky” below and pick up a copy of Sun Coming Down here.

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May 12, 2016

Ratboys – Not Again (Music Video)

ratboys

Editor’s Note: There’s been a month-long gap in coverage, thanks to near-incessant travel and other extenuating circumstances. The following run of posts that contain this note will be posts that should have appeared sometime within the past several weeks. Use these posts as an opportunity to catch up to the present release cycle or to simply discover some new music. Either way, enjoy.

Ever since the release of last year’s excellent AOID, site favorites Ratboys have been on a very winsome streak. The current culmination of that streak is their outstanding digital single “Not Again“, which saw the band continuing to elevate themselves into a serious force via their own organic evolution. Now, the band’s unveiled a charming music video to accompany the track.

The endearing clip, which comes courtesy of Kenna Hynes and Tiny Ship Co., finds an empowering bent in a fairly simplistic structure; the band practices, the band gets into a paint fight, and the paint fight becomes a more communal act once the band opens themselves up to the public. It’s in the latter part of the clip’s composition where the subtle, elegant metaphor kicks in and touches on the dynamic shifts from practice to performance. It’s a surprisingly elegant statement, made even more uplifting for the warmth its given in the visual treatment.

The slow-motion sequences of “Not Again” are beautifully composed and both video and song wind up in a healthy symbiotic relationship that pushes each foundation to greater heights. It’s another perfect step forward for Ratboys, who are hitting a formidable stride. More importantly, it’s a reminder that embracing music can be as important as embracing your friends (and vice versa). Funny, heartening, and just about perfect, this is a clip worth remembering.

Watch “Not Again” below and pick up the digital single from the band here.

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May 11, 2016

What A Difference A Month Makes (Music Videos)

In the past month, a lot’s happened on both sides of the coverage spectrum. A lot of sets were documented in that time and will be receiving some attention at some point down the line. A lot of full streams came out, even more songs were released, and quite a few music videos found their way out into the world as well. All three of those formats will have a list dedicated to them and then a slew of individual features will be posted celebrating a handful of exceptional titles. Below is a list of formidable music videos that made a powerful impression over the course of the last month. Take a breath, dive in, and go exploring. 

Mo Troper, Lion’s Den, Tiny Deaths, Tim Heidecker, Weaves, Amber Arcades, Night Idea, Steve Gunn, Littler, Bambara, Braids, Prism Tats, No Parents, Those Pretty Wrongs, Stan Simon & The Hotel Bible, Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex, RJD2, Crosss, James Supercave, Eric Bachmann, Tacocat, Julianna Barwick, Acapulco Lips, Conrad Keely, Programm, Lontalius, Clique, Martha, Wilder Adkins, The Spook School, Rozwell Kid, The Loom, Oscar, Bishop Briggs, Angel Du$t, Patience, Band of Horses, The fin., The Raveonettes, Secret Space, Pure Bathing Culture, Howardian, and GOAT.

Modern Baseball, Holy Fuck, Sturgill Simpson, Butch Bastard, Minor Victories, The Slovaks, The Coathangers, OMNI, Stove, Sløtface, Franky Flowers, Slim Twig, Kino Kimino, D Generation, Pony Time (ft. Lisa Prank), Beverly, Living Hour, Former Belle, Tancred, Mutts, Pet Sun, Teen Suicide, Krano, Your Friend, Dear Boy, The Stargazer Lilies, The Kills, The Loom, Aesop Rock, Cellar Doors, Xiu Xiu, Globelamp, TV Sets, and Eleanor Friedberger, and a surprisingly outstanding fan-shot video for Mike Krol’s “Less Than Together” (one of this site’s picks for Best Songs of 2015) as well as the trailer for Casket Girls’ The Night Machines.

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