Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Music Video

April 8, 2014

The Sleepwalkers – Come Around (Music Video Premiere)

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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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March 27, 2014

Young Widows – King Sol (Stream)

Due to some recurring technical problems (which have hopefully been permanently resolved) Heartbreaking Bravery was forced into a brief hiatus. During that time, a lot of worthwhile material was released. Even though the songs from Mikal Cronin, People’s Temple, Amen Dunes, Ex-Cult, Odonis Odonis, Hamilton Leithauser, Ruined Fortune, OFF!, Sheer Mag,  and the videos from King Khan & the Shrines, The Hold Steady, Tokyo Police Club, and especially Fear of Men made strong impressions, none of them stood out as strongly as Young Widows’ breathtakingly massive “King Sol”.

Young Widows have been teasing material for Easy Pain for a while now and each new reveal has been more impressive than the last. This pattern holds especially true for “King Sol”, which just may be the best thing the band has ever done. A slow and suffocating sense of dread permeates throughout the track as it grows more menacing, making it reminiscent of Swans at their absolute best. It’s a monumental step for the band, deftly incorporating all of their strengths into a towering, masterfully produced, whole. “Set fire at the witching hour; and now I’m free” is a small part of the song’s terrifying conclusion before it gives way to an ambient epilogue. When all falls to a final quiet, it’s as if the band’s allowed a release from their stranglehold and are finally granting an intake of air. Once everything’s righted itself and their all-too-convincing world-building has slowly evaporated, one thing becomes abundantly clear: when Easy Pain finally gets released , it’ll be something to reckon with.

Hear “King Sol” below and pre-order Easy Pain from Temporary Residence ahead of its May 13th release date.

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March 27, 2014

Tumul – Nature Master (Music Video)

Let’s get this out of the way at the top; Tumul are not a conventional band in any way, shape, or form. There are times when the band’s live presentation will teeter on a very thin line that separates the grounded from the avant. There’s always an element of futurism that’s present in their ambient/drone works and their just-released music video for “Nature Master” expertly showcases that aspect of their presentation. Directed and lensed by Mike Turzanski (who was also behind Green Dreams’ “Bug Sex” video), “Nature Master” is rife with translucent hues of white and purple. Tumul themselves, long lost twins Joe Tunis (who runs Carbon Records) and Camburger Fahresh, spend the entirety of the video wandering a desolate, wintry landscape.

Despite- or in fact maybe because of- the lack of discernible plot, in addition to the disquieting nature of something so reliant on tension, “Nature Master” becomes a piece of art that’s nearly impossible to be torn away from. Clad in matching white suits that fall in line with classic B-Movie depictions of a totalitarian future, Tumul engage in a few moments of connectivity, wrapping each outfit around the other. In seemingly any other situation, these acts would seem ridiculous- paired with the disquieting atmosphere of “Nature Master” itself, it takes on the feel of a sacred ritual. It’s a stunning display of clearly refined minimalism and something that’s difficult to shake. Watch it below and start coming up with theories on what it all means- or if it means anything at all.

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March 21, 2014

Diarrhea Planet – Babyhead (Music Video)

It was an unusually active on the streams-and-music videos front for a Friday and today saw the releases of several great entries in both categories. There was the Stereogum premiere of a new Geronimo! rager, the first glimpse of the forthcoming Swans record, and another promising glimpse at Dark Arc– Saintseneca’s upcoming Anti- debut, courtesy of Clash Music. Additionally, there were some noteworthy music videos, including both the NSFW blood-hued nightmare dreamed up for WTCHS’ “Over Kilmer” and the welcoming psychedelic haze of Night Beats’ “Hidden Circle“. While all of that is definitely worth looking into, today belonged to one thing and one thing only: Diarrhea Planet’s gloriously inspired video for I Am Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams standout “Babyhead”.

Really, sometimes there just aren’t words to do justice to an experience. All that can really be said at this point is that everyone else attempting to make ‘The Year’s Best Video’ should probably just call it quits now and wait until January rolls around. Confused? Good. Not confused, just intrigued? Even better. Watch it below and become the most enlightened person on the face of the planet. And people say rock n’ roll is dead.

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March 20, 2014

Thee Oh Sees – The Lens (Music Video)

Thee Oh Sees may be on an indefinite hiatus but that hasn’t stopped them from releasing new music. “The Lens” was the first song the band released to tease next month’s The Drop, their last release for the foreseeable future. It’s a weird psych-heavy slow-burner from a band more prone to ferociously energetic freakouts and now “The Lens” has a video to further its weirdness. Managing to work in a visual aesthetic that appears to be some sort of halfway point between Terry Gilliam’s animation work and The Beatles’ visual psychedelia, the song’s queasiness eventually takes full effect as the animation lets one hallucinatory image gently ease into another. It’s as bizarrely hypnotic as the song itself and vaguely NSFW, so watch it with caution. “The Lens” can be seen below and The Drop is due out on 4/19 via Castle Face Records. Keep an eye out.

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March 20, 2014

Tashaki Miyaki – Cool Runnings (Music Video)

Tashaki Miyaki are continuing on their insanely prolific month by releasing their fifth music video- this one coming hot on the heels of their stunning videos for “Best Friend“, “Get It Right“, “Tonight“, and “Somethin’ Is Better Than Nothin’“. For anyone unfamiliar with the Los Angeles trio, the video for “Cool Runnings” will be as good of an introduction point as anything else in the band’s short but impressive catalog (though their swoon-worthy self-titled EP is definitely worth a look). “Cool Runnings” (no relation to the film) continues the band’s black-and-white clip aesthetic, this time simply showing three friends enjoying a day spent at a quaint, abandoned home. There’s genuinely gorgeous cinematography throughout that evokes Jim Jarmusch’s visual aesthetic as much as Roger Deakins’ (Nebraska is also brought to mind more than once). Somehow the visuals wind up complementing the band’s breezy shoegaze-tinged dream pop. It’s a great addition to a strong 7″ and a seductive appetizer that (hopefully) points to a forthcoming LP. Only time will reveal the details of such a thing but it’s certainly nice to have a soundtrack to wait to. Watch “Cool Runnings” below and start looking forward to warmer weather.

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March 20, 2014

Bleeding Rainbow – Images (Music Video)

Bleeding Rainbow keep adding onto what’s already one of the year’s more impressive lead-up campaigns for their upcoming Kanine debut, Interrupt. A trio of tracks from the record have already been released into the world and “Images” is now the second to get a music video (“So You Know” was the first). “Images”, like “Paper the House“, is another performance clip video- only this is a much more involved variant. That the band decides to emphasize their visuals for “Images” isn’t surprising considering the title- what is surprising is how well the video suits the song. There’s a definite sense of unease that permeates a lot of Bleeding Rainbow’s work (something that seems to get amplified in accordance with how frenetic they get) but paired with color-tinted hallucinatory visuals, that unease quickly elevates to a focal point. All of the overlays, superimposed moving one shots, and sly delays combine to make “Images” a surprisingly memorable experience. Watch it below and give in to its tricks; it’s one hell of a ride.

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March 20, 2014

Fucked Up – Paper the House (Music Video)

There are very few bands with discography’s as deep as Fucked Up’s with so few LP’s. For a while, especially towards the beginning of the band’s career, they produced a ceaseless onslaught of 7″ and 10″ releases, while never offering up more than an EP. When their first LP finally did come along, it sent some shockwaves through a broadening audience. Fast forward from that moment to today and nearly all of their full-lengths can be considered classics. After all, it takes something special for a band flirting with so many hardcore tendencies to take home the Polaris Prize (here’s looking at you, The Chemistry of Common Life). Now, three years after their massive, blistering rock opera David Comes to Life, the band have set their sights on their newest LP: Glass Boys.

For a long while Glass Boys was shrouded in mystery, with the band taking some time to rest before emerging full-force just a few short months ago. Then, as is often the case with Fucked Up, everything seemed to hit at once: the announcement of the Year of the Dragon 10″, a revealing interview with Stereogum, the 285 Kent adieu, the Glass Boys reveal artwork above), and the stream of the accompanying lead-off single- along with its music video. While the recorded version of “Year of the Dragon” has yet to be heard, both “Paper the House” and its video prove to be quite gripping.

“Paper the House” the song is one of the most melodic pieces the band’s wrung out of their tenacity yet, containing a lead guitar line that’d fit comfortably in just about any 90’s slacker pop song. There’s a catchy-as-hell chorus, a vocal part that showcases Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham’s deceptive range (as well as what seem to be his most personal lyrics to date), and a fittingly forceful rhythm section that keeps the song as propulsive as possible. The accompanying video is artfully directed and unfailingly minimal- a beautifully-shot and artfully directed black-and-white performance clip video. It’s a necessary reminder of how straightforward this band can be without losing any of its power and its a tantalizing glimpse at what could be one of the years most important records. Watch it below.

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March 11, 2014

Green Dreams – Bug Sex (Music Video)

Green Dreams is a name that’s been coming up in all of the right places. This isn’t a mistake. Their last LP, Sweats (artwork above), was a feverishly gnarled slab of the kind of punk that flirts with sludge as much as it does with basement pop. Perfect Pussy’s Meredith Graves has been pushing them in just about every interview she’s done lately and it looks like the appreciation is mutual- Green Dreams is currently prepping for an upcoming tour with Perfect Pussy and “noh-wave” weirdo-poppers Yamatanka // Sonic Titan. Green Dreams continues to make a considerable impression today, with the recent unveiling of the Mike Turzanski-directed music video for “Bug Sex”.

“Bug Sex”, as a song, features many of the band’s most prominent features: impassioned vocals, aggressive guitar work, power drumming, an ominous bassline, a fairly dark atmosphere, scattershot riffing, and hard-hitting breakdowns. As a video? It’s got one foot firmly planted in film noir, while the other navigates what’s ostensibly a procedural thriller With some subtle visual assistance from Dr. Hamburger, what really winds up pushing this video to the next level is some absolutely gorgeous cinematography work. Nearly everything’s shot in the shadows, with the final blanketed live performance shots being among both the year’s cleverest and outright best. Both the loose FBI detective murder-mystery story and the song’s propulsive forcefulness combine to make “Bug Sex” a very gripping and immediate experience. Watch it below and be on the lookout for the band’s upcoming RICH MAN/POOR MAN 7″.

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March 5, 2014

Creepoid – Baptism (Music Video)

As Noisey has already attested Philadelphia is absolutely killing it right now. One small part of what makes Philadelphia such an intriguing spot can certainly be attributed to Creepoid, a weirdo psych-punk quartet. Their just-released self-titled (out on No Idea Records) is already one of 2014’s highlights and the band just released the video for standout cut “Baptism”. Impressively, the video more than lives up to the track; it’s an impossibly perfect complement.

Mixing Super 8 footage with a controlled loop and overlay technique, director Wade Vanover has said the approach was meant to examine the inevitable disintegration of memory. It’s a powerful subtext that provides “Baptism” itself with a few extra layers of emotion, tinging it with an all-too-real sadness. It’s something that sinks in despite the visual assault that’s expertly designed to disorient the viewer. That the track is called “Baptism” only lends itself further to what ultimately ends up being an all-encompassing narrative. Birth, movement, and decay are all represented in some way or another, making this one of 2014’s most stunning achievements.

“Baptism” can be watched below and Creepoid can (and really should) be streamed in full here.

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