Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Music Video

July 22, 2018

Two Weeks, Three Videos

A trio of videos found a way to make their presence felt over the past two weeks. Each of the three featured videos stand out for very distinct reasons with minimal overlap. From mastery of craft to self-awareness to successful experiments in restraint, there’s a lot of variety. Every example finds a way to enhance a great song with a video that proves to be the equal of the source material’s strength. Take a look (and a listen) below.

Slothrust – Double Down

After finding success through their past few releases, Slothrust is allowing their ambition to expand. The band’s forthcoming The Pact is their boldest work to date and has the potential to carry the band to greater success. A lot of that stems from the band making the right moves at the right time — in addition to their spectacular live show — and “Double Down” is proof, its surrealist world-building is impeccable. From the abrupt staging and cinematography that introduces the viewer to “Double Down”, Slothrust make it abundantly clear that they’re not content with stagnation. They’re out to prove something and the staggering clip for “Double Down” (those first moments are especially gripping) sees them off to a solid start.

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Mozes and the Firstborn – Hello

Mozes and the Firstborn have been making impressive music for a handful of years now, running the gamut from arresting intensity to playfully entertaining. “Hello”, and its visual accompaniment, find a way to skew towards the latter while retaining some of the former. An infectious pop song married to a clever concept, “Hello” finds Mozes and the Firstborn’s vocalist running behind a camera, lip-syncing to the song while runners in an actual marathon jostle past. Shirts get discarded, revealing words and phrases, a cigarette gets smoked, and a range of spectators emotions fly by in one of the more unexpectedly blissful clips of 2018.

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Free Cake For Every Creature – Be Home Soon

Katie Bennett continues to impress at just about every turn, though the Free Cake For Every Creature project remains the songwriter’s calling card. Here, the project gets an appropriately gentle illustrated video for the quietly moving “Be Home Soon”. Rivkah Gevinson created the clip for “Be Home Soon”, which combines collage work and stop motion photography to an enchanting effect, the song quietly washing over the proceedings. There’s a modicum of saturation washing through the clip’s coloration and playing into a wistful, nostalgic sensibility. Unexpectedly mesmerizing and characteristically lovely, “Be Home Soon” is up there with the finest work to bear the Free Cake For Every Creature name.

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July 10, 2018

The Best Music Videos of June 2018’s Final Half

The last two weeks of June were filled with visual delights but there were three entries into one format’s storied history that found ways to stand out. For a few of them, it was about form, for others it was about boundary-pushing subversion. Curiously, two of these three clips were more lyric videos than narrative-driven, while the exception of the three took its askew narration to stratospheric heights. Get acquainted with all three videos below.

Mitski – Nobody

There are a lot of music video directors out there that can consistently find new ways to turn heads and A Year’s Worth of Memories alum Christopher Good has existed comfortably in their ranks for a while now. Still, it’s always heartening to see those types of artists find a collaborator who’s fully up to the task of creating something memorable. Throughout the course of Mitski‘s “Nobody” clip, it’s a joy to watch the two push each other’s creative spirit to stratospheric heights. An oddball collage full of vibrant colors that cloak a despairing center that expounds on searching and reconciling identity, “Nobody” is as eye-catching as it is thoughtful. Far and away one of the year’s most memorable — and playfully bizarre — music videos.

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Hala – Sorry 

Occasionally, a strong (or strange) narrative isn’t needed to bolster an already strong song. Sometimes it’s simpler to just come up with a straightforward conceit and commit to it with as much honesty as possible. That’s the case in the clip for Hala‘s “Sorry”, which utilizes some framing and presentation tactics pulled straight from Shane Meadows’ playbook. The Ian Ruhala-directed clip is as about straightforward as they come, relying on an engaging central performance, some cleverly placed subtitles, and a great song to carry it to the realms of greatness.

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Onlyness – Comfortable

Paring things back even further than “Sorry” is the clip for Onlyness’ “Comfortable”, which effectively utilizes a single image and some light effects work to enhance an incredible song. The lyric placement over that image adds just enough atmosphere to propel this past the normally tepid world that lyric videos tend to occupy. One could nearly make the argument “Comfortable” is more of a visual art piece than a committed music video. The clip makes maximum use out of its minimal construction to lend more depth to an already gorgeous song’s artistry and, more often than not, that’s more than enough.

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July 6, 2018

The Final Half of June 2018: Streams, Music Videos, and Full Streams

The final half of June wasn’t quite as loaded as its immediate predecessor but it came surprisingly close. A deluge of material found release in every major format. Iconic acts remixed prominent genre figures, legends were paid tribute, and a handful of new faces made a deep impression. Below is the chronicling of everything that made a notable splash. Three individual installments focusing on some additional highlights from this stretch will follow this post shortly. For now (and for however many times anyone feels like clicking over) enjoy the best of the rest.

STREAMS

Saintseneca, Rat Columns, Free Cake For Every Creature, Chakra Efendi, Weller, Angelo De Augustine, Van Dale, Murder By Death, Alien Boy, Saturday Night, Many Voices Speak, Mogwai, Basement Revolver, Bad Bad Hats, Sudakistan, Teksti-TV 666 (x2), Eric Bachmann, Silverbacks, Signal, The Rareflowers, The Rock’N’Roll HiFives, The Cradle, Emma Ruth Rundle, Steady Holiday, El Ten Eleven, Joey Sweeney, Marissa Nadler, Bad Western, Wild Pink, Jason Isbell, Sego, The Mountain Goats, A Place to Bury Strangers/Slowdive, Oh Sees, Daniel Bachman, Sleep Party People, Bellows, Taylor Janzen, Purling Hiss, Hater, Lou Rogai, LT Wade, Send Medicine, TMBOY, J. Marco, Michael Nau, Night Flight, and Lokoy.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Silverbacks, Trü, Ohmme, Tomberlin, Claire Morales, Batz, blushh, Los Blancos, Flasher, Talos, Strange Rooms, Self Defense Family, Hifiklub & Lee Ranaldo, Deerhoof, Amen Dunes, Jay Rock, Zzzwalk, Domenico Lancellotti, Joan of Arc, Yumi Zouma, Who Is She?, Russian Baths, Life In Vacuum, IRMA VEP, Ocean Potion, Shy Boys, Drawing Boards, Cicada Rhythm, and Delta Sleep.

FULL STREAMS

Dumb, Henrik Appel, The Innocence Mission, Self Defense Family, Lily Konigsberg, Western Medication, Katie Herzig, No Love, Modern Rituals, Converge, Avid Dancer, Dott, and a Built to Spill covers compilation.

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June 26, 2018

Tokyo Driftwood – Q&A (Music Video Premiere)

Ryan Dieringer is a name that’s appeared on this site in a few past thanks to working collaboratively with Tica Douglas. Dieringer steps a little bit further into the spotlight here as half of a duo project called Tokyo Driftwood. Sam McDougle makes up the other half of the project, which leans in on a genre intersection that finds room for folk, powerpop, and slacker punk. “Q&A” is a perfect example of the band at their best and they’re premiering the video for the track today.

Directed by Noah Hutton, “Q&A” takes a clever line on the nature of casting calls and the arbitrary decision-making of the entertainment business. Casual but pointed, the clip’s a perfect tongue-in-cheek complement to a song driven by a narrative that shreds the nature of interview to pieces. It’s over in less than three minutes and its minimal conceit gets paid off in a way that has thee potential to rattle around in viewer’s brains days after their first viewing.

Modest, mundane, and exceptionally crafted “Q&A” suggests Tokyo Driftwood will be a project that’s worth following. All of their pieces are in place and the duo might be ahead of their own curve, all that’s left is for an audience to find Tokyo Driftwood’s curious pace. It’s the kind of journey that inevitably yields an embarrassment of riches; “Q&A” already qualifies as an unexpected gem. An honest work from a promising act, “Q&A” is a perfect gateway.

Watch “Q&A” below and pre-order No Soap, Radio b/w Q&A here.

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June 22, 2018

The Best Music Videos of June’s First Half

The first half of June came equipped with a lot of outstanding material but the strength of its best music videos were especially notable. There’s a strong chance that IDLES land themselves a repeat spot in the year-end best-of rundown, following their Music Video of the Year turn in 2017. There’s also a reasonable chance that at least one other clip from this list joins them in those rankings. As of now, that’s all still speculation but it’s worth noting for the sheer strength of impact. To find out a little more, scroll down, keep your eyes peeled, and keep your ears open.

IDLES – Danny Nedelko

Last year’s “Mother” was an absolute masterwork of a music video, going a ways in helping IDLES launch a burgeoning career. Easily one of the best protest songs of this current decade, “Mother” now has an equal in “Danny Nedelko.” As has been the case with virtually every IDLES clip, this one surges with purpose as its titular character takes a central role, dancing, smiling, and flashing an OK hand symbol that was co-opted by white supremacists in an act of joyful resistance. It’s remarkable, pointed, and adds an additional level of potency to an already formidable discography.

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Lonely Parade – Night Cruise

One of the most recent additions to Buzz Record‘s already stacked roster, Lonely Parade have made no bones about establishing their stake in that field. Their most recent showing came by way of the music video for the unwieldy “Night Cruise.” Stylish, vivid, and executed with unnerving precision, “Night Cruise” comes off like a warning shot. A series of odd angles, clever pans, and sharp editing play into a digital film palette that make the band’s sense of identity a focal point. Smart, measured, and playful, “Night Cruise” is a promising look into Lonely Parade’s future.

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Shy Boys – Take the Doggie

There are a few constant truths in our lives. Shy Boys took one of those truths and embraced it wholeheartedly, gifting us a playful, dog-driven music video that’s as open-hearted as it is endearing. Throw in a twee-leaning powerpop song, some lyrics running across the bottom of the screen, and a whole collection of clips cut together into a comprehensive whole and “Take the Doggie” reveals itself to be as winsome as its opening seconds suggest.

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Deaf Wish – FFS

The second black-and-white clip on this list, Deaf Wish‘s “FFS” uses the formula as a means to strengthen its directness. Jensen Tjhung and Daniel Twomey take the directorial reigns and lean into the framing, creating stark imagery that pays tribute to some iconic shots from the rock photography canon. The editing heightens “FFS”, creating sync’d segments that play into the clip’s sense of augmented reality. Engaging and expertly crafted, “FFS” is a reminder of how classical styling can benefit from modern advancements.

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Tomberlin – Self-Help

Saddle Creek‘s latest addition, Tomberlin, gave a mesmerizing introduction-at-large with the hushed, haunted “Self-Help”. Directed by Laura-Lynn Petrick, the clip presents Tomberlin awash in a sea of sea creatures, suggesting a parallel to the narrative of “Self-Help”, searching for a place in a space that’s built for you but still feels removed. It’s that distance that “Self-Help” is imbued with that defines both the song and the clip, conjuring an eerie parable that’s hard to shake on either end. Thoughtfully crafted and tenderly delivered, it’s a captivating glance at an artist worthy of knowing.

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June 17, 2018

June’s First Half: Honorable Mentions (Songs, Music Videos, Full Streams)

The first half of June carried plenty of surprises. This month has been, notably, dominated by major hip-hop artists and included the release of several major records that have the capacity to hijack year-end lists. Those releases have never been the focal point of this site and this won’t be the post where that changes. Every item on this list, as always, deserves more attention than it’ll receive. Following this list, there will be a few other key releases that get highlighted but these songs, clips, and records deserve all the support they can get, including the below listings and anyone willing to click their links. Enjoy.

SONGS:

Rob Dickson, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Dead Sullivan, Henrik Appel, Cuesta Loeb, Protomartyr, Amos and Spencer, Fleabite, Thin Lips, Dumb, The Molochs, Spencer Radcliffe, Kevin Krauter, Bleeth, Everything By Electricity, Scattered Clouds, Susie Scurry, MOURN, The Rareflowers, Clean Spill, Guts Club, Darren Jessee, Orions Belte, Late Bloomer, Laurel Halo, The Ophelias, Freedom Baby, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Alexander BIggs, Manatree, Runtom Knuten, Manchester Orchestra, Sun June, Angelo De Augustine, Ancestors, ShitKid, Icecapades, Deafheaven, Baby Blue, Frida, Cigarettes After Sex, R+R=NOW, Van Common, Hana Vu, The Dirty Nil, Stalagmites, Wild Nothing, Birdtalker, Jon Spencer, Two Meters, Claw Marks, El Ten Eleven, Birds In Row, Color Tongue, serpentwithfeet, Estrons, Echo Courts, Lazyeyes, Death Grips, Mom Jeans, Gold Star, and a massive offering from Ben Seretan (which accompanies a behemoth multimedia art project that’s worth tracking).

MUSIC VIDEOS:

Clearance, Strange Relations, Death Bells, LIFE, oso oso, The Essex Green, White Woods, Devon Welsh, NEEDS, Thirsty Curses, lemin., Spiritualized, Cold Fronts, Empath, Dirty Projectors, Anna Calvi, VedeTT, The Beths, Cornelia Murr, King Princess, The Fur Coats, Stringer, The Due Diligence, NOTHING, Howard, White Denim, Animal House, and Sad Baxter.

FULL STREAMS: 

Miranda Winters, Petal, Spiritual Cramp, Deux Trois, Dark Thoughts, Dos Santos, Some Gorgeous Accident, Johnny Conqueroo, Tancred, Blushh, Juliana Daugherty, Giant Peach, Hala, Anthony Green, Two Meters, Cold Meat, June Gloom/Rock Solid, CASCINE and Stadiums & Shrines’ Dreams compilation, Palberta, Bloody Knives, Will Henriksen, Surf Dads, God Bless Relative, GRLWood, and Ana Egge.

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June 2, 2018

The Five Best Music Videos of the Past Two Weeks

Two weeks may not seem like much of a span in the grand scheme of things but in terms of releases, it means a mountain of art to climb. During that journey, some sections manage to make more vivid impressions than others. This list specifically fixates on music videos and focuses on the clips that made a deep impression. Every artist in this list has been featured on this site in some way before but just because they’ve earned past accolades never ensures a repeat performance. A large amount of credit is due here to five artists who continuously push their own envelope. Take a breath and scroll down to explore their latest works.

1. Gurr – Hot Summer

Gurr made a big impression with 2016’s outstanding In My Head, a record overflowing with memorable basement pop. “Hot Summer” is the emergent act’s latest reminder of their undeniable talent, replete with a mesmerizing visual treatment. A series of vignettes all evoking vivid memories of past summer seasons while looking ahead to the summers that lie in wait, “Hot Summer” makes sure its title is apt. Both the clip and the video are triumphant gems and offer a welcome return for Gurr.

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2. Clearance – Had A Fantastic

Over the past handful of years, Clearance have been kicking around the upper Midwest, touring when they can, and committing to their own improvement. That steadfast insistence has been paying dividends for each of the band’s releases and will see its current culmination in At Your Leisure (which will also be their first effort for Topshelf Records). “Had A Fantastic” is the first look at the record, a driving mid-tempo number that imbues their basement pop with post-punk influences. The compelling video (washed out in faded whites and yellows) is just the cherry on top.

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3. Dusk – Old Magnolia

Uniting with their videographer Finn Bjornerud once again, Dusk have turned in another clip that plays homage to their own reality. Fixating on more central Wisconsin locations, “Old Magnolia” also provides the opportunity for Ryley Crowe (one of the band’s five notable songwriters) to be featured front and center. Leaning hard into classic folk, country, and Americana influences, “Old Magnolia” may be the purest distillation of the band’s overarching identity to date. Warm, tender, and familiar, it’s another worthy addition to an already exceptional repertoire.

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4. Sean Henry – The Ants

“The Ants” immediately comes across as one of Sean Henry‘s most arresting tracks but the video manages to elevate it from memorable to unforgettable. Tapping into the underlying dread and melancholy, “The Ants” becomes a creeping nightmare of a video. Off-kilter and defiantly strange, the clip finds Henry in the spotlight, donning a set of fake teeth and sulking around a cityscape as dusk turns to night turns to day. Weird, unavoidable, and mesmerizing, “The Ants” is as effective of a complement to its attached song as anyone’s likely to produce this year.

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5. Fog Lake – Push

Coming just days after the release of Fog Lake‘s haunting “California” was “Push” and its accompanying music video. “Push” opens up in somewhat generic territory, ostensibly opting for an obvious melodramatic narrative before subverting its story to startling effect. That sudden change comes by way of one of the most brilliant transition edits the music video format’s offered in recent memory, as one scene hurtles into the next, literally altering the narrative (and the central character’s) timeline.

Sudden and extremely effective, that tactic’s employed multiple times, each instance magnifying the effect. It’s brilliant filmmaking from both director Noah Kentis and cinematographer Bella Gonzales. “Push”, as a standalone song, would have stood as another of Fog Lake’s hidden masterpieces. Combined with the video, it becomes the project’s high point. A perfect mixture of empathy, elegance, and artistry, “Push” is the kind of video that doesn’t deserve to be forgotten.

 

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June 1, 2018

A Look Back at The Past Two Weeks (Streams, Music Videos, and Full Streams)

Over the past two weeks, not a lot of content has been published on this site. Behind the scenes, though, quite a bit of it was being collected. Time and travel constraints (everything from working full-time to keeping an apartment clean to seeing and playing shows) can make it difficult to keep Heartbreaking Bravery on a daily track. Still, it’s something that does carve out a section of my day every day and, when things go right, the daily posting schedule is still the route that I’d like to achieve (and this is a publication that’s entirely managed by a single person).

It’s a lot easier to keep this thing on schedule when it’s caught up to the current release cycle, which will occasionally necessitate recaps and lists. Don’t let the impersonal nature of these instances detract from the value of what’s on display; all of these links are worth exploring. If I could give them all features, I would. Unfortunately, that’s a logistic impossibility. Everything below, as stated, is worth a click. These past two weeks have been riddled with great items, dive on in and give some of them the attention they deserve.

Streams

Blushh, Tanukichan, Petal, Kevin Krauter, Why Bonnie, Worriers, Trü, Kin Hana, Slowcoaches, Draag, Campdogzz, Tancred, Johnny Goth, Henrik Appel, My Pleasure, Post Pink, Self Defense Family, Vamos, Jackie Lain, Ditches, Frøkedal, Cowboy Junkies, Glass Famine, Les Big Byrd, Runtom Knuten, Bad Bad Hats, Young Widows, Barrie, Trevor Powers, Wild Pink, James Blake, Sudakistan, Pllush, Deaf Poets, LUMP, RVG, Minor Moon, Mommy Long Legs, Lost Boy ?, Character Actor, Elise Davis, Goosebump, Jenn Champion, Masayoshi Fujita, New Spell, El Ten Eleven, Goon, Crooked Teeth, God Bless Relative, Late Bloomer, Guts Club, June Gloom, Kevin Devine, R+R=NOW, L.A. Girlfriend, The Innocence Mission, Batz, Darling James, Eric Benoit, The Fourth Wall, LT Wade, and Ness Lake.

Music Video

Tmboy, IDLES, Falcon Jane, Keith Secola, The Goon Sax, Wild Moccasins, Dott, Bodega, Wilder Maker, Astral Swans, The Armed, Phil Cook, Wimps, Mute Swan, Wolf Alice, Liars, Jess Ledbetter, Mary Lattimore, Ezza Rose, Cassels, Deer Tick, The Menzingers, Damien Jurado, Snakeskin, Brooke Annibale, Grapetooth, Death Grips, Cellus Hamilton, Jenny Hval, Subsonics, The Get Up Kids, Wooden Shjips, Jessicka, Modern Leisure, and a short film from Hurray For The Riff Raff.

Full Streams

Psychic Flowers, Richard Edwards, gobbinjr, Jamison Isaak, Remission, Beach Skulls, Numb.er, American Pleasure Club, Pet Symmetry, Mostly Mallards, Jenny Hval, Temporary Eyesore, Ocean Hope, Svalbard, and Sex Scenes.

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May 25, 2018

Ovlov – Spright (Stream)

From last Friday to the start of this week there were a handful of new songs that made an impact from artists like Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Luna Pines, Oh Sees, ahem, The Tamed West, Oldermost, Two People, Harrison Lipton, Samson, io & Titan, and a memorable music video from Dumb. There was also the long-anticipated return of Ovlov, following a string of reunion appearances after their last departure. “Spright”, the band’s first song following their four year near-absence, was worth the wait.

Steve Hartlett, Ovlov’s bandleader, found a way to refine some creative impulses with Stove (a band that walked away with this site’s pick for 2015’s Song of the Year) and has put that education to good use in “Spright”. A song that teems with the kind of melancholic frustration and open yearning that’s defined so much of Hartlett’s past body of work, “Spright” still manages to feel incredibly assured. Even considering the time away, Ovlov is a band that’s fully aware of its identity, and their grappling comes with a level of certainty.

Some things are big enough to force a reckoning and “Spright”, finds its narrative examining the implications of how we can challenge our own comfort by engaging more fearlessly with free will. Backed by an inspired swirl of guitars and a menacing rhythm section, “Spright” manages to erupt. As vicious as it is thoughtful, it’s the perfect way to welcome Ovlov back and stands as an extraordinarily promising first look at their upcoming TRU.

Listen to “Spright” below and pre-order TRU from Exploding In Sound here.

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May 24, 2018

Mitski – Geyser (Music Video)

Last Monday saw a handful of great releases find their way into the world, including songs by Lost Boy ?, Lucero (x2), Uniform & The Body, The Golden Dregs, Sharkswimmer, music videos from Deux Trois, Deal Casino, Caroline Rose, Teenage Wedding, and full streams courtesy of Daniel Tanghal, Remember Sports, and Wax Idols. While all of those releases were worthy of multiple glances and listens, the day belonged to Mitski, who made a galvanizing return with “Geyser”.

Directed with restraint and bravado by Zia Anger, “Geyser” finds Mitski’s streak of brilliance continuing in both the music world and the music video format. Comprised of nothing but Mitski — who gives a more sublime performance in the clip’s central role than any artist’s delivered in a music video all year — mouthing the words to “Geyser” while ostensibly going through a personal reckoning on a desolate beach, the clip expertly pulls the viewers attention into the action.

It’s an emotional experience of an almost visceral nature, occasionally veering on the voyeuristic, but the clip contains enough artistic flourishes to become visually arresting. There are hints to Mitski’s history, both through heritage and to the art the songwriter’s already committed to record, scattered through “Geysers” that makes it a clever career summation ahead of an extremely promising next chapter. Gentle, evocative, mesmerizing, “Geyser” offers an artistic explosion worth celebrating.

Watch “Geyser” below and pre-order Be The Cowboy from Secretly Canadian here.

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