Heartbreaking Bravery

It’s been an insane stretch since the last update on this site went up. Hundreds of items have been collected, a handful of shows have been documented, and everything’s been accounted for as its emerged. Since there’s so much material to catch up on, the posts will be divided by format and focus on one  individual piece. First up is yet another extraordinary clip from site favorites Dilly Dally, who now seem constitutionally incapable of creating  anything less than near-perfection. Everything they’ve released so far has been ceaselessly praised on this site and, despite a surprisingly large handful of feature spots in those posts, they still haven’t released a full-length. “Purple Rage“, the band’s latest single, has expectations for their impending debut set tantalizingly high and now they’ve got another memorable music video pouring fuel on that fire.

Dilly Dally have separated themselves from their peers by a commitment to thematic narratives in their music videos and “Purple Rage” may be the most exquisite example of their dedication to date. In various statements about the record’s underlying ideologies Dilly Dally have constructed a world of guttural instinct and basic humanism that they’ve carefully expanded on through both their songs and videos. “Purple Rage” errs more towards the uglier side of the emotional spectrum, touching upon things like disgust, fear, and- of course- rage. Directors Adam Christopher Seward and Stefi Murphy also hint at dysmorphia in the clip, presenting their central character as, almost impossibly, a literal and metaphorical symbol for dejection.

It’s an effective trick that’s only enhanced by the derision that the character was met with in real time as the video was filmed in its various crowd-heavy locales. As a character study, it almost says more about the creature’s surroundings than the creature itself, while providing a heavy amount of empathy to its central figure. Deeply cinematic, unflinchingly bold, and more than a little fearless, “Purple Rage” is the mark of a band who’s characterized by their determination to not only push forward but to continuously challenge themselves to improve as both people and artists in the process. There’s an intimate beauty to be found in things most would presume to be inherent ugliness and “Purple Rage” drives that point home by not just understanding but willfully celebrating the mundane aspects of life.

As a piece of art, “Purple Rage” is as striking as it is exhilarating; an unforgettably beautiful portrait of humanism and it’s delicate dichotomy of the grotesque and graceful elements that comprise our identities.

Watch “Purple Rage” below and pre-order Sore ahead of its release date here. Below the video, explore several other memorable clips that came out in the recess since the last post appeared.

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Trust Fund – Football
The Libertines – Heart of the Matter
Seagoat – Your Side
The Spook School – Binary
Thayer Sorrano – Crease
Kirt Debrique – Tell Me How You Know
John Grant (ft. Tracy Thorn) – Disappointing
Waveless – Dark Day
Nocando – Osaka
Julia Holter – Sea Calls Me Home
Mal Blum – Better Go
Kiwis Cure Batten – Team Ball Player Thing
Carroll – Alligator
Majical Cloudz – Silver Car Crash
NOTS – Reactor
Vundabar – Oulala
HSY – Sally