Street Eaters | Heartbreaking Bravery

May 12, 2017

Ratboys – Elvis in the Freezer (Music Video)

In the past four days, a small handful of exceptional records have been released by artists like Tica Douglas, Jodi, Christopher Gold & the New Old Things, Taiwan Housing Project, Great Deceivers, Street Eaters, Show of Bedlam, Nick Pope, and Old Maybe. While all of those are worthy of celebration, this post’s feature fell to a different format: the music video. Ratboys‘ “Elvis in the Freezer” proved far too exceptional to let pass without a closer look.

Director Kenna Hynes was at the helm for the “Elvis in the Freezer” clip and Hynes’ deft touch ensures that the clip’s not only wildly engaging but both heartrending to the point of being emotionally shattering and just heartwarming enough to keep it vibrant. The crux of the story presented in the clip for “Elvis in the Freezer” is simple: a cat dies and a good friend comes to console its owner. What’s impressive is the way Hynes frames this story, utilizing a variety of effects to heighten each emotional beat. From the slo-mo reversals of the opening sequence all the way through the clever Julia Steiner (Ratboys’ guitarist/vocalist and principal songwriter) reveal.

As the clip works its way through each new movement, the song lends the sequences some additional dramatic heft. “Elvis in the Freezer” is the type of track that lets anyone paying attention to Ratboys know that the band’s evolving in increasingly successful ways, sharpening their strengths and injecting a greater sense of ambition into their work. Here, the song works wonders as the soundtrack to a familiar, everyday story that’s undoubtedly struck a major cord with an array of viewers. Both the song and the clip are heartfelt, bittersweet, and memorable pieces of work that deserve to be remembered. Thankfully, “Elvis in the Freezer” is very hard to shake.

Watch “Elvis in the Frezzer” below and pre-order GN from Topshelf here.

April 21, 2017

Waxahatchee – Silver (Music Video)

Throughout the past six or seven days, great music videos by the likes of Pale Grey, Meat Wave, Tim Kasher, Mark Lanegan, Fuzzystar, Special Teams, Gurr, Chick Quest, EMA, Street Eaters, SOFTSPOT, No Vacation, Mayflower Madame, Airpark, Real Numbers, Hoan, Exit Kid, Murlo, M.I. Blue, Kurt Swinghammer, The Broken Hearts, Skye Steele, and Morning Teleportation have found their way into the world. All of them made several very good impressions but none of them seemed to go quite as deep as the considerable indent Waxahatchee‘s “Silver” left in its wake.

Katie Crutchfield’s projects were always going to be a staple of this site for however long either wound up being around. Ever since becoming accustomed to the songwriter’s work during P.S. Eliot‘s tenure. Fortunately, Crutchfield’s kept busy under the Waxahatchee moniker, releasing one sterling record after another and Out in the Storm looks ready to carry that unimpeachable run. “Silver” the first song to be released from the record also came equipped with an appropriately DIY-leaning video.

Throughout the clip, Crutchfield’s shown in a variety of ways, from running through the song with the band, to lip-syncing along to “Silver” while bathed in confrontational strobe lights, to black-and-white footage of the artist simply walking around. All of it forms a coherent whole that seems to enliven the song driving the whole affair. Clever editing, an easygoing charm, and a sense of place all congeal into something striking. When all’s said and done and the storm has abated, Crutchfield remains calm, standing proudly as one of this generation’s essential artists.

Watch “Silver” below and pre-order Out in the Storm from Merge here.

June 29, 2015

Big Huge – Late At Nite (Stream)

big huge

Already a few small releases into a promising career, Big Huge have yet to hit a false note. Instead, they seem to gain strength as they go; sharpening their songwriting ability and honing their presentation accordingly. 2014’s Don’t Be Shy EP was among the year’s more joyous (and promising) basement pop excursions but “Late At Nite” finds the band lighting a much stronger fire.

A little over two minutes, “Late At Nite” hits a lot of familiar beats from the powerpop structure to the gruff vocal delivery. All of it’s been done before but it’s rarely been delivered with such venom. Like a lot of the best music that deals with pent-up aggression, it derives part of its narrative from a very frustrating dichotomy. In this case, that dichotomy comes to the forefront by virtue of the inescapable post-party come-down. On the surface, it’s an absolute joy but buried somewhere in the subtext is a very human examination of some of life’s more intriguing moments. Packaged together, it becomes something that approaches the levels of a summer anthem. Right on time.

Listen to “Late At Nite” below and keep an eye on the site for more information about the band’s upcoming self-titled EP. Beneath the embedded player, enjoy 10 more outstanding songs to find release over the past two weeks.

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Vundabar – Darla
We Take Fire – Kashyyyk
Bad Bad Hats – Fight Song
Johnny Marr – Exit Connection
Naps – Sandspurs
Baby in Vain – Muscles
Cold Showers – Plantlife
Street Eaters – Paralyzed
Aye Nako – White Noise
Showyousuck – All Pizza Everything

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