Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Watch This

March 20, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 17

After an unforeseen extended break due to some technical difficulties and exterior circumstances, the defibrillator has jumped this place’s pulse back into motion. Returning after a week’s silence means quite a bit of catch-up to do while also attempting to keep the up-to-date news in circulation. In the coming days and nights, there will be multiple posts a day until the day:post ratio of 1:1 is re-attained. This frenzied spree will kick off now, with what will hopefully be the last overdue Watch This for quite some time. This week’s edition is heavy on full KEXP sessions as an apology of sorts, a way to overcompensate for lost time. So sit back, relax, and watch this.

1. Coachwhips – You Gonna Get It (Sailor Jerry’s)

For whatever reason, Sailor Jerry’s has always been supportive of the DIY punk scene and hosted more than a few memorable live sessions. Most recently, they were on hand for SXSW to both assist and capture this insane middle-of-a-crowd Coachwhips performance. Coachwhips, a direct predecessor of Thee Oh Sees, were a band that generated a lot of support in the early days. Seeing them come back and met with an elevated level of adoration in this video is nothing short of bliss.

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2. La Luz (KEXP Session)

With a tumultuous 2013 behind them (one that saw them release one of the year’s best LP’s, EP’s, and survive a major traffic collision), La Luz have nowhere to look to but the future. They’ve earned the support of a very vocal community that’s constantly growing. With performances like this one, it’s hard to see that trend doing anything but continuing- after all, that’s probably the best way to pay tribute to the band themselves.

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3. Fruit Bats (KEXP Session)

Fruit Bats have maintained an enviable consistency over the past 17 years, releasing a body of work that deserves to be celebrated as legendary. Perpetually on the fringe of national attention, Eric D. Johnson watched as the roster around him constantly shifted. For this session, the songwriter came in on his lonesome and delivered a handful of tracks from Mouthfuls, along with the announcement that Fruit Bats was officially calling it quits. If this video can be viewed as a selection of Fruit Bats’ last stand, then it’s pretty clear Johnson is going out on top. 

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4. Dinosaur Pile-Up – Arizona Waiting (Audiotree)

There has been no shortage of bands playing with 90’s influence as of late but it’s been quite some time since there was a band reminiscent of Sunny Day Real Estate, Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, and early Foo Fighters in equal measure. Dinosaur Pile-Up somehow manages to encapsulate the spirit of all of those bands while throwing in enough Audacity-style change-ups to keep things firmly rooted in the present. This video couldn’t be a more perfect introduction.

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5. Angel Olsen (KEXP Session)

What else can be said about Angel Olsen at this point? Since the release of this year’s first quarter highlight Burn Your Fire for No Witness, Olsen’s gained enough accolades to close a canyon and her performances have been revered in the most awestruck of words. Having already appeared numerous times in Watch This, the most that can be said without growing too repetitious is that this KEXP session may be her finest recorded live outing to date.

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March 4, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 15

Once again, an apology is in order; due to extensive travel (more on that in a minute) a regular Sunday Watch This posting proved impossible. This 15th installment is a more low-key affair than usual. Apart from two very, very electric full sets, the emphasis falls squarely on wistful moments. From a powerpop staple to Appalachian-infused up-and-comers with a serious punk pedigree to Katie Crutchfield’s signature defiant vulnerability, open wounds wind up being this week’s focal point. As each video proves in some small way, sometimes the best way to deal with open wounds is to address them.

1. Saintseneca – Happy Alone (BadRacket Recording)

While Saintseneca has earned multiple mentions on this site before, they’ve never wound up in Watch This. It’s a drastic oversight and this is a necessary correction. Their run-through of “Happy Alone” for BadRacket Recording is nothing short of outstanding. Saintseneca continues to find new ways to impress and up the respective anticipation for their ANTI- debut, Dark Arc.

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2. Matthew Caws – Inside of Love (KEXP)

When Nada Surf was still in the early stages of their career they were often written off as Weezer knockoffs. Many suspected they’d be unsustainable- and then they did the miraculous- they reinvented themselves and found themselves at the forefront of powerpop. Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws plays Let Go standout “Inside of Love” for KEXP here, as a part of the 15th anniversary celebration of Barsuk Records. It’s as winning now as it ever was.

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3. Great Thunder – It Takes  So Much (Live at Saint Vitus)

Katie Crutchfield has one of the most arresting voices in all of music, writes emotionally crippling lyrics, and Great Thunder just made a fucking incredible record. A live performance showcasing all of those things? What more could anyone possibly want?

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4. Hop Along (Live at Saint Vitus)

While any lineup that includes both Crutchfield twins is can’t-miss material, it’ll take something genuinely special to make an impression in the face of that. Luckily, for everyone, beloved Philadelphia act Hop Along proved more than up to the task and unARTigNYC was on hand to film all of it. While Get Disowned is (still) incredible on its own merits, the band comes into their own in a live setting. This is an impassioned 46-minute masterclass on how to do things right. Absolutely necessary viewing (and listening) material. 

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5. Priests (Live at The Pinch)

There have been recent claims that seeing Priests for the first time is akin to a religious experience and the live footage that continues to surface of the band goes a long way in supporting that theory. It doesn’t seem to matter when the footage is from, either. From the get-go this band’s been channeling the brooding intensity of Swans and deftly combining it with the politics of Sleater-Kinney and the discordant aesthetics of Sonic Youth at their most fearlessly minimal. All of that is why Priests are this week’s band to know. Extra note: shout-out to vocalist Katie Alice Greer for her outstanding interview work over at Fvck the Media. Be sure to go read that- but be sure to watch this.

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February 25, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 14

Once again, apologies are in order. Live content was suspended as there was, unfortunately, no possible way to get anything up since the last posting. Regular content resumes with this round of catching-up. Sunday will see the return of the regularly-scheduled Watch This programming. Now that everything’s been brought up to speed, this 14th installment of the series features several of the program’s most trusted resources (KEXP, Jam in the Van, etc) and spans quite a few genres. Read, watch, and listen to everything below.

1. Capsula (KEXP Session)

This week’s kicking off with something a little unorthodox- an Argentinian band based in Spain that primarily plays covers. The distinction? They’re some seriously fucking great covers. This isn’t the stereotypical classic-rock-by-the-numbers cash-grab, there are moments of serious passion and inventiveness here. All of these songs are reworked in sly ways that play to the band’s frantic energy. Bonus points for the best “Moonage Daydream” cover since The White Stripes’ version was being passed around as a live bootleg.

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2. Tara Fox – Morning Light (Jam in the Van)

Oh, Jam in the Van, will you ever tire of bands that wear hats when they play? As long as they’re as winsome as Tara Fox, it honestly won’t matter (it doesn’t really matter now, it’s just a strange recurring trend). Tara Fox, for their part, conjure up Americana that’s infused with both Burger-friendly surf aesthetics and a few hints of 60’s pop tendencies. It all works impossibly well in the van setting and feels perfect for the open road.

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3. Cate Le Bon (NPR Tiny Desk Session)

NPR once again mines a great singer/songwriter record for a stunning session. While Cate Le Bon’s 2012 triumph Mug Museum may not have been released as recently as Burn Your Fire For No Witness, the two do share some similar qualities. They’re also the records that are responsible for 2013’s two best Tiny Desk concerts to date. Le Bon reveals herself to be not only a capable performer but a tantalizing one.

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4. Deafheaven – Sunbather (Live at 285 Kent)

Very few bands managed to anger as many people as Deafheaven did last year. Their crime? Making an outstanding record that had serious crossover potential. Black metal elitists were up in arms, shoegaze enthusiasts were full of cynical trepidation, and no one wanted to claim them as part of their genre. Only Perfect Pussy have matched their ratio of critical acclaim to critical vitriol since the release of Sunbather.  While it can still be difficult to fully embrace the style of vocals Deafheaven rely on, their actual music is undeniable and their live performances have been well-documented as being one of the more captivating prospects out there. Pitchfork’s ongoing series of the RIP 285 Kent videos has likely come to a conclusion with this absolutely immense performance of Sunbather‘s title track. Major credit is also due to the audio engineer on this one as it sounds absolutely phenomenal. A very fulfilling 10 and a half minutes.

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5. Four Eyes – SOS (Live)

Four Eyes are an incredibly hard band to find information on beyond basic facts. Whether this band still exist is anyone who’s not in the know’s best guess. They don’t appear to have any official page of any sort and they only have two 7″ records to their name. Both Four Eyes and Towards the End of Cosmic Loneliness are fucking incredible records full of riff-heavy basement punk. There are shades of early 90’s SST all over both of them and “SOS” is among the group’s very best. Here’s hoping that the band hasn’t hung it up. This is incredible music that deserves to be heard.

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February 19, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 13

Again, sincerest apologies on the delay involving this 13th installment of Watch This. What would regularly run on Sunday was pushed back this week due to an obscene overabundance of material that needed some serious navigation. When the realization of the source of last week’s excess of material could be traced back to two events, things became a little more manageable. Now, at least for this week, there will be three standalone videos and the final two spots will be occupied by video playlists; one being the Marked Men weekend, the other being the Don Giovanni showcase. Brooklyn, you had a surreal wealth of incredible music this week, worthy of anyone’s envy. For all of those videos, as well as a few more, watch everything posted below.

1. Dog Day – Sandwich (exclaim!)

Kicking off the series this week is Dog Day, a quartet whose sound is steeped in shoegaze aesthetics without ever crossing the line into that genre. Instead, they offer up a very singular take on brooding post-punk that carries a lot of noise and no wave heft. As for the band’s performance, it’s detached to the point of being eerie, effectively elevating the sense of unease. A very strong, very curious, introduction to a band that has a decent shot of gaining a very faithful following.

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2. Sandrider – Gorgon (KEXP)

HOLY FUCK.

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3. Porches.  ft. Frankie Cosmos – Fog Dog (Live at Woodbury)

Porches. continue to impress every time the project surfaces. This fan-shot performance clip of “Fog Dog” may actually be the most arresting material to come from Porches. to date. It helps that Frankie Cosmos vocals lend the whole thing an almost unbearable lightness. A genuinely gorgeous piece of entertainment- and the ending? One of the most endearing things to have shown up in any kind of film this year.

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4. The Marked Men Weekend (Live at St. Vitus)

So, the other weekend an enormous wealth of material consumed Brooklyn and lit the NYC punk community on fire three times over. A large, large, part of this was the three sets that reclusive basement punk icons The Marked Men graced the city with, bringing along an assortment of their friends to share the moment. All three of The Marked Men’s sets were captured in full by the always-reliable unARTigNYC, who also filmed single clips of the support acts; Tenement, Radiator Hospital, Worriers, Kim Phuc, Iron Chic, Future Punx, and Shellshag. Those clips appear in that order and are all worth watching (especially Tenement, who will get an emphasis on here whenever there’s an appropriate excuse, and Radiator Hospital, whose Something Wild was one of 2013’s very best).

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5. The Don Giovanni Showcase

While The Marked Men weekend was happening over at St. Vitus, the Don Giovanni showcase was going strong just a stones throw away. There were a few bands that made appearances at both (Tenement, Worriers, and Shellshag) and made sure the wealth was lovingly spread across the city. Now, Don Giovanni’s a record label that’s earned a lot of mentions here by virtue of their roster, one of the strongest in DIY music. While not being able to attend was painful, it’s easy to tell that it was an incredible time from the videos that were presented by Don Giovanni themselves. Curiously, sets/songs from the explosive combination of Screaming Females and Tenement  were left out (though a performance of “Doom 84” in Cleveland has been tacked onto the playlist- along with the previously-mentioned Shellshag medley– because as long as this video playlist cheating is taking place, why not cheat a little more?) along with a few others but there’s still a lot to love here.

Contained in the playlist are the following: Nude Beach (who absolutely lit Quarters Rock N Roll Palace up in Milwaukee last July with Midnight Reruns and Tenement), Black Wine, Groucho Marxists, Priests (especially Priests, who, as one of the most original and exciting bands in music, are going to be given a lot more words here in the very near future), Vacation (a few members of which have found growing success in their other incredible band, Tweens), Worriers, Nuclear Santa Claust, California X, and, as mentioned, both Screaming Females and Shellshag. Watch it all below and buy a goddamn guitar already.

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February 9, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 12

Another week, another Watch This. In this 12th installment, there are full sets, acoustic takes, and studio performances. From the Albini-indebted strains of Into It. Over It. to the irrepressible manic glee of Los Campesinos! there’s plenty of range in this week’s edition. Enough with the introductions, onto the music. Watch it all below. 

1. Cumulus – Middle (KEXP)

Cumulus recently stopped by Seattle’s most legendary radio station to deliver a set full of sugary shoegaze pop. “Middle” is all kinds of accessible, offering the clearest signal yet of the extent of shoegaze’s resurgence. A dirtied up bass line and swirling guitar lines wash over an undeniably pop vocal, while the song itself is packed full of hooks. All of the sudden, the future of pop music doesn’t look as bleak as it once did. There’s serious potential for a major crossover here. For now, take a step back and marvel at how effortlessly graceful this performance of “Middle” really is.

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2. Los Campesinos! – Cemetery Gaits/What Death Leaves Behind (Brooklyn Vegan)

Los Campesinos! have been an anomaly for a long while now. Their brand of twee-punk, even as it evolved into something more aggressive and cynical, was always leaning too far twee for the punk kids and too far punk for the twee kids. A few on the outer rings of both circles had trouble accepting them because they were either too accessible or not accessible enough.  That unwillingness  to commit to the easily classifiable has always made them interesting and the band thrive on it. Their high-energy live performances have always been reliably endearing as well. This BV Studio Session is no exception.

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3. Into It. Over It. –  Where Your Nights Often End (Audiotree)

Into It. Over It. are a band that’s becoming similarly hard to pin down. Very frequently grouped into the emo-revival discussion, the band’s resisted embracing and denying that classification in equal measure. Frequently appearing on bills alongside the likes of LVL UP and Ovlov, their live set has also sparked a fair bit of admiration. They’re one of the bands that evokes the Albini studio aesthetic most readily. For proof of this, watch the exquisitely filmed Audiotree video of “Where Your Nights Often End” below, which features Kate from Kittyhawk on backing vocals.

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4. Cassavettes – Full Set

Cassavettes recently played Philadelphia and youtuber Will McAndrew was on hand to shoot the whole thing as it happened at the reliably excellent house venue The Great Indoors. Noisey recently posited that Philly has the best punk scene in the country and fondly extols the virtues of its bands but doesn’t speak much on how supportive that scene is to the bands that pass through. With more and more full sets like this hard-hitter from Boston-based basement punks Cassavettes (think The State Lottery with a little less gruff), it’s hard to argue Noisey on that one.

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5. Hot New Mexicans – Damned Distractions (Pink Couch Sessions)

This week’s Watch This band to know is unique in a certain distinction; it’s no longer a band. That said, Hot New Mexicans are a band that people deserve to be hearing about for a very long time. After a promising debut, the band released a string of classics with their self-titled sophomore effort (a legitimate best-of-decade contender) and a pair of seriously incredible 7″ releases. In a way, the closest band to Hot New Mexicans was the “band to know” from the very first Watch This, PURPLE 7 (they share a pivotal member). In this clip, Patrick Jennings (the aforementioned PURPLE 7 member) plays an acoustic version of Hot New Mexicans standout “Damned Distractions” for IYMI’s Pink Couch Sessions series (who will be featured on Watch This soon). Enjoy- and order/buy Hot New Mexicans material wherever it can be found. It’s a collection necessity.

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February 6, 2014

Heartbreaking Bravery: A Retrospective Introduction

When Heartbreaking Bravery started, it was originally intended to be a place where film and music found equal footing. Now, 100 days and 100 posts later, it’s clear that somewhere along the line it established an identity firmly based on the music side of things. There are going to be a few changes made to the site in the upcoming year, one of them will be a section devoted to the discussion of film. New features will start and old features will be kept running. A few of the first updates were made earlier today. In addition to having its own domain, Heartbreaking Bravery now officially has homes on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. Look for extra content, to varying degrees, on all three platforms.

For those just joining in or becoming aware of Heartbreaking Bravery’s existence, there are two things to ease into the familiarization process. One’s a playlist that features the kind of music that’s most regularly featured, which can be found below. Below that, active hyperlinks for the first 99 articles. Happy listening.

There are 25 bands and songs in this playlist. A few have received coverage from Heartbreaking Bravery, another few should have, and a fair few were part of what inspired its very existence. All of these bands mean something to this place and hopefully they’ll mean just as much, if not more, to whoever comes across them.

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HB001: Audacity – Hole in the Sky (Music Video)
HB002: Swearin’ – Surfing Strange (Album Review)
HB003: Albert Hammond Jr – Carnal Cruise (Music Video)
HB004: PUP – PUP (Album Review)
HB005: Perfect Pussy – I have lost all desire for feeling (EP Review)
HB006: All Dogs – 7″ (Review)
HB007: Radioactivity – Radioactivity (Album Review)
HB008: A Look at Burger Records and the Longevity of the Cassette Tape
HB009: La Luz Suffer Major Setbacks in Semi-truck Collision
HB010: Midwives – EP (Review)
HB011: Pkew Pkew Pkew (gunshots) – Glory Days (Music Video)
HB012: Midnight Reruns’ Debut LP Streaming on Punknews
HB013: Nobunny at the Frequency – 11/11/13 (Live Review)
HB014: Angel Olsen – Forgiven/Forgotten (Music Video)
HB015: Polvo – Light, Raking (Music Video)
HB016: Split Feet – Fall Demo 2013 (Review)
HB017: Big Eyes – The Sun Still Shines (Music Video)
HB018: INTERVIEW: Meredith Graves (Perfect Pussy)
HB019: Great Thunder – Groovy Kinda Love (Album Review)
HB020: Gap Dream – Shine Your Light (Music Video)
HB021: Arcade Fire – Afterlife (Music Video)
HB022: Vaadat Charigim – Odisea (Music Video)
HB023: On the Up: Acid Fast
HB024: Watch This: Vol. 1
HB025: Va°nna Inget – Inga fra°gor Inga svar (Music Video)
HB026: Benny the Jet Rodriguez – Run. (Music Video)
HB027: Rookie Streams the Beyond Inversion Comp
HB028: On the Up: Meat Wave
HB029: Popstrangers – Rats in the Palm Trees (Music Video)
HB030: Allison Weiss – Wait for Me (Music Video)
HB031: Watch This: Vol. 2
HB032: Beyond Inversion Available at Bandcamp
HB033: Burger Releases MCII on Cassette
HB034: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Higgs Boson Blues (Music Video)
HB035: Vaadat Charigim – Kezef Al Hamayim (Music Video)
HB036: Angel Olsen – Forgiven/Forgotten (Official Music Video)
HB037: Globelamp – Star Dust (EP Review)
HB038: Watch This: Vol. 3
HB039: Saintseneca – Visions (Music Video)
HB040: Sunn O))) & Ulver Preview Collaborative LP
HB041: Burger Streams Velvet Underground Tribute Compilation
HB042: The Thermals Release Online Video Game
HB043: Tokyo Police Club – Argentina (Parts I, II, & III) (Music Video)
HB044: The Dead Weather Unleash Killer New Single
HB045: Majical Cloudz – Savage (Music Video)
HB046: On the Up: Nervosas
HB047: Watch This: Vol. 4
HB048: Burger to Release Night Drives Debut
HB049: AV Club Premieres Acid Fast’s “Tangle”
HB050: Home for the Holidays & A Guide to Surviving (Mixtape)
HB051: Burger Streams Massive Holiday Mix
HB052: Come Back Soon
HB053: Vertical Scratchers – These Plains (Stream)
HB054: Watch This: Vol. 5
HB055: The Flaming Lips’ Christmas on Mars (Film Stream)
HB056: On the Up: Tenement
HB057: Happy Holidays (Video Playlist)
Hb058: Yuck – Somewhere (Music Video)
HB059: The Flaming Lips’ 1983 2nd Cassette Demo (Stream)
HB060: 2013: A Video Review
HB061: Watch This: Vol. 6
HB062: RIP: Benjamin Curtis (Secret Machines, School of Seven Bells)
HB063: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – Wig Out at Jagbag’s (Stream)
HB064: 2013: A Photography Review
HB065: The Hussy – EZ/PZ (Stream)
HB066: Fire Retarded – Meat Stairs (Stream)
HB067: Mutts and Buffalo Moon Release Music Videos, Get People Dancing
HB068: Watch This: Vol. 7
HB069: Cass McCombs – Big Wheel (Music Video)
HB070: On the Up: Technicolor Teeth
HB071: 25 Best Demo’s, EP’s, 7″ Singles, and Compilations of 2013
HB072: Mozes & the Firstborn – Skinny Girl (Music Video)
HB073: Protomartyr – Rise, Scum! (Stream)
HB074: Nothing – Guilty of Everything (Trailer)
HB075: Watch This: Vol. 8
HB076: Liars – Mess On A Mission (Stream)
HB077: Big Air – Cemetery With A View (Song Premiere)
HB078: Perfect Pussy – Driver (Stream)
HB079: Tweens – Be Mean (Stream)
HB080: Cloud Nothings Preview New Record in Brooklyn (Stream)
HB081: Golden Animals – Most My Time (Music Video)
HB082: Watch This: Vol. 9
HB083: Eagulls – Possessed (Stream)
HB084: Sneak Peek: Failures’ Union, Neighborhood Brats, Corrections (Streams)
HB085: Perfect Pussy at Schubas Tavern – 1/22/14 (Live Review)
HB086: DTCV – Alpha Waves in a Gelatinous Conductor (Music Video)
HB087: PILE – Special Snowflakes (Stream)
HB088: Watch This: Vol. 10
HB089: Cloud Nothings – I’m Not Part of Me (Stream)
HB090: Adam Widener – Laughter on Your Heels I’ll Follow (Music Video)
HB091: Potty Mouth – Black and Studs (Music Video)
HB092: Lemuria – Oahu, Hawaii (Music Video)
HB093: Screaming Females at Cactus Club – 1/29/14 (Live Review)
HB094: together PANGEA – Offer (Music Vide0)
HB095: The Trucks – Space Famous (Demo Review)
HB096: Watch This: Vol. 11
HB097: Saintseneca – Happy Alone (Music Video)
HB098: Vaadat Charigim – Ein Nehama Ladoachim (Music Video)
HB099: The Sleepwalkers – It’s A Good Day to Watch the World Go By (Stream)

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December 22, 2013

Watch This: Vol. 5

While last week’s retrospective was a fun exercise, this week’s Watch This is back to normal. Ranging from overseas Bohemian punk takeovers to locally-shot basement invasions, Vol. 5 stands as one of the series’ more  eclectic installments. Take a deep breath and dive in below.

1. The Midwestern Charm – Bloodbath (Live at Mill Creek)

After a promising self-titled debut effort, The Midwestern Charm have been doing everything in their power to present themselves as a reinvented machine. Their songwriting has improved, their sound has gotten more aggressive, and (as clearly evidenced here), their live presentation has gotten a lot sharper. Expect big things from these four in 2014. 


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2. The Love Language – This Room – Calm Down (HearYa Session)

Merge Records act The Love Language have been quietly excelling at releasing punk-tinged powerpop whether it be in a live or recorded setting. Their recent HearYa Session is exactly what you’d expect from a band operating on that level.


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3. Moonface – Helsinki Winter 2013

This site owes Moonface quite a bit. Without Spencer Krug (and collaborative partners Siinai), Heartbreaking Bravery never comes into existence. Julia With Blue Jeans On was one of this year’s most arresting accomplishments and the reverberations of that solo piano record are still being felt, as evidenced by this live clip FILTER premiered a few days ago.


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4. The Growlers (La Blogotheque Session)

The Growlers have found success with their recent Burger Records affiliation, as well as with both the demos for their latest full-length, Hung at Heart, and the record itself. This La Blogotheque Session finds them playing the streets of another country, amplifying a more Bohemian personality.  It’s a singular moment for both band and blog.


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5. Sleeping in the Aviary – So Lonely (Live in Stevens Point)

This week’s band to know is the now-defunct Madison-via-Minneapolis act, Sleeping in the Aviary. Towards the end of Sleeping in the Aviary’s run, the manic-pranksters were co-fronted by two incredibly talented musicians. This clip comes  courtesy of Heartbreaking Bravery and exemplifies the attitude and energy of small town Midwest basement shows. Give it a watch and pick up/stream Sleeping in the Aviary’s entire discography over at their bandcamp.



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December 8, 2013

Watch This: Vol. 3

Watch This was made a little bit easier this week, thanks to two music videos that also qualified as live performance. Those two videos, Vaadat Charigim’s “Kezef Al Hamayim” and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ “Higgs Boson Blues”, stood out as two of the best videos of the year. They weren’t the only live videos worth seeing this week, though. Razorcake, ever-dependable in its coverage, once again manages to crack this list and there’s another full set to round out the live videos. This week’s band you should already know is a Heartbreaking Bravery favorite and acts as a welcome first. Watch all five videos below.

1. METZ (3voor12 Session)

Anyone that has experienced METZ live knows what’s coming here; absolute frenzy. Earlier this year the band lit up the Krannert Arts Center in in Urbana, Illinois. Their energy during that performance, as a part of the Pygmalion music festival, isn’t a lightning-in-a-bottle type occurrence. Over the years 3voor12 have quietly and consistently posted fascinating sets, whether they be solo acoustic elevator endeavors or the full-throated exhilaration available for viewing below.


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2. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Higgs Boson Blues

All that can be said about this has already been said on this site.


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3. Nato Coles & the Blue Diamond Band – You Can Count on Me Tonight (Live at VLHS)

Nato Coles is an institution. Every band he’s been in from Modern Machines to Radio Faces to Used Kids to Nato Coles & the Blue Diamond Band has been outstanding. All played up a blue-collar classic rock sensibility. None have stressed it as much as his current act. Razorcake was on hand to film the band play a song on tour at the legendary VLHS venue. “You Can Count on Me Tonight” comes from one of the year’s most overlooked releases, Promises to Deliver, and the band’s not to be missed live.


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4. Vaadat Charigim – Kezef Al Hamayim

All that can be said about this video has already been said on this site, pt. 2.


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5. Technicolor Teeth – Station Wagon

Here’s some footage courtesy of Heartbreaking Bravery. Consider this the first indication that this site will offer live video content from time to time. Technicolor Teeth have grown a lot since their earliest days. However, “Station Wagon”, the very first song the band ever wrote, remains its finest moment. They’re a band that’s very much on the rise and it’d be surprising if their name didn’t start picking up even more circulation next year. This footage was taken from a semi-secret early show the band played with Shallows and Big Eyes. Enjoy.

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December 1, 2013

Watch This: Vol. 2

Welcome to the second weekly installment of Watch This, where clips of bands playing live get highlighted. This week there’s a few full sets, a lot of user shot material, and enough great music to fill a cold Sunday afternoon. Enough formalities. Here are the clips.

1. Perfect Pussy live at 285 Kent

UnARTigNYC recently made a trip over to the legendary Brooklyn venue to shoot an entire set of one of Heartbreaking Bravery’s favorite bands; Perfect Pussy. The amount of feedback in the clip is almost overwhelming but Perfect Pussy exude passion and sincerity throughout. This is necessary viewing of a band that’s going to force people to reckon with them, whether they like it or not.


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2. Midnight Reruns at Cactus Club (Record Release Show)

Midnight Reruns recently put out one of the year’s best records. To celebrate this the band played Milwaukee’s Cactus Club. Good Land Records had someone on hand to film the entire thing, which is worth going through. Since the show’s split into several videos, “Grand Slam” was chosen to represent them since it’s the greatest Thanksgiving song in forever.


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3. King Khan & the Shrines – Thorn in Her Pride (Live on 89.3 The Current)

The Current has consistently proven itself to be one of the best radio stations operating in America and their video archives are certainly a good reflection of their high quality. They recently invited King Khan & the Shrines in for a song and the results are well worth watching. Take a look.


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4. Benny the Jet Rodriguez (Live at Fest 12)

Razorcake has been a safe haven for emerging punk artists for several years now, providing indiscriminate coverage for the artists they believe in. Benny the Jet Rodriguez, whose recent “Run.” video was featured by this very site, happens to be one of those bands. It’s easy to see why Razorcake would take interest in them from this short clip of them playing the most recent Fest in Gainesville, FL.


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5. Tenement (Live at Fest 12)

For information about Razorcake, see the blurb above this one. They know Tenement is the best band, Heartbreaking Bravery knows they’re the best band, and even Meredith Graves (from Perfect Pussy) knows they’re the best band. Make sure to watch all three clips of them for more irrefutable evidence. Enjoy the sight of Dillinger Four’s Patrick Costello making the set an even more unique experience for everyone. “Spit in the Wind” was chosen as the featured video as it’s the best Christmas song. Enjoy.

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