music video

Are We Still Married?

/ David James / 1 Comment

Created by the singularly iconic Brothers Quay, this breathtaking video for one of His Name Is Alive‘s earliest singles rockets the term subjective understanding to new heights.  What is it about?  Do the visuals reflect the lyrics?  How about that ball of light?

The Brothers Quay are a set of identical twins whith a body of work exemplefied by short form masterwork Street of Crocodiles, which has been hailed by filmmaker Terry Gilliam as one of the ten best animated films of all time – the most intriguing bit of praise this writer could imagine, being a deep seated fan (and occasional entrenched defender) of Gilliam’s art.  Instead of regurgitating what can be found on wikipedia and elsewhere, I’ll simply extend my affection for this form and admit that I’m both held in rapture yet slightly repelled by the brothers’ creations.  Creepy and spiritual, dark and warm, with empathetic arms wrapped around all that is neglected and forgotten in the world and our hearts, this is the stuff we only wish Tim Burton were still aiming for.

[the Brothers Quay Collection, a dvd from Kino Video, is out of print. fortunately the Phantom Museums collection is easily obtained through amazon]

Disco Inferno – Starbound

/ David James / 3 Comments

I’m sharing with you today one of the best fan-made videos I’ve ever witnessed.  Enjoy.

This is, of course, Starbound: All Burnt Out and Nowhere To Go, perhaps my favorite track on Disco Inferno‘s landmark album D.I. Go Pop (album posted here, and their singles collection posted here).  It’s a tightly coiled bomb of liquid Durutti Column-esque guitar and off-kilter sampling antics, liberally seasoned with the knife-edge lyrical shards of singer Ian Crause.  Nothing more to say than:  enjoy the video, thank the fan on his youtube page, and if you’re not already an obsessive fan like myself, get right on my two prior Disco Inferno posts.

[and seriously, get the whole album. HERE. you’d be morally bankrupt not to!  just kidding.  sort of.]

Infinitum

/ David James / 2 Comments

Those who know me know that I’ve got a certain itch that only Flying Lotus can scratch. But only two people know the significance this video holds for me.

In anticipation of his upcoming album Cosmogramma (out May 3, 2010 on Warp) I’ve decided to shine a light on one of my favorite artists working today, Steven Ellison aka Flying Lotus. To my ears, there isn’t a more exciting and promising career out there, with a body of work that speaks for itself and points to the future in every possible way. Listening to his 2008 masterpiece Los Angeles is to know exactly what heads mean when they say “next level shit.” He’s not only a step ahead of anyone else in the game, but appears to be having the most fun doing it.

This is to be the first in a series of posts leading up to the release of the album I’ve been jonesing for ever since my first bicycle ride with Los Angeles as the soundtrack. I felt it poetic to begin at the end of that album, with this mesmerizing lock-groove-driven number, sprinkled with achingly gorgeous vocals courtesy of Laura Darlington (Mrs. Daedelus and one half of The Long Lost, to those who care). Not only is the song a perfect set closer, but it’s accompanied by one of thoe most simply poetic and visually sumptuous videos I’ve seen in a long while. I’ll let you decide how you like it, but suffice to say it’s works like this which sustain my faith in the art form.

Keep your eyes on here for the latest updates and any tracks which may be dropped between now and May 3.

Dam-Funk – Mirrors

/ David James / 4 Comments

Dam-Funk, as readers well know, dropped one of the absolute hottest albums this year with the massive Toeachizown.  He’s already my personal choice for biggest surprise of 2009, and his debut is looking at best of the year status.  Here’s the inspiringly trippy video for infectious first single, Mirrors.

Lynch-esque employment of light and shadow!  Dreamy visuals!  Laser glowing keytar action!  Yes!

[album is on sale at stones throw in either 2CD or 5LP format – peep the gorgeous artwork]

Star Guitar

/ David James / 9 Comments

The Chemical Brothers exploded with Star Guitar in 2002, resulting in one of my favorite music videos of all time.  Ever.  Of all time.  It’s easily one of the most hypnotic, addictive, and straight up cool videos anyone will ever see.

And it’s got a delicious aura of “how the fuck did they do that?” – since the clip’s nearly a decade old.  The simplest explanation is to note the genius who conceived it:  Michel Gondry.

Yes, the man behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of the best films of this century so far, and The Science of Sleep (La science des rêves to the hip and the French), a personal favorite of mine for reasons yet to remain mysterious.

I know the clip isn’t viewable here, but that’s a good thing.  Click, go to the youtube page, and watch it in HQ to get the full experience.  You’ll emerge a changed person.  Or at least smiling.

[this song is available on the album Come With Us, as well as the excellent 2cd Brotherhood compilation]

Tea Leaf Dancers

/ David James / 2 Comments

I just discovered this.  The first track on Flying Lotus‘ breakthrough Reset EP, the video is suitably hypnotic and matches the song’s mood perfectly.  So watch it.  And listen to more of his brilliant work.  I’ll be helping out on that front in an upcoming post…