Mark Lanegan snaps, Nicolaas has real competition, Omnigone make history and more in today’s Roundup. I don’t know about you, but for some reason, I am currently busier than a one-legged man at an asskicking.
1 When is a video not a video? When it’s a video animated from thousands of snapshots like this inventively surreal and fittingly trippy clip for Mark Lanegan’s murky and compelling Night Flight to Kabul, the latest preview of his Oct. 18 album Somebody’s Knocking. Invite him in. You won’t be sorry. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “The artistry and genius of Dean Karr is what made this video happen. 5,000 still photographs taken in eight hours were painstakingly put together to give the appearance of a strange wraithlike figure moving weirdly through the desolate landscape of the Salton Sea. My third video with Dean in three different decades and I have to say this was the best. The most artistically challenging and satisfying.” Picture it:
2 Every act wants an eye-catching video. But not one that overshadows the song. Unfortunately for Canadian synth-wave funk producer Nicolaas (real name: Rob Bakker), that’s what he ended up with for his latest single Real Escape. Thanks to the combination of a nimbly fluid dancer, some excellent camera work and a little dynamic editing, this simple yet striking clip — mostly shot in one pass — is entertaining, engaging and totally rewatchable. As for the song, well, of all the tunes I heard today, it’s definitely one of them. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “The relentlessly groovy song is displayed in his latest music video where the dancer is shown making his way through a surprisingly quiet city which allows him the freedom of expression that is encouraged within the energy of the track.” He’s the real deal:
3 We’d all like a do-over from time to time. But as East Bay ska-punkers Omnigone make clear in their latest single and video, you can’t change the past. Of course, that doesn’t prevent you from taking a minute to throw a colourful party behind a red door — as they do in the lively video for the short, sharp Rewrite History, the new preview of their Sept. 13 debut LP No Faith. Check it out. Hey, it’ll only take a minute. Literally. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Bay Area band, helmed by Adam Davis (Link 80/Desa), picks up right where Link 80 left off by combining elements of hardcore, punk, and ska. Davis collaborates with a rotating cast of musicians from bands such as: Rx Bandits, Link 80, We are the Union, Kitty Kat Fan Club, Ogikubo Station, and more! Rewrite History clocks in at just over a minute long and should certainly lift your spirits.” That all took longer than the video:
4 If you go into the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise — namely, a modern-dance troupe helping Montreal singer-songwriter Lia visually interpret and artfully express the hauntingly beautiful tones and gently prodding groove of her electro-pop single To The Woods. I’d call that a pleasant surprise. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “The woods represents the self.In a depressive state, the self can be haunting, dark, masochistic, devouring. On the flip side, the self nurtures and protects. My new track, To The Woods, represents these starkly different states of mind. The imagery is huge in this song. I’ve dreamt of bathing in my own blood… ” OK, I’m backing away slowly now:
5 Good things are worth waiting for. Like this hallucinatory video for Knife Knights’ song Seven Wheel Motion. You might remember it as a track from their album 1 Time Mirage, which came out nearly a year ago. But trust me, you’ll remember it differently after this. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “In Seven Wheel Motion colossal drums puncture walls of labyrinthine noise sculpted from deranged synthesizers and mutated guitars, yielding an absolute powerhouse of a track. Butler seems to rap in dialogue with himself, detailing a threatening streetscape and shaping the experience into personal realizations.” Get a move on:
6 Andre Ethier goes to the dogs in the video for his woozy single Dream on Pigs, a sneak peek at his Oct. 11 album Croak in the Weeds, the second instalment in a planned trilogy from the former Deadly Snakes member. It’s all animal imagery with him, apparently. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “I was imagining a pond at the swamp,” Ethier explains. “A pond gets murkier the deeper you dive. Frogs are amphibians. They’re in and out of the pond like it’s no big deal, but we stay mostly on the shore and only peer in. Then, when the weather is right, the pond rises in a mist and we can breathe it too. We can be in the pond but also on the shore.” That reminds me, I’m almost out of weed:
7 It isn’t every day that you come across an artist who claims to be inspired by both the thoughtful lyricism of Neil Young and the gritty, inventive production of Kanye West. But that’s the line Toronto’s Young Clancy is selling (though really, shouldn’t he be calling himself Young Yeezy?). The Kanye vibe is obvious in the grooves and trippy production of his latest single and video Take Me 2. As for the Shakey influence, well, I’m not feeling it on this track. But hey, your mileage may vary. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “A smooth, soulful track, Take Me 2 is about the intense but fleeting euphoria of revelry and rash decisions. The song has been paired with a fitting vintage-inspired cinematic visual.” This note’s for you:
