On this fine Sunday morning in June, when we are just on the cusp of summer, The Worley Gig brings you the chill funk of Bay Area artist Garren Sean’s “Lift Off” and its accompanying animated video! Best described (if only by me) as Steely Dan meets Sly Stone, “Lift Off” is characteristically warm and upbeat, the perfect introduction to Garren’s guitar-driven sound. Raised on soul and R&B, Garren then discovered Classic Rock and 80s Funk, and went to mix the two influences, creating a refreshingly unique style. In a word: Sublime.
Continue reading Video Clip of The Week: Garren Sean, “Lift Off”
Tag Archives: animated
Recommended Viewing: The Stolen Lyric
If you’ve been around long enough, you might remember a genre of extremely clever novelty records — super popular during the ’70s — that parodied current events and news stories with fake man-on-the-street interviews made up of audio clips taken from charting pop songs. Those early mash-up records were lots of fun, and if you miss them, and wonder why somebody hasn’t picked up on that idea for a long-form project, then a new animated film called The Stolen Lyric is going to really turn you on. Continue reading Recommended Viewing: The Stolen Lyric
Video Clip of The Week: Cheena, “Lost My Way”
If you’ve spent most of this past week sobbing hysterically and digging deep to find a reason not to slit your wrists, having lost all faith in 50% of humanity, then you might be ready to surrender your abused senses to a video that takes zero effort to appreciate, because it is rendered via the highly accessible medium of Claymation — just like Gumby! Yay! In the wildly engaging (and acid hangover-friendly) video for “Lost My Way” from NYC Garage Rock quintet, Cheena, we follow the psychedelic urban adventures of a tiny yellow pooch who looks quite like Mr. Bill’s dog Spot. Guest stars include a gang of mischievous serpents, a helpful cactus, and a ghost. Oh Boy!
Aurally, “Lost My Way” is mildly spooky, classic 60s-era fuzz-tone punk. What’s not to like? “Lost My Way” can be found lurking on Cheena’s debut album, Spend The Night With, which was released in August on Sacred Bones Records. Enjoy!
Cheena: The Band!
Video Clip of The Week: James, “Dear John”
Isn’t it fun to discover that a band you loved for a brief period of time, maybe decades ago, is still together and recording songs that are pretty darn good? I love it when that happens. For example, we sure did go crazy go for the the British band James and their fun song, “Laid” (circa 1993, wow, such a long time ago) which was about having great sex at a time when sex was something we were enjoying quite a bit as well. “This Bed is on Fy-yah!” – Yeah, baby! And guess what? James is back with the official video for their new single “Dear John.” The stunning electro-ballad — which is about finding it hard to end relationships — is taken from the band’s current and critically acclaimed studio album titled Girl At The End Of The World, which is out now!
Still from “Dear John”
Directed by the award-winning animation director Péter Vácz, this beautiful, Tim Burton-esque video blends stop-motion with 2D and 3D animation to craft two deceptively real characters venturing into a mystical forest. James‘ front-man and chief lyricist, Tim Booth explains that the song was, inspired by the age of long term relationships being finished by a text. “A ‘Dear John letter’ was a letter a soldier received at the front from their loved one saying she’d finished with him,” he continues. “James have written songs that get played at weddings and funerals. Now we have made one for your divorce!”
“Dear John” premieres hot on the heels of James‘ storming set at Glastonbury, where the band officially opened the festival a couple of weekends ago, cutting a ribbon with Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis. Woo! Next up: The band will embark on a European festival tour, with dates in Spain, Greece and Portugal, and a co-headline slot at the OnBlackheath Festival in London on September 11th, 2016. Enjoy!
Video Clip of The Week: Solids, “Blank Stare”
Regardless of how great a song is, I really need a video to grab my attention visually within a few seconds, or it’s not going to get in this here column. “Blank Stare,” by a band called Solids, won me over with its first images of tiny red and yellow houses, contrasted against a blindingly blue lake and an aggressively orange mountain range, which made my eyes almost start watering just from the sheer brightness of the colors. Because, acid. Continue reading Video Clip of The Week: Solids, “Blank Stare”