Ladies and Gentlemen: It’s finally Summer! So, consider this clip starring legendary actress and sex-goddess Raquel Welch performing the classic medley from Hair, “Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In” to be my official launch of what I hope will be a Summer of kick ass videos, as well as a salute to this being Pride Day here in NYC! Certainly there has never been a more appropriate time to open ourselves up to this song’s lyrical prophecy of “Harmony and understanding, Sympathy and trust abounding” etc etc. I’m sure you will agree.
Hey what’s up? Does it feel like summer yet where you live? Here in NYC, not so much, but I can tell it’s on the way! After taking a couple of weeks off from this column, I was all ready-and-set to post a completely different band for this week’s Video Clip, but then I read about their stupid personal politics and was compelled to make an abrupt about face on that decision. And that’s too bad, because the song was excellent, but the lead singer sounded like a dick, and I just can’t even with that. Anyway, no loss to you, because look what I found instead? It’s this crazy great video for the tune “Permanent High School” from the Julian Casablancas-fronted band The Voidz! Continue reading Video Clip of The Week: The Voidz, “Permanent High School”→
I’m sorry to be week late to share this fun video in time for Easter (for reasons which will become obvious once you start watching), but better late than never. This week’s Video Clip comes from Montreal four-piece Tops, sharring a new video for a song from their recent archives. “Topless,” taken from their 2017 album Sugar at the Gate, captures lead-singer Jane Penny as she walks around Berlin at dusk. From quiet moments on her phone to a street orchestra of bunnies, Penny takes in the romance of the Berlin streets as she laments on missing her lover.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the video, Penny says:
“I really wanted to make a video for our song ‘Topless.’ It took a little longer than I anticipated (ehem, about a year longer) but it’s finally here for you. I ended up going for a walk in the neighbourhood where I’ve been living in Berlin, at dusk, and over several days we caught the nicest lighting we could find and some very strange bunnies on display at the local mall. There’s a romantic greyness to Berlin when the leaves are gone, I think the moodiness of the city at the end of winter compliments the song, and my mood that day, quite well. It’s getting harder to remember that feeling now that the leaves are out and the sun is shining, it’s nice to have this remind me.”
The video comes ahead of Tops‘ upcoming North American tour. Beginning May 13th, 2019 in Las Vegas, the group will play 16 shows across the U.S. with a stop in Mexico for Corona Capital Guadalajara Festival. Check out Tour Dates below. Enjoy!
5/9 – Ciudad de México, MX @ Galera
5/11 – Guadalajara, MX @ Corona Capital Guadalajara
5/13 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse Saloon
5/14 -Tuscon, AZ @ 191 Toole
5/16 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
5/17 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
5/18 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar
5/20 – El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
5/21 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolfe
5/23 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SoHo Music Club
5/25 – Santa Ana, CA @ La Santa
6/13 – Nashville, TN @ Exit / In
6/14 – Asheville, NC @ Mothlight
6/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade – Purgatory
6/17 – Jacksonville, FL @ 1904 Music Hall
6/18 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
6/19th – Orlando, FL @ Soundbar
6/20 – Miami, FL @ Perez Art Museum
When a song instantly conjures a mental movie, on whose soundtrack it fits perfectly, from the very first time you can hear it, that song possesses a cinematic quality that’s been missing from music since the seventies. Just being serious. The transcendent power of the one-song soundtrack hit me as soon as I watched this week’s video clip, “How You Feel” from the southern California-based, mixed-gender sextet, WARGIRL. Blending sixties psychedelia together with seventies funk until it is oh, so smooth, “How You Feel” could have been lifted from a key scene in almost any early James Bond thriller, or perhaps something a bit more exotic, such as Mario Bava’s Danger: Diabolik. If reading that sentence doesn’t get you excited to hear this band, you are dead from the neck up and there is no hope for you. Visually, the accompanying video is a Mondrian-esque, color-block title sequence to that very same movie in your head. It’s two minutes and thirty-five seconds of pure, cinematic perfection.
Comprised of guitarist Matt Wignall, lead singer Samantha Park, bassist Tamara Raye, keyboardist Enya Preston, and dual percussionists Erick Diego Nieto and Jeff Suri, the various members’ diverse backgrounds allow WARGIRL to effortlessly cross and combine genres. I know it’s often said, but WARGIRL truly is a band that sounds like no other, and that’s a very good thing. “How You Feel” can be found on WARGIRL’s self-titled debut album, which is due out on April 19th, 2019! Enjoy!
Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird has been doing his own thing under-the-radar in various bands, collaborations, and solo efforts — across multiple genres — for two decades. He may not be a household name — unless you know him from his tenure with Squirrel Nut Zippers — but those who seek true ‘artistry’ in a music artist continue to pay attention to his prolific body of work. Today it is my pleasure to give Bird his inaugural exposure on The ‘Gig with the song “Manifest,” from his latest recording.
With playfully colorful animation by Andrea Nakhla, the video for “Manifest” is an ideal accompaniment to this somewhat wistful song that delivers an urgent call to action regarding not just defending, but actively saving our environment, wildlife and natural resources. There’s never been a better time than now to wake up and own your destiny, even if it means acknowledging that we’ve got our work cut out for us. “I’m interested in the idea that our enemies are what makes us whole,” Bird explains. The song’s lyrics are direct and risk-taking, cutting to the quick of what’s happening in our world. The message is that it’s not too late to turn things around.
With all of his many talents, at his core, Andrew Bird is a gifted storyteller whose turn of phrase and instrumental arrangements remind me of greats like Leonard Cohen and James Taylor. He is certainly a unique and welcome voice in today’s cultural climate. “Manifest” can be found on Andrew’s brand new album, My Finest Work Yet, out now on Loma Vista Recordings. Enjoy!
