Here’s a new video from one of the best singles so far of 2009: “Young Adult Friction” from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s self-titled debut. Just like the band’s previous video for “Everything With You,” this is also shot entirely on Super 8 film, which gives us a grainy look at the group reading various books that include Emile Durkheim’s Suicide, Beverly Clearly’s Fifteen, and even a Nirvana songbook.
The band has been in the midst of a very long tour in support of the album, which includes a stop in Atlanta on May 3rd at The Earl. Really looking forward to seeing them again!
I don’t know anything about this collaboration between The Sweptaways and Jens Lekman, but all I know is that I just watched this video a couple of minutes ago and I absolutely love this song. The video is quite clever as well, but this has to be one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard this month. Seriously, this song kills.
Apparently, it’s off the new album The Sweptaways Show, which came out earlier this week in Scandinavia only. Might have to pick this one up, even if it’s just for this one song. Though, I really love this description for The Sweptaways (I’ve never heard of them):
The Sweptaways are thirty women in coordinated costumes who sing choir-arranged versions of pop tunes, and who always
long for the stage and their extravagant live performances.
We are a crazy lady in bikepants and plume swaying safely on high heels. We are a distinguished gentleman tipsy on portwine.
We are women without borders.
We like wearing things on our heads. Parrots, foilage, owls, high hats, turbans.
We like pineapple, spandex, feathers, gold, pumps, green forests, love and respect. Our wardrobes are as big as our ambitions.
We are one body with a gigantic heart and thirty brains.
We never cease to amaze ourselves.
We are a happening. A festival. A package-deal.
We are many surprises all in one.
We are a coverband, a band of pirates, a band of pearls.
I haven’t been keeping up with any news on Doves since the initial announcement of their new record Kingdom of Rust, so this video for the title track completely slipped by my radar. I initially came to finding this through a remix of the same song that was being offered on NME by Still Going, and I have to be honest in saying that it was complete crap. If there’s a band that just doesn’t sound good being remixed, Doves will certainly be pretty high up on that list. I immediately needed to purge this from my memory, so I went looking around to hear the original version and happened across this video.
While listening to this, I came to the conclusion that the song goes more in line with the band’s past records, especially compared to the free downloadable track “Jetstream” that was made available in January. It just sounds, feels, hell even tastes like something from Doves. I’m not sure how to describe it, but longtime fans should know of it as soon as they hear it. It’s that subtleness in emotion, a hidden beauty within their music that comes together so powerfully. Anyways, just watch the video.
One record I’ve been giving a lot of time to recently is Fol Chen’s debut album Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made, which was released last month on Asthmatic Kitty (they seem to be putting out some quality records as of late). Here’s a cute little animated video for the song “No Wedding Cake” which includes, but not limited to: dancing lions in skirts, goat people getting shot with arrows and talking fish/crabs. There’s also a funny little quote I read the other day where someone described Fol Chen as “Architecture in Helsinki if they were still good.” Ooh, that’s harsh I must say.
Last month the announcement had been made concerning the Norwegian duo Röyksopp and the release of forthcoming record titled Junior. Well, we also had a chance to listen to a track from the new album called “Happy Up Here,” which happened to be one of the catchiest songs I had yet to hear so far to kick off 2009.
The video for the single recently premiered and featured a very iconic image (well, if you play video games that is): The pixelated aliens from Space Invaders! Reason enough to post just for that, but the video is actually quite good as well. Maybe Phoenix’s video for “1901″ will feature Pac-man or Galaga in retaliation.
Some of my favorite scenes from films always involves a creatively directed take of a taxi cab ride through a large city. For something that is normally just an everyday, mundane activity for most people, can actually feel more personable and serene if filmed the right way. A prime example of this would be a couple of choice scenes from Lost in Translation.
In this video for School of Seven Bells’ “Half Asleep”, from one of my favorite records from last year Alpinisms, it tries to recreate a similar kind of moment in time within this video which depicts a taxi cab ride through the streets of NYC. The video features twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, who also share vocal duties on the record. It’s a great song, which works rather well with its lush electronic synths and hypnotizing beats.
When we last covered Fanfarlo back in November, the band had just entered a studio here in the U.S. to record their debut record. With recording now officially finished, the London group is poised to take 2009 by storm. Knut over at Eardrums posted a brand new video of their split single “Harold T. Wilkins” — which has been re-recorded for the new record — that features some minor touches here and there if you pay close attention. Not that it needed any work, since it was already a great song to begin with. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing some new material very soon.
As I was walking to my car to go grocery shopping, I happened to catch a glimpse of what looked like nearly every child that lives in my apartment complex flying kites. It was such a comforting sight that I stayed around for almost 15 minutes sitting on the curb just watching all the different kites just floating everywhere. Ah, to be a child — carefree, without any sort of responsibility.
That little story goes hand in hand with this recently released video of “An Eluardian Instance” from Of Montreal’s latest album Skeletal Lamping, which features a lot of kite-flying and some nice stop motion animation. It’s probably the most accessible song on the record, as it’s one I seem to always keep coming back to the most out of the entire thing. This almost makes me want to attempt to make a kite.
As i’m sure all of you know by now, I am a majorsupporter of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Their debut LP doesn’t drop until early February of next year, but expect the posts to continue to pour in on this site until the name POBPAH is on the tip of everyone’s tongue that I come in contact with.
Here’s a new video for – in my opinion – the best single of 2008, “Everything With You.” It’s shot entirely on Super 8 film, and showcases the always cute Peggy Wang. Apparently, they’re also shooting a video in a library in Cambridge for their next single “Young Adult Friction,” which makes sense as the song is about sex in a library.
The band is currently on tour in the UK with The Wedding Present, and recently announced a mini-tour next year in support of the new album.
12/11 Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s
12/12 Glasgow, Captains Rest
12/13 Leeds, The Cockpit
12/14 Nottingham, The Bodega
12/16 London, “Twee as Fuck” @ Old Blue Last
12/17 London, Fortuna POP! presents @ The Lexington
12/18 London, The Forum*
(* = with The Wedding Present)
2/7 – New York City – Mercury Lounge *#
2/8 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie *
2/9 – Washington, DC – Black Cat Backstage *
2/11 – Chicago, IL – Schubas *
2/12 – Toronto, ON – Neutral *
2/15 – Boston, MA – Middle East *
* = w/ The Depreciation Guild
# = w/ Cause Co-Motion!
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