Between Caitlin Rose, Tristen, JEFF The Brotherhood and, ahem, boasting the best music scene in the country (at least according to rock crit’s grey lady Rolling Stone), Nashville’s non-Opry community has been on a tear in recent years. And songwriter Jessie Baylin, who moved to Music City in 2009 after marrying Kings Of Leon’s Nathan Followill, is intent on keeping up the momentum. With her recently released third album, Little Spark (Thirty Tigers), Baylin broke from a more polished, predictable sound to create something that casually nods to the mid-century Brill Building aesthetic without getting mired in kitschy revisionism. A remarkably solid and (dare we say) timeless effort, Little Sparks was in no small measure aided by a gaggle of session veterans whose collective resume includes work with John Lennon, the Rolling Stones and Iggy Pop, among others, as well as producer and arranger Richard Swift, whose own star has continued to rise seemingly unabated in recent years. (Do yourself a favor and pre-order this gem he just produced alongside the folk singer Damien Jurado.) Check out the Scarlett Johansson-directed video for Little Sparks opener ”Hurry Hurry” below.
Straight out of the early ’00s, it’s the 65′s! Their new video for “Walk On Selfishly,” off Strike Hard! (Dromedary), drips in nostalgia for the earlier videos of bands like Green Day and Good Charlotte, albeit perhaps in a more restrained manner, the sweeping camera shots of old replaced by a more indie, static feel. However, about halfway through something intriguing happens: The video almost becomes slightly ironic as the lyrics begin to mesh with the images, and the entire thing emerges from the shell of the past. We are proud to premiere “Walk On Selfishly” today on magnetmagazine.com. Watch it below.
Memory marches on. This seemed to be a theme in both music and videos during the past year, and now at the turn of 2012, it presses forward. The Cranberries follow the trend closely in their just-released video for “Tomorrow”: Brief stills and scenes projected on a wall behind the band punctuate a casual performance of the song. Of course, periodic, surreal shots of frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan shake things up a bit every few lines, as she ruminates on the human condition while bound in rope. Visually, the video doesn’t push beyond any frontiers, but it’s still well-made and even layered enough to warrant your attention. Watch “Tomorrow” below, and look out for the Cranberries’ new album, Roses (Cooking Vinyl/Downtown), out February 28.
Longtime MAGNET faves (and former guest editors) the Meat Puppets recently released 13th studio LP Lollipop (Megaforce). The dozen-track album was produced by frontman Curt Kirkwood at Spoon’s HiFi Studio in Austin and proves the trio is as relevant as ever. Watch the video for Lollipop track “Damn Thing” below, download an mp3 of the song, and read our 2009 Q&A with Cris Kirkwood and our 2007 career overview on the band.
On April 3, Great Lake Swimmers will release fifth studio album New Wild Everywhere (Nettwerk). The follow-up to 2009’s Lost Channels, the new LP will be supported by a two-month world tour starting in April. Watch the video for “Easy Come Easy Go,” New Wild Everywhere‘s first single, below.
Minnesota hip-hop collective Doomtree is back at it again. “Bangarang” is off its recent, self-released No Kings, and its video features Har Mar Superstar. The clip’s karaoke party is taken over by our favorite overweight white boy, while Doomtree throws supporting sharp lines from the left and right. Watch the video below.
Lightships is Teenage Fanclub bassist/vocalist Gerard Love, with musical assistance from Dave McGowan (TFC), Brendan O’Hare (ex-TFC), Tom Crossley (International Airport, Pastels) and Bob Kildea (Belle & Sebastian). Debut album Electric Cables is out April 3 via Geographic/Domino, and it features 10 Love-penned tracks. Watch the video for opener “Two Lines” below.
Right from the get-go, an opener that replicates the big country landscape of the theme from The Magnificent Seven, the Green Pajamas‘ newest album, Green Pajama Country, fits many things into its saddle bags. From the desperate Appalachian moan of the Carter Family (“Pass Me Another Whiskey”) to the dim lights, thick smoke and loud, loud music once nourished by Webb Pierce and Faron Young (“Desiree”), Jeff Kelly’s compadres wear the colors of honky-tonk heroes well. “Dark Water (In The Wires),” the latest single from the album to get the big hoo-hah video treatment, revives the pre-Raphaelite folk rock that’s kept the GPJs vital for almost 30 years. Kelly giving it to you straight from his bruised heart, great harmony vocals from Laura Weller, nice Floyd Kramer/Nicky Hopkins-like piano trills by Eric Lichter, barefoot kick-drum by Scott Vanderpool and Joe Ross’ McCartney-esque bass—what more (aside from a six-pack of Lone Star) do you really need tonight, bubba?
There’s something authoritative about Lauren Zettler and her electro-pop Lightyear. On “It Beats,” she takes on the not-so-simple topic of the human heart with lyrics like “my heart will leave you lonely” and mixes it with feelings of angst and desperation for change. The song’s video explores the territories of dark and light through black-and-white footage mostly focusing on circling Zettler while she hits the ivories. Make sure to catch the stop-action shots and the use of aluminum foil while the interjecting piano keys and driving guitar riffs get heavier and more climactic. “It Beats” is from Lightyear’s self-released debut EP, All Of The Miles. Watch the video below.
Thanks to Christopher O’Riley for guest editing our website all week. Be sure to check out his new album with Matt Haimovitz, Shuffle.Play.Listen. (Oxingale). Watch the live video for the LP’s Arcade Fire cover, “Empty Room,” below.
Maraqopa is the new album by Damien Jurado, and it’s out February 21 via Secretly Canadian. Jurado is profiled in issue #84 of MAGNET, out next month, but in the meantime, watch the Nathan Vollmar-directed video for LP track “Nothing Is The News” below.
The new video from the Kills was directed by Oscar-nominated actress (and MAGNET fave) Samantha Morton. (If you never saw Sweet And Lowdown, watch it immediately.) “The Last Goodbye” is the fourth single off the U.K. duo’s Blood Pressures (Domino), and Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince are on tour right now in the U.S. supporting it. Says Morton of the clip for “The Last Goodbye,” “I love the fact that when you used to go to a photo booth, you used to have wait sometimes a good 20 minutes. It could be eight minutes, nine minutes. Sometimes, I remember, if they were really crap, you’d have to wait forever and you’d go off for a cup of tea and you’d come back to get your passport pictures and they were there. Also, it was quite expensive when we were young. It was like a real treat, but now, it’s still expensive but you just get these crap images of yourself. They’re just horrible and they won’t last in the same way. So in a way a think the song was incredibly nostalgic and I think made me feel nostalgic.” Watch the video below.
In case you weren’t already jealous of Andrew Bird for his awesome violin skills, pop sensibilities or good looks, a short video has dropped of him prepping new album Break It Yourself (out via Mom + Pop on March 6) on his amazing farm in Illinois. The clip also features a little snippet of an unknown song off the record, played with acoustic guitar on a rickety little staircase. Watch the video below.
Incredibly danceable synth tunes and leopard-print spandex: That’s what you’ll find in the Asteroids Galaxy Tour’s new video for “Heart Attack,” off Out Of Frequency (BMG Rights). The Danish pop band has been making waves with its special brand of infectious pop. The clip is all flashing lights and glitter, featuring blonde bombshell/vocalist Mette Lindberg having a total blast. The background alternates between every color of the rainbow and retro geometric patterns. Lindberg’s fashion taste brings viewers back to a more psychedelic time period. Watch the video below.
Electronic-music master Steve Aoki has teamed up with the soulful Wynter Gordon to produce the new “Ladi Dadi.” The track showcases the best talents of the two musicians. Aoki brings his dubstep-influenced grinds into the mix and Gordon her sultry-yet-forceful voice. This luxurious music video adds an extra “oomph” to the drama, as it follows a dinner party gone horribly, horribly wrong. What ensues is a battle between Aoki and Gordon, Mr. & Mrs. Smith style. The sexy beats coupled with the dark fight scenes make for a great act, with an ending you won’t see coming. Watch the video below.
For the video for their track “When Will You Die?” They Might Be Giants built an 18-foot hearse that’s a replica of the one found on the cover of Join Us (Idlewild/Rounder). Paul Sahre, who designed the cover, created a 3D scale model of the hearse and printed out the 3,400-percent version that appears in the clip. TMBG kicks off an extensive U.S. tour in Santa Cruz, Calif., on January 27. Watch the video of “When Will You Die?” below.
Thanks to Global Noize for guest editing our website all week. Be sure to check out its new album, A Prayer For The Planet (Lightyear/EMI). Watch the video for the title track below.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are headed back to the U.S. on March 28 for a nine-date tour kicking off in Washington D.C. The ex-Oasis guitarist and band are supporting their self-titled debut (on Sour Mash/Mercury) with the brief jaunt, which includes two Coachella dates. Watch the video for latest single “AKA… What A Life!” below.
Arctic Monkeys are commonly known for their rather inflated wit and Alex Turner’s distinguishing voice, not to mention the drenching sweetness of their guitar licks and melodies. Their new video for “Black Treacle,” off Suck It And See (Domino), does a decent job of accompanying its namesake song, but in a bizarrely disjointed way reminiscent of Sleigh Bells’ clip for “Rill Rill.” While the video may make (arguably) more sense than the one for “Fluorescent Adolescent,” one factor remains constant: The Monkeys still seem to be obsessed with a surreal criminal underworld, though one no longer drenched in sepia and now transposed upon the U.S. Get a taste of “Black Treacle” below.
Kathryn Calder, a full-time member of the New Pornographers, decided to make a career move, releasing her first solo album in 2010. Her second LP, Bright And Vivid (File Under: Music), is just that. She proves she can not only stand on her own as a musician, but that she shines at it, too. “Turn A Light On” is masterfully done, with layer upon layer of complex-yet-soothing sounds. Its video appropriately features scenes from nature, like a bubbling brook and glowing fires. The two present Calder in her element, singing with that enchanting voice that once allowed her to fill in for Neko Case with the Pornos. Watch the clip below.
The dream-pop darlings in Youth Lagoon have produced a beautiful music video for “July,” off debut album The Year Of Hibernation (Fat Possum). “July” brings frontman Trevor Powers’ wistful vocals to the forefront, showcasing the deep emotion behind his (sometimes unintelligible) words. Tyler T. Williams, who also directed the video for YL’s “Montana,” worked with Powers to create a visual tale of love and anger. The clip has a great cinematic quality to it, with well-composed, washed-out shots typical of nostalgic ’80s classics. If the song’s quietly haunting melody doesn’t give you chills, the video’s plot will. Watch the clip below.
Golden Bear, an indie-rock outfit from Austin, has debuted the music video for the rousing “Wait For The Signal.” This anthem, off Golden Bear’s third LP, Alive (C-Side), rings hopeful with the smooth lead vocals. The melody rises and falls, at time swept up by dainty piano or flourishing guitar. The video is equally as well-crafted. The band worked together with director Wylie Maercklin and producer Indigo Rael to construct a visual journey to another place and time. Watching this imaginative story come to life, you can’t help but feel a little inspired, no doubt the band’s intention. Watch the clip below.
Avant pop group Clock Opera has just issued its debut music video, for single “Once And For All,” which is off of the band’s debut album, scheduled for release this year. The four-member group, led by Guy Connelly, has been described by some as “chop pop,” but the band goes beyond simply using splintered samples and digital collections, producing a sound that layers not only electronic effects, but emotions and memories as well. The video, starring Dudley Sutton of TV series Lovejoy, is an appropriate start to the new year with its carpe diem message. Watch “Once And For All” below.
Fránçois Marry, the French frontman of Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains, has played with the likes of Scottish indie combo Camera Obscura, but his band concerns itself more with adding electronic elements and global sounds to the musical equation. E Volo Love, out February 14 via Domino, was recorded in ancient church in the countryside of France and features Tinariwen engineer Jean-Paul Romann. Watch the video for album opener “Les Plus Beaux” below.
Howler‘s debut album, America Give Up, is out Tuesday via Rough Trade. The Minneapolis band is playing a record-release show in its hometown tonight, then heading to NYC next week to play shows five shows in five days, including a Tuesday in-store at Other Music. Watch the video for America Give Up track “Back Of Your Neck” below.
The U.S. release of From The Sky Down, a documentary film about the making of U2’s 1991 album Achtung Baby, will take place January 24 via Universal. Available on Blu-ray and DVD, the film is directed by Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim (It Might Get Loud, Waiting For Superman, An Inconvenient Truth) and includes bonus footage and interviews with Bono and the Edge. Says Guggenheim, “In the terrain of rock bands, implosion or explosion is seemingly inevitable. U2 has defied the gravitational pull towards destruction … This band has endured and thrived. From The Sky Down asks the question why.” Watch the trailer below.
In Goldfrapp‘s video for “Yellow Halo,” the British duo takes eerie, overexposed footage that brings you high above the clouds and then back down among bodies of water and city landscapes to capture an achingly nostalgic feel. With Alison Goldfrapp’s cool, yet breathy vocals hanging overtop the lush electronica, she sings, “Tell me what are you dreaming,” before it erupts wide open into a cinematic and building track. “Yellow Halo” comes from Goldfrapp’s February 7 release The Singles (Astralwerks), which consists of tracks that span its five critically acclaimed albums, plus two new songs. Watch ”Yellow Halo” below.
Fishbone hailed from South Central L.A., one of the most notoriously dangerous neighborhoods in the country, and was an all-black punk band at a time when no one in rock ‘n’ roll had even thought about this mixing and blending of styles and genres. In preparation for this year’s Black History Month, Everyday Sunshine: The Story Of Fishbone will have its national public broadcast premiere on January 22 as part of the AfroPoP documentary series. The Laurence Fishburne-narrated film will also be distributed through iTunes at the beginning of February and will be available on DVD via Cinema Guild later in the month. Watch captivating and honest interviews with celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, ?uestlove, Flea, Ice-T and more, and see an exclusive backstage and in-depth look at these aging rockers and how they keep pushing forward despite life’s many roadblocks. Check out the trailer below.
Memory and nostalgia seem to be a popular trend in music this past year, and Martha Berner’s video for “Fool’s Fantasy” is no different. Though it may primarily feature Berner and her band performing the song, shots of a film projector are interspliced before it finally casts its home movies upon the band during the crescendo. Granted, “Fool’s Fantasy,” the title track from Berner’s latest LP, may not have the deepest, most symbolic clip ever, but its quaint use of home video superimposed upon the band carries across the song’s message well enough, creating a nice juxtaposition between the image and the strong pipes of Berner. Watch the clip below.
If you have a craving for well-done concert footage, then the Cure may have, well, the cure, in the form of its live video for “A Forest” from Bestival 2011. The concert video is just that: professional footage of the Cure, cut appropriately to match the music in dramatic shifts and key beats, while being sure to capture the audience at times to assure the viewer that people do, indeed, watch the Cure. Though the band may be getting on in years, the aging rockers still sound great, putting forth a good, if silly-looking effort throughout. Get your Cure fix below.
Blitzen Trapper, the dark alt-country band that brought you such fine songs as “Saturday Nite,” has some new material up its sleeve. “Might Find It Cheap, off latest album American Goldwing (Sub Pop), is certainly not at creepily spine-tingling as “Black River Killer,” but it still delivers a rollicking good time. The song displays Blitzen Trapper’s quintessential raspy vocals and folk-rock tunes. The video for it shows the band on tour and performing at its best before huge horn-rimmed, flannel-wearing audiences. Watch the clip below.
Adrian Glynn, a singer/songwriter by way of Vancouver, knows how to write a good ballad. His gravelly voice and finesse on the guitar are perfectly suited for the genre. “Seven Or Eight Days,” off Bruise (Light Organ), is a devastatingly beautiful number about love and loss. Its video, directed by Tony Dean Smith, creates a incredibly graphic story to go along with it. While not for the weak of heart, the clip follows one man’s flight from his haunting memories. It’s the kind of thing that will leave you edge of your seat from start to finish. Watch the video below.
The Darcys, a Canadian rock outfit, have a complex band history, and a problematic singer and a debut that lost the band’s spirit thrust the Darcys in the public eye in the worst way. Overcoming those odds was no easy feat, but with a new singer and a three-album deal with Arts & Crafts, it seems the band may be poised for success once again. They just released a video for “Don’t Bleed Me,” a cut from the band’s self-titled album. It’s a breathtaking clip that details Earth’s response to an alien attack and seems like a trailer for the next blockbuster summer film. Watch the video below.
Few videos can really capture the hazy quality of a song like Pterodactyl’s “The Break,” yet the new clip does a remarkably good job. Composed of roughly 1,500 pictures taken by different people all over the world, the vaguely disjointed “The Break” really complements its backing track. As photos flash before the camera, a handful make up short, stop–motion scenes, giving the viewer a voyeuristic, warm look into someone else’s life. “The Break,” off Spills Out (Brah), is an interesting foray into experimental film, and the image and the audio work together in fantastic ways. Watch the video below.
Minimalist. Mundane. Melancholy. These are some of the words that describe Tindersticks’ new video for “Medicine,” off The Something Rain (Constellation; out February 21). Showcasing various still-life shots in their personal studio (Le Chien Chanceux), “Medicine” elicits a strange pang of sadness, though nothing seems out of the ordinary. Perhaps it’s the isolation of the empty studio or the juxtaposition of the lounge-like, orchestral melody, but something about “Medline” remains utterly gloomy, though in the best way possible. Watch “Medicine” below, especially if it’s rainy, miserable day.
