Bubblegum goddesses. Wannabe Debbie Harrys. Dystopian mental illnesses. Solo rock shows in a mystical desert landscape...These are the videos that stood out in 2015 for their strangeness, abstraction, and beauty. And good tunes, of course.
1. Petite Noir - Chess
Chess is taken from the debut album "La Vie Est Belle / Life is Beautiful," out now: iTunes: http://smarturl.it/NoirLaVieDL Dom Mart: http://smarturl.it/NoirLAVieDM Listen on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/PetiteNoirSpotify For more info go to: http://petitenoirmusic.com/ Video directed by Cieron Magat.
The Cape Town artist Petite Noir (Yannick Ilunga) sings cool, dramatic, hypnotic pop in what feels like a late-80s instructional VHS tape. The slowly bubbling (literally, bubbles) breakup song was the first single off Petite Noir’s first album, La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful.
2. Son Lux - You Don't Know Me
| \ The new album Bones available now: http://smarturl.it/sonluxbones Son Lux Presents a Made Shop Production Directed by Nathan Johnson Creative Director - Marke Johnson Featuring Tatiana Maslany & Noah Segan Producer - Kimberly Johnson Director of Photography - Jaron Presant Production Designer - Kristen Meyer Property Master - Colin
God, don’t you hate it when your boyfriend doesn’t understand you’re a terrifying bubblegum goddess? “You Don’t Know Me,” starring Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany, is creepy, but somehow relatable. Ultimately, says director Nathan Johnson says the video wants to explore the “empty rituals” of relationships, and to a larger degree, religion. “You Don’t Know Me” comes off Son Lux’s (Ryan Lott’s) fourth studio album Bones.
3. HONNE - Coastal Love
Pre-order the new 'Over Lover' EP on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/OverLover HONNE's new EP 'Over Lover' is released on September 2nd on Tatemae Recordings. Download the 'Coastal Love' EP on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/CoastalLove Listen on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/CoastalLoveSpotify This is the official video for 'Coastal Love', taken from HONNE's new EP out now on Tatemae Recordings.
“Coastal Love” feels part fashion film, part white-collar crime, and part psychedelic deep-ocean love story. The words “I’ll be waiting for you, my love, on this New York City coast” play over images of a dark & dreamy Montauk motel. This is one of the few times I think, “If I’m going to pass out on the beach with a stranger, going in a lustful haze with a weird sea creature on my face might be the best way to do it.” “Coastal Love” comes off HONNE’s newest EP by the same name.
4. ABRA - U Know
Purchase Rose: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rose/id1010634296 Directed by Ramez Silyan & Christine Lai Produced by UNIF Director of Photography - Jeremy Peele Makeup/Hair - Matisse Andrews Styling - Sydney Szramowski Boy - Lil Phillis
Abra’s woozy R & B is paired with a ghost/love story between the Awful Records’ it-girl and skater Lil Phillips. The DIY-feely music video is a collaboration with UNIF clothing, and comes off Abra’s first album Roses.
5. Lower Dens - To Die in L.A.
To Die in L.A. is from Lower Dens "Escape from Evil" out now on Ribbon Music.
Magic 8 balls, wannabe movie stars, Debbie Harry obsessions, and a dead buck floating in a swimming pool—such is the crazy world of “To Die in L.A.” by Lower Dens. The first single off Lower Dens’ second record Escape from Evil is a synth-rock dream of a vulnerable Los Angeles.
6. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Can't Keep Checking My Phone
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Multi-Love" from 'Multi-Love' out now on Jagjaguwar SCD/direct: http://smarturl.it/umo?iQid=mlv Amazon: http://smarturl.it/umo_amazon?iQid=mlv iTunes: http://smarturl.it/umo_itunes?iQid=mlv Indies: http://smarturl.it/umo_indies?iQid=mlv Director: Dimitri Basl Co - Director: Cooper Roussel Art Director: Laura Gorun , Dominique Basil. Unknown Mortal Orchestra Artist Page http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=umo Website http://unknownmortalorchestra.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/unknownmortalorchestra Twitter https://twitter.com/UMO Instagram https://instagram.com/unknownmortalorchestra/
We start with the subtitle, “It’s one of those rare, unexplainable things,” which suits the video well, in the best way. The video—directed by Dimitri Basil—features a semi-sci-fi catalogue of mental illnesses and unexplained phenomena, including “Meteorite Sickness” and “Virtual Gender Disphoria.” The song, which is full of catchy beats and seemingly-simple lyrics, becomes complicated against the “trading deck” of the abstract, the dystopian, and the strange. Can’t Keep Checking My Phone can be found on Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s newest album Multi-Love.
7. Hurts - Lights
“Lights” is the age-old tale of being too fucked up and too alone in a half-populated bar. This time, instead of the classic random hook-up we get a graceful dance between matador and bull. This bar’s patrons also include a woman wrapped in a giant plastic bag and a zombie baseball player. “Lights” was the first single off the Manchester duo Hurts’s third album Surrender.
8. The Soft Moon - Far
Download the album on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/deeper/id940215623 LP/CD/Tape: http://www.capturedtracks.com/?p=21689 Special Edition LP: http://www.capturedtracks.com/?p=21694 Directed by Y2K Cinematography by Powell Robinson Line Producer: Emi Bell 1st AC: Skylar Wilson Gaffer: Zane Tan Key Grip: Daniel Smiley Production Designer: Melisa Dougherty Special Effects Makeup: Whitney Banks PA: Carson Garhart Edited by Y2K Colorist: Powell Robinson Special Thanks To: Lars Lindstrom, Marco Rapisarda, Evidence Rentals, Gallery 1548, Wooden Nickel
Is there anything more angsty than dark alleyways, disfigured men, and speeding down the 101 in a blue-and-red psychedelic daze? Dark and nostalgic, the video doesn’t lose its depth. “‘Far’ is the realm where unconscious desires reign, and the darkest tendencies take root and flourish. There, the ‘hIDeous’ clone assaults the ego, the shadow self stalks the night, and a third Shroud embodies the two hemispheres locked in perpetual battle,” director duo Y2K explains. “Far” comes off Soft Moon’s album Deeper, which was released this February.
9. Alex G - Brite Boy
Alex G - 'Brite Boy' (Official Video) Taken from the album 'Beach Music', out now. Pick up a copy of the 'Brite Boy' zine by Elliot Bech from any upcoming Alex G show.
A soft tune called “Brite Boy” off Alex G’s newest album entitled Beach Music might suggest happy, carefree vibes. Instead, we get a dark cartoon by Elliot Bech, featuring cemetery rituals, desert funerals, and a watertower that welcomes you to a ghost town called “Fuck.” Beach Music marks Alex Ginnascoli’s seventh full-length album, and he gets weirder and darker every time. “Brite Boy” zines made by Bech himself will be sold along Alex G’s next tour.
10. LA Priest - Oino
"Oino" is LA Priest's debut single for Domino. Available from iTunes now: http://smarturl.it/OinoSingle Video directed by Isaac Eastgate. http://www.earth-window.org http://www.facebook.com/trulylapriest http://www.twitter.com/trulylapriest
It’s a strange desert landscape where curious beasts lurk in the canyons, and Sam Eastgate (aka Samuel Dust) plays high-pitched riffs in the desolate dirt. Directed by his brother Isaac Eastgate, the video was apparently inspired by their granddad’s story of “a man imprisoned in the desert who escapes by singing to a wizard.” I feel the mystic vibes. “Oino” was LA Priest’s debut single for a solo album eight years in the making. His album Inji is out now.
11. Silicon - God Emoji
Buy the new single "God Emoji" on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/GodEmoji www.twitter.com/siliconxxx www.facebook.com/godemoji www.godemoji.com Director: Sam Peacocke Producer: Evie Mackay Director of Photography: Andrew Stroud Art Director: Chris Elliot Editor: Dan Kircher Post Production: Stu Bedford Production Company: Robbers Dog Executive Producer: Mark Foster
A papier maché robot drives out to the middle of the forest to lay down catchy beats on the keyboard and the drums. Meanwhile, a weird dismembered pixelated head floats about an apartment building while a soft voice sings, “Don’t wanna go out on a Saturday night.” “God Emoji” is weird, but sticks with you through its abstractions and grooves. New Zealand multi-instrumentalist Kody Nielson’s debut album Personal Computer is out now.
12. Hot Chip - Need You Now
Pre-order the new album "Why Make Sense?" and get an instant download of "Huarache Lights" and "Need You Now": iTunes - http://po.st/WhyMakeSense Dom Mart - http://po.st/WhyMakeSenseDM Hot Chip will release their sixth album and second for Domino, Why Make Sense?, on 18th May 2015.
Hot Chip’s newest album, Why Make Sense? fits well with the music video for “Need You Now.” It’s strange, abstract, cyclical, and convoluted. A man runs after his double (or is his double chasing him?). He disappears, reappears, runs away, and is chased by a third double. Ultimately, however, the complex and the metaphysical fade into a simple story of refusing to let love go, as the words, “Need you now,” repeat themselves in the background. “Need You Know” is off the British electronic music band’s sixth album.
13. Julia Holter - Silhouette
Julia Holter - Silhouette (Official Video) Taken from the album "Have You In My Wilderness". Download or Stream the digital album, or buy here now: https://domino.lnk.to/JuliaHolter Film by Rick Bahto Assistant: Chloe Reyes Equipment: Echo Park Film Center http://www.haveyouinmywilderness.com/ http://juliashammasholter.com/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julia-Holter http://twitter.com/#!/JULIA_HOLTER https://instagram.com/juliaholter/
Julia Holter’s “Silhouette” is jumpy, grainy, and indulgent in its shadows. It is also sentimental, nostalgic, and a melancholy kind of sweet. Holter sings, “He can hear me sing, though he is far, I'll never lose sight of him, a silhouette.” The song and the video remind me how love can make you crazy--sprawled out across your desk with nothing to do but turn the lights on and off, close and open the blinds, and write clichés about him in your diary. Holter’s latest record Have You in my Wilderness was released this September.
Text by Keely Shinners