Hey, you.
Does everything you touch die? Yeah? It does? Well that’s great, because boy, do I have the music video for you: “Plantlife” by Cold Showers.
It’s the latest single off their upcoming LP, Matter of Choice (out August 28 on Dais), and it’s an urgent, refreshingly cold, post-punk track with a synth melody that’ll get stuck in your head like a brain-eating amoeba you contracted while doing something dumb like going to Texas.
I love Cold Showers, partly because of the way they’ve been able to modernize post-punk, partially because when lead singer Jon Weinberg performs, his eyes look dead and it’s cool, and partially because keyboardist Jacob Cooper works in our office and gave me Photoshop for free.
In the video, a man who is possibly a beta version of a Sim can’t keep his houseplants alive, so he gets bitchy and burns down the neighborhood to express his frustration. Never have I ever felt so understood; every time I try to love and nurture a succulent or an air plant it gets Ebola and I’m left alone in the house with no chlorophyll to left to love.
When I asked Jacob how the video made him feel emotionally, he referenced the MTV show Liquid Television and offered up this nugget of nostalgia:
“My dad worked at a record and video store in Tucson, AZ growing up and would always bring videos home. He once brought home this computer animation compilation called Beyond The Mind’s Eye. I’m not sure why since it’s the most random thing to bring home to your children … But we ended up watching it a lot. So that’s kind of what I wanted Arian and Paul to convey in the video.”
Here’s a clip from Behind The Mind’s Eye for reference …
… and here’s what “Plantlife” director Paul Roper had in mind when he was making the video. Speaking to Self-Titled Mag, he said:
“The music video for “Plantlife” depicts the protagonist’s impossible struggle against an inevitable outcome. Visually inspired by ’90s late-night TV segments featuring primitive CGI, the representation of thematic elements verges on iconic. Tapping into the disheartening nostalgia of being born in a world that “sucks”, the piece explores the possibility that (despite our efforts) we will never fully seize control.”
Incinerating my hydrangea right now about it.
A limited white vinyl 7” of “Plantlife” will be out August 14th through German label Aufnahme + Wiedergabe. Pre-order your copy here, and go see Cold Showers in all their cold-wave glory live at one of the following dates:
8/28 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo #
9/19 San Francisco, CA – The Independent ^
# with Dunes, Gun Outfit, Hermanitos
^ with Psychic TV
