This weekend, I had the pleasure of watching Animal Collective out in the magical land of Big Sur. They are probably my all time favorite band, so getting to watch them two nights in a row, under a million stars, with only 300 other people was heavenly to say the least. I’m still beaming from the whole thing. After being in the beautiful forest for four days, the office is really the last place I’d like to be but I couldn’t leave you guys hanging! Here are the best videos to come out this week. A lot of them are love songs and that’s just because I love you guys so much.
1. Japanese Breakfast – “Everybody Wants To Love You”:
To be honest, I didn’t really like this song the first time I heard it. After watching this video, though, I am utterly in love. In the clip, we see Michelle Zauner (Little Big League) get belligerently drunk, play guitar on an 18 wheeler, and throw a sandwich at a stranger all while wearing the traditional Korean gown her mother wore to her wedding. This video is so funny, I’ve watched it about a million times over the past two days. The track comes off of the album, Psychopomp, which came out in March.
2. Kaytranada – “You’re The One”:
Coming to America is one of those cheesy 80’s movies I watched more than a dozen times on TV as a child on lazy Sunday afternoons. The video for “You’re The One” plays out like a 90’s inspired version of the film, which is surprising because Kaytranada’s 99.9% is one of those albums I like to play on lazy weekends as an adult. Watch it as you get soothed by SYD’s beautiful voice on the track and tell me you aren’t a little bit more relaxed than when you started.
3. Mild High Club – “Kokopelli”:
I’ve had a major crush on this band for a while now. I MEAN COME ON. Mild High Club is probably one of the best band names I’ve ever heard. I only wish I had thought of it sooner. Last month, they released their fantastic second album, titled Skiptracing, and there’s not a track on it that I don’t like. It’s the perfect music for when you’re lounging outside on a lazy Sunday. The video was animated and directed by Pierce McGarry (aka Walter TV/ Mac Demarco’s bassist) who took on the monumental task of hand painting each frame with ink on paper.
4. Weyes Blood – “Do You Need My Love”:
Weyes Blood is definitely my “sad time” music. Whenever I feel like ruminating on past love, I like to throw on her second album, The Innocents, and drive around aimlessly. That’s why I love how silly her music videos can sometimes be. Whether it’s the chubby old male mermaids in “Seven Words,” or the gender-reversed BBC documentary reenactment vibes in this video, the visuals give you some relief from the brooding lyrics and melodies. In the video for “Do You Need My Love,” we get to see Natalie dressed as a male weary traveler who comes to stay at a farmer’s house. Soon enough, though, the traveler starts causing trouble by giving the farmer’s “daughter” and “wife” (both played by men) kisses and luring them into the forest where they party with a bear.
5. The Smell:
This one hits very close to home. If you’re not from LA, The Smell is an all-ages DIY punk venue in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. It was also such an integral part of my teen years. I had super strict parents, but when I was 14-16 years old, I would sneak all the way from the valley to DTLA just to see some of my favorite bands like No Age and Mika Miko (aka the Clavin sisters from Bleached’s old band). I stopped going as much as I got older, but it still held a special place in my heart as a space where I met some of my best friends and saw some of the craziest live acts. So, it was heartbreaking to find out that The Smell would soon be closing due to the fact that the building was bought out and the owners would no longer allow the venue to be there. Here, we get to see some of the people who help run The Smell talk about what the venue means to them and how they are working on a solution to relocate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwuBHBvk8LI
6. All of Donald Trump’s sniffs from last night:
Last night was the first debate between presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. I tried to avoid it like the plague because I knew it was only going to be rage inducing-ly insane. But, much like a hideous train wreck, I could only abstain from watching it for so long until my curiosity got the best of me. If you didn’t catch it last night, I’ve brought you a video that cuts out all the bullshit and leaves in only the most important highlights of the debate.
