This weekend I went to my 6th FYF fest, which is simultaneously one of the most fun and saddest weekends of the year. Fun because of the progressively more amazing acts the festival has managed to book each year. (Seriously, never in my wildest dreams would I think the festival that started out at the tiny Echo/ Echoplex would eventually have the likes of LCD Soundsystem or Kendrick Lamar as headliners). But it’s also usually a sad time for me as it marks the official end of festival season. You might say, “But Jasmine! At least fall is right around the corner! At least we can all look forward to that!” And to that I would say with tears in my eyes, “Fall doesn’t come until after Christmas in LA!” Well, it’s not all bad. At least the burning sun keeps me inside to scour the internet for dope videos to share with you all!
1. Angel Olsen – “Sister”:
“Sister” is the third video Angel Olsen has released off her upcoming album, My Woman, out September 2nd. Co-directed by Angel Olsen herself, she really captures what it’s like to live in LA, the eternal land of sunshine that would always have blue skies if they weren’t perpetually covered in smog. It’s brimming with people, but that fact alone can often make it feel isolating and lonely at times. And when living in LA is just too much, we make treks out to the less polluted Joshua Tree with its extraterrestrial looking rocks to catch glimpses of the Milky Way. Both the song and video are beautiful from start to finish, but really pick up at the 5 minute mark, and will definitely have you in tears by 6:40.
2. Mick Jenkins feat. BADBADNOTGOOD – “Drowning”:
Mick Jenkins announced his upcoming album, The Healing Component, earlier this month and has just released a video for “Drowning”. Mick Jenkins delightfully continues his water metaphor that we have seen previously on the fantastic The Water[s] mixtape and Wave[s] EP. This time, he collaborates with BADBADNOTGOOD who lend their tense instrumentation to Jenkins’ impassioned vocals. The video features Jenkins playing the part of a slave who escapes from his captors. He then forms a band of escapees to enact revenge on them. Eventually though, a young girl acts as the voice of reason and stops them from fueling the vicious cycle of violence with even more violence. If you’re digging this, you should definitely catch BADBADNOTGOOD at WeTransfer’s event How We Do: LA that we have the pleasure of helping realize on September 28. Tickets are only $10 and the event is curated by world renowned DJ and Producer Gilles Peterson. More info here.
3. KENZO World – Le Nouveau Parfum:
French fashion house, KENZO, always has the most insane ads for their products, constantly blurring the boundaries between ads and art. This time, they’ve released a short for their new perfume, Kenzo World, directed by Spike Jonze. In the clip, we get to see Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers) go absolutely ape shit to music by Ape Drums in the middle of a black tie event. She looks absolutely possessed as her body erratically moves around the venue, culminating with it being flung through the pupil of a giant eye. After all of that insanity, you realize it’s an ad for a perfume and are actually left longing for more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tuHIhXyxrI
4. FORM Arcosanti 2016 Super 8 Reel:
FORM Arcosanti is one of those festivals that you really can’t describe in words. Much like the legendary Burning Man, ask anyone about it and they will tell you, “It’s indescribable. You just have to go.” If there were any chance of trying to relay the incredible experience, this video probably has the best shot at doing so. The warm and fuzzy nature of super 8 film is really the only way to really capture the warm sense of community the place lends. In the clip, we get to see sun soaked shots of the beautiful architecture of the place, the inspiring people coming together from all over the world, and glimpses of the amazing performances this year. If you want to know more about what FORM Arcosanti was like, check out our write up here.
5. Team THOR:
What does Thor do when he’s not saving the world? Apparently, he’s just like you and me! He lives in a flat with a roommate named Darryl & even gets sad when Tony Stark won’t return his emails. I’ve been there, bro… I’ve been there.
