Hey buds, how are y’all doin? Much like the maybe-soon-to-be-President Clinton, I’ve been feeling a little under the weather. I’ve been working so much lately, I think the stress is finally catching up to me. That’s why this week I bring you videos to cure any of your ailments. Whether you’re sick, sad, bored, or just having music withdrawals, I’ve got just the thing for you down below!
1. Gabriel Garzón-Montano – “Trial”:
Short and sweet, Gabriel Garzón-Montano has just released this video for “Trial”, celebrating his new spot on the Stones Throw record label. I first heard about Gabriel Garzón-Montano last year, when Drake used a sample of his song “6 8” on “Jungle” off If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. This launched GGM out of obscurity, but also understandably caused a lot of anxiety within him following the sudden demand for him to produce more music. “Trial” certainly does not disappoint, with its beautiful layered vocals and soft strings. In the clip, we get to see a naked GGM floating serenely on a bed of flowers in the vast ocean. The track is off his upcoming album, Jardín, set to be released this fall.
2. Dan Deacon – “Change Your Life”:
If you haven’t seen Dan Deacon live, I implore you to check his tour dates and see him the next time he comes to your town. I’m not exaggerating when I say his live shows will change your life. Once you enter the room full of disorienting rainbow flashing lights, everybody just goes crazy and, at the risk of sounding cheesy, you just gain a new sense of hope and possibility. This video for “Change Your Life” is the embodiment of that sentiment, from the lyrics to the shots of the group high fives Dan asks the audience to participate in. But I promise you, it is so much better in person! If you dig hard enough, you can find a video of me floating out there being “that overly excited girl” at his fantastic set at Outside Lands 2015.
3. The Realest Real, directed by Carrie Brownstein
Alright, I’ve written about French fashion house Kenzo’s campaigns before, but they are releasing some of the most creative ads I’ve seen in a while. Plus, how could I not share something that is directed by Carrie Brownstein and stars some of my favorite ladies, Natasha Lyonne and Kim Gordon? The clip premiered at New York Fashion Week and is a satire of the silly things people say when they’re given an outlet to talk to their favorite celebrities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbfSRa5BRhk
4. Radiohead “Daydreaming” Contest Winner:
After their release of A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead released weekly vignettes for each of the tracks on their latest album. Then, they announced that they would be holding an open contest to create a short visual for an alternate version of “Daydreaming”. After highlighting some honorable mentions, the band has finally chosen a favorite, created by an artist called Affinitia. The clip takes us through abstract corridors that look like they were pulled straight out of someone’s technicolor DMT trip. Back in 2007, when In Rainbows was released, the band had another contest in which artists created full music videos for every track on the album. Some of those videos were so amazing that they will forever be burned in my memory. I highly suggest you check them out if you missed them the first time around.
5. The White Stripes – “City Lights”:
Alright, if you know anything about me, you’ll probably know that I was ridiculously obsessed with the White Stripes when I was 10-13 years old. I legitimately thought I was going to meet Jack White one day and we would get married immediately. So, when I heard Jack White was releasing a whole album of acoustic versions of songs from 1998-2016, I was understandably ridiculously excited. Here, we get to listen to “City Lights” a song that didn’t quite make the 2005 release, Get Behind Me Satan, paired with visuals by Michel Gondry, who also directed the unforgettable videos for “Fell In Love With A Girl,” “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” “Hardest Button to Button,” and “Denial Twist”. The clip features Gondry in the shower, painting various images on the condensation on the doors. He filmed the clip after hearing the song and gave it to Jack White as “a surprise gift”.
6. The Visual Effects of Star Wars: The Force Awakens:
The CGI in Star Wars has been kind of a controversial subject since the release of Episode 1 and the subsequent retroactive CGI George Lucas had inserted into Episodes 4-6. To be honest, I belonged to the camp that thought it was not only unnecessary but also distracting to add CGI to the original trilogy. /end nerd rant. However, watching this video gave me so much respect for how much work went into to the making of the visual effects of The Force Awakens. In the clip, we get some insight into how some of the film’s most memorable scenes were made. To my surprise, there was a lot more CGI in the film than I thought, which signifies how the visual effects in this film were more of an aid in the suspension of disbelief of the audience and less of an annoying distraction.
7. Shaq dancing in his undies:
Hands down, this was the best piece of art released this week. Is this video of Shaq attempting Teyana Taylor’s “Fade” dance moves in his underwear the best thing he has released since Kazaam? Probably.
