I’m a fan of any song about not caring.
Plus, look at that pretty house!
On a serious note, this video has a definite sort of 90s retro feel to it that I like. Visually, it keeps thing simple and it allows the emotion behind the song’s lyrics to carry things through. There’s something to be said for the song and the video’s simple honesty, which is a trait that seems to be all too often missing in music today.
Enjoy!
I have to admit that, living down south, I’m pretty much jealous of any city that has an actual downtown. Oh, don’t get me wrong. My homecity has a very pretty center that we refer to as being “downtown” and I spend a lot of time there and I’m proud of where I’m from and I love living here. But, at the same time, this place that we call “downtown” is not a real downtown as much as it’s a somewhat random collection of structures and monuments, some of which are more interesting than others. It’s not like a New York downtown or a Chicago downtown or even a Boston downtown. A true downtown isn’t so much a geographical location as it’s a state of mind.
A true downtown also has a life of its own. In a way, it’s a city within a city. You don’t find that much in my part of the world. The action down here is in the suburbs as opposed to the downtown. And that’s fine and all but seriously, it’s not the same as having a legitimate downtown. For instance, I once saw a picture of a seven-story Barnes and Noble in New York. Down here, we’re lucky if we get a second floor.
Anyway, this video seemed to capture a certain idea of living downtown and having your entire future ahead of you. So, it’s today’s music video of the day!
Enjoy!
UPSAHL is already responsible for my favorite song of the year, Drugs. And now, she’s responsible for my second favorite.
Poor UPSAHL. All of her friends are drinking champagne and hanging out on their huge lawn and smoking expensive cigars and enjoying themselves the way that only people with money can. Meanwhile, UPSAHL can’t even pay her rent or, to judge from this video, afford a decent lawn mower.
Now, of course, it’s also totally possible that her friends are just better at handling their money than UPSAHL. The thing is …. when you don’t have much money, everyone around you seems like they’re rich and they don’t have a problem in the world. I remember the first time I ever had to pay rent and I was shocked to discover that apparently the apartment manger was serious when he said that we had to pay by the end of the first week of the month. Seriously, I just kinda figured that was just a general suggestion. I remember very clearly thinking, “How does everyone else handle this so easily?” Only later would I discover that no one was handling anything easily.
(Fortunately, I was able to pay my half of the rent. I sold some of my friend’s college textbooks back to the student store and then I borrowed the rest from my mom. So, I may not have been rich but I still survived.)
UPSAHL’s songs are so relatable and her DGAF attitude should be an inspiration to us all.
Enjoy!
Today’s music video of the day is for the first single to be released off of Tegan and Sara’s upcoming album, Hey I’m Just Like You.
Seeing as how the album is made up of re-recorded versions of songs that the Quin sisters originally wrote in high school, it’s perhaps appropriate that this video has a retro, 90s feel to it. At this point, just seeing a landline phone hanging on a wall almost makes the video seem as if it’s taking place in some strange fantasy world. According to Tegan and Sara, this video is about the angst of waiting for someone to acknowledge your efforts to reach out to them. It’s also about people’s obsession with checking their phones.
It’s about a lot of things.
Enjoy!
Today’s music video of the day is this haunting and rather sad video for Summer ’09, the second single to be released from Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s upcoming second album, Onwards to Zion.
The song itself was inspired by the passing of a friend of Tom Bettison’s. (Bettison is the artist behind Vancouver Sleep Clinic.) Bettison’s friend passed away (“out of the blue,” as Bettison puts it) in 2017 and this song was Bettison’s way of dealing with the pain of his loss. It’s not surprising, then, that both the song and the video are both nostalgic and sad, a song of regret that also celebrates the time that these two friends were able to share with one another.
Onwards to Zion is set to be released on October 18th.
Enjoy!
This is without a doubt one of the best music videos that I’ve seen in a while.
Through a series of images that seem still but aren’t, this video tells a story that …. well, I’m not going to ruin the story. When it begins, you might think it’s just going to be another dramatic lover’s quarrel in a parking lot but it instead turns into something far different. What do the video’s final images mean? I’m not sure that there is a definitive answer. Perhaps it’s all in the eye of the beholder.
Enjoy!
I like the mix of glitz and ennui that’s present in this video. When I first saw this video, I have to admit that I mistakenly thought the video had been filmed in several cities in the United States, one of which was I was sure was Las Vegas. I’m really glad that I actually bothered to google “Where was Spector’s Half-Life video filmed” before I wrote up this post because it turns out that I was 100% incorrect.
(See? Everyone complains about Google but, sometimes, it can be your best friend.)
It turns out that this video was shot in East London. Fred Macpherson is sitting in the back of an Uber and having a minor existential crisis as he watches the world pass him by. According to the linked article, this video was very much a bit of a do it yourself project with Fred just riding around with a camera crew who recorded whatever it was that they saw during the drive. That takes a certain amount of courage because, seriously, what would you do if you saw absolutely nothing while you were driving around?
(Myself, I’d probably wonder how I suddenly found myself in Vermont …. I’m joking! I swear, it’s just a joke….)
Anyway, as I said, I like the mix of glamour and insecurity that’s present in this video. Anyone who has ever felt isolated while surrounded by hundreds of people will be able to relate to this video’s theme. This video is for everyone who has felt like they were lost even though they knew exactly where they were. And yet, I don’t necessarily feel that this is a pessimistic video. As long as the journey’s continuing, there’s always something new on the horizon.
Enjoy!
From the minute I saw those red curtains, I started thinking about Twin Peaks and the Black Lodge. I don’t know if that was the video’s intention or not. Still, I’m always happy to find David Lynch references anywhere that I look. And, just because you’re in the Black Lodge, that doesn’t mean you can’t be entertained.
I mean, everyone loves music, right?
Myself, I always wished I could play bass. Of course, another part of me wishes that I could play drums. I think I’d be a kickass red-haired drummer.
Enjoy!
Continuing yesterday’s Dirty Dancing theme, today’s music video of the day is for Michael Spaulding’s cover of She’s Like The Wind. She’s Like The Wind was written and originally performed by Patrick Swayze and, while there’s official video for the original on YouTube, I think Spaulding’s cover serves as an acceptable substitute.
Enjoy!
I watched Dirty Dancing last week so, needless to say, I’ve had this song stuck in my head ever since.
I’m going to guess that if you’re last name is Medley, you’re kinda required by law to become a singer.
Enjoy!
Through the Shattered Lens