Category Archives: Music Review

Music Video of the Day: Love Me Back by Ritual feat. Tove Styrke (2019, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This is another of those videos that I like specifically because it’s totally surreal and how you interpret it will probably depend on what type of mood you’re in when you view it.

Is this video about being trapped?

Is this video about breaking free?

Is this video about the sad face starting at you from the wall?

Is it about longing or is it about being owned?

That’s up to you to decide.  I just like the idea of everyone being stuck in a mentally-projected maze.  Whenever I see a video that featured an overhead shot of a maze, I’m reminded of one of my favorite scenes from The Shining, the one where Jack stares down at a model of the Overlook’s famous hedge maze while Danny and Wendy wander through the real maze.  Briefly, it appears as if Wendy and Danny are actually in the model.  Who knows, maybe they are?

Mazes are a great metaphor for …. well, just about everything!  There’s very little in life that can’t be represented by a maze.  Of course, in The Shining, the maze represented not only Jack’s twisted mind but also the way that time inside the Overlook twists back in on itself.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Please by Saro (2019, dir by Alex Cook)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s a strange world, isn’t it?

By this point, everyone should know that I have a weakness for surreal music videos, especially when they’re in black-and-white and they involve an overhead shot of a maze.  So, my selection of this video for music video of the day should come as a shock to no one.

I like this one.  The eyes remind of Salvador Dali’s famed work on Hitchcock’s Spellbound.  For that matter, they also remind me of Argento’s Four Flies on Grey Velvet.  One of the plot points of Four Flies is that the identity of the killer has been preserved on the victim’s retina.

(Though that’s scientifically impossible, you might be surprised to learn that there’s quite a few people who believe that can actually happen.  In fact, I was recently reading about a police interrogation in which the cops got a guy to confess by telling him that they had found his image preserved in his victim’s eyes.)

Of course, you really can’t talk about eyes in cinema without mentioning Lucio Fulci.  One of Fulci’s trademarks was that almost every film featured either an eye getting popped out of a head or otherwise split in half.  I have to admit that, after seeing Zombi 2, I am now incredibly protective of my eyes.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Terrified by Terror Jr (2019, dir by Millicent Hailes)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s music video of the day is one of those video’s that I think works best if you imagine that everyone in it is dead and that the video itself is taking place in Purgatory.

It’s seriously not that outlandish an idea.  There has to be some sort of entertainment in Purgatory and the bartender certainly appears to have seen his share of singers and drinkers.

Another possible option is that this video is taking place at the Overlook Hotel.  Again, the ghostly atmosphere would seem to suggest that we’re in another world, one that probably running parallel to ours.  It’s very easy to imagine Jack Torrance sitting at the bar, watching the singers and wondering why Grady keeps denying having been the caretaker.

And, of course, there’s always the chance that we’re visiting a section of the Black Lodge.  Or maybe we’re at the Roadhouse again….

Well, regardless of where this atmospheric video is taking place, enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Swan Song by Dua Lipa (2019, dir by Floria Sigismondi)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

We’ve seen the future and wow, there’s a lot of trash.

Seriously, that’s the main thing that I’ve noticed about movies set in the future.  No one ever picks up after themselves.  You would think that we’d have robots cleaning and polishing every inch of the Earth but apparently, WALL-E was a lie.

Even with that in mind, though, I still cry every time that I watch WALL-E.  Damn, that’s a good movie.  It totally should have been nominated for Best Picture.  Between that and not nominating Three Identical Strangers for Best Documentary, I don’t know what’s wrong with the Academy….

Anyway, this song appears on the soundtrack of a movie and no, it’s not WALL-E.  Instead, it’s from Alita: Battle Angel, which was written and produced by James Cameron and directed by Robert Rodriguez.  The movie’s coming out this February and maybe it will replace the Valentine-shaped hole that’s been in our soul ever since the Fifty Shades trilogy came to an end.

Or maybe not.  I just hope it’s good!

Anyway, the video is a party in a futuristic rubbish heap.  I don’t suggest trying this in your own neighborhood landfill.  Party clean, everyone.

Enjoy!

Music Video Review: Affection by JaydenART Music (2017, dir by Jayden Yoon ZK)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Who doesn’t occasionally love a good cry?

The 4 and a half minute video below is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.  It certainly did to mine.  It’s the story of a dancer and it’s also the story of a father’s love for his daughter and the way that we can all live on through music, art, and memory.  It starts with a dancer — according to the video’s YouTube description, her name is Fiona — dancing and then takes us into the past, showing us how her pianist father supported her dreams until he eventually fell victim to his own mortality.  The film ends with her achieving her dream, along with her younger self, and the sound of her father’s composition playing in the background.

And it’s really nicely done.  The scenes of Fiona dancing are flawlessly combined with the flashbacks to her father, creating a true sense of a dancer living in the moment while still surrounded by her memories and how she came to be the person who is now on stage.  It’s a tribute to not just her father but also to everyone who has ever supported us in our dreams, whether those dreams were artistic or something else.  It’s a heart-felt and sentimental tribute and you can check it out below:

Music Video of the Day: 4 In The Morning by Gwen Stefani (2007, dir by Sophie Muller)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This may not be one of Gwen’s more popular videos but I like it because, like her in this video, I’m usually up at 4 in the morning.

Of course, in the video, Gwen’s up at four in the morning and looking totally put together because she’s waiting for her lover to return.  They’ve had a fight.  He’s left her.  And now, she can’t sleep.  Not even going for a drive through the early morning darkness helps.

Myself, when I’m up at 4 in the morning, it’s mostly because I got wrapped up either reading or watching something and, for whatever reason, I lost track of time.  Usually, around two, I always say, “I really should get some sleep …. but let’s see what’s on TCM!”  If it turns out to be a classic film noir or an old horror movie, there’s no way I’m going to sleep.

Even worse is when I’m trying to turn off my TV but I accidentally click the button for Netflix instead and, before you know it, I’m watching old episodes of Degrassi: The Next Class.  Then suddenly, I’ll realize that it’s not five in the morning and I’ve spent an hour yelling, “No, Maya!  Zig’s no good for you!” at the TV.  That’s happened more times than I want to admit.

Much like Gwen, I usually react to discovering that I’ve stayed up too late by walking around the house.  Usually, I end up accidentally kicking a wall while barefoot or tripping over a stair.  Once I wandered out in the backyard and somehow managed to lock myself out of the house.  Of course, I was only wearing my beloved Pirates t-shirt and it was like 21 degrees outside so I quickly came to regret not getting to bed at two.

So, my point is, I like this video because I can relate to it.  In fact, I’ll probably think about it a few hours from now, when I realize that it’s 4 a.m. and I’m still awake.

Enjoy!

 

Music Video of the Day: Kill The Lights by Britney Spears (2009, dir by PUNY)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Britney’s a cartoon!

This video for Kill the Lights finds Britney Spears being — what else? — hounded by the paparazzi so she promptly flies off into space and goes to another planet.  Unfortunately, it turns out that the entire universe is apparently obsessed with robbing Britney of her privacy.

This concept behind this video was the result of a fan fiction contest, in which people were asked to send their ideas to Britney’s management, via her website.  The winner of the contest was a girl from Argentina, who titled her submission “Known Everywhere.”  Believe it or not, I came very close to entering this contest myself.  You have to remember that this was back in 2009, when I was in a much darker place than I am today.  As such, my idea was for the video to be an homage to Lucio Fuci’s Zombi 2, with Britney going to a Caribbean island to investigate the death of Justin Timberlake and then getting bitten by a zombified Joey Fatone.  My idea was that the video would end with zombie Britney eating Kevin Federline.  Personally, I still think it’s a good idea but I never actually submitted it so I’ve got no one to blame for this video but myself.

Still, just imagine if I had submitted my idea and it had been accepted.  (Seriously, I totally would have won if I had entered the contest.)  Not only would Britney now being getting credit for the zombie revival but she’d probably also would have gone on to do any number of horror-themed music videos.

So, basically, I made a huge mistake by not submitting my idea and now the world is suffering.

Sorry about that.

Anyway, enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Hollywood Ending by Starcrawler (2019, dir by Gilbert Trejo)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Since today is Oscar nomination day, I decided that today’s music video of the day should be about Hollywood.

Or, at the very least, it should have Hollywood in the title.

This video presents us with a Hollywood that is the exact opposite of Hollywood glitz.  It’s a Hollywood of cheap motels, too much makeup, and cigarette haze.  However, it’s also a Hollywood where you can actually find a working VHS player and I guess there’s something to be said for that.  This video is kind of depressing but kind of fun at the same time.  I have a weakness for the film’s combination of trash and satire.

“Marilyn Monroe” makes an appearance, as she certainly should.  When you’re reading about the Oscar nominations later today, just remember that Marilyn Monroe is both one of the most iconic Hollywood figures of all time and also someone who was never nominated for an Oscar.

(That said, she did appear in one of the greatest of the best picture winners, All About Eve.)

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Suspicious Minds, covered by Computer Magic (2019, dir by Danz)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I was actually planning on featuring another Britney Spears video for today’s music video of the day but then I came across this cover of Suspicious Minds.

Let’s just start with the obvious.  I absolutely love this video.  According to video’s description on YouTube, this was shot on an iPhone.  The video has this wonderful sort of dream-like feel.  Some of that’s due to the song itself.  Some of that’s due to the fact that the majority of the video takes place in Las Vegas, which is like the most surreal city in America.  (There’s a reason why David Lynch set so much of Twin Peaks: The Return in Vegas.)  It all comes together to create a wonderfully hypnotic video, one that is both inviting and ominous at the same time.

The song itself is best-known as an Elvis song but it was actually originally written and performed by a songwriter named Mark James.  In 1969, after James’s version failed to chart, the song was handed over to Elvis and it quickly become on his signature hits.  Of course, you really can’t do anything Vegas-related without including a reference to Elvis.  I can’t remember if there were any Elvis impersonators on Twin Peaks but I do remember that you can spot a few in Saved By The Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.

(And, of course, this bring us all back to Britney Spears, who will launching her second Vegas show on February 13th.  Everyone ends up in Vegas, where they get to hang out with my friends Jennifer and Xander.  Lucky them!)

Anyway, enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Want You Back by Grey featuring Leon (2019, dir by Matt Komo)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

So, this video last for about three minutes and I have to admit that I spent the first 2 and a half minutes feeling fairly skeptical about the whole thing.

I was like:

“Oh, they’re so in love.”

“Oh, now they’re fighting.”

“Oh, now, they’re looking at old pictures.”

“Oh now, they’re acting like kids again and everything’s okay.”

“Oh now, they’re driving together.”

“Oh now …. OH MY GOD!”

Yes, st the end of this video, the tragedy smashes into you like a freight train and I’m totally supportive of that.  The best short films — and that’s what a music video is — are always either extremely funny or extremely depressing.  Attempting to go for moderately amusing or thought-provoking doesn’t work.  A short film needs tragedy!

And that’s what we get here.  Suddenly, we understand why his old sweater is so important to her and maybe we feel a little bit guilty for rolling our eyes just a few seconds earlier.  As always, your mileage may vary.  Just remember to keep your eyes on the road.

Whenever I see a video like this, I always want to know what they’re fighting about.  These falling in and out of love montages always seem to have a scene where the couple suddenly starts yelling at each other in the kitchen and I always wonder what the exact details of the fight are about.  Is it that one of them wants to eat out while the other insists on cooking?  Is it because someone forgot to get Parmesan cheese the last time they went to the grocery store?  Whatever it is, they always seem to make up, which is a good thing.

Enjoy!