Tag Archives: Florence + The Machine

Music Video of the Day: My Love by Florence + The Machine (2022, dir by Autumn de Wilde)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

For today’s music video of the day, we have another atmospheric and rather ominous new video from Florence + The Machine.

Enjoy!

I always able to write my way out
The song always made sense to me
Now I find that when I look down
Every page is empty
There is nothing to describe
Except the moon still bright against the worrying sky
I pray the trees will get their leaves soon
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
And when it came,
it was stranger than I had ever imagined
No cracking open of heaven
But quiet and still
All my friends are getting ill
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
My arms emptied, the skies emptied
The billboards emptied
My arms emptied, the skies emptied
The buildings emptied
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
My arms emptied, the skies emptied
The billboards emptied
My arms emptied the skies emptied
The buildings emptied

Music Video of the Day: Heaven is Here by Florence + The Machine (2022, dir by Autumn de Wilde)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Enjoy!

Oh bring your salt, bring your cigarette
Draw me a circle and I’ll protect
Heaven is here if you want it

Oh bring your boy, bring your bottle
Open your mouth pour it down his neck
Heaven is here if you want it

And all of the fish, let them flounder
I went to the water drank every drop
I’ll turn your sea to a desert

More catholic taste than the devil
All gilded and golden yes I’m your girl
Hell if it glitters I’m going And I ride
In my red dress And time stretches endless
With my gun in my hand
You know I always get my Man

And every song I wrote
Became an escape rope
Tied around my neck
To pull me up to heaven

Horror AMV of the Day: Homura’s Seven Devils (Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica)

Posted on by Arleigh

homuras-seven-devils

It’s that time of the year when all things dark, terrifying and horrific invades the halls and corridors of Through the Shattered Lens.

While many who hear the term magical girl and colorful-costumed girls fighting evil won’t think dark and disturbing well they’d be dead wrong. The magical girl genre of Japanese animation have always had that undercurrent of darkness which makes these so-called kiddie anime series more adult than that many people realize.

In 2011, the magical girl anime series Puella Magi Madoka Magica (aka Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica) came out and it finally explored that very undercurrent of darkness in the magical girl genre that people discussed about. The series was still cute, but also disturbing in how it explored the cost these teenage girls would incur in gaining magical abilities to fight evil.

The latest AMV of the Day takes Madoka Magica (especially the three films which followed the series) and it’s two lead character in Homura Akemi (girl with the dark hair) and Madoka Kaname (girl with the pink-hair) and their very complicated relationship that transcends not just their friendship, but time and divinity itself.

What better song to pair up with Madoka Magica but none other than “Seven Devils” by Florence + The Machine.

Anime: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

Song: “Seven Devils” by Florence + The Machine

Creator: Kinnsao San

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: Means to an Endgame (Code Geass)

Posted on by Arleigh

I was going to pick something lighthearted for the next “AMV of the Day” but decided to save Mr. Satan for a later date when I return to posting more Anime Expo 2012 stuff. So, I chose an AMV that I would categorize as the opposite of lighthearted and could be considered as very dark, indeed.

“Means to an Endgame” is the latest from AMV producer extraordinaire tehninjarox. He picks one of my favorite Florence + The Machine songs in “Seven Devils” and uses it to musically score and highlight just how much of a devil the main protagonist of the anime series really turns out to be. This is not to say that Lelouch is a bad guy. He’s just very focused on taking down his enemies to make the world a better place for his crippled sister. How he goes about this includes committing what he calls evil actions for the greater good.

The video itself does a great job in matching up with the song that one would almost think that Lelouch (the man in the black armor and cape) was the villain of this piece. While I’m not like fellow anime contributor pantsukudasai in that mecha doesn’t do it for him, I myself don’t mind mecha anime and it was mecha that first brought me back to the artform during the mid-80’s. This video just shows just how far mecha anime has gone from just being about pilots in giant fighting robots fighting it out. Code Geass has it’s share of mech fighting but it also has a strong, dramatic narrative that blurs the distinction of who the good guys and bad guys are.

Just like another great AMV producer in Chiikaboom, one tehninjarox has become a favorite of mine with each new video he releases. This one definitely make’s my favorite list.

Anime: Code Geass

Song: “Seven Devils” by Florence + The Machine

Creator: tehninjarox

 

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Seven Devils (by Florence + The Machine)

Posted on by Arleigh

April 1st is just right around the corner and that means the return of 2010’s breakout cable hit, Game of Thrones with a new season. The last couple weeks have seen numerous marketing and ad trailers hyping up this upcoming new season. Their latest trailer used a song that was quite memorable for how it sounded and how it fit in well with the mythology built during the first season.

The latest “Song of the Day” comes courtesy of the band Florence + The Machine and the song picked was from their latest album and is called “Seven Devils.”

I consider this song quite appropriate when it came to Game of Thrones since the song’s title takes a look at the opposite side of the show’s religion called The Seven. The song’s titles doesn’t just intimate that The Seven the people of Westeros worshipped may not be gods after all, but devils who have tempted many who pay lipservice to the faith and instead fall to temptation.

I wasn’t a major fan of Florence + The Machine when I was first introduced to them a couple years ago but time has since shown me the error of my ways.

Seven Devils

Holy water cannot help me
A thousand armies couldn’t keep me out
I don’t want your money, I don’t want your crown
See I have come to burn your kingdom down

Holy water cannot help you now
See I’ve got to burn your kingdom down
And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out
I’m gonna raise the stakes, I’m gonna smoke you out

Seven devils all around me
Seven devils in my house
See they were there when I woke up this morning
I’ll be dead before the day is done

Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
See I was dead when I woke up this morning
And I’ll be dead before the day is done
Before the day is done

And now all your love will be exorcised
And we will find you saints to be canonised
And it’s an evensong
It’s a melody
It’s a final cry
It’s a symphony

Seven devils all around me
Seven devils in my house
See they were there when I woke up this morning
And I’ll be dead before the day is done

Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
See I was dead when I woke up this morning
And I’ll be dead before the day is done
Before the day is done
Before the day is done
Before the day is done

You can keep me alive
Till I tear the walls
Till I save your heart
And to take your soul
What have we done?
Can I be undone?
In the evil’s heart
In the evil’s soul

Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
See I was dead when I woke up this morning
And I’ll be dead before the day is done
For the day is done

Trailer: Game of Thrones Season 2 “Seven Devils”

Posted on by Arleigh

April 1st has always been known as April Fool’s Day, but in this year of 2012 it will have a much different meaning.

The year of our Lord 2012 will be known as the day Game of Thrones returns with a new season. A season that brings to the land of Westeros and Essos the war between kings that will surely arrive with the end events which unfolded during season 1. If old fans and newly introduced fans to the franchise were left abuzz by the climactic scene of Daenerys emerging from her husband’s funeral pyre in the morning unhurt with three newly hatched dragonlings then this upcoming season will leave them with their jaws on the floor.

While the series will continue to use the Game of Thrones title I will always consider season 2 to be Game of Thrones: A Clash of Kings for that is what the second book was called and the events that will unfold in this new season will focus on the clash between several leaders who want the Iron Throne or to establish their own separate kingdom.

Finally, the use of Florence + The Machine’s song from their 2011 album Ceremonials was a great choice. “Seven Devils” makes for a great contrast to the Catholic-like religion of the The Seven in Martin’s books and in the tv series.

Game of Thrones is set to return to the world with season 2 on April 1, 2012.

Lisa Marie’s 10 Favorite Songs of 2011

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Continuing my series on the best of 2011, here are ten of my favorite songs from 2011.  Now, I’m not necessarily saying that these were the best songs of 2011.  Some of them aren’t.  But these are ten songs that, in the future, will define 2011 for me personally.  Again, these are my picks and my picks only.  So, if you think my taste in music sucks (and, admittedly, quite a few people do), direct your scorn at me and not at anyone else who writes for the Shattered Lens.

By the way, I was recently asked what my criteria for a good song was.  Honestly, the main thing I look for in a song is 1) can I dance to it and 2) can I get all into singing it while I’m stuck in traffic or in the shower? 

Anyway, at the risk of revealing just how much of a dork I truly am, here are ten of my favorite songs of 2011.

1) What The Water Gave Me (performed by Florence + The Machine)

Musically, 2011 was a good year for me because it’s the year that I first discovered Florence + The Machine.

2) Only In My Double Mind (performed by Centro-Matic)

This is a great song from one of the best bands to come out of North Texas.

3) Man or Muppet (performed by Jason Segal and Walter)

Featuring lyrics from the brilliant Bret McKenzie.  This song makes me cry every time.

4) Immigrant Song (performed by Karen O, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross)

Say what you will about David Fincher’s rehash of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, it had a good soundtrack.  This cover of Immigrant Song made the film’s first trailer bearable.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t really featured in subsequent trailers, being replaced by Daniel Craig going, “I want YOU to HELP ME catch a KILLER of WOMEN.”

5) Friday (performed by Rebecca Black)

Yeah, yeah, I know.  It’s a terrible song and you know what?  That’s why I can’t help but love it.  Listen, there are thousands of terrible song released every year but there are none quite as a terrible as Friday.  The genius of Friday is that it took everything that we associate with terrible music — nonsensical lyrics, insane autotune, a socially irresponsible message, creepy rappers who show up out of nowhere and for no good reason — and then just smashed it all together into the YouTube video that refused to die.  Add to that, a few months ago, me and my BFF Evelyn got like totally drunk and then wandered around the streets of Dallas singing this song at the top of our lungs and I swear, every guy who passed by yelled words of encouragement at us. 

(And, by the way, if you’re going to hate someone, hate on Fred Phelps.  Leave Rebecca Black alone.  Life’s too short.)

6) Hold it Against Me (performed by Britney Spears)

Yeah, yeah, I know.  Everyone loves to hate on Britney blah blah blah.  This song is fun to sing in the shower and you can dance to it.  And, quite frankly, that’s all I need.

7) Beard (performed by Burning Hotels)

This is from another North Texas band.

8) Fucking Perfect (performed by Pink)

An anthem.  (Yes, I know this song came out in 2010 but it was important to me in 2011 so I’m listing it here now.  So there.)

9) Love Is The Drug (performed by Oscar Isaac and Carla Gugino)

From the Sucker Punch soundtrack comes this sneakily subversive cover.

10) No Light, No Light (performed by Florence + The Machine)

Finally, what better way to end this list than with some more of Florence + The Machine.

Finally, I want to close this list with a song that came out long before 2011 but it’s an important song to me and it was sung by someone who we lost far too early this year.

Coming tomorrow: ten of the best things I saw on television in 2011.

AMV of the Day: Mahou Shoujo Requiem

Posted on by Arleigh

I think my love for the anime mahou shoujo series, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, may extend past this summer and til the end of the year. I’ve begun to watch the other new series to premiere in the last 12 months over in Japan, but this particular one has stuck itself in my head in a good way. It’s why whenever I find a great AMV done using the series I end up loving it. So, the last “AMV of the Day” is another Puella Mago Madoka Magica production.

This one is appropriately titled, “Mahou Shoujo Requiem”, and is paired with the ethereal and hypnotic song “Cosmic Love” by the group Florence + The Machine. Even the title of the song is quite appropriate as it highlights the cosmic aspect of the anime series the video is using.

The video’s creator is one “tehninjarox” and this creator also made the previous “AMV of the Day” entry (“A Prelude to Dreams”). The editing work in this latest AMV was exceptionally well done with scene transitions coming in fast and clear with each percussive beat of the song. I also like the fact that following the cosmic theme of the song there’s many images of Kyubey in the video. Can’t have a cosmic and requiem-themed AMV of this series and not Kyubey show up.

So, far this AMV of the Puella Magi Madoka Magica series one of the best one I’ve seen though not the best. The next one I plan to post in the future is the best one but not by much.

Anime: “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”

Song: “Cosmic Love” by Florence + The Machine

Creator: tehninjarox