Showing posts with label music video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music video. Show all posts
Video: Memo - "Que Es Lo Que Siento"
Two years after the release of his debut solo LP, material. – and several months following the launch of his dance <3 EP under his Cheap Talk moniker as well as the ambient/drone Use Your Delusion I and II under Cristo plus the online posting of his take on the overplayed “Hotline Bling” (a reconstruction by memory!) – the prolific and unpredictable Memo Guerra is back as Memo, his songwriter alias. “Que Es Lo Que Siento,” first single off of his upcoming album Moon Phase, is a strong and coherent amalgam of little bit of all Guerra’s influences and exposes his openness and impressive musical background. With its lush arrangements, “QELQS” goes much deeper than a gratifying accessibility. Built on a progressive musical structure and layers of synths, Memo throws in Wurlitzer, programming, bass, guitars, oscillator and samples. The distorted, skipping and hypnotically driving track makes for an overstimulating sensorial experience. Memo is broadening the spectrum of technique, pushing the limits of the instrument and favoring a profusion of ideas and sonic textures. Singing “Que es lo que siento. Cando es un incendio. Voy desvaneciendo. Que es lo que siento, desapareciendo,” Memo raises lucid questions about the mechanical and the limits of love, while causing us to become aware of our own wave-particle nature. The all-in-glitch-video, designed by Logan Owlbeemoth and shot by Akkia Neko, draws on that same altered-textured aesthetic revealing Memo and his pasito de baile in a surreal pixelated landscape. The result is quite enthralling!
Moon Phase will be released February 6, via Abstrakt Muzak.
Video: Silva - "Eu Sempre Quis"
We’ve long been aware of Silva’s universal appeal and star quality. Grandiosity is not a hard sell if you are earnest and selective (e.g. not cheesy) in the approach. Silva has already twice succeeded with this formula. Rather than burn out under his own trademark sound, he welcomes change.
On his latest single, “Eu Sempre Quis”, the Brazilian producer stands in quiet rebellion to previous work. This is not a sweeping first single of horns, big synths, and life-affirming hooks. Silva’s performance is delicate, a “here I am” moment that works as a private exchange and a public confession set to serene guitars. The opening shots establish the need for silence and the chance to transmit his own feelings (“Amor, eu sempre quis / Desde quando te conheço”). Silva’s positioning in a plain white studio is counterposed with many shots of Jupiter. Just as the name suggests, our own mythology has obsessed over the scale and power it evokes, but here only appears fragile, lonely even. Despite this and even despite the sparse, metronomic beats, Silva manages to dance and to smile. A sight that our minds have been conditioned to reject, much like how when we saw “Hotline Bling” we could only see memes. It’s too late for Drake, but please let’s let Silva have his dance.
“Eu Sempre Quis” is taken from Júpiter, Silva’s third full-length album due November 20th.
Video: El Último Vecino – "Tu Casa Nueva"
“Tu Casa Nueva” was released last December as a Maxi-Single CANADA Editorial and rose at once to the top 25 of our Best songs of the year 2014. So it was about time for this stellar synthpop track to be given the video treatment, and for El Último Vecino’s hard-hitting irresistible melodies to resurface. Gerard Alegre Dòria’s decadent, symbolist lyrics (“Todas las espinas que yo tenía en la cabeza / me han sesgado.”), deep and sorrowful tone and pure and immediate rhythms carry a melancholic urgency that sets him apart from other revivalists acts of the moment. Three decades interact here: the coldness of the new wave-esque synths, some rock impulses and an ever oozing dance side. Directed by Gerson Aguerri (who has also worked with El Guincho and Los Massieras), the video merges scattered elements (a rising sun, what could be doric columns, occultism and plant close-ups) reflecting the dizzying eclecticism of EÚV and wittily grasping the links between subject and space, a theme that seems central to Dòria’s work.
Video: Destiny - "Orange Blossom"
Née Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, we were introduced to Wavy Spice through the wormhole (the hypothetical connection between regions of space-time) that coalesced cybernetic Barrio beats with Indigneous identity- the #Taíno_Banger of "YAYA". Our girl evolved & adopted the moniker of Princess Nokia, unleashing "Versace Hottie"- the hard-femme / sex positive / anti-snitching / resting bitch face anthem of chicas pesadas everywhere. The Boricua Lolita's next hit "Bikini Weather / Corazón En Afrika" (featured on Club Fonograma's best yet compilation Papasquiaro) recaptured the ideas brewing behind "YAYA" and captivated our imagination with ancestral drums, oceanside nightlife, and a woman's voice reminding us to speak to los espíritus. "Bikini Weather / Corazón En Afrika" was among the best tracks on the afrosurrealist Metallic Butterfly, a record that elevated us to the 'fifth dimension- the metamorphosis of the 22nd Century'. Metallic Butterfly went on to become our 19th best album of 2014.
But our girl has the ability to transmogrify so now she's back, this time as simply Destiny (who rumor has it has yet another alter ego, a stripper named Equality). Shot and edited in the realm of VHS tape nostalgia, "Orange Blossom" is the latest visual offering from the forthcoming Honeysuckle, following the delightful & empowering (& Video of the Year contender) "Soul Train". Invoking the soul of disco divas of days gone by, "Orange Blossom" sounds like a 1970s vintage dream. Destiny says Black & Brown liberation & expressions of joy & happiness were at the forefront of her psyche during the making of Honeysuckle. "I am a proud Afro-Latina and Native American woman, and there are many aspects of my pride. It's not just a deep cultural pride; it's a pride in my ancestors" she recently told VICE. "People expect us to forget and not over-exaggerate the pain and sadness of oppression and genocide, and I think that's bullshit. I have an obligation—not only to the women in the last two generations of my family—but to my ancestors, so that they are proud. I incorporate my love for their values in my work. I'm black as hell, and I'm so prideful to be a black woman."
The #PopInsurrection of 2015 is going in harder, more precise, and uplifting all of us who are paying attention. Conversely (popular culture can reveal a lot about the psyche of the society we are living in) the racist & colonizing efforts of the likes of Miley Cyrus are considered the pop du jour and factions within the ruling classes are talking about rounding up all the Mexicans (in essence calling for concentration camps) & building the Great Wall of Trump with live drone shows that will require a two drink minimum. It will be the voices that have been historically and systemically eradicated and silenced since the dawn of colonialism and white supremacy that will continue making those foundations tremble. Destiny, a queer Indigenous Afro-Latinx womn is one of those voices, a true Pop Prophet willing to challenge everything, even our notion of what a diva can think, feel, say, and be. Continue falling in love with Banji Girl Realness by watching this super dope interview from 2012 where (then Wavy Spice) looks amazing, reveals she has eczema and licks a lollipop that leaves her tongue matching not just her yellow butterfly hair clips, but also her eye shadow.
Video: Empress Of - "How Do You Do It"
We are just a little over a week from the release of Empress Of's long-awaited debut album, Me. Newest single and video acts almost as a reference to the gestation of the project: "How Do You Do It." Not a question here, but an interjection in disbelief.
Lorely Rodriguez uses the statement to flip between first and third person while delivering her catchiest, most colorful pop to date. Maybe it's how the chorus is backed up with lines that encourage a sashay moment ("Like this, like that"). Indeed, one can imagine a movie montage launching forward in time, bouncing over months of work to arrive at a crucial point. The video certainly explores this with VHS footage of domestic scenes and life on the road, switching with a digital performance from the Empress herself. How does she do it tho?
Pedro LaDroga - "Pásatelo ke no me sale Na (Ela Quer SaSá)"
The Sevillano MC/Producer who never ceases to multiply the sonic and visual exertions – and who happens to be at the top of my list as one of the best acts of 2015 – recently dropped a couple of fresh tracks while we wait for the sequel to Hologram EP to see the light. Amongst the releases, "Pásatelo ke no me sale Na (Ela Quer SaSá)" stands out as one of LaDroga most exciting diversions. The half-freestyled half-written cut about the opposite sex and the ubiquitous green leaf is propelled by striking trap funkeiro and baile bass rhythms produced by Jaime Garcia, a beat builder going under the moniker Kryone and the founder of Morelia-based label, Pira.md Records. The video, a cooperative effort of artist Bore and LaDroga, consists of a collage of beach imagery, ADSL Settings, aliens, Street Fighter II’s Blanka, Soundcloud’s fonts and tags, and some lean. The complexly layered and edited soundscape –reminiscent of Sango’s Da Rocinha projects – leads the way for LaDroga to utter his Baudelairian spleen as he swiftly goes over his smoking habits and female encounters – ones that arouse doubt, hope, and finally nothing. The MC’s angst is once again a miraculous source of intense and rigorous creation.
Video: Las Robertas - "Despair"
We never see the driver, maybe just because we are the driver. The car is our present, the road is our life and we're taking our calm lonely future as the silver old lady with us in the back seat. In just one sequence we may realize how life's essence is in its details and how important ability is to appreciate them. The song turns into an entire metaphor on how we can look back with some kind of inherent remorse. Desperation comes from our biggest secrets and fears and how we deal with those monsters on this journey called life. Mercedes' voice owns a proper softness with the first line when she sings "the things I do, for guys like you" to later delivery a warning: "the sky is arising, our lives are darkening."
All of this, of course, diluted in some excessive reverb and slow drums (nice work by Franco here as always). Grunge is its soul and shoegaze its heart. This is what Las Robertas are. And with "Despair" they focus our attention on how great and powerful an album like Days Unmade was. Its title not only suggests the days to come, but also amplifies how we can leave in our own lives all the many days missed and wasted. Like an old lady in the back seat enjoys the wind in her hair, we can find significance in the meaningful appreciation of little things. A damn nice video directed by Adriana Ramírez and photographed by Elena Gutiérrez.
Speaking of future, as y'all may already know, Monserrat is no longer with Las Robertas. She has been replaced with Sonya (a talented girl from CoLoRnOiSe) on the last tour as bass player. So we wanna thank Monse for all the rad bass lines and skills shared with the band in so many songs and during gigs. You will be missed. Stay cool girl.
Video: Los Blenders - "Amigos"
After seeing them mix porn and surf, acid freak outs and boat rides, Los Blenders re-team with director Joey Muñoz for a more low-key and lo-fi clip in "Amigos." There's not much in the way of a treatment, daytime TV plus a trip to the beach make for some quality guy time, but it's a fitting look for a track that celebrates friendship (and/or cocaine). "Amigos" not only delivers Los Blenders' trademark scuzzy garage pop, but there's the added bonus from lyrics that give meaning to the phrase A poca barba,
Video: Carolina Camacho - "Ninfa de las Aguas"
We can say an artist is ahead of the curve when maintaining the organic folklore of her/his roots by integrating it into new cultural and artistic trends. My island, Dominican Republic, has a transgressive, religious and ethnic music history base: from Africans, Aborigines, and Europeans, we have absorbed a worldwide influence that has come to shape the rhythms exercised by new generations and new technologies. When I saw the video “Ninfa de las Aguas,” helmed by Dominican director Fernando “Fundamental” Rivas for the increasingly popular Carolina Camacho, I found myself very inspired. From the first moment I was attracted by the fact it is a low-budget video –simple and homogenous. And yet, despite its resources, the result can be placed on the same list of audiovisual output of artists like Fever Ray and FKA Twigs. Not for the manufacturing of the images themselves, but for the pagan and magical issues that develop.
Undoubtedly Carolina and the crew created a concept that leads us to the sea. A sea of nymphs, goddesses and queens. All in a religious, spiritual and sexual way. The music takes it all, in a confronting way that keeps us afloat in this liquid entertaining sequence. While the clip can be somewhat monotonous (because of its ecstatic location), the pace and the drama in the performance of the artist helps to keep us interested from beginning to end. The strength of the video is that it plays with our imagination, with the concept of beauty and femininity, seeking the aesthetic in non-traditional spiritual beliefs that we don’t see often lately.
Video: Mamacita - "No Eres Tu"
If "Happy" becomes the song of the summer I'm gonna be seriously grumpy.
— claire.frisbie (@planetaclaire) April 22, 2014The above statement, while hilarious, is all kinds of disturbing when you think about it. Between "Happy," Pitbull's Mundial anthem, and the four or five Romeo Santos songs on FM rotation things are looking bad, people.
Enter Mamacita- resurrecting what was once and still is an essential dance hit within the chilean pop catalogue. Yes, many of us were on this since 2011, and yes, the original's cassette-fi vibes still hold up, but even back then we knew this was a song for the people. Now, as Frankie Knuckles (RIP) and Chicago House are coming to be appreciated in a completely different way, "No eres tú" is also ripe for re-discovery.
Framed in the grand tradition of this could be us but you playin' videos, Mamacita spends time with the bae and amuses herself dancing alone at night. But the clip (Directed by Ce Pams) isn't out to show pop music affecting its surroundings and characters in some lame and precious way, rather, pop can be corrupted, seduced by neon lights and shadows. Face it, we all needed this. Order the vinyl via Kompakt.
Video: Esperit! - "Funk Daga"
"Funk Daga" is a psychedelic trip around Mau Boada’s musical connoisseurship, and a further journey on his very personal filter of influences of every possible musical genre. A featured song in his last album, La lluminosa (Bankrobber, 2014), "Funk Daga's" video was directed by Lluís Huedo. Esperit! is the solo project of Mau Boada, a versatile musician that plays almost every instrument and produces almost every sound in this record -a record that can be described as an excursus into musical history in his very own way. The video mixes footage from Agnes Varda’s Black Panthers film with new recorded images of the multi-instrumentalist playing.
Video: Russian Red - Casper
“Casper” is the first single off Russian Red’s upcoming album, Agent Cooper. This will be the third full-length record by Spanish pop singer-songwriter Lourdes Hernández, who was born and lives in Madrid and recently sang on Joe Crepusculo’s “Leyenda.” The video, directed by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, was shot in Los Angeles (where the album was recorded) and tells the story of a girl dreaming about a boyfriend who never comes, a story of despair, resentment and sadness.
Video: Marineros - "Espero"
Assuming we're all on the same page here, it was just a few months ago that the name Marineros began popping up like news of Gabbo's debut. And all there was to go on was a Radio Zero/Super 45 session that saw two young unknowns casually cover Mazzy Star and sneak in morsels of original material, sleek and confident tracks with a solemn performance that immediately earned them the title of a Chilean xx. Within weeks they quietly launched the standard fare of social media profiles, but then enough time passed where it felt like all we got were the fixings but no beef. The wait is finally over, and whether or not their approach was presumptuous or fully-earned is too soon to tell, what we do know is that right now Marineros has our complete attention.
"Espero" in its finished form is even more rousing than we were led to believe. The Álvaro Puentes-directed clip is about as auspicious as they come, expertly linking restrained anamorphic scenes in black and white to the anxious cries found in its single. While other bands are content to let nature play the lead in their own music videos, Marineros are thrown right in, acting out a nearly insatiable effort to find answers, wherever they come from. An overcast sky lingers for the majority of the video, and indeed there's a sense that a storm is approaching. It never happens, but as the motorbike engine sounds hint at, a confrontation is inevitable, and Marineros are ready to take on all forms, physical, emotional, and existential. Just pray there's a part two in the works. Marineros is the first artist signed by Unión del Sur (a label founded by Javiera Mena and Cristián Heyne). "Espero" will be released as a single (with the accompanying track "Oh Oh") and is produced by Heyne and mastered by Joe Lambert (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Washed Out).
Video: Shakira - "Addicted to You"
Even casual fans and borderline haters should give props to Shakira. When the 2010/11 party months were crowded with Ke$ha and David Guetta-produced house, Shakira opted for rhythm and a refreshing take on merengue. Ultimately, it was the strength of her singles (yep, even the title track grew on me) that redeemed the uneven but really-not-that-bad Sale El Sol. Now, as summer approaches, Shakira concludes and celebrates the success of Sale El Sol with one last single. At two and a half minutes, "Addicted to You" doesn't carry the same potential her last hits did but, as the layered "oh, oh, ohs" indicate, the song is more of a victory lap. And a well-deserved one, too.
As for the accompanying clip, it’s harmless eye-candy. Enjoyable even. Pop videos and I have a complicated relationship. In high school, I had nothing but contempt for the common pop video. I cringed at the sight of lens flares, slow motion shots, and product placement. In other words, exactly the kind of videos director Anthony Mandler has spent a career making. But even I’m having trouble hating on this. Mandler's shots accompany Shakira through gorgeous and colorful locations. And yes, we get the obligatory lens flares, but at least we're spared any melodrama. This one is just fun.
Video: Dani Shivers - "Graves"
Video: Julieta Venegas - "Ya Conocerán"
Closing a cycle after last year’s stupendous Otra Cosa, Julieta Venegas returns with the video for third single “Ya Conocerán.” Unlike the album’s vibrant, upbeat version, Venegas opted to strip the song for the clip into a super moving piano take, which is even more affecting than the original and makes much more sense to its longing spirit and aching reflection about losing someone truly special. Directed by Venegas’ twin sister and photographer Yvonne Venegas and brother-in-law and director Gregory Allen, the black and white clip for the track is touching and simple, relying on powerful shots of citizens whose gazes echo a stream of dichotomy of emotions; the couples’ confidence and affection contrasted with the melancholy and desolation of individuals. Venegas is shown in a room with her piano, beautifully singing her heart out (“Lo que a tu lado fui me lo guardaré/Sólo pido que deje de doler”). Even more gorgeous are those delicate initial and ending shots of her hair blown by the wind.
Video: Calle 13 - "Prepárame La Cena"
While Entren Los Que Quieren hasn't shed any of its initial criticisms upon release (a few of which you can find here), Calle 13's latest video from the Grammy-hoarding record, "Prepárame La Cena," is a sublime reflection of the album's most sublime track. The calm, almost robust song is greatly enhanced by its parent video. The video contains sanitized, yet undoubtedly powerful images of teenage human trafficking in Latin American countries. Special attention goes to the steady and nuanced cinematography, which walks that fine line between reality and propaganda. So we can sit here and complain about the band's crappy collaborations or how Residente has lost his fastball, or we can just sit back and enjoy one of the band's finer moments. We're hopeful its a sign that great things are still on the horizon for one of the single most influential Latin acts of the past decade.
Video: Torreblanca - "Sí"
In this clip for the single "Sí" director Benjamín Estrada attempts to translate the rich soundscapes and theatricality of Bella Época into something visual. We see Torreblanca and crew performing for a young bride on what is presumably her wedding day. Things start off pretty well, the girl is wrapped in some dreamy lens flares (think Beyoncé/Halo taken down a few notches) as she walks down the aisle. Just as the chorus takes off, the drama unfolds: the bride flees and we get some gorgeous black and white (very filmic) exterior shots intercut with all kinds of colorful objects. Most impressive, however, are those artwork-inspired animation bits, adding just the right element to the clip. Sure the photography is all over the place, but if it works in Torreblanca's music, then it definitely also works in this video.
Video: Entre Ríos - Paraná
Corporate media consultants in the music industry always keep a steady eye on independent music. It is one way to predict where music as art and as a financial enterprise is going. The vanishing of the physical record is hitting some of Latin America’s most established indie acts pretty bad. Indie labels have struggled to fund the release of physical albums, killing much of the traditional experience of listening to music through a record. For over a decade, Argentine band Entre Ríos kept a modest but sustainable method of production and distribution. Upon the band’s release of their latest album Era, Entre Ríos also announced the sad news of their departure. Although many of us would question the band’s ability to adapt to the new decade, no one can deny Entre Rios is walking out with their heads high and with an extraordinary discography.
The new wave of Latin American indie romanticizes the physical format as much as the artists from the 2000s, but Carreras is right at claiming this change in pop culture as a generational conversion. This brand new video from album standout “Paraná” shows singer Romina D’angelo wearing a luchador costume as she embarks to new lands singing “a naufragar te invito” (“I invite you to the shipwreck”). The clip by Juan Poclava keeps things simple, but succeeds in embedding its adventurer in the beautiful landscapes between El Tigre (a delta town in Argentina) and the multinational Paraná River. Era is a beautiful last voyage to subtle melodies, personal songcraft, and folk-afflicted charm.
Video: La Estrella de David - "Un Último Esfuerzo"
After the dismantling of his prior band, Beef, and after releasing 2007’s fairly well-received self-titled debut, David Rodríguez’s solo project, La Estrella de David, has returned with a colossally anticipated sophomore album named after the Venezuelan city of Maracaibo. First single “Un Último Esfuerzo” is one of the most beautiful declarations of love you’ll hear this year. Built under an unalloyed 2-chord structure that’s reminiscent of Beat Happening’s somber classic “Indian Summer," the song’s time travel passages (“sigo en el siglo 19 esperando a que se quede”) and amorous faith (“ella me da la certeza subiendo las escaleras”) are deeply moving manifestations. The video, produced by Caleidoscopio Estudio, presents a heavy-bearded (Robin Pecknold wishes he had that beard) Rodríguez relaxing at the beach, performing songs, and playing dominoes together with darlings La Bien Querida and Joe Crepúsculo, who look slovenly-cool with their Jesus and the Mary Chain-esque messy hair.
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