Go on a bike ride, crawl in a kaleidescope, play with dolls, make-out in a backset and more in today’s music video roundup: Childish Gambino, EMA, The Rapture, will.i.am, Laura Marling and Burial.
When you think of singing stuffed animals, you may not think the term “rage,” but check out this imaginitive look at what your ventriloquism doll is doing when you’re not watching, to the tune of Laura Marling’s “All My Rage”:
I think this is the rustic-flotsam look that Grammy organizers were going for when Taylor Swift performed at the Grammys on Sunday. The acoustic jam is from the talented British songwriter’s 2011 album “A Creature I Don’t Know,” which made my Top Albums list from last year.
Mysterious electronica artist Burial went overground recently for a new EP, pumping out “Kindred” for Hyperdub, who’s streaming the whole thing. In promoting, “Loner” got the kaleidoscope treatment.
The trippy clippy was by Miguel Bidarra (The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, James Blake) and Inês Mendes, seemingly built for your hobbiest weekend rave.
Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am throws an achtual ooncha ooncha rave for “Great Times,” a song about you-know-what. The pop artist takes a page from Alicia Keys and Beyonce’s “Put It in a Love Song” (I mean, who wouldn’t?) and took the party to Rio de Janeiro.
All you autotuned, sexy mamas ready for will.i.am’s new solo album “#willpower,” or at least ready to Tweet it? Too bad, no release date has been detailed yet. However, Britney Spears, Shakira, Alicia Keys, LMFAO, Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz, Nicole Scherzinger, Swedish House Mafia and Eva Simons are said to be contributing to the album. Mick Jagger (who apparently is happy to guest on whoever’s album these days) and Jennifer Lopez guest on will.i.am’s single “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever).”
If you wanna scale back the glitz, check out EMA’s “Take One Two.” Erika M. Anderson’s “Past Life Martyred Saints” exorcised many of the songwriter’s personal demons, sometimes with the aid of electronic beats, sometimes all by her lonesome.
Lonesome is “Take One Two.” It was just released to iTunes for charity, and its video may have you exclaiming, “Remember the ’90s?”
“When I look back now at our fresh young faces (yes that is me with the short dark hair and cat-eye liner), I”m amazed at how simply happy we all look. This is especially remarkable as I know what was going on outside those plywood walls: getting called names, shoved into lockers, and threatening to get our asses kicked for being queer or punk or just plain weird,” EMA said. “This one”s for all the weirdos out there: cherish your friends, f*ck the haters and let your freak flag fly.”
EMA – Take One Two from Souterrain Transmissions on Vimeo.
I’m not huge on EMA’s voice in the raw here, and the angst brings this dangerously close to unlistenable metrics — but don’t let that keep you from helping out the Jamie Isaacs Foundation.
If you’re still hurting from Valentine’s Day, let Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) share in your pain. You might as well call “Heartbeat” by a different name — “808s and Heartbeat.”
The video was directed by Kyle Newacheck, who also happened to shoot an episode of Glover’s show “Community” in 2009. You can tell Childish Gambino’s lady lover really does care for him, ’cause she’s kissing him after he shotgunned a bag of those super-hot Cheetos. Yuck.
If the driving-a-car metaphor doesn’t suit you, then check out Jana Kramer “Why Ya Wanna,” which will forthwith be referred to as “Crying on a Bike” and variances thereof.
Kramer plays Alex on “One Tree Hill” and has contributed several songs to its soundtrack. “Bike-Cryer” is her first official country single, and proves why shooting video of women on bicycles while they’re wearing sundresses is difficult.
But when it comes to The Rapture’s title track from “In the Grace of Your Love,” I say ride that ride:
If this understated little monochrome piece doesn’t have you singing “please don’t hurt me so quick ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooaaaahhhhh,” then you have no pink or red or blue heart. “…Grace of Your Love” dropped last year.
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