VOTD:Kings of Leon — “Going Nowhere”

In the midst of the Coronavirus shutdown, Kings of Leon have released a new video of an unrecorded song. The video is largely reminiscent of the current COVID-19 situation, as lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Caleb Followill, sits alone on the arm of a couch gently strumming an acoustic guitar.

Hauntingly lonely yet hopeful and empathetic, the song captures the fear, chaos, and confusion many are feeling in these uncertain times. It’s simple, with the majority of the song rotating between an open G chord and an E minor. The entire video is shot in one take and in black and white film. Starting and stopping in the same location, the camera work echoes the song’s idea of going nowhere.

The video features Followill without his brothers or other band members, alone with his guitar, his voice, and a microphone. He delivers a stellar vocal performance, with a stealthy vocal run on the lyric “Won’t you stop by?” It’s pitch-perfect, even as Followill occasionally allows his voice to break into a desperate falsetto.

With the lyrics “I know what you’re thinking / I know just what you mean,” Followill assures listeners that they’re not alone in what they’re feeling. He goes on to sing, “I’ll be holding on / Hoping the sun comes shining through.” It’s a gentle reminder to remain optimistic, offering a glimpse of a brighter future beyond the darkness currently being faced.

In the video’s description, it advertises a link to help support touring bands and venue workers affected by the current crisis, which was organized by Live Nation.

— Hunter Rich

NEW TRACKS: Phoebe Bridgers — “Garden Song”

Phoebe Bridgers has recently released her first solo work in three years. But between now and 2017, she has not left the public consciousness. Due to her multiple collaborations, Bridgers has released new music every year, either as one-half of Better Oblivion Community Center with Conor Oberst or as one-third of boygenius alongside Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Now she has gone back to her roots — literally and figuratively — with “Garden Song,” a hauntingly beautiful reflection on the past and present.

Warped sounds of a finger-picked guitar playing on a loop and a bit of static are the background noises to Bridgers’ breathy vocals. “Someday I’m gonna live / In your house up on the hill,” Bridgers sings while imagining the life she’ll have after her skinhead neighbor goes missing. Bridgers’ most recent solo album, Stranger in the Alps, showcased her songwriting prowess, and “Garden Song” is no different. Although simple, Bridgers’ lyrics about growing up and recurring dreams allow the listener to ruminate on her past and briefly step into her shoes. “I don’t know when you got taller / See our reflection in the water / Off a bridge at the Huntington / I hopped the fence when I was seventeen” — each line brings a new wave of nostalgia and, as usual, Bridgers does not waste her words.

The accompanying music video, which is directed by Bridgers’ brother, Jackson, finds Bridgers alone in her bedroom getting high. Although she doesn’t smoke weed often, she specifically wanted to for the music video while her brother surprised her with people and figures coming in and out of the room. Throughout the video, two fuzzy creatures bump against her as she sings, people dance, and Tig Notaro dressed as the Grim Reaper sits silently on the bed. Although Bridgers has not officially announced that a second album is on the way, if her lyrics in “Garden Song” ring true — “I’m not afraid of hard work / I get everything I want” — then there’s sure to be more music soon.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next time Phoebe Bridgers performs in DC!

— Carol Wright

VOTD: Tame Impala — “Lost in Yesterday”

Tame Impala fans are bursting at the seams waiting to hear Kevin Parker’s newest record, The Slow Rush on February 14. Although four songs from the album were released as singles including “Borderline,” “It Might Be Time,” and “Posthumous Forgiveness,” his latest track, “Lost in Yesterday,” is the first to get a long-awaited music video. 

With Parker and his band performing on a small stage up front, the video takes viewers through time as the same wedding scene is depicted over and over in one continuous shot. Right off the bat I began trying to decode the message that the video tries to convey. The same party-goers are in every scene, but as time goes on their outfits and mannerisms change. Could this be depicting different decades? Or, perhaps,  Parker is trying to make a statement about socioeconomic status. 

However, after watching the fourth time, I came to the realization that the music video portrays a wedding scene from the mind of someone who is trying to remember the event fondly instead of feeling ashamed as time goes on. Each time the memory is resurrected, it changes ever so slightly until the perfect scenario exists in which the bride is wealthy and popular instead of pregnant and penniless.  

While the very first scene has a woman throwing a drink into a man’s face after he clearly said something offensive, the last scene shows the man getting down on one knee offering a ring to the woman with lavish decorations and butlers in the background. Even Parker’s band increases in size and becomes better dressed.

The surprise twist at the end of the video shows that no matter how easy it is to rewrite the past in your head, reality will always remain the truth. This is definitely the kind of story you need to go over several times in order to pick up on all the details while still appreciating the creativity and meaning behind the song itself. 

WithThe Slow Rush coming out this week, Tame Impala is sure to make more waves within the upcoming months. 

—Melissa Weinstein

Catch Tame Impala live promoting The Slow Rush at Capitol One Arena on June 6, 2020!

Goodbye RED, you will be remembered.

August 13, 2012 - August 18, 2014

#longliveredera

Bonbon Girls 303 “Today’s Fortune” Single Cover.

OLDCODEX 13th Single「Deal with」

magnif-malformed:

the GazettE -  「UNDYING」

amnakanna:

New Single 「 UNDYING 」

“Inhaler” by Foals

This is the first single off their new album “Holy Fire”, which will be released in February 2013. Foals’s new sound has been receiving criticism for not sounding “math” enough, but I actually quite like it.

What I absolutely love about this video are the scenes of all the people moving in sequence. I love such mass choreography, as it really has an impact on the viewer.

The introductory beat is so quirky, that one cannot help but love it. I feel that the intro, the verses and the outro of “Inhaler” sound much better than the actual chorus. To be honest, I feel that the screaming in the chorus is highly unnecessary, as it throws the song completely off balance. There, I said it: I dislike the chorus. This does not mean that I am criticizing the song as a whole, but I am rather complimenting its amazingly crafted and delicate introduction, verses and outro. 

How cool is Yannik Philippakis’s outfit? I love its originality and how it makes him stand out. I kind of wish it made him sing an alternate chorus, though…

The imagery in this video is highly innovative and creative: the uses of tattoos and various intricate designs will really appeal to individuals who appreciate attention to detail (such as myself).

All in all: this is a great video to a great song (minus the chorus).

Sticks and stones don’t break my bones, you make believe
It’s lock and load, it’s a dead end road to you and me
You know what’s to go, I’m strict for soul
I make believe
And I’m off the rent, I haven’t spent, I guarantee

So can you not go away
If just for one day
Uh-uh-uh
Impossible, possible way
How would you do know
How’d you do now?
Run away
War sounds in you
Don’t throw your fortune away
And I can’t get enough
Space, space, space
Get enough space

I’m pale and coy
I’m almost born, I make believe
I shimmy-shake, I wake and bake,
I’m over me
I lost the beat, I can not breathe
Don’t follow me
You ush and shove, I’ve had enough,
Don’t mess with me

So can you not go away
If just for one day
Uh-uh-uh
Impossible, ṗossible way
How would you do know
How’d you do now?
Run away
War sounds in you
Don’t throw your fortune away
And I can’t get enough
Space,
I can’t Get enough space
Space