NEW RELEASE: Guster "Satellite"

Whether it's bringing a troupe of sad cows to life in The Shins video "Pink Bullets," or his parable about the side effects of technology in Wolf Parade's "Modern World," director Adam Bizanski has established himself as one of the most meticulous artists working in music video. This new clip for Guster is no less impressive. It required filming the band, printing and cutting-out (with scalpels, of course) over 1,000 different figures from the shoot, the construction of a large spinning stage that contained some amazingly detailed miniature sets and a little bit of FX to pull it all together. That's not to mention the actual storyline, which concerns two star crossed lovers who imagine meeting-up as they ponder the nighttime sky, yet never connect on this terrestrial world. --> watch an exclusive (?) time-lapse montage making-of short, and, of course, watch "Satellite" in Quicktime or Windows Media

Guster "Satellite" (Reprise/Warner Bros.)
Adam Bizanski, director | Spencer Friend, producer | Joyrider Films, production co | RW Media, rep 

BOOKED: Aqualung - Jon Watts, director

artist: Aqualung
song: "Pressure Suit"
label: Columbia
director(s): Jon Watts
production co: Smuggler 
rep: Labuda Management

BOOKED: Billy Talent - Phil Harder, director

artist: Billy Talent
song: "Surrender"
label: Atlantic (commissioned by WB Canada)
director(s): Phil Harder
production co: Merge @ Crossroads
rep: Labuda Management

BOOKED: Musiq Soulchild - Sanaa Hamri, director

artist: Musiq Soulchild
song: "Buddy"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Sanaa Hamri
production co: Anonymous Content
rep: Labuda Management

NEW RELEASE: Of Montreal "Heimsdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse"

Of Montreal's new album, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? has been stuck on repeat in my iPod for a little while now. It's pretty much the apex for indie dance/pop/punk/funk and arguably the best album to be released in this still young year.  Yet, for some reason, I couldn't wrap my head around the video for "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse." The visuals are just as maniacally random as the song itself, and the fact that they got The Brothers Chap —aka the geniuses behind the web phenomenon Homestar Runner — to direct is an absolute stroke of genius. Despite those positives, this video confused me. I didn't get it and I didn't have the attention span (or brain power) to figure it all out. Luckily, I met Imran Siddiquee of the pop culture blog Obtusity, which boasts some of the most insightful, intelligent and even scholarly writing on music videos. So, I turned to Imran and said, "Please tell me what the hell is going on in this video." The results are below. Apparently it has something to do with fennel seeds, I think.

Without further ado, I present this special New Release written by Imran Siddiquee of  obtusity.blogspot.com...

Prometheus is a name synonymous with courage, creativity and intellect. In Greek mythology he was a Titan who stole the fire of the gods and secretly delivered it to humanity wrapped in the stalk of a fennel plant.

In 19th century Switzerland, the seeds of fennel plants were also used in the original preparation of Absinthe, a now largely illegal alcoholic drink said to have psychedelic effects on the mind and body. Kevin Barnes' brilliant song and directors Mike and Mark Chapman’s video are very much about the double-edged sword of creative discovery, and specifically, as it relates to artistic drug use.

Since Barnes himself has personally experienced a "chemical" addiction (and the band's music is fairly "trippy" itself), the video is far from a romanticized anti-drug infomercial. Instead it's a symphonic mess of comets, costumes and lots of bright colors meant to approximate the experience of the singer’s internal crisis. But it is a mess. Perhaps intentionally so. Barnes sings of his "inner cosmology too dense to navigate," and it would seem the directors have tried to recreate that confusion in this chaotic play.

The silly set-ups, over the top stage performances and muggy quality of the shots can't really compete with the polished exterior of the recent, somewhat similar Shins video. But, anyone whose seen Of Montreal live can attest to the hyper-surrealism of their stage show, and some of these props seem to come directly from the groups touring closet. Thus, much of the wacky aesthetic of the video seems right at home with that of the band.

While Barnes skips through this fantasyland, there are unavoidable moments of danger that interrupt the flow of his potentially pleasant experience. From an assassin in the crowd to a crab-like claw that spurts out of his own hand, no feeling of happiness lasts more than a fleeting moment. But it is through this continuous feeling of highs and lows that the leotard-wearing hero finds the impetus to carry on.

During the climactic finish, the band members — all dressed in stuffy business attire —surround the ornately decorated Barnes to senselessly perform mundane and redundant functions, such as perpetually sipping lattes or dropping pens. With this stark contrast the directors emphasize one of the essential appeals of drug use: While Barnes acknowledges that chemicals will always "hurt me when I’m feeling good," it also seems certain that one must do whatever it takes to avoid becoming a suit. Ironically, drug use is somewhat mechanical and habitual itself.

As the cast takes its final bow, Barnes smiles widely while still brandishing his clawed hand. There seems to be some pride in his carrying that scar, as if the "thorny path" has at last led him through a patch of fennel to some meaning. It isn't just the potential creative outburst that draws one into “chemicals”, but the rejection of living an ordinary life as well. During that same final bow a burning star flies momentarily past in the background – an image of Icarus, as much as Prometheus. --> watch "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse" in Quicktime or at YouTube

Of Montreal "Heimsdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse" (Polyvinyl)
The Brothers Chaps, directors/producers

PHOTO: On the Set of Brick & Lace "Never"

Left Side: Director Benny Boom, rep Simran Leigh Brown and executive producer Scott Kalvert of Uncle on the set of the Brick & Lace video "Never." Right Side: Benny Boom watches on a monitor as a Steadicam operator captures a performance by Brick & Lace aka the sibling duo Nyanda and Naila Thorbourne.

SHOT: Katharine McPhee - Liz Friedlander, director

First video from the American Idol runner-up...

artist: Katharine McPhee
song: "Over It" 
label: RCA   
director(s): Liz Friedlander
production co: DNA

SHOT: Natasha f/ Clipse - Lenny Bass, director

Shot in Brooklyn...

artist: Natasha feat. Clipse
song: "So Sick"
label: Jive/ZLG
director(s): Lenny Bass
production co: DNA

BOOKED: Operator - Artificial Army, directors

artist: Operator
song: "Soul Crusher"   
label: Atlantic
director(s): Artificial Army
production co: Refused TV

BOOKED: Buckcherry - Travis Kopach, director

artist: Buckcherry
song: "Everything"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Travis Kopach
production co: Refused TV