NEW RELEASE: Feist "I Feel It All"

I told my friend this new Feist video gave me flashbacks to Audioslave "Cochise." My friend, being more clever than I, countered that it made him fearful for a reprise of that Michael Jackson Pepsi ad with the flaming hair. I made an ill-advised "explosive" pun in desperation, but it was too late. His reference was better. Watching it again, however, I think we were both wrong and that the real precursor is Art Of Noise "Close To The Edit." Barrels? Check. Sparks? Check. Punctuating each melodic stroke with a slash or jab of destruction? Heck, yeah. And, more importantly, that 1984 video by legendary director Zbigniew Rybczynski marked the beginning of music video as a surreal art form and it's not a gynormous overstatement to claim director Patrick Daughters as the current heir apparent. And with this latest swooning masterpiece with the Canadian singer Feist — the previous being "1234," "My Moon, My Man" and "Mushaboom" — it's undeniable that he's found his muse. --> watch "I Feel It All" in Quicktime or via YouTube

Feist "I Feel It All" (Cherry Tree/Interscope)
Patrick Daughters, director | Emily Skinner, producer | The Directors Bureau, production co | Jim Hawkinson, DP (PS: no edits means no editor)

BOOKED: Flo Rida - Gil Green, director

artist: Flo Rida
song: "Elevator"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Gil Green
production co: 305 Films
rep: Labuda Management

SHOT: Bon Iver - Matt Amato, director

artist: Bon Iver
song: "The Wolves (Act I and II)"
label: Jajaguwar
director(s): Matt Amato
production co: The Masses
rep: RW Media

SHOT: MuteMath - Israel Anthem, director

Director Israel Anthem looking all pensive on the set of the new MuteMath video.  The director and band previously collaborated on the hit, Grammy nominated clip "Typical."

artist: MuteMath
song: "Control"
label: Teleprompt/Warner Bros.
director(s): Israel Anthem
production co: Teleprompt Films

SHOT: R.E.M. - Vincent Moon, director

It's odd to say this, but my favorite music video director right now has not done a traditional music… until now. Director Vincent Moon has complied an amazing body of work called The Take-Away Shows over at the French music blog La Blogotheque. These live, unusually staged performances — typically in Paris — strips away all the artifice of traditional music videos in favor of single-take, organic and usually acoustic performances. Some of my faves include:

• Grizzly Bear performing "The Knife" A Capella through the streets of Paris.
• Arcade Fire doing "Neon Bible" en route to what you think will be the stage, but winds up being the audience for "Wake Up."
• Zach Condon and Beirut letting "Nantes" slowly unfurl and grow.

So, it will be interesting to see if those elements of discovery and spontaneity can translate to a "traditional" music video that was just shot for R.E.M. "Supernatural Superserious" will support the legendary band's new album Accelerate, due out April 1. Photo at right is of frontman Michael Stipe and director Vincent Moon.

artist: R.E.M.
song: "Supernatural Superserious"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): Vincent Moon
production co: Dig For Fire

NEW RELEASE: Bruce Springsteen "Girls/Summer Clothes"

This is a tribute to Winter Versions of Summer Babes (that's a Pavement reference, kids) delivered by Bruce Springsteen on the Jersey Shore. It's not new ground for The Boss — or for director Mark Pellington, for that matter, since the "Lonesome Day" video these two did together is pretty darn similar — but it's where this song takes place and the Shore has been a defining element for Bruce ever since he busted out of Asbury Park.  Bruce  meanders along the sand performing this masterful minor key ode to the Beach Boys while angels from all walks of life flicker in his mind and then pass him by. --> watch "Girls In Their Summer Clothes" (YouTube version... Better version to come soon)

Bruce Springsteen
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes (winter mix)" (Columbia)
Mark Pellington, director | Norman Reiss, producer | Merge @ Crossroads, production co | Eric Schmidt, DP

BOOKED: Estelle f/ Kanye West - Syndrome, directors

artist: Estelle f/ Kanye West
song: "American Boy "
label: Homeschool/Atlantic
director(s): Syndrome 
production co: Robot Films
rep: Robin Frank Management

BOOKED: Sean Kingston - Ray Kay, director

artist: Sean Kingston f/ Elan from The D.E.Y. and Juelz Santana
song: "There's Nothing"
label: Beluga Heights/Epic/Koch
director(s): Ray Kay
production co: Rockhard Films
rep: Robin Frank Management

BOOKED: I Am Ghost - Lady Ransom, directors

Introducing Lady Ransom, a directing duo comprised of Morgan Phillips and Kim Siedentopf... Video shooting at I Am Ghost's January 25 gig at Chain Reaction in Anaheim.

artist: I Am Ghost
song: "Pretty People Never Lie, Vampires Really Never Die"
label: Epitaph
director(s): Lady Ransom
production co: Lady Ransom

DIVERSION: Jagg Off - Todd Strauss-Schulson, director

OK, this isn't a music video, but  it does involve music and it's from director whose name — Todd Strauss Schulson — has appeared again and again on this Web site in relation to his videos. And, it made me laugh. And, I love the term "Jagg Off" so much that it should enter the lexicon as a noun to describe an overly showy and/or goofy  frontman (as in: "Wow, Taylor Hicks is really a Jagg Off).

Watch. Enjoy. Have a laugh at Mick Jagger's expense, while Mick himself keeps strutting and laughing his way to the bank.

JAGG OFF from ulterior productions on Vimeo.