Somesuch & Co

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Calvin Harris "...From The Bottle" (Haycock/Rojas, dir.)

Calvin Harris feat. Tinie Tempah - Drinking From the Bottle

Although the premise of "Lucifer moves to Hollywood and fits right in" sounds like a sitcom, directors AG Rojas and Vincent Haycock balance the flashes of humor here — I could see actor Brad Dourif's Louis Cypher as a Borscht Belt champion  — with enough malice and mayhem (and mammaries) to push the boundaries of even Cable TV.

WATCH IT: Florence + The Machine "Lover To Lover" (Vincent Haycock, dir.)

In the past few years we've seen more and more "narrative" videos that are shot with a "you are there" documentary vibe, doing away with the old A/B structure interspersing performance around a story. "Lover To Lover" has performance, but it's done in a style that matches the new verite/dogma vibe: Florence Welch doesn't perform to camera; She remains in-character, singing in a way that feels real to this story  of a isintegrating relationship. And director Vincent Haycock never lets the story dictate the flow, smartly prioritizing the emotional heft as she moves from fiery rage to serene release.

WATCH IT: Calvin Harris x Florence "Sweet Nothing" (Vincent Haycock, dir.)

Singer Florence Welch and her boyfriend each enter a dismal world of hurt after their dysfuntional relationship cracks apart. Director Vince Haycock perfectly paces the action, letting each story arc develop as the song builds to its apex. The boyfriend gets an unexpected surprise with his chips, while Florence's performance at a seedy sex club gets brutally physical. --> watch "Sweet Nothing"

WATCH IT: Spiritualized "Little Girl" (Vincent Haycock, dir.)

A "Little Girl" on the run with nothing but her motorbike, the clothes on her back and some stolen money.  She falls in with a like-minded crew, but in the end she speeds down a road of her own choosing. The docu-feel is aided by shooting on-location in Germany with stunt rider Chesca Miles as the title charcter and other actual pro-riders/street-riders filling in the other roles. --> "Little Girl"

WATCH IT: Spiritualized "Hey Jane" (AG Rojas, dir.)

Think it's hard out there for a pimp? I have a feeling it's nowhere near as hard as it is for the lead character in this devastating video from director AG Rojas. The "Jane" in this case — note: Why are rock n' roll Janes always in bad circumstances? —  is a trans person, existing on the margins of society and supporting a son by dancing and hooking. There's nudity here, but it's really the violence and the ending sequence that makes me recommend you approach it with caution. Because this brutal little film makes "Turn The Page" seem like "Tip Drill."

WATCH IT: The Shoes "Time To Dance" (Daniel Wolfe, dir.)

This shouldn't be a music video. It should be the template for a Friday The 13th reboot. Instead of a hockey mask, it's a Fencing helmet and the weapon of choice is a matching sword, of course. And since the idea of teens drinking beer and having sex while at summer camp has little resonance nowadays, the victims are now ravers and other drug/EDM fans. Playing the role of Jason Voorhees is Jake Gyllenhal.

Amazing.

It's eight minutes long, there's lots of blood, Gyllenhaal absolutely kills (sorry) in this performance, and it's one of the more unapologetic videos you've seen since "Smack My Bitch Up." --> watch "Time To Dance"