Your first impression of Camphor‘s latest video may simply be that it seems slightly childish. I mean, the thematic elements behind the “Castaway” video include pirates via toys. Despite the somewhat childish Lego-like element, this video with an actual cast would be horrid. But with the toys it works just fine; in fact, add the foggy smoke and it’s pretty damn cool. Read More »Camphor: Castaway [Video]
The life of Daniel Johnston is one of legend. Were this not a documented case, one would likely not believe it as true – the story would make a great movie (not just documentary) or book. In some ways, Daniel Johnston can be considered the Forrest Gump of the music industry, having gone from an unknown artist and musician to one of mythical fame; whose disabilities never overshadowed his genius.
Read More »The Devil & Daniel Johnston [Film] 
Covering a period between 2001 and 2009, 1001 Nights displays an array of videos from Damon & Naomi‘s near decade-long tour. The video includes a few shorts by Naomi, including Song To The Siren and Japanese Scrapbook. There’s also a pair of live performances filmed by Hiroo Ishihaa, and three films by Cedrick Eymenier. Read More »Damon & Naomi: 1001 Nights [Film Review]
With the orchestrated hints of Balkan-influence Beirut, and a vocal tenor to match, Fanfarlo takes their influence in a less dramatic direction, at least as it relates to songwriting. “The Walls Are Coming Down” certainly has theatrics, but they’re less, well, flamboyant. It’s more open, and less domineering too; the opposite of which truly allows Beirut to stand out, but it also sets Fanfarlo in an altogether different direction. Read More »Fanfarlo: The Walls Are Coming Down [Video]
Robert Church & The Holy Community‘s music has always been filled with the fuzzy DIY sounds familiar to the Swedish artists favoring lo-fi, and their latest in “Skinny Rabbit” is no different. The song and video are both simple. With an emphasis on synth and bass, and a mopey but catchy vocal melody, “Skinny Rabbit” is one of Robert Church’s most promising songs to date. The video is all DIY, minimal and simplistic with cutouts of the band members and a few varying backgrounds. Read More »Robert Church & The Holy Community: Skinny Rabbit [Video]
It is no secret that I have what some would clinically deem an unhealthy fascination with that we call the moustache. I’ve sported one for several years now; it’s red. Well the latest video from Camera Obscura finds the band’s mastermind, Traceyanne Campbell, doing the same. Yeah, it’s fake (of course), but that doesn’t matter. Like all Camera Obscura videos, this one features a unique little storyline both fun and creative.
Read More »Camera Obscura: The Sweetest Thing [Video] 
What a simple concept, this video. “Hellhole Ratrace” by San Francisco’s Girls is an easy pick for one of the better songs of 2009, and this video, albeit simple in nature, looks to follow suit. The video merely features slow-motion party footage, going in and out of focus. And it’s brilliant! It reminds me of my slightly younger days, say the mid twenties; those nights with friends at the local pub getting drunk on the most excellent of microbrews and staggering off into the night after last call, of chill house parties that yielded similar results, of flat-out good times. “Hellhole Ratrace” wouldn’t be the same were it not for nostalgia; it’s somehow better, that longing for the past. Read More »Girls: Hellhole Ratrace [Video]
Conceptually, Oren Lavie‘s “Her Morning Elegance” is one of the coolest, most unique videos out this year. An obvious dream-scape, one could imagine a similar theme in a Michel Gondry flick; it’s artsy but not so over the top as to be pretentious. Made entirely using bedroom props — sheets, clothes, pillows — the directors (Oren Lavie, Yuval and Merav Nathan) paint a vivid storyline that simply must be witnessed to believe. Lavie’s soft-spoken vocals, draped with a very Erland Øye-like backing electro-acoustic sound, make his music quite accessible and easily likable. Read More »Oren Lavie: Her Morning Elegance [Video]
The Swimmers‘ video for “What This World Is Coming To” is a bit of a mind-fuck; in other words, it’s about as whacked out as a Dan Deacon video but without the seizure-inducing color flashes and kaleidoscope imagery. The wild video mixing and cut frames wants to contradict with The Swimmers’ smooth-style of pop/rock, but it doesn’t. Oddly enough, it fits the selectively punchy keyboard riffs, the crazy percussion, and, of course, the hand claps. Always the hand claps. Read More »The Swimmers: What This World Is Coming To [Video]
“Okay” by Venice Is Sinking is easily one of my favorite tracks of 2009 and the album on which it can be found, AZAR, will be a tough contender to beat for the best album of the year. In support of their new maxi-single for “Okay”, they’ve now given us a most excellent video to accompany its promotion. The video itself is a joyous montage dubbed “How to Achieve Musical Greatness.” It’s a testament to how great this band truly is; “Okay” as a song is absolutely brilliant, but combined with the video… well, I just can’t think of many things that can top this. Read More »Venice Is Sinking: Okay [Video]
