Team Dig had a very awesome weekend. Kyle and I went down to Baltimore to check out the Home Brew Hullabaloo thrown by Dave. It was a rousing success. We had a lot of fun in Charm City the rest of the weekend, too. The slight downside was that there was no time for a Weekly Roundup yesterday, so here's a quick one for y'all now.
Sometimes simple found footage videos don't work, but for me, there are good things happening with this clip for "Safe n' Sound" from Reputante. All we see is Michelle Williams (or a convincing lookalike) on an amusement park ride, but the subtle emotions and the movement go well with the retro yet modern vibes of the song. You can watch another stark yet engaging video from these guys here.
Here's another video I'm digging. It's an animated clip from Black Light Dinner Party for their song "We Are Golden." I couldn't tell you exactly what it all means, but it is a creative narrative with a striking visual style and interesting details, including a polar bear who loves tea, pirates riding Tetris pieces, and a big-ass narwhal. I don't think many people would see these images when listening to this synth-laden tune, but it all works.
These next two slipped by me during the computer-less phase, but I know they would have been in the Roundup if I was doing them. First is Lazyeyes, who put out a four song, self-titled EP a few weeks ago. Keeping things dreamy after the above track, though in a more atmospheric and rocking way, their song "Wait" is evocative and magical. I love the guitar tones and how the rhythm of the drums pulses at a setting somewhere in between floating and dancing.
The other track of the pair is "Believer" by American Authors. It's got a lot going on that makes it hard to know how to classify. It's got big harmonies and drum machines and it could be an electro jam, it's a little tropical, then there's that banjo… Here's the secret, though. The song makes you forget all that because it's pretty damn enjoyable. I like the lyrics, too, about both personal struggle and optimism to get past it.
I'm a big fan of Cold Specks and happy to share this new video for "When the City Lights Dim." It's a nice sepia-toned performance clip, with an elegant sparseness that lets the performance come through purely. There are some dates coming up this spring with Jim James, though NYC and many others are already sold out. It's not a surprise, that's a hell of a pairing.
Our Chicago friends Shiloh have released their new record Mrs. You should definitely check it out. It's available digitally for $5 or as a turquoise cassette for $6. Here's the great lead track, "Midwestern Sigh." Love the balance of crunch and melody on it, which is pretty true throughout the album as well. Good stuff.
An eagerly anticipated album for me is Kiss My Apocalpyse from Australia's Abbe May. It's due out May 10th, but at least we have a new video to enjoy right now. It's for the song "T.R.O.U.B.L.E." The song is another churning, electromagnetic swirl of doom pop and the video is once again striking. This time, Abbe adds some other women, who also appear to be fierce and powerful.