Coldplay “Magic”
Coldplay’s Ghost Stories will be out on May 19th. Their first single off the album is “Magic”. The video is an old silent film styled story of an abusive, alcoholic magician, his wife who is also a performer, and her assistant. The assistant takes his alone time to try and come up with new tricks. He has a thing for the magician’s wife, and as the two work together a chemistry develops. This is particularly evident by the way he notices bruises on the wife. She, too, appears to fancy the assistant. It’s so obvious the husband claims that she is fond of said assistant. It all comes to a head when the magician decides it’s time to fight the assistant. At this point, young assistant has developed the ability to not only levitate himself, but others as well. So, rather than committing murder, he launches the magician into the sky. Everyone is happy, except for the magician. We never learn of his fate.
Lykke Li “No Rest for the Wicked”
Lykke Li”s latest video for “No Rest for the Wicked” tells a rather woeful tale. Two lovers are persecuted for being of different races. A dark skinned man and a light skinned woman cannot be together in this town. Something as innocent as the two dancing at the local bar is frowned upon by the white men. About the only place to two can find peace without judgment is in a field. When the man tries to get a job working as a logger, he gets chased by the men instead. When they catch him, they beat him up. Rather than stay, this man takes off catching a ride on a boat to parts unknown. And like that he’s gone, and two people are left heartbroken. Perhaps leaving was a mutual decision, or one the woman pushed onto him. Either way, they both long for the other.
Lykke Li’s I Never Learn is available for pre-order now.
Eels “Mistakes of My Youth”
Eels will be releasing The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett on April 22nd. Their latest single from the album is “Mistakes of My Youth”. The video follows a loner of a young man and how he spends his day. Mostly he just rides his bike around stopping to smoke, drink, and leave graffiti across the town’s abandoned scenery. When he does come across some other vagabonds, he pushes the smaller boy around and takes his cigarettes. Skateboarding occurs along with making out with some girl. It’s not even a girl he likes, I bet. It’s just to make out. The lyrics of the song repeat how one can’t keep making the same mistakes from their youth. At the end of the video, the young man takes his bicycle onto some private property. As he makes his way up the hill, he drops his bike and just starts running. There’s no way to know what he will do next, but it certainly leads one to believe that he is trying to leave behind his old ways for something more, if not better.
Max Collins “Sports Bar”
Eve 6 frontman Max Collins will be releasing his debut solo album Honey from the Icebox on May 6th. His recent single off the album is “Sports Bar”. The video features Collins performing at an old Western styled bar to an audience of humans with animal heads, or animal like humans. It’s not important which it is. The real key to pay attention to is the name of the bar, The Supper Club. You get the drift quickly that Collins is going to be supper. Sure enough a bulldog pulls a knife out of a wooden beam. There is a hero who flies to save Collins, but what happens I’ll leave for you to watch. It’s a little funny, for sure.
The Shoe “Dead Rabbit Hopes”
Actress Jena Malone was in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as Johanna Mason. She was the one in the elevator who took her clothing off in front of our favorite tributes and mentor from district 12. She hasn’t stopped baring it all. For those who wondered what the actors got to see, here’s your chance. Jena is 99% naked in the video for “Dead Rabbit Hopes” which is a song written by her band The Shoe. That’s right, she’s a musician. The act will be releasing their debut album I’m OK on June 3rd. The video shows Jena naked and a lot of flowers. There’s usually a bloom in between her legs to keep her privates covered, but she also keeps her nipples covered. Other than that, she’s as naked as the day she was born. She finds herself atop a white Young Chang grand piano. While the song is a bit down and her demeanor is as well, we catch a quick glimpse of her smiling in one shot before a quick move to the next scene. In some ways it looks like an inappropriate tribute at a funeral. In other ways, it’s seductively charming without being overly sexual. It just demonstrates the splendor of the female form without making women seem like sex objects.
