Video Rewind 09.04.2015

Unknown Mortal Orchestra “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone”

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s video for “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone” has nothing to do with being unable to check your phone. Instead it is a series of scenes all set up to explain what things are. Your vocabulary is sure to improve from it. For example there is a scene with the label “Therianthropy” that shows first the statue of a tiger, and then a woman on her hands in knees in a pose similar to the tiger’s. It’s difficult to know what the word means, but when you look it you learn that therianthropy is a “mythical ability of human beings to metamorphose into animals by means of shapeshifting.” Thank you Wikipedia for that definition. Honestly, I wasn’t even paying attention to the song. I was simply basking in the wonder of knowledge being passed on to me. Now, I pass it on to you.

Damien Rice “Hypnosis”

Damien Rice is one of the lucky musicians to have been asked to provide music for an animated adaptation of Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet. One of two tracks Rice made for the project is “Hypnosis”. The video features footage from the film. It’s a series of beautiful drawings that come to life. How they exactly relate to Gibran’s book isn’t entirely clear. You’d have to watch the film for that. What is clear is that the animation is up to the par of Gibran’s beautiful writing.

Scarface “Mental Exorcism”

Scarface’s own lyrics have dealt with being the one pulling the trigger and killing others. The man has written gangsta rap before. For his song “Mental Exorcism” Scarface shows a different side. It deals with all the unrest surrounding the police shootings and killings of black men. The video shows Scarface sitting in a dim room. He has the newspaper in front of him on the table, and the television on showing various news footage of all the happenings. His face says it all. Scarface looks like he’s dealing with some heavy things, and all this with the reminder that he’s successful. Flanking each shoulder, on a cabinet behing him, are two large trophies. They may not be trophies he has won, but they do point success. They also are a reminder that Scarface has a son. He knows what it’s like to grow up on the rough streets, and what it’s like to be harrassed by the police. His son has it worse, because he has to fear that he might be shot and killed by the police. That’s a worry no father or mother should have for any of their kids.

Diet Cig “Dinner Date”

Slop pop duo Diet Cig displayed their latest video for “Dinner Date”. There is no dinner in this flick. Nor is there a date with a person. That date is actually with defeat. Alex Luciano, one half of the band, is sitting at a table. She’s got a backwards baseball cap and a black eye. She also one hell of a right arm. This evening is all about the onslought of men who try to slam her arm down for money. They can’t. She’s just too strong. The highlight of the video is when she’s challenged by a large man in a wrestling mask and cape. Seriously, more occupations should allow for secret identities, wrestling masks, and capes.

JR JR “Gone”

JR JR’s “Gone” is only half correct when it comes to the music video. We see a series of events unfold. And just as each event is about to culminate into something more, the people find their bodies in two segments. The upper halves are left behind to lie on the ground, while everything below the waist goes off to frolick. It’s true, most of the weight we carry both physically and mentally is above the waist. Look how happy this bottom halves are. They are all dancing. Some are dancing as a pair with a partner. Life is good. Life is grounded. Life is a leap and a bound.

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