Passenger “27”
Passenger’s latest single is “27” which features with all the things running through his 27 year old mind. He’s got concerns like trying to sell his songs without being called a sellout. Or about how he’s written about 600 songs but only twelve get played. He remembers girlfriends and how those relationships have all ended badly. He’s basically an inward thinker who keeps dealing with how he does things he doesn’t want to. There’s the line about how many cigarettes he’s smoked, and how every time he smoked one he wished he’d never begun. The video for it was shot in L.A. and begins with Passenger walking out of a record company only to be chased by music executives trying to get him to sign. Basically everything he sings about gets personified. He mentions not wanting to lose his soul to the devil, and there’s a boy dressed as a devil. He mentions his heart, and there’s a heart waddling over to him. It’s interesting to see the visual play of what is going through the artist’s mind, and how he literally is hassled by all these things. You can find “27” on Passenger’s new album Whispers which is out now.
Kasabian “Stevie”
Kasabian’s new album is called 48:13. Their latest track off the album is “Stevie”. The video for it centers around an experiment. We begin by seeing people covered completely in protective clothing spraying down the floor with what must be some sort of disinfectant. They place a baby on the floor taking it’s measurements. They then raise the baby here conditioning him to put his hands on his head when he sees a red light. As he gets older they put him on a treadmill to get exercise, give him plenty of fluids and other dietary supplements, feed him white pills, and perform experiments on him. Whatever they’re doing to him he can take a hammer to the kneecap without feeling pain or suffering broken bones. He can even take a bullet through the chest with no harm to his body. Stevie here doesn’t want to live like this, and when he gets a glimpse of children playing outside on a security camera he wants out. He’s able to use a shard of mirror from the bullet experiment to tear through the wall and escape. Here he runs into the children he saw on the security camera, and falls down when one of them pretends to shoot him with a branch. All in all, Stevie’s gonna be ok if he can just keep away from whatever secret organization has been experimenting on him.
Calvin Harris “Slow Acid”
Calvin Harris has become one of the most recognizable names in music. It seems like every week he’s releasing a new track with a guest vocalist. His latest released goes back to just him producing music for “Slow Acid”. The video features a young woman who is living on the streets. She’s addicted to some sort of silver liquid that makes her skin and hair silver as well. In the video she needs a fix so she goes to rob violently a convenience store. She then makes her way to an alley where she waits for a car. I’m guessing she’s offering sexual services for money here, but when the man tries to make his move for her privates she puts her revolver to his head and fires. She gets out of the car, removes her clothes, and starts to dance right there. Though she may look like the Silver Surfer, she’s able to stretch her body like Mister Fantastic. When it all ends she’s lying on the ground in nothing but her underwear. Her skin has gone back to normal, and her hair is now black. Was she ever really silver? Or was this just a bad trip on some hallucinogenic drug?
Tennis “I’m Callin’”
Ask yourself this question. What would you do if you found a severed finger with an address on it? Well, if you’re Tennis’s Alaina Moore, you’d go to the address. That’s exactly what happens in the video for “I’m Callin’” by Tennis. What Moore finds when she gets there is unusual. There’s an old woman inside who is making music videos for people on VHS cassette. She has a stack of these cassettes and is writing “Ritual in Repeat” on each one, which is also the name of Tennis’s new album. She points Moore down the hall. Moore obliges by walking down there and entering a room. Once in the room it appears that Moore joins her two twin sisters. She’s the one in the middle wearing the skirt. The sisters are dressed in white t-shirts with their sleeves rolled up and jeans. They start dancing in front of the VHS camera, and they do a mighty fine job of it. One other thing, there is a television screen the old woman has in front of her. On it we see a camera pointed outside where a man is laying on the sidewalk face down. Guess who this guy is. Not only is he the man missing the finger, but he’s also the other half of Tennis, Patrick Riley. Riley makes his way down into the basement where he can watch Moore on another television making her video. This is all an odd scene tha begins with finding a severed finger. My advice to you, is if you find a severed finger, don’t touch it. Just call 911.
Childish Gambino “Telegraph Ave (“Oakland” by Lloyd)”
Childish Gambino takes us with him on vacation to Hawaii in his latest video for “Telegraph Ave (“Oakland” by Lloyd)”. He’s spending some alone time with his girl at some great looking locations. But like any vacation, you have to be vigilant of the people around you. While he’s flirting with his honey while grabbing some lunch, one of the cooks is eying Gambino. Later, while trying to get a picture of himself and his girl, Gambino asks a man to take a photo of the two of them. Turns out this man is the cook from the restaurant. He tells them to be careful, but it doesn’t seem like he’s concerned with anyone’s safety. As day turns to night, the happy couple go for a walk. They’re about to kiss when headlights hit them, and then a car hits Gambino. It’s the cook and another man. With Gambino lying in the road hurt, the cook runs over to the woman and tells her she has to go because it’s not safe here. Gambino rises, and now he has tentacles where his damaged body is torn apart. Now we know what the cook was warning the woman about. She, however, just stands there with a blank look frozen. Is she a creature, too?