Music Video Roundup with Nathan Cardiff
MUSIC VIDEO ROUNDUP - NOVEMBER 2020
Welcome to our monthly local music video release round up written by our in-house movie expert Nathan Cardiff. Submit your video for next month’s consideration @ manorrecordskcmo@gmail.com.
Daniel Gum - “Blue Light”
Fireworks, flowers, forlorn looks. Claustrophobic close-ups shot with a fisheye lens take us to rooftops and empty streets and interiors drenched in red light. A gorgeous video to compliment Gum’s new record Thirteen, “Blue Light” packs a punch in its short 3 minutes. Also, a terrific no-look hat flip that adds some levity to the heartbreak.
BLACKSTARKIDS - “ACTING NORMAL”
Bright and bubbling beats break up a boardroom meeting, saying “fuck you” to a 9 to 5 job. A dance routine in the middle of an office keeps the energy up. An homage to The Sims puts a smile on your face. Then we get maybe the most jovial axe murder performed on camera. Chaos ensues (as it should). And BLACKSTARKIDS make all of it look fun.
Carley Sunn - “Don’t Tell My Mom”
Inspired by a short story written by George Saunders (a personal favorite), “Don’t Tell My Mom” starts innocently enough, watching children play around their neighborhood and in their home. Then things get progressively unsettling as a crucifix in their yard starts reflecting the perils occurring in their lives. Shot on film, there’s a warmness (much like Sunn’s vocals and sweeping instrumentation) to the images, but a cold despair that puts a pit in your stomach.
Fritz Hutchison - “Cold Comfort”
Home movies leave a thick VHS haze over Fritz Hutchison (who released one of my favorite videos of the year with “Stationary”) as he strums the guitar. It’s tough not to feel nostalgic as a baby of the late 80s; I’m sure there are boxes of videotapes containing birthdays and first steps or just watching the dog roll over somewhere around somewhere at my parents place. The gorgeous piano and soaring brass give “Cold Comfort” a grandiose landscape, even as Hutchison remains against a brick wall. Lovely and heartfelt, it brings a family together while still remaining apart.
The Freedom Affair - “Give A Little Love”
Speaking of snapshots, The Freedom Affair show us a beautiful and timely look at Kansas City (shot in spectacular widescreen) in 2020. The artists share moments with their families and share the signs, murals, and messages of Black Lives Matter and the importance of voting, but also sing the age old mantra of “loving thy neighbor.” It’s simultaneously intimate and epic, capturing what it means to live in this very moment.
Review by ::
Nathan Cardiff
Manor Blog Contributor & Movie Fanatic.
Manor Records gives 100% of the article author rights to Nathan Cardiff.