Indie rock and arts and crafts have one vital thing in common: the DIY ethos. So it makes sense that some of our favorite acts are incorporating Etsy-like aesthetics into their music videos. With the help of shadow puppets, steampunk sculptures, construction paper backgrounds, and more, bands such as Bright Eyes, of Montreal, and Bat For Lashes are letting their craft flag fly with innovative clips that are just as mesmerizing as the music they accompany. Join us as we round up some of our favorite artsy videos.
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You may recall back in the summer of 2008 when Of Montreal released their album Skeletal Lamping in the form of buttons, paper lanterns, decals, tote-bags and t-shirts. Each of the items served as a port-key of sorts, transporting the audiophile on deck to a little place called the internet where albums are downloaded. With the demise of the physical album predicted by just about every modern-day Nostradamus, professional musicians have begun to get creative with their packaging.
The Music Tee, a project by Invisible DJ and PR company Girlie Action, works in the same way but exclusively with t-shirts.
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With the success of True Blood and Twilight, anything with fangs is in style at the moment. But the “New Fang” everyone is talking about doesn’t vaporize at sunrise. It’s the first studio single from Them Crooked Vultures, a raucous combination of Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age). As supergroups go, these guys would blow Monsters of Folk out of the building with their relentless rhythm-based rock.
Check out the self-titled debut album on November 17th, catch them live in LA, and stream “New Fang” after the jump.
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The debut album from Monsters of Folk melds the considerable talents of M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.
The Monsters moniker was given to the group by fans during a tour five years ago, and it fits: at nearly an hour, the debut feels nothing like a side project. With Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis rounding out the quartet, M.O.F. perfectly balance each member’s distinct voice — as on sultry standout “Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.),” in which Ward’s honeyed growl plays beautifully off James’ falsetto. Read More »
