For “Something New”, Strangers have brought us a video that incorporates something a little older in style. Given that the song deals with the rush and excitement of a new relationship/sexual encounter in its lyrics; “The sound of our hearts/The beat of a drum/Can feel the heat/As we follow the sun/Kiss me again/It feels like something new”; and that its promo pics featured the guys and a rather scantily clad (she actually looks rather nude) young lady, we were expecting a video whose content was perhaps a little naughty. We were wrong.
Featuring a contemporary and presumably interpretive dance, choreographed and performed by Jess Roberts, the mostly monochrome visuals provide a stark accompaniment to the shadowy noir-pop of the track. With not-so subliminal flashes of lyrics occurring occasionally and splashes of rainbow colours outlining both the words and the fluid movements, the result is akin to Pan’s People (or person) on crack. With her billowing skirt and tumbling tresses, Roberts is like an LSD Kate Bush, swirling and twirling to the sounds of Strangers. It’s surprisingly great and addictive to watch.
It turns out that we are kind of maybe Mystic Megs over here as look what’s right there in the accompanying video. Yep, scalpels! Ok, it also features taxidermy a-go-go which we didn’t mention, nor did we refer in any way to the truck load of creepy stuffed animals or the ‘Curxes as installation piece’ ending. And yes, we did talk about brightly coloured stepford-esque holiday camps which don’t feature, but cut us some slack, prophecy is not an exact science. One out of many is still pretty good right?
Ok fine, it’s rubbish and was entirely by accident but let’s not detract too much from what is an understatedly creepy video of simple beauty that perfectly matches the track. Dark without being overt and oppressive, emotional without being clumsy or hackneyed, “Further Still” is instead considered and wistful. Curxes are certainly bringing their A-game at the moment and the more we hear it, the more we love it. We can’t wait for more.
She was in the top five of our artists to listen out for in 2013, she has been seemingly on the cusp of breaking out for ages and now, after announcing in May last year that she was finally signing for a major label, Florrie is back. With an unofficial release that is being used in an advertising campaign.
It’s not exactly what we were expecting either.
Still, that’s not to say it’s not another corker of a pop tune. We honestly doubt she can write anything less than a great tune and “Live A Little” is a great tune. Big brash horn sounds complement her lively, bouncing dance inducing drumming. It’s a jump around the living room like a toddler tune, pure infectious fun and energy, even if the subject matter is a tad more mature than that. “We gotta live a little, be naughty but nice/Just to give a little/A freak show show let’s live a little/I’m gonna get what I want, so give a little”, she sings.
We’re not sure who it is who needs to give a little but we think he should bloody well hurry up and get on with it. Florrie has never seemed like someone who wouldn’t get what they want, especially when in such a feisty and fired up mood.
As mentioned, “Live A Little” was recorded for use in an advertising campaign. Sony in-ear headphones to be precise, which is why the video is full of continuity bothering close-ups of Florrie’s ears and other body parts where headphones tend to dangle when not in ears. The video also features multiple Florries marching, dancing, clapping, drumming and strumming away all at once. At one point we counted no fewer than seven Florries on screen at once, which I think we can all agree is about 3.5 more Florries than any red-blooded male or female could handle at any one time.
While we ponder on that some more, and no doubt leave you doing the same, take a watch of the video below and then click here for a free download of the track itself.
Slowly but surely, Oxfordshire’s Spring Offensive has not only become one of our favourite young bands around, but has also been (justifiably) hoovering up critical acclaim as well. Their latest track, “No Assets”, moves away from some of the softer, more atmospheric melancholia and instead embodies the properties of a well know breakfast cereal as it snaps and pops, though it fizzes more than it crackles to be fair.
It is still full of a kind of social melancholia though, dealing as it does with youthful financial struggles. In fact, it could be read as a lyrical prequel to another of the band’s fantastic tracks, “Worry Fill My Heart”, where the narrative conundrum of ‘How’d I end up in a job like this’ seems to follow on from “No Assets” theme of , ‘we have no cash, we need to start saving’.
As well as being purveyors of fantastic pop, Spring Offensive are also a dab hand with a camera and a creative concept. The video for the aforementioned “Worry Fill My Heart” featured the use of a hybridised form of sign language and a fairly intense and dangerous looking game of bow and arrow chicken. For “No Assets” the band and some willing volunteers each strapped iPhones to their chests to create 12 simultaneous shots of the same event all shown on the screen at once. Think 24 but with less plot holes and more endearing characters.
They think it is a music video first, which it probably is, and it’s a lot of fun working out who is watching whom and from where. Have a go.
Catch Spring Offensive On Tour
Headline shows:
18 March – Oxford, UK – Turl Street Kitchen (acoustic)
19 March – London, UK – The Lexington
21 March – Cardiff, UK – Undertone
22 March – Bristol, UK – Rise Records
23 March – Norwich, UK – Norwich Arts Centre
European dates:
27 March – Basel, Switzerland – Kaserne Basel
06 April – Antwerp, Belgium – Arenberg
With To Kill A King:
09 April – Birmingham, UK – HMV Temple Bar
11 April – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
12 April – Manchester, UK – The Ruby Lounge
13 April – Glasgow, UK – Nice N Sleazy
With Gaz Coombes:
16 April – Canterbury, UK – St Mary’s Church Ashford
17 April – Portsmouth, UK – Wedgewood Rooms
18 April – Cardiff, UK – The Gate Arts & Community Centre
19 April – Gloucester, UK – Gloucester Guildhall
21 April – Stockton, UK – Georgian Theatre
22 April – York, UK – The Duchess
23 April – Liverpool, UK – The Kazimier
Do not adjust your computer, the world did just get a little blurry around the edges. It’s nothing to worry about though, it just means it is time for a new track and video from one of our Alphabet Bands (‘D’), The Disraeli Gears.
This live session of new track, “Back Of My Eyes”, was filmed and recorded up in Leeds and gives us more wonderfully hazy out music from the band. There is a slightly more urgent feel to this track than on the previously released “Skeleton” and “Heiroglyphs”, and it gives the band scope to rock out a little more. Still though there is gentleness to it, with Teia Fregona’s soft vocals juxtaposed with the guitar jangles and cymbal crashes as “Back Of My Eyes” undulates gloriously across its four minutes of fuzziness.
You can also grab a free download of the live recording after the video, from the SoundCloud player. A studio version will appear on the band’s debut EP in the summer, which we are looking forward to immensely.
