The long-awaited Aaron James album Nobody Really Makes Love Anymore is set to drop this November. I’ve heard the Unapologetic folk singer/songwriter’s first magnum opus, and it’s as impressive as it is moving. Recorded during the pandemic, mostly in a makeshift tracking room built in a shed out back of Dirty Socks Studios (aka IMAKEMADBEATS’ house), James and ace producer Kid Maestro paint sonic pictures by punctuating the heartfelt songwriting with wild noise.
For the title track, available now as a single, James enlisted Unapologetic’s house video artist 35 Miles to produce an impeccable visual. It sure looks to me like there’s some lovemaking going on, but don’t take my word for it. Watch:
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
The East End Skating Center is a Memphis cultural landmark, host to countless kids birthday parties and teenage flirtation. “I’ll be there on the weekend,” sings PreauXX over Aaron James’ ethereal guitar in “Eastend.”
The video was co-directed by Unapologetic Visual’s Cat Patton, Gabrielle Duffie, and 35 Miles, who handled the camera and editing. Glide on with the Luxurious One on a dream date in roller boogie heaven.
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Today’s Music Video Monday catches up with Memphis’s most luxxurious rapper, PreauXX. “Diabetes” is a low-riding groove produced by C Major, one of the Unapologetic brain trust’s resident sonic geniuses. The song sees PreauXX wrestling with his blunt-born love of Little Debbie products. The video, directed by MVM frequent flyer 35 Miles, united us all in love for hot women with swords. Let’s cut to the chase.
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
2020 was a bad year for all musicians, but A Weirdo From Memphis (AWFM) had it worse than most. He lost his job, his first big tour was canceled, and he had both his identity and his car stolen. So, he did what he had to do: he wrote a song about it.
“’Kerosene Heater’ is what I felt like after one of the worst months of my life,” he said. “Sometimes you arrive at a turning point of realizing things aren’t going to be for a long time, and then living in that and embracing it and turning that feeling into art. Thats what making music turns into for me lately.”
Rapping over a Kid Maestro beat, AWFM speaks for all of us as he tells the world where to shove it. Now, the video — shot by Unapologetic collaborator 35 Miles and cut by Troy the Editor — is ready for a turn on the Catwalk.
Music Video Monday: A Weirdo From Memphis
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
In 1993, University of Colorado professor Anders Ericsson first put forth the idea that the key ingredient in expertise is 10,000 hours of practice. Many interpret it as a message to creatives everywhere: Talent doesn’t matter so much as not giving up.
PreauXX’s new song “10K” is an ode to the grind.
“They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at your craft…have you taken your journey?” asks PreauXX. “This song is dedicated to the people who are relentless about their grind/hustle/goal. Are you willing to do what it takes to get to where you want in life?”
PreauXX’s partners in grind on this Unapologetic joint are producer Kid Maestro and A Weirdo From Memphis.
“10,000 means something different to everybody,” says AWFM. “Could be your journey, could be your price, could be your bounty. What does it mean to you?”
The video, directed by 35Miles, puts us in the middle of a cutthroat card game.
“Shout out to Unapologetic Visual for creating this visual experience,” said Kid Maestro. “Their eye and vision really brought this song to new heights. Also, I won the game of UNO in case anyone was wondering.”
Music Video Monday: PreauXX & AWFM
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com
PreauXX’s new joint “The LuXXurious Steve Austin EP” drops today on Unapologetic. The video for “Steak and Shake,” directed by MVM frequent Flyer 35Miles, sees the Memphis rapper and his friends A Weirdo From Memphis and C Major trying to make it behind the make line at a community bodega. There’s also some serious twerking action going on out back, so if that seems like a problem for your workplace, you should probably wait until you get home to watch it.
Music Video Monday: PreauXX
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Music Video Monday is ringing in the new year with Memphis’ best music videos! A big thank you to all the artists who submitted work this year. In case you missed it, get caught up with #20-11 here.
Ready? Here we go:
10. Telisu – “Im A God”
Director Quinten Lamb won the Indie Memphis Hometowner Music Video award with this banger.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (10)
9. Six.oh.xiS – “Hiding Place” Chillwaver Christopher Osborne’s low-fi synth wash gets visual soma to match.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (9)
8. Mono Neon & A Weirdo From Memphis – “America’s Perverted Gentlemen (Drawls)” Two of Memphis’ weirdest almost got arrested filming this awesome guerilla video, directed by Unapologetic mastermind IMAKEMADBEATS.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (7)
7. Preauxx – “Terry Freestyle” Sometimes the simplest setting is the best. 35 Miles lets Preauxx’s charisma do the talking in this stony workout.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (5)
6. Aaron James – “The Wile” Taking a cue from one of the classics of the form, Aaron James and animator Shakeya Merriweather rotoscoped dancers Rachael Arnwine and Fannie Horton for this multimedia tone poem.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (6)
5 .Crown Vox – “Ruler of the Ball” Director Mitch Martin pulls out all the stops for Memphis goth pop queen Crown Vox’s epic Guilded Gallows video cycle.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (8)
4. Don Lifted – “Take Control of Me” Don Lifted’s paean to romantic surrender takes a sinister turn in the hands of director Kevin Brooks. Brooks and Don have had one of the most fruitful collaboration of any Memphis artists in recent memory.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (2)
3. Julien Baker – “Turn Out The Lights” At the forefront of the flotilla of Memphis women making musical waves in 2017 was Julien Baker. For the title track of her smash album, she got this explosive video from director Sophia Peer.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (4)
2. IMAKEMADBEATS – “Mother Sang To Us” In 2017, the most interesting music in Memphis was coming from a small studio in Bartlett, where Unapologetic Records founder IMAKEMADBEATS gathered a crew of likeminded weirdos to push the boundaries of hip hop. His Better Left Unsaid album is a kind of multimedia creative manifesto, and this Afro-samurai anime from Sky5 Productions is better than Justice League.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (3)
1. Snowglobe – “We Were In Love” Director Ben Siler worked for a year crafting this semi-autobiographical story of love, loss, and OCD. More than any other MVM video of 2017, it worked to solidify and expand the themes and mood of its song, while packing more plot than many feature films into just three minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, your best Memphis music video of 2017:
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com
A Weirdo From Memphis 
