Memphis, meet your new #1 lover man. His name is Cameron Bethany, and he just wants to hold you close.
Bethany is one of the original Unapologetic artists, adding a smooth neo-soul sound to the label’s eclectic lineup. Last month, he wowed the crowd at the Overton Park Shell with his Al Green grooves and a Sade cover that melted all the ice cream in the cones.
Bethany’s new single comes with an oh-so-smooth video by director Ryan Hoover. Shot in video and Super-8 by Andrew Puccio and Kyle Taubken in Downtown Memphis, “Love Is A Bill” invites you to come close and feel Cameron’s snakeskin jacket. He’ll take you out to dinner and introduce you to all of his cool friends. Then, it’s back to his place for a little one-on-one time. Have a seat in his parlor for an after-dinner brandy snifter. Would you prefer prosecco? Because your Cam Daddy’s got some of that, too — oh, it looks like you got a little bit on you. Let’s get you out of those wet clothes and into these loving arms. “Just don’t fall too hard/Without your credit card.”
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (Credit: Dave Creaney)
This week, we have a Music Video Monday rarity. Since I started MVM many moons ago, it has been dedicated to showcasing Memphis artists, whether they are the musicians or the filmmakers. Normally, I have more than enough submissions—my backlog has been up to three months deep at some points. But this Monday, I found myself in a curious situation. I have several Memphis-based music videos scheduled for future dates, to coincide with record releases and upcoming shows, but none are available for this week. Luckily, I got a submission from a great band for whom I am willing to make an exception to my “Memphis-only” policy.
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead are an Austin, TX outfit whose 2002 album Source Tags and Codes was a seismic event in indie rock. Blending the thick-as-molasses guitars associated with shoegaze with the frantic tempos of pop-punk and a lyrical approach that is simultaneously intellectual and visceral, Conrad Keely and Jason Reece have been tearing up stages around the world for the better part of two decades.
When their 2020 tour was interrupted by the Covid pandemic, Keely and Reece found themselves faced with nothing to do for the first time in their careers. So they decided to take their time recording a new album, which would become XI: Bleed Here Now.
“We came up with a basic plan, based on VH1’s Behind The Music and Classic Albums documentaries of the albums we loved––Led Zeppelin, Rush, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd,” says Keely. “We would do it like a lot of them had done before. Instead of paying hourly rates at some hip, high-tech professional studio, we would find a spot we could afford to lease for a couple months so that we never felt stressed for time, and in a relaxing location that would put us at complete ease and make us look forward to showing up every day.”
Now, with an acclaimed new album, Trail of Dead is back on the road. One of their first stops on the new tour will be in Memphis on August 13 at the Hi-Tone. The video for “Kill Everyone” gives you a sense of what one of their legendary live shows is like. Directed by Sam Rich and Andrew Leeper, and filmed live at Austin’s Chess Club, is an old-school sonic blaster. Strap in:
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
The 2022 Beale Street Music Festival was a success in its first year back after a two-year pandemic hiatus. One of the things that set this year’s festival apart past editions — other than the supposedly temporary move to Liberty Park in Midtown — was the record number of Memphis acts on the bill. From our coverage of the BSMF 2022 weekend, Bluff City’s finest turned out to be huge crowd pleasers.
One of the local bands on the stage was Tora Tora. The ’80s metal sensation consisting of singer Anthony Corder, guitarist Keith Douglas, bassist Patrick Francis, and drummer John Patterson exploded out of Memphis with their 1989 album Surprise Attack, which peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Their hit single “Walking Shoes” was a little more bluesy than most of their hair metal contemporaries. Wikipedia claims the black-and-white video was the first from Memphis to be played on MTV, but that’s not quite true. The New Wave novelty song “Dog Police” appeared on Weird Al Yankovic’s MTV show five years earlier. But “Walking Shoes” was definitely the first Memphis video to land in hit-making heavy rotation on the video channel. In the video, watch for some Downtown Memphis landmarks, like the Tennessee Brewery, which have changed considerably since then. Rock on with Tora Tora!
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, things were really weird.
Just in time for your Saturnalia celebrations, something new from Memphis’ favorite experimental filmmaker Ben Siler. “Christmas at Midnight” is from Robby Grant’s 2020 album Put A Quarter In The Christmas Vending Machine, and it represents a darker take on the holiday season. Siler, no stranger to darkness himself, rose to the occasion with this music video. Starring expat actress Kim Howard and a host of Memphis talent (including yours truly, who provided sets), this one is for everyone who feels frog marched through Yuletide joviality. Happy holidays, and enjoy the world premiere of “Christmas At Midnight”!
The rules for Music Video Monday state that all the music videos we feature have to be from either a Memphis musical artist or a Memphis filmmaker — preferably both. But once a year, I bend the rules — which I can do, because I wrote the rules — to bring you the winners of the Indie Memphis Film Festival music video competition.
The Hometowner Audience Award went to “Buzzsaw Kick” by Idi x Tico,which was the subject of last week’s Music Video Monday.
The winner of the Audience Award for national music videos was “Fire” by Fimone. I can’t embed it here, but you can watch it on Fimone’s YouTube channel.
The winner of the jury award for National Music Video (which really should be called the International category) was “Hideaway” by the French artists NÎM. This spectacular visual was created by Studio V7, Gaïa Maniquant-Rogozyk & Pablo Chazel. You’ll believe that whales can fly!
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
It’s the closing day of Indie Memphis 2021. The annual film festival has been a whirlwind of images and moments tearing across theater screens and the TVs and laptops of the virtual festival.
Saturday night was the Hometowner Music Video Showcase at the Malco Summer Drive-In. Many of the videos in competition have been featured on Music Video Monday, but there was one great one we missed. Jordan Danelz and Sharrika Evans created an arresting, cinematic video for Idi x Tico’s “Buzzsaw Kick.” This one’s the total package. The song, by the group who used to be called Hippy Soul, is killer, and the visuals are inventive and extremely well executed. Beyond that, it’s pretty hard to describe, so just watch.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
MVM favDaz Rinko just dropped a new song and video from his upcoming EP. “Ladies Night” is another future house-tinged collaboration between Daz and Arnold Francis (aka SPRILL). The beat says party all night, but the lyrics tell a different story.
“‘Ladies Night’ is really a record about me reflecting over my family’s upbringing, and me coming to the realization that the struggles they went through shaped me as a person,” Rinko says. “The paranoia of struggling, living paycheck to paycheck my entire life, the struggles of having a child without being able to support them emotionally, and the feeling of being alone in the present because I’m always working to be stable are things I touch on and continue to think about.”
The car-centric video was shot on South Main by Morgan Bell and edited by Andrew McGinnis. Get funky!
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com
The Memphis band Short In The Sleeve decided to make a change. For their fourth record, an EP titled Indian Summer, songwriter Jason Middlekauff says they decided to trade in their guitars for breezy bloops and poppy hooks. “I’ve always loved synth pop, but I wasn’t sure how the guys would take to it. They really embraced what I was after, and I think we ended up creating some of the most catchy but beautiful songs we ever have.”
You can check out Short In The Sleeve’s Bandcamp here, after you watch the new video for title track “Indian Summer.”
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Avon Park is a new indie rock band from Memphis who got together on the house show circuit. Connor Bankey, Will Buehler, Will Crowe, and Alex Haggard released their first album, Watson, on the University of Memphis’ campus label BlueTOM. Liz Butler, Kayla Snuggs, and Cole Fite created this colorful video that sees the band donning clean suits and then getting them super dirty.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Memphis musicians and filmmakers have been busy! We’ve been on the receiving end of an avalanche of good music videos lately. That’s good news for you: We’ll be bringing you bomb tracks for weeks to come.
One of the most accomplished visuals we’ve seen in a while is by Memphis rapper The Crown Prince. It shows the stylish MC in a reflective mood. “My song ‘I Remember’ is about the struggles of being down in life and coming up on top,” he says.
CP created the video with his video partner Camera Mane. They visit a graveyard and dance in a ruined building with a beautiful ballerina in black, all the while looking absolutely impeccable.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
