Tag: music video

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Music Video Monday: “America The Beautiful” by Bobby Rush & the Curb Collective

Music Video Monday is loving America.

It’s Tuesday, but that doesn’t stop Music Video Monday from celebrating Independence Day in uniquely Memphis style. Bluff City bluesman Bobby Rush has been partnering with the Curb Institute at Rhodes College since he was the music and culture program’s first visiting scholar in 2014. Rush has continued to mentor and teach ever since, even after surviving COVID-19 last year. At the liberal arts school’s 2021 commencement ceremonies, the Beale Street legend was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree.

Rush teamed up with some of his mentees at Royal Studios to record a bluesy arrangement of “America The Beautiful” for the 4th. Joining them were Eddie Cotton on organ, Fuzzie Jeffries on guitar, and a horn line featuring Hope Clayburn, Jim Spake, and Victor Sawyer. Capturing the action on camera was Ethan Van Drimmelen and Jackson Hendrix. “Oh beautiful for spacious skies!”

If you would like to see your music video on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Music Video Monday: “Bolted and Embossed” by Aquarian Blood

Music Video Monday fell to Earth.

Aquarian Blood’s new album Bending the Golden Hour is set for release on May 28. (You can pre-order the record on Bandcamp.) J.B. Horrell says the lead single, “Bolted and Embossed,” is about “alienation — emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and/or creative uncertainty — when true north is lost or obscured and how we are motivated by faith, fear, love, loss, and inspiration to realign and get back to the sweet spot where all is right again, at least for a minute. The reward for finding the strength to bounce back to happiness is not a trophy — bolted and embossed — but the peace of mind that comes with it.”

For the low-fi video, Horrell and his partner/wife Laurel suited up to make the alienation literal. “It’s about doing the Jackie Fargo strut wearing a nude body suit in a busy public park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon!” J.B. says.

He says the video features camerawork by Mykah, TK, Ava, and David, as well as some Plan 9-worthy special effects by Phillip Etheridge. Enjoy, puny humans!

If you would like your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Film Features Film/TV

Music Video Monday: “Stir Crazy” by Muck Sticky & Boots Electric

Boots Electric (red shades, tongue) and Muck Sticky (blue shades, more tongue).

Music Video Monday gotta get out!

Everybody’s ready for this pandemic to be over, but nobody is more ready than musicians. Memphis’ most blunted rapper Muck Sticky just wants to hit the road again — and that’s exactly what he’ll be doing with Eagles of Death Metal. The two very different acts are currently planning a joint (see what I did there) tour. To celebrate, the Sticky Muck joined EoDM frontman Jesse Hughes, aka Boots Electric, for “Stir Crazy,” which is all about being sick of your surroundings.

The music video was directed by Christopher Reyes, and is dedicated to all the hardworking live music production staff who have been without jobs since the novel coronavirus cancelled all shows last March. Enjoy!

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Film Features Film/TV

Music Video Monday: “Lines” by Jacob Church

Music Video Monday is in the abstract.

Jacob Church’s new song “Lines” is a beautiful, jangle-pop influenced indie rock meditation. The video takes the lyric literally by going completely abstract. Church takes his camera close in to objects and signs to revel in the details. He reduces letters and numbers to their constituent lines, and reveals little bits of beauty hiding in everyday life, before exploding into the big picture with some drone footage by Stacy Pennington. I’m usually a big advocate for putting the artist in the music video, but when that rule is broken this artistically, I’ll make an exception.

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Film Features Film/TV

Music Video Monday: “Lost In Orion” by Don Lifted

"Lost in Orion" by Don Lifted

Music Video Monday got a new ride.

Don Lifted recently signed with Fat Possum records. He christens the new ride with his most ambitious music video yet, “Lost in Orion.” Matthews co-directed the video with Joshua Cannon, and co-wrote it with Nubia Yasin. Sam Leathers is the cinematographer behind some arresting images, including a spectacular location shot in the empty Orpheum Theatre.

“‘Lost in Orion’ feels confessional to me,” says Mathews. “The weight of feelings that through the summer of 2020 couldn’t escape me, personally and societally. So much of those fears and anxieties manifested themselves in introspection, mystical imagery and poetry. It’s a sacrificial and ritualistic piece of art for me. A culmination of growth and shedding of every version of myself that’s been informed by love, societal pressures and fear. This visual is a new beginning for me. The end of many other things but the start of something I’ve been on a journey to share for quite some time.

“Working with Josh, Sam and the folks at Studio One Four Three has been something long in the works. It’s funny ’cause once I reached out we both expressed when didn’t feel ready enough to collaborate. The shoot days were very special in all of the beautiful and challenging ways making art can exist. Nubia Yasin, Amber Ahmad, Joshua Cannon, Sam Leathers and myself all trying to work toward the best ideas and ways to approach everything, trying to match the vision in my head as best as possible. The subject matter and the elements definitely had effects on all of us in various ways and pushed us toward our goals. I look forward to expanding this world we are building together in conjunction with this music.”

If you would like to see your music videos featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Music Video Monday: Mojo Medicine Machine

Music Video Monday got that mojo working.

Mojo Medicine Machine‘s motto is “Maximum rock ‘n roll with a groove.” Their new album Remedy for the Soul was recorded at Royal Studios with Boo Mitchell behind the boards and guest shots from folks like Rev. Charles Hodges, Steve Selvidge, and Jim Dandy. The first single, “Lay It Down,” is a classic blues rock stomp which gets right to the heart of the matter.

The video, directed by Ken Webb, gives you a peek inside the Royal tracking room, and a tour of Beale Street for all you quarantine bunnies who miss the Memphis nightlife. Get that vaccine and we can all be back there soon, rocking with the Machine! Let’s go to the tape:

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Music Video Monday: Rev. Neil Down

It’s no day at the beach on Music Video Monday.

It’s cold, y’all. There’s weird white stuff on the ground. As if a global pandemic isn’t enough to keep you in the house, add this icing on top and stay inside. Rev. Neil Down and director Edward Valibus are here to take you away from all that.

The right reverend is a psychedelicized folk rocker familiar to the Bluff City. If “Ed McMed’s Vacation” is any indication, his quarantine musical explorations have taken him to exotic new places.

Valibus, a pioneering Memphis filmmaker who co-founded the award-winning Corduroy Wednesday collective, has been fighting the stir-crazies in Los Angeles lockdown. It’s gotten weird. Usually on Music Video Monday, I grab a single image I think best represents the video. But “Ed McMed’s Vacation” is a target-rich environment.

When the edible hits.

Oh nothing, just hanging on the beach with my skeleton friend. We’re not dating.

President Nixon was there.

New planet who dis?

“Beach Blanket Bizarro in a time of state-of-the-art viral vacationing,” says Valibus of the video, which stars co-director Steph Bennett. Get ready to take a mental holiday.

Rev Neil Down – Ed McMed's Vacation from Edward Valibus on Vimeo.

Music Video Monday: Rev. Neil Down

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com

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Music Video Monday: A Weirdo From Memphis

CREDIT: A Weirdo From Memphis

A Weirdo From Memphis

Screengrab from ‘Kerosene Heater.’

Music Video Monday is a dumpster fire.

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. 

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Music Video Monday: John Paul Keith

Music Video Monday is going back to Beale with a North American premiere.

Like legions of musicians all over the world, Memphis guitar virtuosos John Paul Keith has had to learn to adapt to the COVID pandemic. His regular streaming gigs have been one of the highlights of Memphis’ long, dark 2020. For 2021, he’s made the leap into music videos, directing this clip for “How Can You Walk Away?”

“This is the first music video I’ve ever done,” he says. “The album was written and recorded pre-pandemic. When I realized I wouldn’t be able to tour behind the album, I decided to spend some of my newfound free time learning how to shoot and edit iPhone video. My fiancé, Joanna D’Gerolamo, and I filmed it together around Downtown Memphis, and we filmed the interior scenes at Tad Pierson’s American Dream Safari.”

The album, The Rhythm of the City, will be released on February 19th by the Italian label Wild Honey Records. It was recorded at Electrophonic by Scott Bomar and Adam Hill. (You can pre-order here.) Today, we’ve got the Western Hemisphere premiere of the music video, which also features some Downtown Memphis landmarks like Raiford’s. Enjoy!

Music Video Monday: John Paul Keith

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com. 

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Music Video Monday: Preacher Man

Music Video Monday keeps on running up that hill.

The holidays are over, and it’s time to get back on the grind. The new video from Preacher Man starts with the gospel rapper struggling to climb the hill that life has put in front of him. As you return to work amid a global pandemic and political turmoil, you might feel the power of that image. But Preacher Man ends on a note of strength. Here’s “I Ain’t Going Nowhere.” Happy New Year.

Music Video Monday: Preacher Man

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.