The great Hope Clayburn just had a hell of a September. She played Cooper-Young Fest and Mempho Fest — and she became a champion of Memphis Wrestling. In her music video for “Nobody,” that is.
Ladies and gentlemen and nonbinary humans, prepare to step into the squared circle! Hope’s leading her crackerjack band of Memphis muthas against wrestlers Nyxx “The Goddess of the Night,” Ray Ray, Mr. Chris, and Mackenzie Morgan. Director Yubu Kazungu filmed the video in the Memphis Wrestling studio. Look for Lucky 7 Brass Band maestro Victor Sawyer and Dustin Starr announcing this belt match for the ages.
Look for Hope’s new album Y’all So Loud coming soon, and buy the single for your playlist.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Oakwalker’s song “Future Lover” has the easygoing lilt of a Laurel Canyon ballad from the 1970s, but listen to the lyrics and you’ll hear a uniquely twenty-first century sentiment. Singer/songwriter Victoria Dowdy says she “…wrote the song in a stream-of-consciousness style about the financial and existential anxiety that often ruins the societal plans and standards that are expected of Millennials. It hits on the themes of working-class people’s anxiety about making a living being higher on their list of concerns than finding a partner, or at least on par with it.”
The song was recorded at Sun Studios (you’ll see Dowdy sporting the iconic logo shirt in the video) by Crockett Hall and mastered by Matt Qualls. Dowdy and Ethan Baker, the core of the group, were joined by bassist Tyler Marberry and drummer Graham Winchester.
Filmmaker Yubu Kazungu directed the video, which puts Dowdy behind the bar at Midtown’s favorite dive, the Lamplighter.
“Future Lover was a joy to shoot. The main focus was to capture Oakwalker (Victoria and Ethan) in their natural element,” says Kazungu. “Their chemistry together on stage is beyond captivating, and I wanted viewers to experience that while watching the video. The rest of the narrative written by Victoria and Ethan played out especially well in the dive bar atmosphere provided by the Lamplighter. Working with musicians who understand who they are and what they’re about, makes any director’s work easier!”
“He made the video on a short deadline and did a fantastic job,” says Dowdy. Take a look!
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
In a city filled with guitar gunslingers, Robert Allen Parker stands out. You might have seen the veteran guitarist shredding with Hope Clayborne and Soul Scrimmage, or you might have seen his acclaimed 2016 documentary Meanwhile In Memphis: The Sound of a Revolution. But wherever you saw him, it’s likely that he rocked you to the core.
Parker is prepping a new double album of his trademark electric blues/soul called The River’s Invitation. The teaser single demonstrates the deep knowledge of the genre you expect from such a formidable talent. “My Mind Comes from a High Place” is a song by Chubby Checker, but it’s totally different from anything you associate with the guy who popularized The Twist and The Pony. In 1971, Checker abandoned his dance-party image and explored psychedelic soul with the album Chequered. Parker seized on the obscure gem and took it to the house with the assistance of vocalist Kennard Farmer, drummer Donnon Johnson, bassist Chieme Fujio, and guitarist Yubu Kazungu.
Director Kim Lloyd and Meanwhile in Memphis producer Nan Nunes Hackman created this music video for “My Mind Comes from a High Place.” Joined by cameraman Sean Faust and dancer Thais Lloyd, they shot in New School Media’s studio and “a corn field in Atoka.” Buckle your seat belts and get ready for a psychedelic ride. Then get out and vote!
Music Video Monday: Robert Allen Parker
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
