A still from the video for Coultrain's "Shoot."
There are moments when the local music is scene is brimming with new releases, and this seems to be just such a moment. That appears true of music videos as well. When a couple of local cuts came to our attention, that was one thing. But when that number started crawling into the half-dozen range, it seemed time to offer up a roundup of this wide-ranging, variety pack of new works.
Anthony Lucius, “Err’day”
Video director Louis Quatorze sends along this note, re: his new video with Anthony Lucius: “Hailing from one of the most unfortunate cities in the U.S., East Saint Louis native Anthony Lucius has flipped real-life experiences into one of the most innovative takes on hip-hop that splashes against the wave of wavy rap. Mimicking that originality, his new music video, ‘Err'day,’ weaves fresh storytelling into dreary images of a misty Midwestern afternoon, complementing Anthony's gloomy head space following the death of his father.” The cut comes from the EP “Please Do Not Feed the Rappers.”
Earlier this year, they also combined on the cut “Six Feet Under,” which will catch the eyes of anyone who’s spent time Downtown.
Arson for Candy, “Lone Star Lite”
Known for his inventive, immersive live video projects, Chad Eivins (aka Chizmo.tv) has created a fun and quirky video for the duo Arson for Candy. Made up of Texan Jackie Oberkrom and South City’s Jenny Roques Glynn, the pair’s short track was shot at the Whiskey Ring on a January afternoon, with lots of Stag and plenty of friends on hand.
Blackout Angels, “Never Give You Away”
This act, spearheaded by onetime New World Spirits frontman J. Chambers, has been a one-track-at-a-time studio project, featuring a similar (if more mature) pop aesthetic as the group’s seed tree. Most recently, the group added “Waterfall” to its small, growing catalog of tracks. An older cut of theirs, “Never Give You Away,” has been given a very polished video treatment via The Halski Studio.
Coultrain, “Shoot”
From the website Afropunk, which debuted this video, comes these notes: “Today we’re premiering R&B soul singer Coultrain's brand new video, 'Shoot.' 'Shoot' is the most recent release from the musician's upcoming LP, ‘Eternal Stranger’—the final chapter in his ‘Seymour Liberty’ storytelling epic. The single itself is a heaping serving of lush rhythms and complex textures. There’s a lot going on, but in the very best way. ‘Shoot’ envelopes you like a warm velvet blanket and transports you to a place many R&B musicians strive to reach, but so often miss.”
Dangerbird, “Bad News”
One of the more-interesting new projects around is Dangerbird (Pat Corrigan, guitar/bass/vocals; Maysam “Bass Amp” Attaran, bass/guitar/vocals; and Noel Swain, dums/vocals). The group is focused on playing both its original material, and that of the late songwriter Bob Reuter. Their new, self-titled EP has just been making its way into hands/ears around town. The video, says bassist/guitarist Bass Amp, “was shot by my friend Heironymous Cole. A very talented, yet still unknown St. Louis filmmaker. Cannot sing his praises enough!”
Mt. Thelonious, “In the Pines” & The Breakfast Boys, “Blank Space/Every Breath You Take”
Editor/director Randal Hall of Five Owls Productions sent along two video clips, for the groups Mt. Thelonious and The Breakfast Boys. “‘In The Pines’ was shot over a sunny two weekend period in January in Sullivan, MO," he writes. "We then spent months adding digital snow, color grading and sky replacements to every shot to make it seem like a blizzard. The Breakfast Boys video was shot at Native Sound while they were recording the song live. It was mixed by Adam Long. For videos like this, the turnaround is pretty quick. It was fully put together in about a week.”
Dear Genre, "Move"
Andre Cataldo, the lead of Dear Genre for the run of the group's existence, channels his inner Brian Jonestown Massacre on "Move," with a suitably blunted video that he shot and directed. The song is the lead single from the album "Flower Puns." The group's YouTube channel is here.
