on repeat. videos.

having no tv at home makes you forget about annoying soap-operas, useless casting shows and stupid game shows. quite frankly, i’m more than happy about this as i do not miss any of this at all. but having no tv also means not being able to watch any music videos on television, although i’m not even sure if i would want to watch any here. who knows what i might end up watching - probably not worth finding out. anyway, once in a while i take the time to have a look around youtube and see what some of the bands i recently listened to have come up with in terms of new videos… so here’s a small collection of videos that are, in my humble opinion, worth watching. and yeah, most of the time the songs are pretty good too - just in case you were wondering.

nancy from now on - father john misty

…a.k.a josh tillman, who recently gave up drumming for seattle band fleet foxes (ff). what probably only hardcore ff fans know is that josh tillman has been making music and releasing albums for quite a few years already. his newest project father john misty sees the release of his "debut" album fear fun in early may. the video for nancy from now on might be one of the more disturbing ones but to be completely honest, i didn’t expect anything else from him. and besides, his absolutely beautiful voice is the thing to focus on anyway. the video is simply the little extra something.  

once and for all – clock opera

if you’re one of those people that gets very emotional fairly easy, you might want to get some tissues before watching this video. not only are the lyrics of once and for all very moving, the video is heart-breaking. the song itself doesn’t necessarily manage to get this across, but in connection with the video, it’s just beautiful. and when you saw the video once, that’s what you think about when you listen to the song again, so it doesn’t lose any of its beauty when the video is over. the london 4-piece clock opera will release their debut album ways to forget on 9 april.

matilda – alt-j

since seeing them as the main support for wild beasts a week ago, i probably watched every single video / live performances of alt-j that you can possibly find on youtube. i absolutely love the diversity in their music, joe newman’s unique vocals and their unmistakable sound in general. their double a-side matilda / fitzpleasure already shows how multifaceted their style is. matilda is the mellow one of those two songs, although mellow might not be quite the right description but have a listen yourself. the video is pretty interesting, especially if you don’t know what the guys look like at this point (so don't google it if you don't know it yet and watch the video first!). their debut album an awesome wave is due on 28 may.

in my drunken head – honig

now this is not an actual video but a recording of a live performance. why did i still choose to include it here? easy answer, in my drunken head was the first song i’ve ever heard from honig, it’s the one that got me hooked. honig a.k.a stefan honig is about to release his sophomore offering empty orchestra, which will include in my drunken head. and if the rest of the album will be as good as this song, we’re in for a treat. if you want to have a look at a proper video of his, make sure to check out for those lost at sea here.

night air – jamie woon

jamie woon is actually pretty new on my list. i remember checking him out a few months ago and basically dismissing him after one song (which was lady luck). turns out, of course i judged too quickly. thanks to a good friend, i gave him another chance and what did i realise? jamie woon is not so bad after all. he definitely doesn’t fit into the folk scene that i usually listen to but his mix of rnb and indie sure is quite interesting. and he’s got a beautiful video to go along with this great song.

hooting & howling – wild beasts

i’ve watched this video a million times before and yes, it makes me feel a little dizzy every single time. nevertheless, it is one of the best videos i’ve ever seen, just because of its simplicity. hayden thorpe’s voice takes some getting used to but as you probably know by now, i’m a massive wild beasts fan, so all i can do is advise you to check them out. the video perfectly fits the song by combining a rather fast drum beat with slow and "elegant" pictures of the band members in the water. great song, great video. hooting & howling is taken from their second album two dancers (2009).

dry the river. live. xoyo.

what: q now: the sessions

who: dry the river

where: xoyo, london, uk
when: 23 january 2012

support: rae morris and clock opera

despite the fact that london always was and always will be a place i do not enjoy, even i can’t deny the fact that the city is some sort of mecca for good gigs in the uk – obviously. so i fought all my natural instincts and made my way down to xoyo in islington for dry the river.

after a slightly disappointing walk down brick lane, a rather successful stop at rough trade east and freezing our toes off outside xoyo, singer-songwriter rae morris from blackpool was a great start to an even better night. having seen her before, i knew what to expect and was therefore really looking forward to her performance. she’s got a wonderful voice and makes other female singers like katy perry or lady gaga look really old. she doesn’t need background dancers and bright lights to distract from non-existing talent, simply because she has the talent. judging by the response she got from the audience, i’m certainly not the only one who fell for her beautiful piano tunes. (setlist: back to front, hard to forget, day one, oldest of new, for you, walls)

after a short break, the lads from clock opera entered the stage and i got to admit, they impressed me very much. i guess i would categorise their sound as somewhat a mix between indie-rock and dance music with a nice touch of pop, they certainly combine different genres. the four piece from london is going to release their debut album later this year, the single once and for all will be out next week according to lead singer guy connelly, whose emotional vocals seem to be the foundation of every clock opera song – rightfully so if you ask me.

no doubt that we enjoyed the support acts but the reason we came was dry the river after all. after having seen them a few times already, i was close to betting that they’d open with no rest, which they (to my surprise) didn’t do. instead the wonderful demons was up first, followed by no rest. dry the river are one of those bands that i didn’t know until i saw them live, which was probably the best thing that could happen. even though their sets usually don’t include any big surprises in terms of the setlist, every dry the river show somehow has a different vibe and not just because of different audiences but because the band seems to play every gig like it could be their last one – which certainly won’t be the case anytime soon.

their new single the chambers & the valves will be released at the end of next month (27th february), just a few days before their debut album shallow bed is due, so it was about time for them to play that song live. according to bassist scott miller, they haven’t played this song live in around two years, which was sadly noticeable in my opinion. although it might just have been a little different because i only know a studio recording. either way, the song’s great nevertheless and will make a great single for sure.

all-time favourites history book and bible belt were also part of the setlist, just as their current single weights & measures, which made the crowd go silent as the band began this one absolutely unplugged. lead singer pete liddle’s vocals shine on the one hand when they’re so fragile on the other hand – it’s simply stunning.

as family seemed to mark the end of their set, we sure didn’t need to beg for more for too long. i was definitely not the only one who was very grateful to hear shaker hymns, as several people were shouting “yes” as soon as the band played the first few notes of this song. i only wish they would’ve played a full band version including will harvey and jonny warren, just because the discreet violin and drums in the background make it even more amazing. but to be completely honest, shaker hymns is a beautiful song in every way, mainly because of the amazing harmonies from pete, scott and guitarist matt taylor. dry the river wrapped up their awesome set with lion’s den, a song that definitely shows why there’s no other folk-rock band out there right now that comes close to their brilliance. all in all, spending a night in london was not so bad after all, but only because dry the river totally made up for it. we shall see that combination again at the electric ballroom in may – until then, don’t forget to mark the release of shallow bed (5th march) in your calendars.

 pete liddle

 scott miller

 jonny warren

 will harvey

 matt taylor

dry the river - shield your eyes live @xoyo, london 

setlist:

demons

no rest

shield your eyes

history book

the chambers & the valves

new ceremony

weights & measures

bible belt

family 
 ---

shaker hymns

lion's den