Watch This Now: Jack White – “Freedom at 21″
“Cut off the bottoms of my feet, make me walk on salt…”
He’s almost here! Next week, Jack White is coming to Australia for the first time as a solo artist, headlining the first night of Splendour in the Grass and peddling the wares of his excellent new album, Blunderbuss. We already featured the VHS madness of Sixteen Saltines not too long ago, but Jackie boy has decided to follow that up with a complete 180. Instead of trashy, cheap destruction, he’s collaborated with hip-hop video legend Hype Williams for what is unquestionably his slickest video to date. This was always going to be an odd-couple pairing, and as soon as I heard about it I was certain that there was a 50/50 chance of it being brilliant or a complete disaster. I can now happily report that this was a winning combination. No, it’s got nothing to do with you, Charlie Sheen. Go away. It’s not 2011 anymore.
Essentially, what Hype has gone for here is “make JW look even more like a badass motherfucker than he already is.” But how do we do that, Hype? “I’m glad you asked, David! How about a high-speed car chase, a guitar solo in a prison cell and some major sideboob from a tattooed inmate chick?” Well, shit, imaginary Hype Williams. I am sold as fuck right now. Shut up and take my money! Oh, wait, you already have piles of it on which you sleep with many lovely ladies? Touche. What was I saying? Oh! Yes! This video, man. Holy shit is it cool. But how do you make it cooler? How about a cameo from someone who is just as much of a BAMF as Jack? I won’t say who, but let’s say this vulturous queen knows quite a bit about kicking arse and taking names. Eat it up, kids; it’s good for you.
Old Favourites: The Dead Weather – “Treat Me Like Your Mother”
“Stand up like a man, you better learn to shake hands…”
The Dead Weather, ey? Why now? Well, with both Jack White and Allison Mosshart in the news recently, I figured I’d throw the two together and pay a bit of tribute to this fucking cool video. What have these two been up to? Well, Allison and her day job The Kills got to open for Metallica in France. Fucking cool of Metallica to do that. Naturally, the fuckwits didn’t take kindly to it. Which made it all the more awesome. Meanwhile, Jack White has been trying for a world record – most metaphors in a single concert. His first go was apparently not too good, but he’s going to try again at his next gig. I hope he nails it.
Anyways, this is a very simple premise for a video, in which our heroes walk away from one another in a big, desolate field. They load up their guns and walk back shooting the absolute fuck out of one another. Just another day at the office, really. It’s such a destructive, primitive concept that it couldn’t just be pulled off by anyone. These two make it work so well, bringing layers where you might have initially thought there was absolutely nothing. Is it yet another metaphor for a destructive relationship? Is it the conflict between the left and right brain? What does it mean that Jack is still standing after taking all those shots to the chest? More to the point, do you even care? It’s Jack White with a gun! What more do you want?
Watch This Now: Jack White – “Sixteen Saltines”
“Garbage in, garbage out, she’s getting what she wants…”
Holy word. Now we’re talking business. Rarely has the term “first the worst, second the best” been more applicable than with the two solo videos of the honourable Jack White III that have been released this year. The first, Love Interruption, although a nice enough little ditty, had a boring as hell video that was a plain baby-blue performance. Here, on White’s Sixteen Saltines, shit has gotten well and truly real. A collaboration with director AG Rojas, White has truly brought the crazy – it’s potentially the best video he’s been a part of since The White Stripes‘ twisted clip for The Denial Twist back in 2005.
What can you say about this flash of madness? Jack is arguably the least important player here – he starts off being tied up in a room and ends up being blown up in a car. The in-between involves complete disarray and chaos as a gang of hostile youths take over – trashing warehouses, asphyxiating themselves, sleeping in coffins, getting tattooed. You name it, they’ve probably done it in the course of less than three minutes. It’s insane. Judging from the YouTube comments, this video is reaching a whole new generation of kids who don’t get Jack White – and that excites me a lot more than you’d think. Roll on, Blunderbuss!
FEATURED FRIDAYS: Takin’ 5 – Guilty of Being White
It was February 2 last year when Jack and Meg White officially announced that their band, The White Stripes, would be no longer. As one of my favourite bands growing up, it was certainly disappointing news. In my heart of hearts, though, I just knew that their legacy would remain intact – and let’s face it, they had a pretty good run. With Jack’s solo album, Blunderbuss, set for release next month, I thought I’d pay the band a quick retrospective visit to the band with five of my favourite clips that they did. Prepare for some wackiness, some creepiness and a lot of Meg smiling innocently.
5. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Jack comes home to a seemingly empty house, but all is not well. The ghosts of its previous inhabitants – Meg included – come back to haunt him constantly. Their second collaboration with Michel Gondry, who makes up the majority of this list, already shows the fruits of a very long-lasting creative relationship. A quirky idea that really managed to suit the contrasts in the song, both musically and lyrically.
4. The Denial Twist
With Gondry back for the first time in two years and the lovable Conan O’Brien making a guest appearance, the Stripes put together what was arguably their trippiest video to date. I don’t want to blow things out of proportion – but, then again, that’s basically what the entire video is about when you think about it. Dizzying to watch, but wholly satisfying all the same.
3. Seven Nation Army
Strangely enough, the Seven Nation Army video was the first and last time that the Stripes worked with Alex and Martin, a Swedish duo that also worked with everyone from U2 to Hilary Duff on a myriad of cool, interesting videos. This was the one that started it all for me – I distinctly remember being enchanted by this continuing stream of multiple Jacks and Megs. The pacing, the ebb and flow, the insane colours and the evil look in Jack’s eye during the verses – priceless, timeless.
2. The Hardest Button to Button
For the bulk of their career, the White Stripes’ sound revolved around one guitar and one drum kit. This video is what happens, however, when the band are given an infinite amount of guitars and drum kits to play around with. Replicating the pattern and arrangement of the song, the band move from parks to subways and into the streets with their stacks upon stacks of equipment. Fancifull excess at its finest – plus, the band donated pretty much all the gear to charity, so there’s a happy ending at least for any rock nerds who thought they’d all go to waste.
1. Fell in Love with a Girl
In typical eccentric style, the shortest video the band ever did took them the longest to make. Naturally, the end result was more than worth it, as Fell in Love is far and away the band’s greatest clip. Painstakingly put together using only Lego, it presented a frenzied take on the song and some truly jaw-dropping feats using just the bricks of Lego. Amazingly, no-one has really attempted anything similar since this clip dropped 10 years ago – not evenOKGO, who have surely done absolutely everything by now. I guess we all knew that nothing was going to top this.
Thanks y’all, have a good weekend!
Old Favourites: Electric Six – “Danger! High Voltage”
“Fire in the disco! Fire in the disco! Fire in the Taco Bell!”
I’m a man who loves my novelty rock. From the epic first Tenacious D album all the way up to recent blog-featured fellas The Beards, I’ve got no qualms with a band that can make me laugh and make me dance. Such is the case of Electric Six, the Detroit natives best known for two smashing comedy-rock hits back in 2003. Of course, there’s Gay Bar – the snarling bit of homoerotic power-pop with the Abe Lincoln strippers in its video – but for today’s edition I’ve decided to take the other option.
Gay Bar may be a fantastic tune, but in terms of their videos I’m always going to side with Danger! High Voltage. Why, you ask? Have you seen the thing recently? No, seriously, have you? I know it’s been awhile, so let me jog your memory. There is some very creepy dancing, some dead animals, a makeout scene to end all other makeout scenes… oh, and glowing genitals. Glowing. Genitals. If your video doesn’t have glowing genitals, don’t bother sending it to me, kay?
In other interesting news, I just found out that these guys are not only still together and touring, but they have released an album every year since 2006. How’s that for consistency? Maybe I should see if I can get them as My Favourite Video bloggers… watch this space!
Watch This Now: Lanie Lane – “Ain’t Hungry”
“Livin’ in a guesthouse, room is hot as Hell…”
As a certified friend of the blog, it’s an absolute honour to welcome back to our screens the divine miss Lanie Lane! It’s been an absolute cracker of a year for this brilliantly talented young lady. She started off playing the Big Day Out, then she got to tour the states, then she got to tour with Clare Bowditch AND record a song with her, then she got signed to Ivy League records, then she recorded her debut album, To the Horses…and if THAT wasn’t enough, she’s now recorded a 7-inch with none other than Mr. Jack White! I’m exhausted just writing about that, so imagine how she feels!
Anyhoo, she’s quickly put together this gorgeous looking clip with a very simple structure, simultaneously going between her performing in a tiny room and her strolling the streets, before heading into a powder room and dolling herself up. It works perfectly for the song, which is considerably rockier territory than what we’ve come to expect from Lanie. That’s definitely a good thing, mind – this looks absolutely great, and it’s pretty safe to say it’s only a matter of time before she’s exploded in this – or some other – country! God bless this brilliant woman. Get dancing.
