by Jerard Fagerberg in Music
Band T-shirts are still, I promise you, cool.
There are lots ways you can patronize local musicians. Spotify streams are nice. Buying tickets to a local gig is even better. But one of the best ways you can make sure you’re maximizing your support is to buy some merch.
Not only will your band of choice get the profits from your fashion choice, but they’ll also benefit from the visibility. T-shirts are conversation starters, so you get the chance to become an evangelist for them every time your wear their gear in public. There’s a lot more than T-shirts out there now, too. (Check out this December article from Sophie Vilensky). Take a trip to the merch table after watching these five new videos for the week.
Ben Noble – “Bluebird” (lyric video)
Ben Noble’s new video gives you a sense of what it’s like to have synesthesia. Artists Nick Collins, Dids, and Ezra Cohen turn Noble’s anxious synthesizers into a canvas for pastels, spilling out satisfyingly while Noble’s words tile across the screen. “Bluebird” is off Noble’s forthcoming Where the Light Comes In, out on March 6. I’ll be talking to Noble about the LP in February, so if this tickled your senses, stay tuned for more.
Sister Species – “Cottonwood Trees”
The chamber-pop septet Sister Species writes with an almost improvisatory feel, letting instruments wash together into a gorgeous mélange. In this video, dancer Michelle Marie was inspired to improvise her choreography, letting her body become another instrument in the piece. Director Sam Fathallah takes a step back as Marie explores an art gallery, bringing the song's themes of loss and memory to life in fluid, melancholic movements. “Cottonwood Trees" is the second single off Sister Species' forthcoming record Still I Am Still.
Coyote Kid – “Skeleton Man”
Death is, as much as anything else, a job, as we see in Coyote Kid’s new video for “Skeleton Man.” Here, the Grim Reaper conducts the mundane business of collecting souls, visiting each band member following their untimely passing. Makes you almost sympathetic for the poor ol’ ghoul, until you realize that his droll business is one day gonna bring him to your door. Enjoy this song, and the album of the same name, which released in October, while you can.
Nigel T – “Get Out of My Head”
Drugs are fun until they’re really not. Paranoia, delusions, suicidal thoughts—all emerge when you mix mind-altering substances and dark thoughts. And that’s exactly what Nigel T does in the new video for “Get Out of My Head.” Stewop Visuals takes us inside T’s addled mind, and we feel the walls close in on him as murderous thoughts swell. It’s enough to make you want to burn it all to the ground. Anything to make it stop.
Dave Mehling – “What About Tonight?”
Dave Mehling’s music fills you with hope. It has a magical realism to it, and every song feels full of possibility and romance. “What About Tonight?” is a windows-down, lakeshore-cruisin’ kind of song, the kind you let wash over you like a wave of pleasant ennui. The trippy video only adds to the enchantment. It’s a Rorschach of whimsical footage, leading you to wonder what other treasures await on the forthcoming album Beach Boy.
