I came across this cool music video the other day via email. It is from a Brooklyn based indie-pop artist, Chris Garneau. The dude seems to be a little out there and different, but I guess a lot of creative types typically are. I don't really dig his music, but his new video for his single "Fireflies" is awesome. I am a closet nerd, and an avid video game nerd on top of that. The video for Fireflies is directly inspired by my favorite Nintendo game of all time, The Legend of Zelda. If you've never played the game, then you get excited by the video the way I did when I first saw it.
Real briefly...
Link is the main hero and character Zelda is based on, is who Garneau plays in the video. He got Links outfit down to the core, Grecian headband and all. The video was shot over the course of five days in parts of Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park and Death Valley. It was filmed with a Canon 5D Mark II. Knowing that, you'll understand why the video's cinematography is what it is. It's quite impressive.
Watching video makes me want to buy an old NES system and the gold video game cartridge. I still know where the keys are and know I can save Zelda from Gannon's punk ass. Anyway, here's Garneau's video. Enjoy the nerd porn.
Thanks to the power of publicists and emailing, I got word last minute of a cool show happening at Republic Live, located on 301 W. 5th Street. Touring the U.S. all the way from Birmingham, West Midlands England is indie-electro pop group, Deluka. I get email blasts all the time now and have to pass on all sorts of cool stuff due to time, not interest. It is also rare I go out on a Sunday night, but I think I may venture out to catch these guys. Plus, I have never been to Republic Live. I have always passed by it and figured it was another douche bag Warehouse District type bar, bottle service and all. Maybe it is; I'll find out I guess. I hope this doesn't mean I have to go get something from Ed Hardy to fit in.
Deluka is one of those European bands I got wind of on NME, one of my favorite music sites from Europe other than Last FM. The first thing you'll notice is the foxy lead singer, Ellie Innocenti. I doubt that's her actual last name, but whatever. Her name sounds almost as hot as her voice. Her voice combined with the band's '80s retro sound reminds me of bands like The Start or even the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It's hard for me to think of who I can compare them with so that casual music fans can grasp.
The band is touring to support their current self titled EP, a quick five song mix of electro goodness indie girls like to dance to. Since I'm at a lack for words in terms of description, I've posted a Tunecore widget that has the songs from their EP. This way, you can listen and draw your own conclusions or comparisons. Listening to their music does make me miss '80s new wave.
For more information on Deluke and the show Sunday night, visit the following links:
Smile Smile live at Emo's (photo by Sarah Vasquez)
Thursday night at Emo’s, in the midst of all the Red River history performing that night, was a quiet young indie duo no one seemed to recognize. Dallas, Texas’s Smile Smile was the indie pop break between a line-up of power pop heavy hitters like Cruiserweight, The Riddlin’ Kids and their touring mates, Bowling for Soup. It was all an interesting experience to say the least.
As I arrived at Emo’s local pop punk and Red River icons, Cruiserweight, were finishing up their set. I know Stella Maxwell’s voice anywhere, as I have seen them so many times over the years here in Austin. They did a great job of pumping up the crowd only for Smile Smile to bring them down shortly thereafter.
As Smile Smile took the stage, I wasn’t surprised to see the teeny pop punk kids give them funny looks, as if they were thinking “Where’s the rest of the band?” or “Are these the kids from Juno?”. What they didn’t know, besides who they actually were, is that the two have an interesting history which would come out in the music they were about to play.
Smile Smile lead singer/guitarist Ryan Hamilton and pianist Jencey Hirunrusme were in a relationship when they started the band. They recorded their first album, Blue Roses, when they were still together. Their relationship eventually lead to an engagement and then to a break up. Despite the break up, the two carried on with Smile Smile and have a new album coming in February of next year. The duo’s music they performed Thursday night reflected all that.
They opened their set with the upbeat “Anymore”, perhaps as an inside joke amongst each other. Hamilton’s indie rock angst mixed with Hirunrusme’s sad sweetness make for an interesting dynamic on stage. Can you imagine writing songs about an ex, singing them to her and then performing with them in front of hundreds of strangers? I can’t. You’d understand if you knew my exes. My break up songs would be totally post-rock or punk.
All of their songs pretty much had that ended relationship sort of theme. After Anymore, they went into “Beg You to Stay” and “Sad Song” towards the end of their set. Both tracks belong in a heart wrenching break up scene on a CW show or a Focus Film. That Ryan Hamilton is a sad dude, or was when he was writing.
His hurt and sadness still shows a little here and there on stage, as Hirunrusme had to have the audience tell Hamilton to stop yelling at her. The young girls standing in the front gladly abliged. She may have been playing around, but underneath it all was a plea to stop the hurt. It was in her eyes even though she tried to hide it with a smile and her hair. Being so close to the stage, it was plain as day to me. Hamilton even snapped back just a little, just enough to not sound like an angry jerk. He said something to her about going too fast or her impatience as she hit her iPod, which was attached to her keyboard, too early.
Smile Smile live at Emo's (photo by Sarah Vasquez)
Other than that, they nailed their set without being booed or having people walk away. Sure some were talking and texting during their slower stuff, but the pop punk crowd was won over with Smile Smile’s indie version of the classic Blink 182 cover, “Dammit”. It was the most memorable moment for me other than their little lovers quarrel. The only thing I was left wondering is whether or not the duo will sustain long enough to support their album, “Truth On Tape”, which is being released on February 16, 2010. I hope they do. Even though I wasn’t too crazy about them personally, I can see a lot of people really liking their music as a way to help cope with the rough relationship patches in their life.
To better understand this dynamic and check out a couple of live clips, watch this video:
Smile Smile set list from their Emo's Austin show on December 3, 2009:
Anymore
Beg You to Stay
Tempo Bledsoe
Dammit
Cancer
The Attic
Sleepwalking
Sad Song
Truth on Tape
For more on Smile Smile, visit the following links:
Ian is a graduate of Round Rock High School and attended St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. In 2008 he joined the team at Double Stereo (formerly CD Fuse) as their Blog editor where he reviewed concerts, albums, and did interviews for the popular music site.In January 2009, he became the Editor in Chief for Austin Vida. In 2010, with the help of some of his most talented friends, he launched Red River Noise. "Ian's Music Blog" is also one of the few blogs selected to be a Do512 All-Star.
On any given night of the week he can be found in downtown Austin on 6th Street and the Red River live music district.
I came across this cool music video the other day via email. It is from a Brooklyn based indie-pop artist, Chris Garneau. The dude seems to be a little out there and different, but I guess a lot of creative types typically are. I don't really dig his music, but his new video for his single "Fireflies" is awesome. I am a closet nerd, and an avid video game nerd on top of that. The video for Fireflies is directly inspired by my favorite Nintendo game of all time, The Legend of Zelda. If you've never played the game, then you get excited by the video the way I did when I first saw it.
