Get to Know: Music Video
It’s more than just boops and beeps, trust us.
The music video revolutionized the visual art of music, letting us see more of a band than just their cover art and the posters plastered on our walls. Granted, it did give stations like MTV the boost they needed to get off the ground, but it’s a form of media that enhances our favorite songs by our favorite artists. So why not name a band after this great innovation? The Arizona band Music Video, fronted by Paul Jenkins and Wes McCanse, started at a show in 2003 in a small record store amongst family and friends. Since that fateful day, the band has won Tucson Weekly’s Tammie music award for electronic music three times in a row, not to mention racking up some amazing shows with the electro-likes of Dan Deacon and Fog. The dynamic duo recorded their debut album Fireproof Your T.V. in 2004, setting the strange yet enticing tone for the band which has sallied forth since then, unperturbed by the recent explosion of poser electronic acts.
Music Video’s recent release Now That My T.V. Has Wings, I’ll Never Be Lonely puts Jenkins lyrical prowess and McCanse’s production mastery together to make a fantastic album. It’s everything good about music, mixed with a laptop and a little old fashioned hard work. Now That My T.V… is different every track, going from the frenetic energy of “House of Cards” to the child-like tone in “The Little Boy on Fire.” Jenkins and McCanse refuse to stick to the typical booty-bouncing beats that electronic artists have been stereotyped with and instead explore the full capabilities of the genre. The album’s energetic to mellow, going every which way without losing focus. “Sparklemilk Warning” has a slow steady beat underneath the sharp snare hits Music Video places between Jenkin’s lyrics. When Jenkins soulfully croons over a great piano part, you can’t help but want to make Music Video your new favorite band.
“The Day I Exploded” is digital love, a song that’s meant to hit you right where it hurts but without leaving damaging scars. Jenkin’s lyrics compliment the soft arrangement of the track in a way that makes it delicate and driving simultaneously. If any director dared to remake Cameron Crowe’s Say Anything, Lloyd Dobler should be blasting this song on his boom box to woo his lady love.
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Sep 30, 2008 @ 7:00 am
