The perils and/or benefits of pot, horse party, the act of it getting better, VCR intrigue, and rock.
Elemeno P “One Left Standing”
Elemeno P don’t feature much in this video (which I think was due to bassist Lani being pregnant) but the end result is a surprisingly moving video. It tells the story of four teens who each have their own troubles – there’s the gangly, arty guy who is terrible at schoolyard football, the tomboy-ish skater punk girl who is hassled for being a weirdo, the kids whose father is violent towards him, and the chubby guy who is hassled while he’s enjoying a sticky bun. It’s quite bleak. The four teens are revealed to be the younger versions of Elemeno P, and the video ends by catching up with them – four friends in a successful band, enjoying life. See, it does get better.
Director: Adam Jones
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Falter “Message For You”
The last time we saw Falter, they were a Rockquest-winning teen indie band, playing their instruments as they shot down a hydroslide. “Message For You” sees them more grown up, signed to a major label, and packaged as a slick band. It’s a whirlwind of hair and clothes and bright lights. The video ends with the Smokefree logo – lead singer Simon was one of the spokespeople for the Not Our Future anti-smoking campaign.
Director: Ivan Slavov
Fast Crew “What Happened to Yesterday”
“What Happened to Yesterday” was the first single of Fast Crew’s less successful second and final album. The song is a cautionary tale of perils of wasting your life from smoking too much pot and/or a celebration of living a good life as a pot smoker. The stylish video is set in a cool rooftop slacker pad and the video has a haze, like it’s permanently shrouded in smoke. Kid Deft looks like an executive real estate agent who’s dressed as a rapper for a work party, therefore the reinvention of Dane Rumble the pop star needs to happen soon.
Director: Mark Trethewey
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Friends From Sweden “Made of Love”
https://youtu.be/hOCGkJgg3I8
We last saw one-woman band Friends From Sweden in 2004 with “So Beautiful”. In the “Made of Love” video, creative force Mareea is all over the video, but she spends a lot of the time hiding behind hair, hats and evasive camera angles, like she’s not quite ready to be a rock star frontwoman. The video involves a revenge plot on an unfaithful lover, and is a reminder that as recently as 10 years ago a video cassette was perfectly ordinary technology and not an kitschy antique.
Director: Guy Tichborne
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Goldenhorse “Don’t Wake Me Up”
To watch this video, head over to Vimeo.
Goldenhorse have dropped the gloominess of the previous video and are going for something much lighter. Flanked by a giant apple and a life size horse mannequin (black, not golden), Kirsten joins her band and a cast of dozens for a party. The party builds and feels like it’s just at the point of losing control, which might explain why Kristin seems a bit lost amongst the revellers.
Director: Helena Brooks
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision