October 2009: Mulholland, Opensouls, PNC, Red Alert, Rosie Riggir, Sarah Brown, State of Mind, The Feelers

Being a serious musician, down at the beach, dinosaur’s day out, water aerobics, lavish and sensual, a tea party, miniature world, and a tropical holiday with the lads.

Mulholland “Everything’s Going To Be Alright”

“Everything’s Going To Be Alright” is based around Mulholland in the studio, recording the song, but because it’s Mulholland things get a tiny bit surreal. That is, Jol Mulholland is so focused on being a serious musician that he starts recording things like milk and sushi. It’s not played for laughs either, so therefore it is hilarious.

Director: Jensen Downes Picture Company

Opensouls “Telephone Song”

“Telephone” is a feel-good song, all about cheering up a friend (or lover) with the blues. The video puts the band on Cheltenham Beach, and films them in stop motion style, with singer Tyra aided by her bandmates holding up coloured circles and frames. As night falls, pyrotechnics come out, with burst of brightness lighting up the beach.

Director: Tim Van Dammen

PNC “Bazooka’s Theme”

PNC has “Bazooka’s Theme”, full of cool mid ’80s synth sounds. The video is based around PNC’s red dinosaur suit being stolen and put to work around Auckland. The dinosaur has a busy day, including breakdancing, skateboarding, snowboarding, pole-dancing, rock-climbing, bungee jumping, skydiving and posing next to a low rider. It’s the music video equivalent of a kidnapped garden gnome travelling the world, having so many adventures.

Director: Alex Dyer

Red Alert featuring Vince Harder “Rocked My World”

The “Rocked My World” video seems to take inspiration from Eric Prydz 2004 video for “Call On Me”, featuring sweaty, Lycra-clad women (and one man) taking part in an aerobics class. “Rocked My World” flips the concept, setting it at a seniors’ water aerobics class, where a pool full of women (and one man) get down to their low-impact fitness. It’s so much more fun and more interesting than the sweaty, crotchtastic “Call On Me” video, and it ends with cakes which is even better.

Rosie Riggir “Touch Me”

Going solo from the synth-pop group CASH, Rosie Riggir has “Touch Me”, which she describes as being about “the incredible solitude felt when living so far from loved ones”. That’s so New Zealand. The video surrounds Rosie with six dancers, all creating a lavish, sensual scene. And we like lavish, sensual scenes. The song and the video create an intense feeling of longing, the sense of being surrounded by six dancers but feeling totally alone.

Director: Isaac Bell

Sarah Brown “Best of You”

It’s tempting to categorise the “Best of You” video along with all the Gaga style of the late ’00s, but Sarah Brown’s videos have always have a strong and artistic visual style. “Best of You” casts Sarah as a pretty lady at a tea party, with the cups and saucers getting all Disney and dancing around her. The video creates an enchanting world of butterflies, balloons and fish, adding so much more depth than the song has on its own.

Director: Surface FX

State of Mind featuring P Digsss “Vega”

I couldn’t focus on the “State of Mind” video while the music was playing, but once it was on mute, the video’s story became clear(er). It follows a crystal man, who wanders around on a strange planet, stepping through a portal into another world. There’s tension, a sense of jeopardy, and also an intriguing adventure. But even more thrillingly, the whole video is shot with stop-motion animation, using a mix of real objects (seed pods, crystals, iron filings) along with 3D-printed figures, all shot in macro for an otherworldly effect.

Director: Simon Oosterdijk
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

The Feelers “Blue Skies”

Weirdly enough, I know a lot about the background of this video. The Feelers were in Rarotonga as part of a promotion for Mastercard. They recorded their song “Blue Skies” and shot the video there. They were also joined by the winner of Mastercard’s competition, Sharon From Hamilton. The competition had promised that the winner would get to sing on the chorus and appear in the video, but there’s no sign of anyone who looks like a Sharon From Hamilton.

Instead it’s the Feelers recording the song and enjoying island life. James Feelers is always shown wearing sunglasses, indoors and out. He has at least three different pairs, including one that looks like were stolen from an auntie in 1987. If you enjoy watching things like the Feelers messing around, falling off a motorbike and getting a skinned knee, throwing a guitar into the ocean, then you will enjoy the “Blue Skies” video.

Director: Dean Cornish

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