June 2011: Home Brew, I Am Giant, Jonny Love, Katchafire, Kidz In Space, Lisa Crawley

Shooting some hoops, dark and mysterious, epic American landscapes, medicinal purposes, on the road and going outside, and a black marker pen.

Home Brew “Basketball Court” – missing

“Basketball Court” is an ode to Riversdale Reserve in Avondale, particularly the basketball court but also the surrounding neighbourhood. The video takes place at the park and starts by focusing on the kids at the park, on bikes, skateboards and shooting hoops. As the sun starts to set, the Home Brew Crew move in, with spray cans and beers (omg, in direct violation of the liquor ban, cheers). It’s cool and dreamy, a realisation that the basketball court isn’t just for nostalgic childhood memories, it still has a role to place in the present.

Note: The video was hosted on YouTube but has since been taken down. Listen to the audio here.

Director: Stjohn

I Am Giant “And We’ll Defy”

The video director’s website says that the band wanted “a beautiful film that was professional and polished but with dark scenes and an element of mystery.” Well, “I Am Giant” is found playing their song in a church. A young woman wanders in and is all exotic and mysterious. She takes photos of the band (with a Polaroid camera, of course) and sticks them to her serial-killer/high-school-art-student collage. And I guess, yeah, it’s dark but mysterious.

Director: Sweet Pictures
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Jonny Love “Courage”

“Courage” was Jonny Love’s final funded music video. Much of the video is just Jonny moodily wandering around an American desert, where every shot is epic American landscapes. And it gets a bit dull because nothing much happens. Then near the end of the video, he picks up a hitch-hiker, sleeps with her, then wanders off into the desert with a reel-to-reel tape recorder to, what, record his post-root desert campfire tapes? Perhaps the song isn’t giving the video enough energy. It just feels a bit flat and it’s hard to care about goings on.

Director: Damien Shatford

Katchafire “Irie”

“Irie” is a super chill and very romantic love song that features the amazing lyric “I wanna roll you, lick you up, stick you down”. The first time a love interest has been compared to a marijuana cigarette in a funded song. The video mostly involves Katchafire in the studio, and one of the band is frolicking around with his lady, down by the beach at Raglan (kia ora!). It could possibly have done with less of the band in the studio (already been there), but the “Irie” video does a good job of tapping into the sweet vibe of the song.

Director: Damien Nikora

Kidz In Space “Number One”

Kidz In Space make electropop and a lot of their previous videos have been very ambitious, creating strong visuals with loads of visual effects. But that’s fiddly. It’s a lot easier (and cheaper!) to just grab a camera and follow a band on the road. “Number One” follows the band as they tour the North Island in the summer of 2011/2012. And that’s pretty much it — the band hitting the festival circuit, travelling and mucking around backstage. “Number One” was the final funded video for Kidz In Space.

Director: Lucy Zee
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Lisa Crawley “Blind Eyes”

In the “Blind Eyes” video, Lisa Crawley is glammed up in New York City, armed with a very powerful black marker pen. She uses it to scribble out the face of a rogue fellow in a photo, but the act of scribbling extends into real life. Whenever we see Lisa with the guy, his face is covered with black scribbles. It’s nicely done and it reflects the lyrics without being too literal about it.

Director: Damien Shatford

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