here are two great videos I just saw recently for bands I love. I know, it's kind of a cop-out to only post videos since I know you all just want music, but whatever. I do what I want.
Plants and Animals are a Canadian band that I've posted before, and I only just found out about this video for their song "Feedback in the Field." the song is amazing but the clip is even better: googly eyes, stop-motion animation, furry hats, dancing children's toys, and the inexplicable presence of a pterodactyl all make for one of the creepiest and cutest videos I've seen recently.
and secondly, a friend just showed me this new one for The New Trust's song "Breathe Underwater." I don't know if this video is an official one, but I hope so because it is fucking precious. the entire clip is home video-style footage of the band playing in the waves. a fitting (and adorable) video for a great song. I love this band, and you should too.
this is an entirely self-serving post, brought to you by my frenzied excitement for the potential new Velvet Teen album. a few days ago they played their first show in a year (at an arcade no less, in a room painted with balloons and cupcakes and "Happy Birthday" streamers) with Judah Nagler in top form and Josh Staples dutifully at his side once more. Josh's presence is notable because after the release of Cum Laude! in 2006, he left the Velvet Teen to focus on his own band with his wife, the fantastic New Trust. however, he recently rejoined, and this show marked his triumphant return. this was also TVT's first show as a four-piece rather than a trio. I know, it's all so new and exciting.
TVT debuted some new songs during that set, one of which was particularly awesome and badass and makes me fart sparkles. some internet nerd captured all of this gloriousness on video and uploaded it to youtube, which means now it's time for me to share it with you. this video prominently features terrible lighting, poor audio, and Judah & Josh yelling whoa-oh! at each other. fantastic.
and as a bonus, here is an awesome clip of the New Trust performing at the same show, but with pretty acoustic guitars and annoying mic feedback. also Josh's beard? impeccable.
Josh Staples is some sort of musical mastermind. I think he has been involved in every single band to come out of california in the last 10 years in some way. but most notably, he used to play bass and sing backup vocals for The Velvet Teen, but after the release of Cum Laude! in 2006, he left the band to work full-time on his own project, called The New Trust. and now rumor has it that he has recently rejoined The Velvet Teen on bass duty, which means that he is now in two awesomely awesome bands, full time.
regardless, the New Trust can theoretically best be described as indie-punk-emo-awesome. their first album, Dark is the Path Which Lies Before Us, is faster, louder, happier, and much catchier. it recalls old school emo such as Knapsack, or maybe Fall Out Boy's older material, in its earnestness, undeniably catchy melodies, and borderline ridiculous lyrics. Josh Staples' shouted plaintive, reedy vocals wouldn't sound out of place on an early Promise Ring album either. my favorite song off this one is "Wake Up, It's the Nineties." (you will see why when you hear the lyrics.)
their second album, Get Vulnerable, while similar, is somewhat of a different creature. I haven't listened to it enough yet to get a feel for it entirely, but from what I can tell, it's darker. bleaker. more bombastic. more atmospheric. Josh's vocals have dropped like an octave lower; there are fewer choruses shouted in harmony; the guitars are harsher. this album sounds like a band that has grown up and taken their bitterness with them. so far, I love it. my favorite song on this album is "Fast Asleep in Her Arms."
here's a video for the song "All Things Are Moving Towards Their End" from the New Trust's first EP. it is, dare I say it, awesome.
The New Trust - Dark is the Path Which Lies Before Us (2006) download it! buy it!
