Scotch-Mist
r a d i o h e a d
Well, I tried writing something about the above video but I am sure you’ll all understand what I was trying to write just by watching. Something about Doing it Ourselves and the joy that that brings. And the attraction of the studio where the artist can be left alone to invent and discover then release items for public consumption when the time is right and not a moment sooner. Add on to that the inclusion of the mystic and absurd so that we steer clear of idle sincerity. Intermingled with a desire to yell, scream and cry all in tune and without dropping a beat. No this isn’t important but it is, like your last exam before summer vacation. Would you prefer a more refined video with fire and ladies dancing? Be honest. Would you prefer to see filled glasses of alcohol and some severe rump shakin’? Or is the experience of creating something new what a music video could and should be about?
Just a series of songs, just a day or two in production, just a few people. How many people are they impacting with their music? How many people will watch this video? Who will search for the lyrics and scribble them on walls? And why will we do it?
What magic is this that compels us so boldly into the night in search of our own local apparitions of internalized idols? Our own saviors before slaughter…our own kings. Picasso, Rembrandt, Mozart, Aristotle, O’keefe, Albers, Cage, Byrne, Kottke, listening and echoing and calling back into the night when we scream.
They understood/stand us. On some level beyond what we’ll be able to interpret and perhaps amongst a new level where even they were/are compelled to shout into darkness.
What magic do we have?
2 comments
I’m a huge fan of In Rainbows, and I love that all their individual videos from this album have also been homemade productions. Having headcams on “Jigsaw Falling” is such a simple idea, but so effective.
For those of you who haven’t seen it:
Will their lyrics be the ones we write on bathroom walls? Naw, I love them (favorite album of the year, by far), but their strength isn’t lyrics. Will they inspire anyone musically? I certainly hope so, beyond the Radiohead-lite bands like Coldplay. Those are fine and all, but I want to see people making artistic leaps because they see that at least one band could do it successfully.
More importantly, I hope it inspires more people simply to, as you put it, do it themselves. This was a great video.