Acute Case Of Dendrophilia In This Week’s Holy Hunter Of Music Videos
Even if England-based electro assembly Metronomy’s ever unfolding brand of urbane pop-rock isn’t your thing, one might argue that they have the music video game down to an admirable science. Recently at the helm is director Daren Rabinovitch of the massively accomplished film and animation studio, Encyclopedia Pictura (think 2008’s eye-popping stereoscopic 3D offering for Björk’s “Wanderlust”). In the lush video for “Upsetter,” our hirsute, primitive protagonist combs the California redwoods companionless, gathering bits of earth and stuffing them into the shape of a lanky fellow. What happens next is at once delightfully Swamp Thing-inspired and romantic for an acute case of dendrophilia. You must also watch the making of the creature here.
In tandem with electronic music producer Charlie Yin (aka Giraffage), director/animator Adam Avilla created an indelible, outré short film for the artist’s candy-colored track “Tell Me.” Post-collision with a disco ball-shaped celestial body, four pooches become realized versions of the modern humans they’ve as yet only daydreamed of becoming -- then it’s off with the leash and on with the white collar minutiae as their hyperrealistic voyage begins. Additionally, a pit bull experiences the pitfalls of dominating a doomsday cult while a longhaired chihuahua tackles infidelity and an ill-timed pregnancy.
While slightly slow-moving, writer/director Ardavon Fatehi and Jenny Messer’s schlocky mini horror film for the skronky Nobunny track “Lizard Liars” superbly gains momentum with a practical effects-driven, gory grand finale. What transpires throughout Nightmare Night is really pretty standard when you consider the lo-fi garage punk musician’s Bacchanalian live performance which includes the half-man, half-rabbit artist himself wearing raw meat, weaves, a ball gag, firecrackers and coats made of trash. In other words, evocative of a misanthropic puppet plucked from Meet the Feebles.
