Music videos are one of my most favorite things. No, I am not just talking about videos from my youth that changed the way I “saw” music. I still see “Black Hole Sun” from Soundgarden or “Today” from Smashing Pumpkins when I dream at night and the KLF videos still live with me everyday the strangeness that they exuded. I know this may be shocking, but artists and bands still make music videos. I know they are not played on MTV anymore, but there is still a market. And its not just Americans (rather it is probably mostly not Americans) who watch these videos. Now some of them are straightforward and boring. But others are works of art. Maybe because they are no longer being shown on MTV and VH1, artists (and directors) can be free to experiment with their story telling. The quality of some of these by relatively unknown bands is exceptional because we all have high tech cameras and editing software. However, the fancy equipment is not the only thing great about these videos. The emotions that a video can evoke, the changed meaning of a song, these and other visuals can completely make or break a song (in my opinion).  I often watch videos late into the night when I am already open to feeling and sometimes I come across a video that just blows me away.

Earlier this week I was listening to new music from some of the bands that have releases in the next few months. I had previously been familiar with Atlanta based Manchester Orchestra partially through a friend and through their relationship with Frightened Rabbit. They have been around for a while and have a pretty deep catalog. Their style is not easily defined ranging from harder indie rock to straight folk. If the first single, “The Alien”, off their upcoming record A Black Mile to the Surface is any indication, this album may be a bit more folky. When I first heard “The Alien” I liked the song and it really got me excited for the new record. When I watched the video for “The Alien”, I was blown away. It struck me as very different, very beautiful and it added an entire new layer to the song (see it below).