Here is the video for Mutual Core off the Icelandic singer’s Biophilia album.  The video has great animation and effects exploring themes of science and nature. It has all kinds of natural explosions, volcanoes, and snowstorms  across various landscapes.  The video is very artistic (expected of Bjork) and the vocals are also great (again, it is Bjork).  The video was  directed by Andrew Thomas Huang.

Although the video has been out for a few months, it will show every night during March on the mega screens in Times Square (scheduled to end at midnight nightly).  If you are lucky enough to catch it in NYC, then do so…otherwise click play and enjoy.

Latest video from Atoms for Peace. The song Ingenue is taken from the band’s just released album Amok. It is always great to see artists continue to strive for innovation.  Radiohead and Thom are perfect examples of this as they seem to always be trying to evolve.

The song is great (no surprise) and the video shows Thom dancing a conceptual choreographed routine with a partner.

Dancers: Thom Yorke and Fukiko Takase
Director: Garth Jennings
Choreographer: Wayne McGregor

New video for Bat For Lashes’ Lilies, taken from the album The Haunted Man. Natasha’s videos are always a bit dramatic and have great visuals.  This video is no exception.  The song feels intimate and has incredible vocals.  It also feels a little Bjorkesque (not sure it’s a word but who cares).

Enjoy the song an video directed by Peter Sluszka

In watching the recent Grammy awards, something caught my attention. More specifically, when the band Fun won the best new artist category.  Not so much that they won mind you, after all their songs have been playing everywhere and most people are familiar with them. What caught me by surprise was when lead singer Nate Ruess stated during the acceptance speech that he has been going in music for 12 years.  12 years!! and this is new???

So this observation got me thinking…which of these new artists are really new??  Looking at last few recipient of the best new artist Grammy winners, here is what i found (Grammy year/band name/debut year):

1. 2013 – Fun – formed in 2008 (released first album in 2009)
2. 2012 – Bon Iver – formed in 2007 (released first album in 2008)
3. 2011 – Esperanza Spalding – released first album in 2006
4. 2010 – Zac Brown Band – formed in 2002 (released first album 2004)

I guess this new artist award is not so much for a new new artist.  Seems more like an award for a breakthrough more than anything else.  So often it seems that a band has a meteoric rise when they make it.  The truth is that it takes time, hard work, incredible dedication, persistence and a blind belief in what you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish.  Although none of these things can guarantee success, without them, it appears there is little chance of “making it”.

The truth is most people don’t realize the hard work and sacrifice it takes to “make it”.  One thing is clear though.  If you have not made it, you need to keep going at it.  The goal is to always improve in everything you do.  Improve not only your music and your songs, but your image, your marketing plans, your drive, etc.   Perhaps then you might break through…and after several years of improvement and releasing several albums, you might get recognized as a “new” artist and can then begin your meteoric rise.

New video for Only Heather, from the album Nocturne (released in 2012).  The video is a one shot video (which always draw me in) of a man walking around through the streets with a sword piercing right through him.  Since the video was released on Valentines, it is probably a metaphor for having been hurt by “Heather”.

The song is great (as was this album) from Wild Nothing.

This has been one of my favorite artists for a while now. Love the vibe and overall aesthetic. Check it out.

Rough Sleeper is awesome.

http://www.hyperdub.net/releases/view/207/HDB069

Really like this sound!

This is the B-side to Depeche Mode’s newly released single “Heaven”.  The song is actually very different to the single it was released with.  Let’s see if their upcoming album (Delta Machine) is more Heaven or more All That’s Mine.

Album will drop on March 26th

New band with NIN front-man Trent Reznor.  Always interested in what Mr. Reznor is experimenting with.  This song has a nice vibe to it although not sure it breaks any ground.  The video has some great scenes and glowing eyes.  Glowing eyes always seem to make things scarier even if they really aren’t.

Video Directed by Shynola

New single/video from Depeche Mode.  Man are these guys ever going to quit? Anyways, seems a little different from what they previewed.  Regardless, strong vocals and powerful song leads the way for their upcoming album Delta Machine (Due March 26).  The video has great visuals and appears to be shot inside a church (no surprise since the song is called Heaven).  Anyways enjoy this once in a generation band once more.

New video for Gun Shy, from Grizzly Bear’s last album Shields. 

Very intresting video with cool visuals for a great song.  Here is how they describe the video:

“The idea came from a question:- if the creative energy of any living organism could be seen, what would it look like? Ed, Daniel, T and Bear demonstrate where their creative energy is located by extracting their hair, nails, skin, sweat, tears and blood. This is an invitation for a very rare glimpse of what creative energy could look like on a molecular level, if it could be seen.”

For more information on the video click here: http://bit.ly/VizOvZ
Enjoy.