There are a lot of videos coming out of Austin these days, so we’ve decided to make life easier for you by compiling some of the most notable into a recurring feature called Out of Focus.
Riders Against the Storm- “Booty Sweat”
I don’t know if any group in Austin is as dedicated to good times as Riders Against the Storm. The hip hop duo want nothing more than to get exhausted Austin partygoers up and on the dance floor one more time, regardless of the time of day or location. Fittingly, their new video for their hot single “Booty Sweat” is all about making your ass work itself out, a colorful Austin update of George Clinton’s immortal words of wisdom that if you free your mind, your ass will follow. Set against an array of colorful walls and nightclubs, the “Booty Sweat” video is a good time that can’t be rejected. It’s so good natured I don’t even have any snark to throw the way of all that Juiceland product placement. All I as is that Juiceland consider adding a Booty Sweat smoothie to the menu. Come on, it practically markets itself.
Christeene- “FUK V29”
There is no proper way to introduce Christeene, so for the unitiated, all I can say is I envy the shock and awe you’re about to experience. On new track “FUK V29,” Christeene is equal parts Hunx, Butthole Surfers and Kanye in Yeezus mode, so naturally the video is a scratchy, abstract found footage deal, like something too raw for VHS 3 that nonetheless managed to claw its way out of a cutting room waste bin and make its way onto the internet. It’s a perfect visual representation of the track’s sleazy but sexy vibe, leaving you feeling filthy and in danger of a tetanus infection. Infectious is the key term here, though, as “FUK V29” is hard to put away, a sludgy siren song of sewer seduction that won’t let go once it has hooked its way into your innards.
Technicolor Hearts- “Who You Are”
Generally I believe people who complain about the Tumblrification of something are assholes looking to cloak some generational anxiety in a more acceptable anti-trend stance. A lot of anti-Tumblr bullies basically just want to hate on people for either pointing out the inequality of a situation or being goofily passionate and sincere. Why waste all that time being negative about people just being kind of dorky and aware, you know? All that said, something about Technicolor Hearts’ new video “Who You Are” rubs me the wrong way. I appreciate what they’re trying to do by using the music video to give random passersby a voice, flipping that “Subterranean Homesick Blues” script, so instead of the artist making the statement it’s the fans or the band’s friends or whoever was nearby. But it feels forced, like the band watched some #ItGetsBetter YouTube videos and decided to run with that positivity and unity. I could be more cynical and negative than the intended audience for this, or it could be that I’m more fond of the abstract, balletic work the band has done in the past with Woven Feet, either way, “Who You Are” comes across as trying a little too hard for my tastes.
Technicolor Hearts’ EP release party is this Friday, March 6th at Cheer Up Charlie’s.
Megafauna- “This Town”
Speaking of Woven Feet, the dance collective continues their collaboration with Megafauna in the band’s new clip for “This Town.” Co-directed by Woven Feet’s Stephanie Chavez and Megafauna mastermind Dani Neff, “This Town” is a deliciously colorful exploration of the marks a scene leaves on you, following Neff throughout her day, every touch of an Austinite imprinting on her skin in dayglo splashes of paint or coming to surprising life in hallucinations of being surrounded by a voyeuristic group of superfans. There’s no dancing this time around, just some performance footage of the band at Cheer Up Charlie’s and a run through green Austin suburbs. But the climax of the video is signature Woven Feet, with bold movements and vivid colors as Neff shakes off the imprints of her neighbors. It’s fierce and playful and therefore serves as a potent example of Megafauna’s vivaciousness.
Nick Hanover got his degree from Disneyland, but he’s the last of the secret agents and he’s your man. Which is to say you can find his particular style of espionage here at Ovrld as well as Loser City, where he mostly writes about comics. You can also flip through his archives at Comics Bulletin, which he is formerly the Co-Managing Editor of, and Spectrum Culture, where he contributed literally hundreds of pieces for a few years. Or if you feel particularly adventurous, you can always witness his odd .gif battles with his friends and enemies on twitter: @Nick_Hanover