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.

Que Pasa- “My Family”

When we vanity search Ovrld on Twitter (it’s for research purposes, honest), a lot of what comes up is French teenagers saying “cuteness ovrld!!!” to pics of, I don’t know, rabbits or hedgehogs or whatever.  I get a kick out of it but now it feels strangely relevant thanks to Que Pasa’s “My Family” video, a feel good home movie that has hit me so hard in the feels I now understand cuteness ovrld. A twangy, low-key ditty about the power of solid friendships, “My Family” is a light offering by design. Liz Burrito gives it her all vocally, though, like a secret Debbie Harry/Jonathan Richman collab, throwing drawls and rolled r’s into words that usually have neither of those things, like, say, “phone.” If this doesn’t provoke at least a smirk from you, you might want to check and see if your heart is a few sizes too small.

Que Pasa’s tour kick off is next Tuesday, June 2nd, at Hotel Vegas with Telepods and more.

Tusk, Her- “Church Boots”

Details on Tusk, Her are scant, but they seem to be a duo-turned-trio who specialize in a grimy, throaty garage sound. Their pictures involve frequent mask wearing, which I am generally down with outside of Slipknot and Buckethead. If you remember early Kills, Tusk, Her should click for you quickly,  but the vocals are closer to Grand Ole Party-era Kristin Gundred than Alison Mosshart– still brash and bold but a little sweeter and more melodic. The video they sent over is a found footage clip in the true sense, comprised of weird tapes of snake handler dance cults and other Appalachian folk events. There’s a lot of raw potential here, and lord knows Austin garage rock could use an infusion of holler and stomp to offset all this watered down psych bullshit.

Thelonious Love- “Though They Try (ft. Star Amerasu)”

This Thelonious Love clip was sent to us with promises of it being like Saul Williams, but in truth it’s closer to that time when Black Eyed Peas were a legit consciousness rap outfit. That probably sounds like a knock, but it’s not (well, not entirely), I just want to make it clear that you shouldn’t head in expecting any of Saul Williams’ barely contained furor or destructive sonics. “Though They Try” might begin with a Malcolm X riff, but Thelonious Love is far too focused on his last name to bring any true Malcolm X vibes. Still, this is top notch production, from the early Moby-like beat to the video itself, which has Thelonious walking down colorful streets, with callbacks to the Malcolm X intro interspersed. It’s well done and honest and while my personal tastes skew closer to the anarchic, it’s easy to get behind the more comforting passion on display here.

S U R V I V E- “Hourglass”

Group Film One’s video for the classic S U R V I V E track “Hourglass” is dark and murky enough that I’m still not sure if it’s a pseudo-snuff film or a bondage flick. It could go either way, what with all those close-ups on a woman’s rope-bound wrists, and moans and screams and such. Given that the film collective apparently discovered the track via the menacing Adam Wingard thriller The Guest, which prominently features “Hourglass,” I’m guessing I should lean towards the activities in this short being more murderous than erotic. Whatever the plot, I’m entranced by Group Film One’s expert use of extreme close-ups, particularly when the rising chest and strained muscles of the actress pulse with a rhythm that is set to the song, as well as the timing of the screams and cigarette drops to the piercing synth screeches of the track. Hopefully this is merely the start of a very fruitful collaboration.

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