Boo! Halloween has attacked and retreated for another year, but we ignored the doorbell and ate the candy ourselves. Except Skittles. They're all you, man.
As winter begins its frosty descent, we Kitties warm ourselves by the pale fire of Unofficial Music Videos vying for the prestigious Barclay Award, given out each month for outstanding achievement in indie video artistry.
This month's Top Five features bold statements in black and white, snotty schoolboys in disgrace, and a full-on head trip that's either mind-expanding or a complete fabrication.
1. Producer: Hadi BA
Artist: Zhu
Song: "Good Life"
Category: Vérité
Evocative black and white photography and a dreamy pop song forge a strong alliance in Hadi AB's striking meditation on travel and time.
2. Producer: Aztec Llama
Artist: Phantogram
Song: "Mouthful of Diamonds"
Category: Narrative
There are interludes of dancing here, but it definitely has an unsettling narrative story structure, as well as a deft editing hand. A sumptuous array of images awaits.
3. Producer: Loic Xavier
Artist: Noah Cyrus
Song: "Again"
Category: Narrative
More scenes of travel, romantic fallout, and Marilyn Monroe come together in a painfully cathartic collage. Pro tip: You're never over it.
4. Producer: Harry Bloomfield
Artist: Slaves
Song: "Ninety Nine"
Category: Performance
Producer Harry Bloomfield isn't trying to reinvent the wheel here. These are all familiar rock-vid tropes, but he correctly serves them up piping hot.
5. Producer: Henry Hedlund
Artist: Travis Scott
Song: "Stargazing"
Category: Narrative
Is the world ready for suburban psychedelia? Who knows what evil lurks at the other end of the Ping Pong table?
In the not-too-distant future, we'll have more artist profiles, scintillating analysis, and possibly even something by you, dear reader. Get motivated and make magic happen. This isn't the rarefied air of some highfalutin' creative collective.
We're just like you, and we've all got something to say when the time is right. And there's no time like the present!
