The premiere episode of Corduroy’s new web series On Tape–conversations with artists–has arrived. The subject of episode 1 is CFCF, the enigmatic producer from Montreal whose debut album “Continent” is out now on Paper Bag Records. Enjoy.
Having spent the majority of our lives in urban centres, our vision of small town America is more in line with Hollywood’s–a white pickect fence-lined haven for wholesome families, and hard workers to raise children and commit adultery. In Todd Field’s wrenching 2001 drama In The Bedroom, an illicit relationship in a small New England town leads to murder. In Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Showa group of unfulfilled, frustrated townspeople hookup simply to pass the time. Then there’s the opposite end of the spectrum. It took Reese Witherspoon’s New York Socialite a return to her small town roots to become a better person in Sweet Home Alabama. So which is it? Is middle America replete with sexually frustrated misanthropes or congenial do-gooders whose perfectly aligned moral compasses are the key to our salvation?
Why don’t we let Bill and Turner Ross chime in, whose fly-on-the-wall documentary 45365 examines the many intricacies of Sidney, a small town in Ohio, and does so free of judgment. A Grand Jury Award winner at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, 45365 is available for streaming on various sites and should eventually find its way to a theatre near you. That is, if you live in a big city of course.
Check out the mesmerizing trailer for 45365 below.
What gives a band of twenty somethings the right to sing about sexual dysfunction in a marriage that’s reached its expiration date? The Lovely Feathers–the Montreal-based indie darlings who have returned from an extended hiatus–tackle the estranged subject in “Lowiza”, the first single off their sophomore album The Fantasy of The Lot. Though their effort is filled with radio-ready numbers, rich with hooks and drenched in melody, it’s “Lowiza” that stands out as the band’s most self-assured slice of power pop in years; a perfect way to re-introduce them to the masses. And although their youthful fans may not be stuck in loveless marriages anytime soon, lead singer Mark Kupfert’s fiery vocals have us convinced that sexual frustration is indeed, timeless. Check out the video for “Lowiza” below.
Moby’s new animated music video is a sombre, noir fairy tale about a man who is in love with a woman’s head. The clip is heavy on mood and the song is worldless, so you’re really going to have to pay attention. Still, it plays like an award-winning short and is Moby’s most innovative clip in years. The video was directed by Hollywood’s enfant terrible David Lynch. “Shot In The Back of The Head is” is the debut track from Moby’s new album Wait For Me, out June 30th on Mute Records. Be sure to check out the upcoming issue of Corduroy for our exclusive sit down with Moby as he discusses his failures and insecurities as an artist, and his hopes for the future.
Kid Cudi’s “Day N Nite” was released months ago, and has subsequently been remixed by everyone and their mother. However, the breakout song for the breakout rapper hasn’t had a proper video until now. The clip’s bombastic visual style is so unmistakably the work of the brilliant graphic artist Bertrand de Langeron, otherwise known as So Me, the architect of Parisian beat house Ed Banger Records‘ unique visual aesthetic as well as Kanye West’s now iconic video for “Good Life”. With a highly anticipated debut album on the way and a cushy spot with the “in crowd”, this cunning display of pop savy only helps cement Kid Cudi’s place as one to watch in 2009.
