MIXING 8MM WITH 8 TRACKS.

It’s time for another edition of Grindhouse Grooves, showing the latest videos who take their cues from the more dingy side of the cinematic tracks. This time we’ve a new video from Darren Lynn Bousman, vintage animation, serial killers and a nanobot invasion!

Sally Shapiro

If It Doesn’t Rain

Dir. Zden?k Miler/Editor Iris B. Cegarra

Czech animator Miler’s 1958 Jack Frost-inspired short M?sí?ní Pohádka is used beautifully to back Sally Shapiro’s mildly melancholy, yet upbeat, disco-ish track.

Mirror Mirror

Nowhere

You won’t need YouTube’s new VHS button to watch this weirdly fetishistic video of a leatherman-turned-mad doc (artist Desi Santiago) attempting to perform an experiment that seems to involve Jell-O molds and Devo hats.

They Might Be Giants

Nanobots

Dir. Liam Lynch

TMBG is at their best when they’re coupling upbeat music with less upbeat lyrics and ideas, and this video and song about the nanobot takeover of the planet is prime horrifying fun. It’s make a great double-bill with Cyriak’s video for Flying Lotus’s “Putty Boy Strut.”

Press to Meco

Affinity

Dir. Lewis Carter

Press To Meco – Affinity from Lewis Cater on Vimeo.

The song is kind of an odd blend of melodic voices and metal-influenced guitar, but I can’t argue with the ‘70s horror vibe of the video, as some standard tasks on a farm prove to be anything but normal, and pretty soon, we’re in I DRINK YOUR BLOOD territory.

Ghost and Gale

Take Me To The Fire

Dir. Jesse Fleece

Ghost and Gale – “Take Me To The Fire” from Jesse Fleece on Vimeo.

It’s a bit hard not to make immediately comparisons to the video for Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Sacrilege” with the imagery of a woman prepared to be burned at the stake, but the western setting and a very different twist give Fleece’s moody short a feeling all its own.

MS MR

Hurricane

Dir. Luke Gilford

Alien sex gets hot and heavy, and smoky and oozy, in this impressively vibrant video for a fairly low-key track by MS MR.

Raveyards

Together We Play

Dir. Cédric Blaisbois

RAVEYARDS ” Together We Play “ from raveyards on Vimeo.

The EVIL DEAD poster in the background towards the beginning is a good indicator at the deranged frenzy of violence to come as three teenagers drink a bunch and things start getting really bloody. Bonus points for the appearance of Charles Burns’ “Black Hole” in one of the kids’ hands.

Small Black

Free At Dawn

Dir. Yoonha Park

Inspired by Hollis Frampton’s experimental 1970 film ZORNS LEMMA, director Park captures Small Black’s moody track by shooting various signs and streets around Brooklyn on 16mm film to beautiful effect.

Jilk

My Techno Heart Melts Your EMO Dribble

Dir. James Sampson

A young man just trying to expel some urine becomes possessed by graffiti and begins engaing in spastic dancing that would make Spike Jonze proud. Then he starts hallucinating people with horse heads. Can’t a guy just whiz in peace?

Aster Paulen

Friday Jane

Dir. Michal Bolland

ASTER PAULEN – FRIDAY JANE from MICHAL BOLLAND on Vimeo.

Modern British gangster flicks get mixed with a little comic book look in this mini-epic about a guy who apparently double-crossed the wrong people. It’s almost surprising that Ray Winstone doesn’t show up.

A-Trak and Tommy Trash

Tuna Melt

Dir. Ryan Staake

It starts off with dominos, but quickly becomes a series of actions that would make Rube Goldberg proud, and the camera desperately tries to follow, like an Ok Go video with a better soundtrack. Plus, toast!

Thee Oh Sees

Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster



The video for the band’s “Mintour” was fun but light, but Thee Oh Sees take the opposite tactic for their latest, a significantly darker take on a man unfortunate enough to stumble across a serial killer covering his tracks.

Emilie Autumn

Fight Like a Girl

Dir. Darren Bousman



SAW II-IV director Darren Bousman is no stranger to imaginative music video work from his helming of REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA and THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL (I recommend the latter), so it’s not surprising to see him in the music video game in collaboration with his CARNIVAL partner Emilie Autumn.

Be back when the jukebox has been restocked,

– Paul Freitag-Fey

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Tags: Animation, Darren Lynn Bousman, Music Video, They Might Be Giants