Over the past couple of years, the music video world has become interesting again. Remember when there was nothing but a spate of lyric videos or, at best, we could expect a performance video of the band in a warehouse? Since then, a lot of bands and artists are finding fantastic filmmakers who craft something unique, something interesting, and something actually worth watching.

Such is the case with LA indie rock group Slow Coda and their video for their track “Valspeak”. Directed by Gabriel Younes, the video shows a young woman dancing through her house and gathering cleaning supplies, all set to the cheerful and upbeat music. And while I won’t spoil the ending, I will say that I felt an unease from the beginning and it absolutely 100% paid off. So, for those who wonder why this is on BD, just let the story build to its climax.

As I watched the video, I couldn’t help but notice that it bears strong influences from Italian master of horror Dario Argento, specifically Suspiria. Chloe Godard, who plays the woman, exudes a very strong “Suzy Bannion” aura and is simply delightful and charming to watch.

Singer and co-songwriter Tavis Balkin explains:

“Valspeak” is kind of meant to conjure up images of an idyllic teenage paradise, like the kind you see in so many 80’s movies — a time and a place that I’m pretty sure never really existed outside of the TV screen. To accentuate this angle, we added some New Wave flourishes and the song ended up being the most upbeat track on the EP. The tape is finally out this weekend and we’re really stoked.

You can download the You Again EP for free via Bandcamp.

Director Gabriel Younes tells BD, “The video for Valspeak was meant as a sort of love-letter to 1980’s cleaning montages in films and TV twisted with some horror. We really wanted to push a nostalgic feeling and call back to a time in the horror genre that really resonates with me visually by playing with light, color and lengthier camera moves, while feeding into the playful tone of the song.”

Slow Coda online:

Official Website

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Tour dates:

Ham and Eggs Tavern – Los Angeles, CA – March 21