Oblivion by Grimes, directed by Emily Kai Bock. (vimeo)
May 8, 2012 8:17 AM Subscribe
Oblivion by Grimes, directed by Emily Kai Bock. (vimeo) "A lot of the power of this video comes from dropping these very dream-like sounds and images into unexpected, male-dominated spaces." A beautiful video shot by Emily Kai Bock. The band is Canadian Grimes. Interesting comments on the making of the video here. Free download of the song.
It's funny how a part of the melody reminds me of Del Shannon's Runaway.
posted by WalkingAround at 8:49 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by WalkingAround at 8:49 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
"A lot of the power of this video comes from dropping these very dream-like sounds and images into unexpected, male-dominated spaces."
In other words, a nice juxtaposition. Ironic even. But I honestly don't read much more into it than that. The vid is first and foremost a piece of marketing, something I could very easily see being used to sell me on a soft drink. Which is the odd part, really. No discussion of the song at all in that Pitchfork interview.
subtext: I used to make rock-vids for a living and was never allowed to forget (by the clients that is) that what I was making was part of their marketing strategy, not a work of art, however artful it might seem.
posted by philip-random at 9:03 AM on May 8, 2012
In other words, a nice juxtaposition. Ironic even. But I honestly don't read much more into it than that. The vid is first and foremost a piece of marketing, something I could very easily see being used to sell me on a soft drink. Which is the odd part, really. No discussion of the song at all in that Pitchfork interview.
subtext: I used to make rock-vids for a living and was never allowed to forget (by the clients that is) that what I was making was part of their marketing strategy, not a work of art, however artful it might seem.
posted by philip-random at 9:03 AM on May 8, 2012
Grimes sounds like a Super Nintendo and a Commodore 64 engaged in carnal relations.
posted by deathpanels at 9:06 AM on May 8, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by deathpanels at 9:06 AM on May 8, 2012 [3 favorites]
"Grimes sounds like a Super Nintendo and a Commodore 64 engaged in carnal relations."
You make that sound like a bad thing.
posted by clvrmnky at 9:09 AM on May 8, 2012
You make that sound like a bad thing.
posted by clvrmnky at 9:09 AM on May 8, 2012
OK, this post is very helpful. I was in Toronto last week, and I saw all these posters and tags and things that said "Grimes". I thought Toronto was filled with very specific Walking Dead fans.
posted by gurple at 9:16 AM on May 8, 2012
posted by gurple at 9:16 AM on May 8, 2012
a Super Nintendo and a Commodore 64 engaged in carnal relations.
Is this the part where you take all my money?
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:19 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Is this the part where you take all my money?
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:19 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
I loved, loved, loved this video when it came out. It hit the same week as Limbaugh's shitty attack on Sandra Fluke. It made him seem suddenly very reactionary and the emerging horizon of gender politics in America seem very bright indeed. Grimes is awesome. Sexing herself up for the cameras isn't even on her agenda. And yet, the Oblivion video is a strong statement of unapologetic female libido. It's the cleverest reply to about 20 years of music industry objectification of the female body that you could hope for.
Someday, assholes like Rush will be dead and smart kids like Grimes will still be making music.
posted by R. Schlock at 9:19 AM on May 8, 2012 [7 favorites]
Someday, assholes like Rush will be dead and smart kids like Grimes will still be making music.
posted by R. Schlock at 9:19 AM on May 8, 2012 [7 favorites]
It's a very nice video. If I have to complain about something (and I'm me, so I probably do), the way the lipsync is sloppy at best, and totally off at worst, is really annoying.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 9:28 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 9:28 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
At the risk of self-pimping, I was just taking about this song, and Grimes, the other day as part of Crush On Radio. I wish I'd thought to talk up the video too. Reading the interview explains so much, because I admit the juxtaposition went totally over my head at first. I do love the cinematography though.
Oh, and the song is awesome.
posted by SansPoint at 9:29 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Oh, and the song is awesome.
posted by SansPoint at 9:29 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm seeing her live in a few hours! I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, read about her Misssissippi River adventure.
posted by cilantro at 9:30 AM on May 8, 2012
posted by cilantro at 9:30 AM on May 8, 2012
I've been kind of avoiding her because of the excess of hype, but now I'm really sorry I missed her at SXSW. This is definitely better than I expected.
posted by immlass at 9:43 AM on May 8, 2012
posted by immlass at 9:43 AM on May 8, 2012
This is such a fun song. Probably one of my favorite albums of the year so far.
Her interview with Nardwuar is really funny.
posted by Pope Xanax IV at 9:44 AM on May 8, 2012
Her interview with Nardwuar is really funny.
posted by Pope Xanax IV at 9:44 AM on May 8, 2012
I didn't think the video was anything special, but this is still a great song.
posted by Alex404 at 9:46 AM on May 8, 2012
posted by Alex404 at 9:46 AM on May 8, 2012
The interview is really good.
I really like the metaphor of Claire entering these typically-male territories and being like, "What's up, I'm here to sing my song." In a way, it represents how it feels as a girl in the film and music worlds, because we sometimes get a sense of not being taken as seriously.
"What's up, I'm here to sing my song." sums up her insouciance about pretty much everything [nsfw]. She just seems more comfortable in her own skin than most pop culture people.
posted by phrontist at 9:51 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
I really like the metaphor of Claire entering these typically-male territories and being like, "What's up, I'm here to sing my song." In a way, it represents how it feels as a girl in the film and music worlds, because we sometimes get a sense of not being taken as seriously.
"What's up, I'm here to sing my song." sums up her insouciance about pretty much everything [nsfw]. She just seems more comfortable in her own skin than most pop culture people.
posted by phrontist at 9:51 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Someday all the assholes will be dead and young children will have a game called moshing where they hold hands and jump up and down, it will replace ring around the roses. It will be explained as something people use to do on television to music. Countless children through the ages will be delighted.
posted by bdc34 at 10:00 AM on May 8, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by bdc34 at 10:00 AM on May 8, 2012 [2 favorites]
Oh man, I just discovered this song (probably via Pandora, or maybe the indie radio or something) and I've been listening to it into the ground, I like it so much. It is so ethereal and gauzy that I couldn't really form a mental conception of the artist behind it but this is of course just right.
posted by Aubergine at 10:05 AM on May 8, 2012
posted by Aubergine at 10:05 AM on May 8, 2012
Ha!
It's really great to see the spread this video has gotten, and to have gotten to watch Grimes just sort of exploding over the last year or so. I live on the periphery of this montreal cultural community, and I get a sort of glimpse at how these people doing interesting things in close proximity to one another end up colliding and producing even *more* interesting things.
For at least the past 10 or 15 years, there's always been some Cool Thing happening in Montreal, going back (from my pretty limited perspective) at least to Godspeed!. These artists help create a sort of aura in the city that attracts creative young people who end up doing their own thing, and it ends up being this sort of virtuous cycle. For me that 'thing' was the Unicorns, and then there was the scene focused around Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade; currently, though, it really feels like Grimes (and Arbutus generally) are sort of holding the torch.
Emily is great, and i'm really happy to see her work blowing up. She was still going to film school a few months ago, and she's only been seriously making videos for less then a year; this Grimes video and two others are her first work, and the reception has been fantastic. These were all shot for basically free, with non-actors, mostly in public spaces, and they're really beautiful. These videos aren't trying to sell anyone anything. There's no corporate money behind any of this, although there will certainly start to be. This is just somebody working really hard to realize something beautiful, and honestly it's just pretty great.
posted by cmyr at 11:21 AM on May 8, 2012 [6 favorites]
It's really great to see the spread this video has gotten, and to have gotten to watch Grimes just sort of exploding over the last year or so. I live on the periphery of this montreal cultural community, and I get a sort of glimpse at how these people doing interesting things in close proximity to one another end up colliding and producing even *more* interesting things.
For at least the past 10 or 15 years, there's always been some Cool Thing happening in Montreal, going back (from my pretty limited perspective) at least to Godspeed!. These artists help create a sort of aura in the city that attracts creative young people who end up doing their own thing, and it ends up being this sort of virtuous cycle. For me that 'thing' was the Unicorns, and then there was the scene focused around Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade; currently, though, it really feels like Grimes (and Arbutus generally) are sort of holding the torch.
Emily is great, and i'm really happy to see her work blowing up. She was still going to film school a few months ago, and she's only been seriously making videos for less then a year; this Grimes video and two others are her first work, and the reception has been fantastic. These were all shot for basically free, with non-actors, mostly in public spaces, and they're really beautiful. These videos aren't trying to sell anyone anything. There's no corporate money behind any of this, although there will certainly start to be. This is just somebody working really hard to realize something beautiful, and honestly it's just pretty great.
posted by cmyr at 11:21 AM on May 8, 2012 [6 favorites]
Someday, assholes like Rush will be dead and smart kids like Grimes will still be making music. be the new assholes.
posted by Grangousier at 11:27 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Grangousier at 11:27 AM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
I simultaneously loved that and hated it, which means it'll grow into an obession, and it'll consume me for the next week or so, and in the end, love will win out. It always does. And from it, my scope of music will have widened so much because of it.
posted by FirstMateKate at 11:27 AM on May 8, 2012
posted by FirstMateKate at 11:27 AM on May 8, 2012
Someday, assholes like Rush will be dead and smart kids like Grimes will still be making music.
Man, that's harsh! Isn't the world of Canadian music big enough to accomodate all sorts of styles?
posted by newmoistness at 12:19 PM on May 8, 2012 [7 favorites]
Man, that's harsh! Isn't the world of Canadian music big enough to accomodate all sorts of styles?
posted by newmoistness at 12:19 PM on May 8, 2012 [7 favorites]
Thanks for the info cmyr. I remember seeing the video for the song Vanessa last year and assumed it had been assembled by a team of expensive producers and image consultants and such. Sort of surprised the songs were more of a do-it-yourself effort.
She reminds me of another young woman out of New York who's also doing the bedroom electronic thing, Danielle Johnston aka Computer Magic.
posted by bobo123 at 12:38 PM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
She reminds me of another young woman out of New York who's also doing the bedroom electronic thing, Danielle Johnston aka Computer Magic.
posted by bobo123 at 12:38 PM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Computer Magic is far better, IMHO. Grimes feels way too image-conscious, too desperate to be part of that faux-vintage urban-outfitters monoculture of cool.
posted by dunkadunc at 1:37 PM on May 8, 2012
posted by dunkadunc at 1:37 PM on May 8, 2012
too desperate to be part of that faux-vintage urban-outfitters monoculture of cool.
I just got home from seeing her live about 20 minutes ago, and that is 100% wrong in every conceivable way that it could possibly be wrong.
posted by cilantro at 2:53 PM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
I just got home from seeing her live about 20 minutes ago, and that is 100% wrong in every conceivable way that it could possibly be wrong.
posted by cilantro at 2:53 PM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Assholes like Rush Limbaugh, I believe. I mean, I hope. Not Canadian prog-rock band Rush.
What a charming video! I loved how it engaged with "manly" imagery in such a playful, dreamy way--it didn't cast the motocross crowds in a bad light or anything. I think there was a social commentary, but it was very gentle.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 3:33 PM on May 8, 2012
What a charming video! I loved how it engaged with "manly" imagery in such a playful, dreamy way--it didn't cast the motocross crowds in a bad light or anything. I think there was a social commentary, but it was very gentle.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 3:33 PM on May 8, 2012
Genesis is an amazing pop song, and Visions has been one of the most entertaining albums thus far this year. I don't know how her music'll age, but right now she's great.
posted by Magnakai at 4:15 PM on May 8, 2012
posted by Magnakai at 4:15 PM on May 8, 2012
CBC Radio 3 was all over Grimes from as far back as "Vanessa," and I gotta admit that once I got past the 4AD/Cocteau Twins veneer that Grimes has, I was able to appreciate her for the true oddball that she is. Claire isn't trying to be conspicuously "quirky" or "cute," as she is--as phrontis said--comfortable being herself without really caring too much who gets it.
Another good link: "88" by Cadence Weapon, which is Rollie rapping over the Grimes song "Eight."
posted by stannate at 9:24 PM on May 8, 2012
Another good link: "88" by Cadence Weapon, which is Rollie rapping over the Grimes song "Eight."
posted by stannate at 9:24 PM on May 8, 2012
Very nice, though, despite my snark above. Just recommended the album to a friend who's very into what we call International Girl Pop or IGP (thus creating a genre that unites Perfume, Kylie, Bananarama and Sandie Shaw). Listening to a few tracks on YouTube, there's a point in most songs where something else is supposed to happen and instead she treads water and begins looking around for the master fader, but perhaps that's the way Young People are wearing their pop these days. In any case they should stop dancing on my lawn.
Lovely, though - Oblivion is Tiffany produced by a Blancmange/Robin Guthrie team-up. And I mean that in a good way.
posted by Grangousier at 12:54 AM on May 9, 2012 [1 favorite]
Lovely, though - Oblivion is Tiffany produced by a Blancmange/Robin Guthrie team-up. And I mean that in a good way.
posted by Grangousier at 12:54 AM on May 9, 2012 [1 favorite]
I love this. LOVE. See you all on a dark night.
posted by basicchannel at 12:17 PM on May 12, 2012
posted by basicchannel at 12:17 PM on May 12, 2012
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Pitchfork: Who were those shirtless guys moshing at the end of the video?
EKB: Claire's brother is into sports so he has a lot of really young, beefy friends who were very willing to mosh for us.
CB: [laughs] Yeah. We bought 10 pizzas for like $12 or some crazy deal like that. And we had a lot of beer.
posted by Corduroy at 8:32 AM on May 8, 2012