The A/V Room: August

The reason this comes so hot on the heels of the July edition of The A/V Room, is that most of these videos are clips I didn't have room to feature last time, so here they are with their own little feature. Also, if you happen to be on facebook (which is highly likely if you have an internet connection) then may i suggest you 'like' the brand-spanking new Al's Music Rant page? If you look just to the right you'll see the widget to do so, or through your usual social media conventions as well. Lovely.

Speaking of Audio/Visual and social media, some good friends of The Rant have started up a great new website called Large Noises.

Unlike myself, who just regurgiates the cool videos I find on the interwebz, Large Noises actually go out and film bands for exculsive and intimate performances.

Anyone who features my beloved Big Scary as their opening salvo is brilliant in my book.

So go check them, and their brilliant elephant-based logo, out.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Little Blu House (Dir: Liam Bachler) NSFW

This video is rife with nostalgic cliches: kaleidoscopic effects, fey-looking nymphs arranged in a strange haze, and several shots of smoke via burnt matches, cigarettes and candles. It all contributes to Unknown Mortal Orchestra's playful take on psychedielia, merging a mutated version of sixties blues and rock with contemporary edge and irony. As I concluded in my full review of their strangely beguiling debut for Beat, they're 'as suited to the taste-making playlists of the iPod generation as they are the dusty confines of an antique vinyl stoop'.

Best Coast - Our Deal (Dir: Drew Barrymore)

Best Coast

Yes, that Drew Barrymore, and she proves quite the helms(wo)man for this clip. Essentially it's the hipster generation's remix of West Side Story in four minute microcosm, and everyone is too good-looking to be in a real gang; but it still complements Bethany Cosentino's surf-ache pathos really well. Of course, there's the Gen-Y celeb pull-power featuring Chloe 'Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass' Morentz in the lead, but you'll also spot Danny Glover's boy, Donald (better known to the blogosphere by his hip-hop moniker Childish Gambino).

Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders - Beautiful Sound (Dir: Peter Lenaerts

We've previously seen the moody vid for Cold Feet, and now we have the vid for the opening cut from the excelllent Hurtsville record. With just a simple concept, some smouldering visuals and a clever gimmick to make it visually interesting - Beautiful Sound is a fitting accompaniment to the 'Nick Cave fronting The National' sound of Ladder's third record. You can catch him and his Dreamlanders on a national tour with AMR faves Ghoul throughout September, dates and deets here (via FasterLouder)

The Trouble With Templeton - Bleeders (Dir: Josh Calder)

If someone had played this to me under the pretense it was the new track from Tom McCrae, I'd have totally believed it. Another rich, moody song with a similarly model-esque looking man wandering around at night, only this one features some goth-zombie chic, more Tim Burton than Thriller. Bleeders is an impressive package and its the first real taste of The Trouble With Templeton, or Thomas Calder to his mum. Will keeping an ear on this one. As a bonus, here's a behind the scenes blog post on the clip's production from the director.