Out of the ashes...or was that the puddles? This was apparently a disastrous video shoot, with meteorological disasters, missing props, no shows...but no sign of it in the finished product. Slick, sharp and easy-to-watch, Illegal Musik's Mark Arona (director), Mikey Rockwell (editor) and Kaleb Vitale (creative direction and star) have put together an expensive-looking video. And the song? Catchy as anything that K.One has put out previously, and there is some hooky back catalogue out there. The 60s feel is helped by some backing vocals from Brooke Duff and horns from "Three Houses Down". I have bought K.One's music previously, with old favourite singles being 2010's "Walking Away" featuring a heavily auto-tuned Jason Kerrison (who clearly doesn't need to be but it worked), and 2011's "So Long" which also features Scribe. So who is K.One? Well he was a small-town forestry worker for seven years, and he ascribes his work ethic to that background. But it's not just a work ethic in play here. He clearly has an ear, and an eye, and I have thought for some time he is one of those "most likely to". "Love Don't Live Around Here" sounds very radio friendly, and with such a well-put-together video, I hope he gets noticed, not just by local fans, but also groups outside NZ which is clearly where his future lies. If you would like to buy "Love Don't Live Around Here" there is an iTunes link below. Go buy it.
https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/love-dont-live-around-here/id882489419?i=882489463
K.One - Love Don't Live Around Here (Official Video)
Tiny Ruins - Me At The Museum, You In The Wintergardens
"Fantasize your ideal love. With that in mind, write the most gentle, serene love song." So writes Bob Boilen of the USA's NPR. This song is one of those that many songwriters would go with to their death bed, happy, having created something of such simple, elegant beauty. And the ancillary arrangements are stunning. There's not much...just enough. It is interesting that Neil Finn liked the song enough to do a video as the song could almost be his in one of his quieter moments (when I like his music the most). He says of making the video (thanks to Arch Hill Records for the quote) "I’ve been enjoying making little films and was carrying a Pelican case with me on the road , setting up for editing in hotels rooms and the back of the bus. One night I discovered a few images which seemed to suit the atmosphere of this song , so just started making a video without even being asked .The next day I asked her if I could film her singing it at soundcheck and in the show and placed these images left and right . I like the way her hair is crumpled for soundcheck and all smoothed out at the show. I’m glad Hollie likes it and wants people to see it but I would have been happy just making it anyway." This clip is going up on the NZMusic4U Honour Roll. In this case, it is a pretty little video...but it is the song, arrangements and its production that drives this blog's recognition. Some links for you to follow below, including a Bandcamp link with purchasing links for the EP from which this song hails...."Brightly Painted One". I own it.
http://www.npr.org/event/music/331973918/tiny-ruins-me-at-the-museum-you-in-the-wintergardens?ft=1&f=1039
http://tinyruins.bandcamp.com/
http://flyingout.co.nz/collections/tiny-ruins
Tiny Ruins - Me At The Museum, You In The Wintergardens (Music Video)