Julian Plenti is…

Paul Banks of course! The Interpol frontman recently released his first solo album ‘Julian Plenti is… Skyscraper’ and HubsTV just added the Javier Aguilera directed video for ‘Games for Days’. Shot at Toronto’s Waverly Hotel and featuring Emily Haines from Metric.

This Fall we will also see a release from another New York frontman Julian Casablancas. His official website has a trailer for the album and also an interview.

So who will win the solo wars?

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Is this the future of music videos?

Somehow we missed this one. The Spanish group Labuat released a music video  for their single “Soy Tu Aire” last month and the flash based interactive video is interactive. As the song plays, the user can direct a scrolling line of black ink across the screen with the effect growing thicker and more abstract as the song progresses. The results are fairly impressive and it’s easy to see why the clip is garnering all sorts of buzz online. While it may be a touch art school for our taste, its hard not to imagine a future where music videos will be highly interactive.

Watch the video here (via Very Short List)

UPDATE!!!

Also check out Neon Bible by Arcade Fire.

Paging Child Protective Services!

Maybe I’m a little late to this party, but is the long-delayed video for MGMT’s ‘Kids’ not scary as all get out? It definitely captures the childhood primordial fears lurking within. What’s up with the Nietzsche quote attributed to Mark Twain? And what about Joanna Newsom as a convincing Madison Avenue princess? A riddle wrapped in an enigma, the Ray Tinroti directed video has totally bought the song back into Hubs high rotation.

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Madness ‘Devil Dust’

One of the best things about being a Hubs editor is the amount of new music that gets shoved in our ears (obviously). On receiving the new Madness video I was pretty skeptical, I mean ‘House of Fun’ is a classic but one of those songs I can barely tolerate at Karaoke let alone consider adding to my Favorites on Hubs. ‘Devil Dust’, however, went straight to the top of my list after a few listens. Madness have been around for 30 YEARS and it’s most excellent to know they can still swirl out a catchy tune after all this time.

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MEN ‘Off Our Backs’

MEN!!! Indeed, indeed.

JD Samson and LeTigre/Hirsute cohorts are back, this time in the incarnation of MEN. ‘Off Our Backs’ is the totally excellent first single from a supposed forthcoming debut album (anyone know when?). The video by K8 Hardy is awesome in a $3/of the moment/New Museum kind of way and grates along with the track deliciously.

They’re currently on tour in Europe and we all must, must, must go to their New York show in July at … gong sound please… New Museum!

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Director: The Chapman Brothers!

The first music video directed by brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman was exactly what you would expect from two renowned artists having a go at a music video. The video for ‘Let’s Go F*cking Mental’ by The Peth simply features footage of a colonoscopy conducted on band frontman (and famous actor) Rhys Ifans.

Their second attempt is something completely different. A nicely polished pop video for PJ Harvey and John Parish’s first single from their new album ‘A Woman a Man Walked By’. On first viewing I assumed this was another Sophie Muller project, her video for Polly’s ‘This is Love’ is a personal fav. ‘Black Hearted Love’ features Polly jumping up and down on a bouncy castle, throw in some rain, strobe lights and some slow motion effects and you have a very nice looking video. The Chapman Brothers have put together a dark yet fun video without the need for genitalia on anyone’s face… not that there is anything wrong with that.

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Hair-ven!

We’re living for the new Peaches track ‘Talk to Me’, the first from her upcoming album I Feel Cream. The video, directed by Brit up and comer Price James (Friendly Fires, Florence and the Machine) is a gritty melange that somehow reminds us of The Amityville Horror. Part Helmut Newton, part Margiela S/S 09 the video reminds us that there’s something innately creepy about hair, human or otherwise. Can’t wait for Peaches show next month.

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