Here’s a hilarious short film from a fellow East Londoner, Daniel of TKB Visuals who I met a few weeks back at VLM. This light hearted comedy film follows Tobi’s (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) epic wait for his favourite drink, Supermalt at a birthday party. Life without Supermalt makes him impatient and takes matters into his own hands, which leads him into a little bit of a pickle. See what happens on the reverse.

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TKB Visuals – Facebook | Twitter | Website | Flickr

I don’t understand people’s infatuation with Supermalt. Yang loves it, personally I think it’s quite gross! Shock horror.

Doesn’t this short remind you a little of Mr. Bean? Kiell’s faces are hilarious. Great acting and nicely captured short. Looking forward to seeing more from TKB.

Good morning! We’re back after a 2 week eargasmic hiatus – last week wasn’t one of the best music release wise and we spent a few days out of the country so missed out on a whole heap of gems. Back with six glorious songs from the past week, hop on after the cut.

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MATHAI

‘Under The Bridge (Cover)‘

If you watch reality music shows then you may know of her from the Voice USA. One of my family friends put me onto her music a week or so ago, mainly because she’s from the same part of India as us (Kerala). Her vocals wow’d me, never have I come across a fellow Malayalee with such a voice. So beautiful, the fact that she dropped out of Medical School to sing gets props from me. I know her parents must have flipped out, somebody got real bad. I’ll introduce her properly in a separate post, in the mean time – enjoy her rendition of a RHCP classic. She does it justice!

Selected by Yin

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JHENE AIKO

‘2 Seconds‘

Jhene Aiko can do no wrong in my eyes. She is sexy, she can sing and she write her own music (who could ask for more). Her mixtape ‘Sailing Soul(s)‘ still goes hard in my iTunes and now this song will be added to my most played list too. 2 Seconds is a short sensual song that sees the songstress flex her soothing vocals. This should tie her expecting fans over while she works on her debut album Souled Out.

Selected by DJB

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FLORENCE & THE MACHINE

‘Breath of Life’

I haven’t always been Florence + The Machine’s biggest fan, but a couple of tracks on their Ceremonials album – together with my sister’s unabashed devotion – have grabbed my attention. Their latest track, entitled ‘Breath of Life’, is off the Snow White and the Huntsman soundtrack (keep an eye out for my thoughts on the film coming soon) and is very much in keeping with Florence’s style. Both the vocal and musical arrangements are stellar; half the fun comes with listening to the powerful orchestra, which features rampant bass drums and sharp strings. The track is smart enough to allow the instruments a few moments to strut independently, and when Florence does join the party – backed up with an energetic choir no less – the results are special. Have a listen.

Selected by Amon

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CONOR MAYNARD

‘Drowning‘

After managing to grab the #2 spot in the charts for his debut single, Conor Maynard is back with this new cut… an R&B cut. From first listen, it’s not a recipe for a chart hit but I think he’ll gain new fans from it-  the track shows off his vocal ability a lot better than ‘can’t say no’. People might compare Conor to Justin Bieber but I think he has potential to taken serious as an artist rather than a teen bopper… To me he’s a younger Justin Timberlake. His debut album is out soon, hopefully he has been given good material, a similar direction to Timberlake’s Justified.

Selected by Yang

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GOLDEN STATE

‘Bombs ‘End This War‘

Argh! I came across this song on Tuesday and have yet to find the .mp3 for it. It’s only available on Amazon US not even iTunes or anywhere else on the internet, if you know what I’m saying. The indie rock band from LA have had their fair share of media exposure in the past year with one of the tracks being used as the theme for Royal Wedding and more recently in the finale of Gossip Girl. This particular track was used for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign song – ended up going to Number 1. Someone send me the mp3!

Selected by Yin

Hailed as ‘The Greatest Show on Snow’, the annual Snowbombing festival takes place annually in the Austrian Alps in the first week of April. Originally set-up as an after-ski nightclub by English promoters in 2000, it’s since 2005 that Mayrhofen has hosted Europe’s biggest snow and music festival, and it’s since 2009 when Grandmaster Flash took to the Austrian slopes that I became really intrigued by the festival. 2012′s Snowbombing line-up boasted the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Labrinth, Chase & Status, DJ Yoda, Shy FX and Julio Bashmore, so why haven’t I been yet? Well I’m absolutely terrified of skiing, however as night time falls, the slopes are transformed into igloo parties, fancy dress street parties, and an open-air ERISTOFF forest party…well I might be convinced. Hit the jump for some footage from this years festival, a first-hand experience from a Snowbombing virgin and more.

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I mentioned earlier that Snowbombing started off as an after-ski party in 2000, however I didn’t mention that it was for just 250 set-up in little bars around the resort of Risoul with just a handful of DJ’s. The progression the festival has made in just over 10 years is phenomenal and with MTV showcasing highlights from 2012′s festival on their TV channels, and sponsorship from the likes of ERISTOFF vodka, Snowbombing is going from strength to strength. ERISTOFF has sponsored the festival for 3 years which involves a range of festivities and fun such as the ‘Party in the ERISTOFF Forest’, bespoke cocktails created by the likes of Labrinth, Dizzee, MistaJam and Wretch in the VIP area and their own all-female ERISTOFF wolves sampling team causing mischief.

To capture it all, ERISTOFF provided a Snowbombing virgin with a video camera and a pair of skis so that us folk back home can get a better picture of the event….

So the verdict, will I be making it out to Snowbombing 2013? Maybe for the parties, but it’ll take more than a Fizzy Rascal to get me on the alps to ski….

Check out the pics below…

ERISTOFF Vodka – Facebook | Twitter

Snowbombing – Facebook | Twitter

There has been quite some hype over the return of a certain rapper; one of the best female rappers of our time. She’s also a record producer, a singer- songwriter and dancer who has worked with too many people in the music industry; notably with Timbaland. She and Timbo did some great things back in the day and recently the pair have been cookin’ up some shiz in the studio that a majority are eager to hear. This week’s throwback is dedicated to…

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It’s none other than Missy Elliott! This week I’ve chosen to feature ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)’ from her debut album- she has a whole library full of great tracks but this is one of my favourites from her. Timberland smashed this one; his skills as a producer have never been in doubt- i hope he brings it on the new album! Anyway, this song, along with others from that era, makes me want to jump into a time loop back to the 90′s. Good music. Good times.

“Beep beep, who got the keys to the jeep……vroooooooooooooooooooom”

Enclosed is a months worth of video goodness from the likes of Ab-Soul, Blu, Benin City, Big K.R.I.T, The Rapture, Yasiin Bey, Oddisee, Szjerdene, Tabi Bonney, Slum Village, Anthrax, Danny Brown, Swizz Beatz, Purple Velvet, BIGkids, Chance The Rapper and J.Cole. It’s really inspiring to spend a Sunday afternoon putting together this monthly post. Today I’ve watched over 30 music videos and have managed to narrow it down to 17 quality, creative and innovative videos from different corners of the world which perfectly represent the diversity, intelligence and creativity of our modern generation. Be proud, be part of it!

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Ab-Soul featuring Alori Joh & JaVonte’ – Empathy

“I got 700 dollars from my last show. And I would spend it all on you. So baby won’t you fall on through”

I don’t think words can describe my love for Ab-Soul, it’s getting serious! Hooking up with soul singers, Alori Joh & JaVonte, here he exhibits his softer side on his latest “Control System” release, titled “Empathy”. 

I made my first ever iTunes album purchase this week for Ab-Soul’s “Control System”, 17 tracks of supercalifreshlinguisticextrahighdopeshit – I suggest you do the same!

Benin City – Baby

Admittedly, I was first attracted the the four-piece group, Benin City because of their namesake, Benin a city in Southern Nigeria. Originally a collective of live musicians and poets, including Inua Ellams whom I was lucky to discover a couple of years ago, the group has gone through a number of changes and developments since their breakthrough in around 2008/9. Now, formally a 4-person Hip Hop collective with Benin-born Joshua Idehen leading the vocals, here is the video for their new single “Baby“. A tale of distorted love between a delicate beauty and an exotic wild animal., the theme is almost voyeuristic as you try to work out whether the story is one of romance or violence, you feel as if you’re looking in on a private domestic towards the end of the Clouded Vision-directed video – that we’re not meant to quite understand. Sit back and enjoy. Shouts to Yin for the heads up!

Benin City – Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Blu - K E E P U S H I N N

Released on Tumblr this week, here are some visuals for Blu’s track, Keepushinn taken from his NoYork mixtape. I absolutely love stop motion, the illustrations in this video are absolutely crazy – I was trying to keep up and note down all of the different cultures that some of the images are derived from, but my interpretation of things might dilute the experience for naked eyes, you should definitely check it out for yourselves. Previously known for canceling shows, showing up tripped out on acid in public and making his fans wait for ages for his next release, Blu seems to be extremely focused on his music right now, I think we’ve had new material from him at least every month this year, be it a track or a music video – keep it up Johnson, you’re my favourite colour :-)!

Download NoYork!

Blu – Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook

Big K.R.I.T - 4evaNaDay

A perfect melting pot of neon lights, mixed media and wisdom from the country rapper, Big K.R.I.T, here are the innovative visuals for the title track from his new mixtape, 4evaNaDay which you can download here.

Big K.R.I.T – Twitter | Facebook

The Rapture – How Deep Is Your Love

Some heart warming visuals laced over a beautiful song from indie rock band, The Rapture.

The Rapture – Twitter | Facebook

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Dead Prez & mikeflo – Made You Die (Trayvon Martin Tribute)

Layed over the Nas track, Made You Look, Yasiin Bey hooks up with Dead Prez and mikeflo in the latest of Trayvon Martin tributes from the Hip Hop community. This extremely topical song is urging us to do more than post-event protest. Designed for your best pair of headphones, lyrics are beyond the truth. Take note, take action!

Marvin Gaye - ’Ain’t That Peculiar’ Oddisee Remix

Taken from the forthcoming Oddisee free remix EP, “Odd Renditions” (released May 15th), here are the nostalgia-fuelled, cleverly constructed visuals for his Hip Hop remix of Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t That Peculiar“, edited by Rob Mac. Goodness me, Marvin Gaye was a sensationally beautiful man! Shouts to HypeTrak for the tip.

Pre order – People Hear What They See (album)

Oddisee – Twitter | Facebook | Website

(Oddisee will be performing at London’s Jazz Cafe on Sep 14th with a full live band and support from Eric Lau, Oliver DaySoul and Tranqill. More info here, tix £10.)

Szjerdene – Turn

Beautiful visuals, worthy of being described as cinematic from Saul and Josh for the new Szjerdene track, taken from her EP, “Patchwork” which is out now on iTunes. I can’t even think of a material on this earth with as much depth and smoothness as Szjerdene’s voice, she is simply divine!

p.s. £10 and a fully stamped Nando’s card in rewards for the person that can find me the boy in this video. Thanks in advance!

Szjerdene – Twitter | Facebook

Tabi Bonney ft Terri Walker – Castle On A Cloud

Joined by British singer, Terri Walker and Ski Beatz on the buttons, Tabi Bonney has released the soulful “Castle On A Cloud” for the dreamers amongst us. Taken from his forthcoming free project, “The Endless Summer” the track exhibits Tabi’s powerful lyricism, and the accompanying visuals exhibit his rather eclectic dress sense (yo, where can I get a pair of those trousers from). A rather short track, almost a prelude to his long awaited new material, this is a nice introduction into the world of Tabi Bonney, for those of you don’t know, yet!

Tabi Bonney – Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

 Slum Village – God Sent / Hunger ft Vice & Focus

Two for the price of one on this double-jointed video for “God Sent” and “Hunger” from Slum Village’s latest project with Mick Boogie, titled “Dirty Slums”. I think it’s safe to say all Slum Vill fans are happy to hear new material from the Detroit group, new releases from both SV and De La Soul show that true Hip Hop still lives. Storytellers in the truest form, the 2 video clips, directed by Kent Willard & Kyle Messina for Depth of Sound fit like a glove to the honest lyrics from the group.

Download Dirty Slums

Slum Village – Twitter | Website

Anthrax ft. Tay Walker – “F#@K EARTH“

The dichotomy between both Anthrax and Tay Walker’s dark, twisted commentary on a failed relationship, and the smooth, melodic vocals of Tay in the chorus is really quite unsettling, and certainly not conventional. I’m 4 replays in and I’m really enjoying Anthrax’s lyricism (which reminds me slightly of an early Eminem) and Tay Walker’s vocals are the kind you want to drown in, at full volume. If you’re a fan of The Internet, then you may recognise Tay’s beautiful voice from tracks such as “They Say”.

Anthrax – Twitter
Tay Walker – Twitter

Danny Brown – Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine) prod. Darq E Freaker

Danny Brown shows love for his British cousins on this track produced by UK grime producer, Darq E Freaker, directed by Yoni Lappin, produced by the homies Pinboard Film and featuring a few familiar faces, here are the crazy visuals for his new track “Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine)”. I think Danny would fit in perfectly in London, influenced by the likes of early Dizzee Rascal, the Detroit-born rapper would be amazing on top of a crazy, but genuine (no Skrillex!!) dubstep beat.

Danny Brown – Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Swizz Beatz ft. A$AP Rocky – Street Knock (Produced by araabMUZIK)

Shot in the city that never sleeps, “Street Knock” features man of the moment, A$AP Rocky on a heavily Reebok sponsored  track from their ambassador, Swizz Beatz, with production from Araabmuzik. Appearances from Allen Iverson, Jadakiss and my fave lady de la mode, Venus X.

Download Street Knock

 Purple Velvet – You Are 

Some sensual house from German label, Exploited and new duo, Purple Velvet. Trippy 1960′s visuals via a kaleidoscope with a very European feel, the track “You Are” is out now on Juno.

BIGkids – Superhero
BIGkids consist of a man and woman from Camden making music that you can “trash your bedroom to” (their words, not mine). You may recognise the vocals of Mr Hudson – who makes up 1/2 of the pop band - in the bridge for their latest single, “Superhero”. This isn’t my usual taste in music, admittedly – but the video is interesting and the song is good fun! Featuring a pair of children drinking beer, getting tattoos and causing absolute mayhem in town, the duo make the transformation to adulthood whilst crowdsurfing to the stage at a gig. BIGkids’s single, “Superhero” is available on iTunes now

BIGkids – Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

Chance The Rapper – Hey Ma

Not my favourite track from Chicago-born, Chance The Rapper but what a great visual concept! Chance pays respect to his Mother in his new track, “Hey Ma”, directed by Elijah Alvarado. I’ll refer you to one of my preferred tracks, “Brain Cells” taken from Chance The Rapper’s recent mixtape, #10days. 

Download #10days free here

Chance The Rapper – Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr 

J.Cole – Sideline Story

In 2010 you would’ve thought I received a salary from J.Cole, the amount I used to advocate his rapping skills. Fast forward to his album release, recognition from a major and appreciation from millions of fans and typically my love for him disappeared. It’s more than just coincidence that mainstream recognition often leads to dilution in almost all music, but with J.Cole I think I just became bored of him telling me about the come-up. Having heard all 3 of his mixtapes, I’d heard it all before – whereas his new fans welcomed this humble tell-tale of the struggle. But alas, here are some visuals to one of my favourite tracks from his debut album, “Cole World”. Directed by Axel Laramee, the video for “Sideline Story” features footage from Jermaine’s UK tour.

J.Cole – Twitter | Facebook | Website

A real throwback right here, I heard the song at a record store on Saturday and instantly Shazam‘d it as I’ve heard it sampled in a Jay-Z song. It makes the song for me, the infectious saxophone infused beat and Bobby Bland‘s soulful vocals. Beautiful blues – going to start researching into Hip-hop samples for my next few Throwback Thursday selections. Some real gems to discover, hop on after the cut to listen.

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What a tune. Listen to Jay-Z’s sampled version below, one of my favourites from him.

Oh boy, this was worth the wait. Remember London-based group, A Yellow Man? Christ-fueled hip-hop group emerged into the scene in late 2010 with a promo video then disappeared, leaving us wanting to know more. I’m not a big fan of UK based Christian hip-hop heck even mainstream hip-hop as it just never really feels authentic. Their visuals back then impressed me and now with the help of Paul Akinrinlola of PDesigns, I’m blown away by the cinematography. The dynamic trio’s flow is immense, easy to listen to and no ignorant lyricism – such a rarity nowadays, the profound lyrics filled with positive thoughts and light production just work so well. I’m really looking forward to hearing more, haven’t come across ANYONE like them in the UK. More on the reverse.

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 A Yellow Man – Facebook | YouTube

They actually dropped two videos yesterday – 3000 Miles of Youth and My Lyrics Are Alive. They give me Tribe vibes! listen to both songs below.

My Lyrics Are Alive – Download (Click Buy Now and enter £0.00)

3000 Miles Of Youth – Download (Click Buy Now and enter £0.00)

If you’ve been in the borough of Hackney in the last couple of weeks, you would’ve seen “Land of Kings” posters shrewn across walls and cafe and shop windows. During Bank Holiday weekend, the multi-arts festival took place in 15 venues across Dalston with appearances and input from the likes of Red Bull Music Academy, Kwes, NTS, Speech Debelle, London Fields Radio and the W.I. group, the Dalston Darlings. Having been a Hackney resident over 30 years ago, my Mum expressed an interest in wanting to attend some of the daytime events so we headed to the BBQ at the Curve Garden, followed by the screening of the ‘Legacy in the Dust’ docufilm at Arcola. I was down for a good old MEATwagon burger, some decent reggae and a film screening, but never did I expect our visit to be so educational. Hit the jump for a brief insight into Hackney’s history and a trailer for the brilliant “Legacy in the Dust”.

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The Legacy in the Dust docufilm centers on the Four Aces club, a live soul and reggae club in Dalston, opened in 1996 by Newton Dunbar. Home to live music and appearances from the likes of Desmond Decker, Jimmy Cliff, Ben E. King, The Clash, Bob Marley and The Sex Pistols, the club then went on to host many of the indoor acid house raves of the mid to late 80′s! With such a rich history and a great reputation amongst music lovers in London, the club grew in terms of success, however at every step Newton’s Four Aces club and its patrons were met with hostility, accusations and violence from the police – the media branded the club a “Yardie Drug Club”. But as you’ll see in the trailer, and from the names of some of their guests such as Desmond Decker and Bob Marley – the club really wasn’t deserving of such a bad name.

In the late 1960′s, Dalston wasn’t the bustling high street as we know it now – even my Mother has told me of it’s dark, empty streets with no signs of progression in sight. The documentary tells the story of how for Caribbean immigrants in the late 1960′s their main haven in a cold, harsh London were the nightclubs where they could dance and enjoy music with friends, such as The Four Aces. Much like today, people just wanted to get together and enjoy themselves til’ the early hours of the morning, and just like today partygoers were mistreated by police, bouncers, taxi drivers and police; clubs were getting raided and shut down all over London. The story of a young man, and his 3 friend’s love for music and soul culture in the 1960′s is set against the backdrop of a period of racism, violence, riots and severe segregation – which in itself is quite shocking. However, the part of the story which is the most shocking is that many of these things are still happening today – as one of the commentators to the documentary pointed out, now incidents are either brushed under the carpet, or they’ve just been side-swept into other communities. As scary and sad as this is, the story of a young group of friends and their entrepreneurism, passion and legacy sticks out which I found extremely inspiring. Any of my friends will tell you how much I love live music, night clubs and concerts and event planning is something I hope to delve into in the near future, and so to learn of a man that ran such an important, ground-breaking club over 40 years ago is really interesting to me – and I hope that the story of Newton Dunbar and The Four Aces is as interesting to you too!

You can find out more news, and details of screenings on the “Legacy in the Dust” website.

p.s. MEATwagon burgers a bit of a hype. Undercooked and kinda soggy in the middle, with more oil and greasyness than homemade sauce and tastiness. Disappointment :-(

Hello again, happy Tuesday? well it has to be since we’re dropping a new Eargasms post for y’all. We’ve got a good selection for your commute after the cut. Smile.

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BLU x MELA MACHINKO

‘Kiss The Sky‘

Never one to adhere to record label rules or release schedules, last week Blu dropped a surprise track for fans, featuring MeLa Machinko. Back like he never left, the West Coast rapper samples Method & Red’s “How High” on this new track, released on May 29th.

Selected by Tara

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BENIN CITY

‘Baby‘

I suck. No idea who these guys I are, feel like I should have heard of them before?! Ah well, better late than never. Benin City‘s debut single off their forthcoming project surfaced earlier this week and it’s definitely a gem. The subtle sounds in this slightly eerie song will make you want to play it again and again. Can’t wait to hear more from these guys.

Selected by Yin

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SCHOOLBOY Q x TIRON

‘Love Me Not‘

New material from a West Coast Hip Hop tri-force made up of 3 of my favourite collectives in modern Hip Hop. Schoolboy Q (Black Hippy/TDE) and Tiron (The Cafeteria Line) hook up on a surprisingly honest track dedicated to lost love, laid over an addictive beat featuring an accordion, some crazy scratching and a nice drum line from Chuck Inglish (The Cool Kids). Wordplay and that Cali flow are at 110 on this new track, and it’s always interesting to hear such emotions from a mans point of view…“When she love me, I’m on the road/When I’m home, she back a hoe”. Well…

Selected by Tara

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Miguel

‘Candles in The Sun, Blowin In The Wind‘

I first discovered R&B crooner Miguel‘s music on Myspace back in 2007! He was 20 at the time, crazy. Miguel’s passion project/mixtape - Art Dealer Chicis a certified hit in my opinion, loving all the 3 volumes. The last of the trilogy came out earlier this week for our audible pleasure, it’s the weakest of the 3 but still a breath of fresh air. Download all the tapes here, highly recommended. ALL is my jam!

Only four tracks this week, got another post coming up featuring a London-based group that I know you guys will love.

Selected by Yin

I don’t post music videos, hardly ever in fact nowadays but this one was just too good to pass on. Everyone loves to hate on ‘Ye but I’m a big fan of his creativity when it comes to fashion, music and art.  The overdue visuals for his track Lost In The World off his last solo album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy surfaced earlier today and I know for a fact, it’s not going to be a lot of people’s cup of tea. It’s so abstract, too abstract for those who are used to the hoes, the cars, the bling – you know the usual MMG/YMCBBC video. What I love about it? The simplicity – no cinematic storyline required, the black & white sharp buildings, typography, high energy dancing and contrast just carry it for me. It’s been directed by Ruth Hogben – a London-based director who’s known for her fashion films. Makes sense now ey?

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If you’ve seen any of her previous works then you know why this is so slick and fast paced. It’s not your typical rap video for a not so typical rap song. Kanye’s on his fashion grind and when the two worlds collide, you get this stylist video. What do you think? or you left completely dumbfounded and lost by it?

Now ‘Ye, allow the PR stunts with Kim Kardashian and get back to making music or even a video for Never Let You Down off College Dropout. That song deserves a video.