Video Vacuum - Kim Deal, Totem, Flyying Colours, Deerhunter

Ah, it's good to be on the bridge of the Starship Masala once more! Sure, work took over and I needed the money to live, but as soon as I work out how to subsist only on the wellspring of music, I will be in eternal bliss. And here are four clips that attempt to get me there...



Anyone else think the first taste of new Pixies sans Kim Deal sounded like a repetitive piece of shit? Anyone else looking forward to The Breeders playing Last Splash in its entirety in October? Anyone else think Deal's 7' singles collection showcases some of her best writing ever? Anyone else answer yes when she ponders "Are You Mine?" If you answered yes to all the above, we were meant to be.



The vid for 'See-Saw Girl' is a little ridiculous and doesn't make that much sense - the girl killed some people and stole some money and is on the run and the magician saves her but kidnaps her and steals her money? Maybe. It's still a lot of pantomime noir fun. But seriously, I'm all about the track itself - I don't know much else about Totem, but this song is seriously fucking killer. It was my morning kickstarter for fourteen days straight as I clawed my way through some rough times, and still gets me jumping about when I hear it - it's a keeper.



I hadn't heard of Flyying Colours before the manager at Black Bear Lodge sent me their website URL last week. It's nice to see that there are some quality shoegaze acts coming out in Australia, and if 'Wavygravy' is any indication, these Melbourne dudes are chewing on the insane root that Jason Pierce is partial to also, which is pretty amazing indeed. Keep an eye out on these guys.


Finally, I'm worried I may be out of the country when Bradford Cox and his fellow Deerhunters hit. Sure, I've seen them a handful of times (and once in a gay sex den in London - a great show, even if my apparent status as a "bear" came into acute focus that night, thanks Warren), but have always been enamoured by Cox's unabashed love of music in general and his weird personas. Monomania is an album that continues to grow on me, and an album like Cryptograms continues to inspire (friends of mine are even writing songs that are influenced by this era of the band - and it's bloody good. More on that soon). This clip for 'Back To The Middle' accentuates this blurring of gender and expectations that Cox has toyed with in the past, and for what is nothing much more than a transgender karaoke montage, it's pretty great.

NOW GET BACK TO WORK!