Awesomely Bad Music Videos

Anyone can make a music video, but it takes a special type of counter talent to produce an awful one. Here are a few music videos that are so awesomely bad they deserve to be celebrated, studied, and uncontrollably laughed at.

Dog Police- "Dog Police"






Once upon a time there was a MTV show in the 80's called Basement Tapes. The show gave exposure to unsigned bands by showing videos that the band submitted. This is one of those glorious videos.

My favorite part is 1:25-1:43.

Santo Cilauro (Zladko!)- Elektronik Supersonik






This was supposed to be bad, so you have to give props to the Australian tv actor Santo Cilauro for his execution. "I put my butt plug in your socket" is up there with the greatest line of all time.

Insane Clown Posse- "Miracles"






This is actually the video that inspired this blog post. Insane Clown Posse's 2010 video of the year candidate has so many amazing one liners and visuals that I watched it over 50 times when it first dropped. Shaggy 2 Dope's (skinny one) random use of the F-word when explaining life's many miracles gets me everytime:

"The sun and the moon and even mars//the milky way and FUCKING SHOOTING STARS".
"FUCKING RAINBOWS after it rains//enough miracles here to blow your brain".

My other favorite parts include 1:10-1:14. An excellent side story about a fish and pelican at Frisco Bay and of course the line of all lines:

Water, fire, air, and dirt-- FUCKING MAGNETS, HOW DO THEY WORK?!

A very thought provoking moment.

Jan Terri- "Losing You"





Jan Terri was a limo driver that would hand over her music videos to clients in hopes of being discovered. Her recordings and videos were so awful, they became cult hits within the community and made there way around to advertisers, marketers, and other big wigs. Eventually, it landed in the hands of Marilyn Manson who was so intrigued He had Terri perform at one of his parties and was impressed enough with her sincerity to allow her to open for one of his concerts.

David Hasslehoff- "Hooked on a Feeling"



In my opinion, if you made a music video like this in your career, you're allowed to eat a cheeseburger off the floor. It’s equal parts offensive (the scene with the African villagers), cheap (the horrific green screen effects) and awesome (the whole thing).

Crispin Glover- "Clowny Clown Clown"




Helllooo....McFly....MCFLYYYYY...this is fucking disturbing. Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is primarily known as a film actor, but is also a painter, filmmaker, author, musician, and collector and archivist of esoterica. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen, such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, the "Creepy Thin Man" in the big screen adaptation of Charlie's Angels and Willard Stiles in Willard. In the early 2000s, Glover started his own production company, Volcanic Eruptions.

Sonseed- "Jesus is My Friend"




Um. Words cannot even explain what happens at 1:42 and on. I thought there was no way the lead singer could top his ridiculous mouth movements and stage presence UNTIL he dropped:

"Once I tried to run, once I tried to hide
but Jesus came and found me and touched me down inside
he is like a Mountie, always gets his man
and he'll zap you anyway he can...
ZAP!"

This is why I love music. Do you have any to add on?

Video: The Juliets- Loon

Check out Detroit based band The Juliets' music video for "Loon" from their upcoming album, Perfect Season, set to release on Nov 5th.

Listen to The Juliets on BandSoup

Check out our past coverage (and free downloads) of The Juliets

In Case You Missed Them: Lannen Fall

This Week: Lannen Fall

Lannen Fall was a rock band formed in 2005 In Boston. Their first EP “Stories” took the Boston scene by surprise. With the soaring vocals of Jay Tagg and the seamless modern rock musings from his accompanying band mates, Lannen Fall quickly rose to hometown heroes in their North East base.

Having opened up for the likes of Fall Out Boy and +44, the band were already seasoned stage veterans on the tour circuit by the time their second release “The Holly EP” hit store shelves in the fall of 2008. In 2009 the band releases their third and final EP “The World Can Wait”. Yet again, Lannen Fall proved they were, at the time, an unstoppable pop-rock force. Later that same year, lead singer/guitarist Jay Tagg was diagnosed with polyps on his vocal chords. Former Bedlight for Blue Eyes singer Danny Rinaldi replaced Jay on vocals, but after a few live shows and attempts at re-recording the latest release, Lannen fall decided to call it quits to explore other music endeavors.

To this day the band remain friends and every now and then play a one off show in the Boston area. The band will be playing a reunion show at the Middle East in Boston on October 22nd.

If you dig Lannen Fall, here are some BandSoup bands you might enjoy:

Moovalya
Count to Four
From the Top

Soup of the Day #17: Hidden Orchestra- Footsteps

Footsteps is the first single to be lifted from Hidden Orchestra's fantastic debut album, Night Walks. 

Listen to Hidden Orchestra's Footsteps on BandSoup
Click Here for a free download of Footsteps

Edinburgh-based Hidden Orchestra combine two live drummers, organic samples and dubby basslines to make cinematic, emotive, percussive music. Their sound, resplendent with layers of intense soundscapes, takes audiences on a deep and truly original sonic journey containing elements of jazz, classical, drum’n’bass, rock and hip hop, moulded into a coherent whole.

Their debut album Night Walks, released on Tru Thoughts in September 2010, has been met with critical acclaim (including BBC Radio 1 Introducing’s “Album of the Month” and iDJ’s top albums of 2010; radio play from BBC R3′s Late Junction, Laurent Garnier, FIP, RTS, NME, Radio 1 Prague and many more worldwide) and sparked a genuine and organic buzz among music fans, with a huge demand to experience the music in a live setting. A deluxe vinyl edition of the album was released in January 2011 on cult German label Denovali Records, and is now already on its second pressing.

For fans of Amon Tobin, Massive Attack, and DJ Krush.

Purchase/Listen to Night Walks
Hidden Orchestra on Facebook
Hidden Orchestra on Twitter

Live at the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival 2010:

Elevation

Atlanta, Georgia's Elevation are on the verge of blowing up. The band, made up of Nathan Smith (Vocals), Andrew Aversion (Lead Guitar), Anthony Pasqualone (Guitar), Nick Whitson (Bass) and Stephen Bailey (Drums), first caught my attention with their infectious single "Razoreyes"; the smash single from their debut album Strangelove that reminded me of Maroon 5 meets All-American Rejects.

Listen to Elevation on BandSoup

Click here for a free download of "Razoreyes"

Riding the wave of success that Strangelove brought them,  Elevation began recording their second LP in the summer of 2010. Not wanting to work through traditional studio sessions, the band decided to self-produce their second LP in a studio they built from the ground up in a warehouse in East Atlanta. From the start, the band decided that the record would be completely self-produced. As Nathan states, “We've all been through the traditional studio process many times. For me, there has never been a time when everyone is completely comfortable. We knew we could produce and engineer the record on our own, but wanted a place that was ours, decorated by us and built for our needs.” Andrew Averso on the album: “The songs really embody the process of making this record and emotions that have been welling up in all of us during the last year or so.” 


Here is a video interview of the guy discussing the making of the new record:




The resulting product, Hell or High Water was produced exclusively by Elevation, mixed by CJ Eiriksson (U2, Matchbox Twenty, Jack's Mannequin) and mastered by Jeff Litpon (Arcade Fire, Wilco, LCD Soundsystem). Nathan Smith acted as the album's executive producer. Hell or High Water was released in the US on June 7.

Hell or High Water on iTunes
Elevation on Facebook
Elevation's Website

Here is an older documentary of the band from 2008:

Soup of the Day #16: High Highs- Open Season

The High Highs are a New York folk-pop band on the rise. The trio, made up of Jack Milas, Oli Chang, and Zachary Lipkins, are currently recording their debut album, but have already released three singles that have created a cozy internet buzz for the band so far. 

A few months ago the High Highs shared their single Open Season with us on BandSoup and recently I came across their video for the addicting song. Open Season is a simple and warm indie pop record full of brisk arrangements, vocals reminiscent of a Billy Corgan ballad, and an undeniably infectious chorus.

It's almost a chore to not like this song.

High Highs on Facebook
HighHighs.com

Listen to the High Highs on BandSoup

The Dark Side of the Oz

You know how all of your stoner buddies (or maybe you yourself were actually a ‘stoner buddy’) talked about how the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon synched up perfectly with the movie Wizard of Oz? Well, now here is your chance via the magical internet to watch the entire thing.

Drugstore Fanatics

Drugstore Fanatics are an Ambimpulse Basement Rock entity. Their first album released in 2009 - 'What's Born in the Basement' was entirely written, produced, recorded, edited and mixed (well…partially mixed) in creators Daniel Brecher & Aviv Cohen's home basements.

Drugstore Fanatics can best be described as a unique blend of dark, ambient strokes across a harsh, groove driven canvas, topped by weighty vocal melodies. A blend that could only come together in the melting pot which is their home in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Now residing in Los Angeles, California, DSF have continued their success into the US and have built a strong, rabid fan base by thinking outside the box and constantly delivering free music, how to videos, e-books, and exciting content on their main website. You can now find their song "Hangman" (LIVE video below) on the popular video game RockBand.

Listen to Drugstore Fanatics on BandSoup

Download their album, What's Born in the Basement, by clicking on the artist link!

In Case You Missed Them: Where Are They Now?

This Week I will be mixing things up a bit and bringing you an update on the endeavors of former members of You, Me, And Everyone We Know.

This Week: The Little Indians

Out of the ashes of the Chicago based pop rock outfit You, Me And Everyone We Know, comes The Little Indians. Based out of Baltimore MD, and featuring two former members of YMAEWK, The Little Indians are an indie rock/pop blend with vocals that slide down the ear canal with ease. Their first single "What Makes You Grin" displays a plethora of guitar work that hits the soul positively each time with a little piano sprinkled on top. Augustine Rampolla thrives as a front man, and with Kyle Gibson on drums, The Little Indians are a force to be reckoned with.

The Little Indians are:

Kyle Gibson: Drums
Augustine Rampolla: Vocals, Guitars, Everything else




Purchase "What Makes You Grin"
The Little Indians on Facebook
The Little Indians on Twitter

The Cassettes

The Cassettes (also known as The Cassettes Musical Explorers Society) are a Washington, DC based "Mystic Country"/Steampunk band formed in 1999.

The Cassettes were originally formed as an outgrowth of front-man Shelby Cinca’s four-track recordings: odd pop nuggets that diverged from the teeth-gritting angst of his previous project, Frodus. The son of Romanian refugees who fled from the Iron Curtain in search of the America of Jazz Era music and films, Cinca was indelibly influenced by both his pianist father, who played in clubs off the coast of the Black Sea in the 1960s, and his mother, an author, film critic and Elvis fan. The songs of the Cassettes undoubtedly reflect this heritage and themselves had served as a sort of sonic refuge from the hectic touring schedule of the punk rock lifestyle. The band members have described the band's sound as "steampunk", and also as "synth-infused country stomp".

Listen to The Cassettes on BandSoup

Glimpse Trio

Glimpse Trio are an awesome band from San Leandro, California that fuse numerous genres together with a steady stream of fantastic guitar work and instrumentation. Here are a few live videos from the band to get a feel for their sound and ethos, as well as some background information and linkage.

Glimpse Trio spontaneously creates engaging music that approaches the unknown and borders on the psychedelic. Downbeat Magazine Editor Frank Alkyer described the trio as "a furious blend of rock, jazz, blues, punk and metal fused with infectious folksiness." Alkyer continues to describe the new release by stating, "For those who grew up on the great fusion explorers, Glimpse Trio offers up a next generation. For those who like improvisation with a slice of punk, slacker and metal attitude, it's got to be 'Glimpse Trio.'"

 

Cleveland native Mike Sopko, known to have the "fastest hands west of the Mississippi," is, according to renowned guitarist Marc Ribot, "conceptually, one of a very few people who can really play." In 2006, Sopko's band, MCR, toured with celebrated frontman Mike Watt and legendary drummer G. Calvin Weston, as well recording with Weston. Most recently, Sopko was featured on Dosh's latest single, "Subtractions," on Anticon Records. 

After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Bay Area native Hamir Atwal became one of the most sought-after jazz drummers on the scene. After extensive touring with bandleaders such as Greg Osby and becoming a staple at places like the Village Vanguard (New York) and the Green Mill (Chicago), Atwal joined Sopko in 2010 to create Glimpse Trio. 

Jym Murry studied classical guitar, voice, and music theory at Chabot College, Hayward, and sang in chamber, jazz, and acapella choirs both at Chabot and UCSC. Murry co-founded bay area rock/funk band Stereo Freakout and in 2007 met Sopko, inviting him to play lead for SFO. Together they played 50+ shows at venues such as SF's Great American Music Hall, The DNA Lounge, and the San Leandro Sausage and Suds Festival. Murry joined Sopko and Atwal in 2011 to complete the GT line-up. 

GT is looking to redefine the rock/jam-band scene through staggering live performances and recordings. With the release of "1985," their first full-length, studio release, they are now seeking labels for distribution and touring opportunities.

Click Here to Listen to Glimpse Trio on BandSoup

The trio also post free downloads of their live sets on their website. You can like & talk to the guys on their Facebook page here.

Free Album: Patois- Patois

Patois is a dub/surf pop band based out of Brooklyn and Chicago that is the brainchild of musicians Grant Bauley and Karl Morse. Their latest self titled album is the result of an eventful summer spent recording in a family friend's cottage in central Virginia. One year later, the duo emerged with an amazing record filled with an original blend of dubbed-out surf pop.

The music these two create together is a consummation of styles and traditions they've immersed themselves in over years of performing live and listening obsessively. Patois' aesthetic is very much connected to their eclectic taste; psychedelic dub, American roots music, and tremolo westerns.  Their unique recording process only parallels this aggregation of influences, in which they accumulated a roster of distinct guest musicians -- each bringing their own experience to the project.
  
While 'Observer' sounds like a dusty 1970's Jamaican 45' you'd find in the used section of your record store, 'Turncoat' could be a lost gem of 1950's rockabilly, and 'Elders' is probably the first ever dub-infused interpretation of George McCrea's 'I Get Lifted', which The Notorious B.I.G. sampled for his track 'Respect' off his landmark album Ready to Die.  The addition of vocalist Denitia Odigie only solidifies the group's place within the pop world, truly cementing their ability to traverse an expansive scope of styles.

Whereas some groups suffer from attempting to incorporate many musical genres to appeal to more listeners, Patois has managed to cleverly leverage their influences to produce their own cohesive sound.  Both veterans of the central Virginia music scene, the two have paid their dues playing in a variety of musical situations, including Garage-Soul, Afrobeat, Rock, Hip Hop/Electronic Pop, Bluegrass, Big Band and Free Jazz. Throughout the album it is evident that they are capable of paying homage to these influences honestly. Imagine if dub-reggae legend King Tubby got hold of the new Danger Mouse 'Rome' project and combined that with the working aesthetic of Broken Social Scene or The Cinematic Orchestra.  Patois have crafted a niche for themselves where any reference is valid and a vast musical landscape has been laid to build upon.

 Click Here to Listen to Patois on BandSoup

Click their artist link to download the album for free

Patois Dialect from William Pence on Vimeo.

Patois Elders from William Pence on Vimeo.

Why Wolves

Band Spotlight: Why Wolves

Why Wolves are an indie-rock band based out of Somerville, Massachusetts. In 2010, after a few jam sessions, the band began to take shape. Unlike most bands, the group often found themselves rotating instruments both out of necessity and fun. Why Wolves showcases a charismatic and stadium-worthy sound with vocals reminiscent of The Killers. Currently, they have been creating quite a buzz on the Boston music scene with their high-energy shows, vocal melodies, and their infamous mid-show instrument switches.

Why Wolves are:

Ben Hen: lead vocals, piano, keyboard, guitar
Mike Taft: drums, guitar
Alex Corona: vocals, bass, guitar, orchestra bells
Chris O'Hara: vocals, guitar
Colin Amidon: vocals, keyboard, drums, piano, guitar accordion

Click Here to Listen to Why Wolves on BandSoup

Why Wolves on Facebook

Why Wolves on itunes

In Case You Missed Them: Envy On The Coast

This Week: Envy On The Coast

Envy On the Coast was a post-hardcore indie band from Long Island, New York formed in 2004. Having already established a reputation all over the Long Island music scene, they released their first “eclectic and unpredictable debut",  Lucy Gray, after the release of a highly praised five-song EP in 2006. With vocals stylings compared to Taking Back Sunday and Incubus, Envy On The Coast took the indie scene by storm. In 2009, they released Lowcountry, a much harder and more rock influenced album. After years of touring with bands such as 30 Seconds To Mars, The Receiving End Of Sirens, and Saosin, EOTC decided to call it quits in 2010. However, from the ashes came NORTH KOREA; a band crafted by former vocalist and guitarist.

If you like Envy on the Coast, you might like these BandSoup bands as well:

Young Circles 
Vices I Admire
Look North

Video: VanMarter Project- Don't Look Back

Here is the lead single from Spokane, Washington's VanMarter Project off their 2011 album, Don't Look Back. The album was released last month and is available in various packages and mediums on their website.

Click Here to Listen to More from VanMarter Project on BandSoup

Video: Decortica- Eros

Here is the new video from New Zealand alternative rock band, Decortica. Eros is from their 2011 album, Love Hotel, which is available on a very cool wooden USB thumb drive.

Listen to two other songs from Love Hotel & Decortica

Clear Channel's Post 9/11 Banned Songs List

This week has already seen a bevy of tributes/stories/thinkpieces about what it means that 9/11 happened 10 years ago. I'm not here to do that: Instead, Daily Swarm has hipped us to the fact that in the days after 9/11, Clear Channel had a list of banned songs sent to all of its stations, mainly to keep us from thinking about how AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" relates to buildings being hit by terrorists. The full list of songs is at Wikipedia.

 Read more for the full list of songs and artists.

Video: Cerebellion- Breach of Security

Here is the second video single from Cerebellion's album Inalienable. You can check out their first video, Not the Final Destination, here.

Listen to Cerebellion on BandSoup

In Case You Missed Them: Jawbreaker

This Week: Jawbreaker

Jawbreaker was a punk rock band formed in 1986 and was considered one of the most influential acts of the early 90’s “emo” movement. Blake Schwarzenbach, Chris Bauermeister and Adam Pfahler formed Jawbreaker while attending New York University and showcased a sound that was a healthy mixture of punk and emo. Blake’s personal and frustrated lyrics, along with his insatiable ability to control a live audience, made him a cult-like leader in the ever growing punk/emo genre. After the release of Dear You, their fourth and final release, internal tension between members ultimately lead to the bands demise. I truly recommend this band to anyone who enjoys simple, gritty, angst filled guitar work.

For fans of: Jets To Brazil and Lifetime

Here are some BandSoup bands that you might dig if you like Jawbreaker: 

Guntown

Moovalya 

The Please & Thank Yous

Pharoahs 

The Estate

When Comets Collide 

Video: Mockingbird Sun- Muscle Shoals EP

Nashville, Tennessee's Mockingbird Sun is one of the few great representatives of the country genre we have here on BandSoup, so it's exciting to see that they are doing well with the digital release of their new album, Muscle Shoals EP.  The EP was just released today on iTunes and features four brand new tracks (including Lucky Guy that we covered earlier) from this rising country trio.

On the above video, Mockingbird Sun uses a unique social media tool to let you know about the release of "The Muscle Shoals EP" on iTunes. The real question is: did they get arrested for littering?

Listen to Mockingbird Sun on BandSoup

Video: Intentions to Break- Seamstress

What started out as an acoustic trio in the December of 2005, Intentions to Break quickly assembled a full fledged band and employed a full on, sonic assault that could rival any pop-core band.

The 4-piece group, led by the kinetic Danni McPherron, possesses the pop pretense of bands like Paramore, the attitude of Be Your Own Pet, and the fire of Philly hardcore bands like Blacklisted, due to Kevin Buffington (guitar), Michael Cassidy (bass), and Josh Creutz's (drums) pinpoint precision.

There latest album, Heavyweights, is available now!

Click Here to Listen to Intentions to Break on BandSoup

Free Album: The Big Mean Sound Machine- Ourubros

Ithaca's The Big Mean Sound Machine is a 10 piece ensemble that fuses elements of afrobeat, garage rock, funk, jazz, and dub rhythms to provide western New York with some of the dirtiest, fattest, grooviest beats ever heard. Seamed together by an amazing rhythm section of Angelo Peters on Bass, Andrew Klein on Drums, Bryan Davis on Percussion, Rob Tate on Organs, and Dan Barker on Guitars, the core of the group commands attention while providing a passionate and constant groove. Combine that with the talents of Bobby Spellman on Trumpet, Emily Pecoraro on Tenor Sax, and Remy Kunstler on Bari Sax, and you have polyrhythmic monster.

Listen to The Big Mean Sound Machine on BandSoup

Known for their passionate and exhilarating live performances, TBMSM have been genre-bending together since early 2010 and have so far released LIVE @ Castaways, The Big Mean EP, Tongue Power Single, and most recently, their debut full length album Ourubros. If their other free releases merely remained local treasures, then it's Ourubros that will give them the global admiration they deserve. This 10-track opus flows seamlessly from start to finish, mixing all the elements that TBMSM claim to cultivate in all their music into one sublime and hearty sound stew.

Below you can find the free download of their new album Ourubros.

Favorite tracks: Drunk & Crying, Tongue Power, A Grain of Sand.

Download: The Big Mean Sound Machine- Ourubros (Click Artist Link)