by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
When I think of the beautiful White Sands National Monument my mind first goes to Boyz II Men... it's strange because there's a lot of majesty in the gorgeous New Mexican desert and here I am thinking about R&B videos from the 90's. Perhaps it's just me, but perhaps that all changes from here forward where I think about Los Angeles' Media Jeweler and their gorgeously detached cover of Ever Ending Kicks' "Outside Again". Having recently released their exceptional new album 1-800-SUCCEED back in March via Fire Talk Records, the quartet took their shifting noise-pop meets post-hardcore bliss on the road, a road that at some point led to the vast jaw-dropping dunes of White Sands. Not be outdone by Boyz II Men, Media Jeweler decided to record their own video deep in the iconic desert.
Their take on Ever Ending Kicks' 2013 single celebrates "being outside again," a fitting sentiment when surrounded by this level of splendor. Media Jeweler's cover is just as disorienting as the original, but while the original is built on electronic beats and synths, they go for a raw approach, using the open air for a stripped down minimalist approach, the band's barbershop harmonies carrying the bulk of weight. With the sun beating down behind them, the guitar lines waver in the heat like still air, rippling past stagnant dunes like an oasis mirage. Like any great Media Jeweler song, there's plenty of disjointed melodies and discordant experimentation to keep it spicy.
Spend some time in the desert with Media Jeweler and check out their remaining tour dates below.
Tour Dates:
7.20 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Gold Blood Collective
7.22 - Missoula, MT @ ZACC
7.25 - Vancouver, BC @ Red Gate #
7.26 - Victoria, BC @ Logan's Pub #
7.27 - Olympia, WA @ A House #
7.28 - Portland, OR @ Turn Turn Turn #
7.29 - Sacramento, CA @ Secret Compound #
7.30 - Oakland, CA @ Octopus Literary Salon #
7.31 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Hard to Find Showspace
8.01 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon #
# w/ Young Jesus