by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Have you ever wished that Anchorman was less blowhards drinking scotch and more akin to art school reverence amid a soundtrack that resides somewhere between B-52s and retro futuristic new wave? Sure, you have! Well, you’re in luck, Richmond’s Outer World have crafted the music video we’ve all been waiting for. “The Drum The Beat” is the second single from Who Does The Music Love?, the band’s upcoming album, due out March 22nd via HHBTM Records (Fred Schneider, The Wedding Present, American Culture), a song that finds the duo of Kenneth Close and Tracy Wilson zigging and zagging through loungy space echo plinks and silky grooves. Joined by Lira Mondal (Sweeping Promises), who provides close vocals harmonies for the swarm of the hooks, Outer World transport us to realms of new noise-pop glory.
Then there’s that video we mentioned, a collaboration between the band and Tilt Creative + Production, that brings back the era of local news elegance and hilarity. With gorgeous sets and a moody performance from the band dressed chic in all black, the rest of the clip lets the colors and characters run wild, a visual delight that feels dripped from the 70’s with a nod to modern absurdist humor. It all fits together with the song’s own pulsating glow and sleek construction. The motorik beats and synthetic organs set the tone for Wilson’s agile vocals, hypnotic and gentle, but delivered with full cosmic focus.
Speaking about the video, the band shared:
“A music video is such a fun opportunity to think about a song in a visual way. The seed of our concept started with a band taking over a small-time morning news program. We then built a playful universe around the juxtaposition of a serious Velvet Underground-type band filtered through a vintage-infused kaleidoscope of colors and characters. Over a six month period we orchestrated a news theme song, determined a color palette, wrote the script, Kenny designed the news logo plus produced all the graphics, we handled the wardrobe/set styling, and then partnered with local company Tilt Creative Studio who brilliantly brought our ideas to life in video form. Each band member was assigned key characters to play and our friends in the community stepped up to parody rabid fans storming the studio."
Tour Dates:
04/24 - Richmond, VA @ Fuzzy Cactus
04/25 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Government Center
04/26 - Cincinnati, OH @ Motr Pub
04/27 - Chicago, IL @ The VCR
04/28 - Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits Lounge
04/30 - Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
05/01 - Kingston, NY @ Tubby's
05/02 - Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts
05/03 - Jersey City, NJ @ Sip Studios
05/04 - Baltimore, MD @ Normals
05/18 - Charlottesville, VA @ WTJU