So it’s no secret that we at Flying Dog Films love music. I mean, making music videos is a big part of what we do for a living, so it’d be a bit odd if we didn’t really love music– kind of like a professional synchronized swimmer who didn’t really like choreographed swimming, just wearing bizarre sequined bathing suits and nose plugs. So– that being said, we’ve decided to start a weekly post about synchronized swimming great bands we have a deep appreciation for.
It’s always a little bit infuriating to me how much great music is out there that lots of people are unaware of. Don’t get me started on a rant about the state of radio stations today (I can go on for hours) – the short version of that rant is that most radio stations only play a stale cycle of 40 or so songs that have been picked by a Clear Channel board of directors somewhere in Nashville. That means there are lots and lots of bands out there that don’t get noticed– even though their music is fresher and generally more creative than what you hear on the radio. So, hopefully this weekly column can turn you on to some new sounds you may not have know about otherwise.
Ok, enough ranting. My first pick for band you should know about is a gem of a group called The Weakerthans.
The best way I can describe The Weakerthans is that they’re a low octane punk group from Winnipeg that dashes in liberal amounts of slide guitar, ballads, and other folk element into their music. Their songs are clever and fresh- John K. Samson doesn’t just write a song about lost love, he writes it from the perspective of a tortured public bus driver who has to pass the house of his lost love every day on his monotonous route. They write songs about curling, a house cat pleading with his owner to break out of his self-destructive cycle of self-pity, and Michel Foucalt dining with a nostalgic retired explorer of the Artic– great stuff, all penned with clever turns of phrases and conceits.
I picked up the band’s third LP, Reconstruction Site, on a whim, and my first impression of it was, “Hmm, slightly quirky punk/rock band with some catchy songs.”
But then the album found a little place in my heart and began to grow… and grow… and grow. Now I absolutely love every single song on that album. There are very few albums I come back to over and over again, but Reconstruction Site is one of them. So do yourself a favor and pick it up. Here’s a video of ‘The Reasons’ from Reconstruction Site to get you started. You can find more videos and some free mp3s at their website.
We’re proud to announce that our music video of Luna Halo’s World on Fire has just been accepted into the August 2009 
