This time on Grindhouse Grooves, the latest in noteworthy music videos for the discriminating cult movie fan, we’ve got alien worlds, killer cars and a song from the first Jason Voorhees!

 

PSYCHIC RITES
SINGULARITY
Dir. Mike Wilson

Psychic Rites ‘Singularity’ from Pleasure Kill on Vimeo.

CHRISTINE is the obvious inspiration for this ultra-splattery (and inventive) short about a car that loves its owner just a bit too much, and will go through anything to get to her. Hold on to your corn dogs, it’s about to get bloody. (The credits are a nice touch, but they make the video run a little long.)

BANTA
DARK CHARMS
Dir. Casey Donohue

BANTA – “Dark Charms” from Casey Donahue on Vimeo.

I’m not sure it entirely works with the song, but I love the dark tone that Donohue’s vision of it suddenly takes, and the story of a love triangle that gets pretty violent is certainly an engaging one guided by some impressively trippy visuals.

JOYWAVE
TOUNGES
Dir. Zak Stoltz

Certainly a unique video, xxx’s take on Joywave’s moody track feels a bit like a strange ‘70s exploitation movie as a group of hunters pursue a gang of naked campers that becomes a war betwen the clothed and the unclothed – kind of an AMERICAN HIPPIE IN TECHNOLAND. Some pixilation, but butts galore!

MAC DEMARCO
PASSING OUT PIECES
Dir. Pierce McGarry

Honestly, this could easily have been some deranged SOV home movie made by some glue-huffing high school kids in 1994. It’s nonsensical, weirdly brutal, strangely funny, and features a cabbage baby. It reminds me of old Ween videos in the best way. This has over 160,000 views on YouTube, which gives me strange hope for the future.

TIMBER TIMBRE
CURTAINS
Dir. Tyler T. Williams

There’s a great film noir vibe and look going on in Williams’ suspenseful video about a following on a dark night that makes for a solid coupling with Timber Timbre’s groovy track. Before it’s over, you can bet shots will be fired, but who will end up coming out of the smoke alive?

 

FLYING LOTUS
PHANTASM
Dir. Markus Hofko

Flying Lotus (feat. Laura Darlington) – Phantasm from The Bow on Vimeo.

There’s a whole inventive world formed within this visually stunning video for Flying Lotus’s dreamy song, and while we only see a fraction of it, it’s a hell of a perfect ride.

THE KOOKS
AROUND TOWN
Dir. Ryan Hope

At over 7 minutes, Hope’s (fairly NSFW) video for the Kooks’ rock track borders on epic, but it’s a full short film itself, as a young female criminal hired by an older man finds their relationship increasingly close despite all of the bloodshed around them in a tale that’s equal parts Tarantino, LA FEMME NIKITA and THE PROFESSIONAL.

BEN KHAN
YOUTH
Dir. BRTHR

BRTHR has done some incredible work in music videos (check out their videos for MS MR and Foster the People) and their video for Ben Khan’s Youth is no exception – nobody quite utilized retro technology and look while still feeling fresh and new like they do, and it works particularly well with this track that would be just as home in an ‘80s drama as it is on today’s pop charts.

PIXIES
SILVER SNAIL
Dir. Mount Emult

A man tries to run from a cult of strangely-masked individuals in an apocalyptic, or at least cold, landscape. The ride is worthwhile and makes a great companion to the new Pixies track.

FOSTER THE PEOPLE
BEST FRIEND
Dir. Brewer

I’m still a little ambivalent towards Foster the People, but they’ve certainly made some amazing videos, and this one from director Brewer is no exception, as a young woman works her way up to being a top model by literally feasting on those around her. Brewer also directed the nifty video for Skylar Grey’s “Final Warning” that we mentioned last year.

FIRST JASON
VICTIM

Ari Lehman played the first Jason Voorhees in FRIDAY THE 13TH, memorably dragging our final girl down into the water, and he’s always embraced his slasher film roots. (He was also a customer at the video store I worked at for years!) “Heed My Warning” is the second album of his band FIRST JASON, and this video shows off his hockey mask-slaughtering love in full.

GHOST TOWN
YOU’RE SO CREEPY
Dir. Ryan Valdez

From the Tales from the Crypt-esque opening credits, we know we’re in for a ghoulish time as four young men seek out a mysterious girl in a darkly dayglo-lit video.

WRETCHED
CRANIAL INFESTATION
Dir. Eric Richter

The video for Wretched’s metal track off their new “Cannibal” album is pretty standard stuff until about halfway through, when the thing inside the lead singer’s head that’s causing him issues makes its presence physically known.

DEBBIE HARRY
BACKFIRED
Dir. H.R. Giger

This column’s retro video pays tribute to the late, great artist H.R. Giger, who directed this rather odd video for the Blondie singer. It’s kind of a mess, but it certainly shows the master’s touch.

Click here for previous Grindhouse Grooves columns!

@Paul Freitag-Fey

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