For the past few years, we’ve been attending the L.A. Film Festival watching various films and covering the pertinent music video showings. This year will be no different, as we’ll be there in full effect (most likely running late for each screening). Also as with each year, we encourage you to come out and support the directors and videos playing, as well as chat us up, high five us, punch us, buy us a few drinks or all of the above.

That’s right kids. The empire strikes back. You didn’t think we were gonna let ‘007 go by without putting our stamp on it. Silly scenesters, tricks are for kids. This year we’ve even upped our numbers a bit and are thus doing things a bit different. Rather than bombard your senses into overload status with all the videos, we’re instead gonna give you some hearty portions throughout the week so as to give each video the proper respect and consideration they deserve.

So go on break or take your lunch, grab a coke and a smile, and watch as artists take you into the past and into the future. Over the high seas and through the rocky desert. From Europe to South America. A beehive to a bar. Our universe to distant universes. This officially puts an end to 2007 with the one and only list that matters. Any other list would be uncivilized.

Well, here we are. Fall is damn near here. The kids are back in school. Ah, you know what? Forget the usual rhetorical bullshit. Just press play and listen to this latest mix of tunes we have combed the high seas of independent music for. It’s all for you. Ain’t that sweet? Did you press play yet? Bastard.

(This is the tricked out feed with chapters and album art and all that good stuff. iTunes only though, but seriously who doesn’t use itunes. …

Well another installment of everyone’s favorites musical podcast has arrived. Let us know what you think.

1. Peacebone – Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
2. Lake Michigan – Rogue Wave – Asleep At Heaven’s Gate
3. Make A Plan – Saturday Looks Good To Me – Fill Up The Room
4. Up On Your Leopard, Upon the End of You Feral Days – Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
5. Is There A Ghost – Band Of Horses – Cease To Begin
6. It Is A Fine Line You Walk In The Wife Swapping Business – The Little Lebowski Urban Achievers – Is This A Party Or An Intervention?
7. For Science Fiction – Maritime – Heresy and the Hotel Choir
8. My Rights Versus Yours – The New Pornographers – Challengers
9. Snow In Berlin – Zookeeper – Becoming All Things
10. Footsteps – Nathan Lawr and the Minotaurs – A Sea Of Tiny Lights
11. Don’t Be Afraid, You’re Already Dead – Akron/Family – Love Is Simple
12. Rapture (Sweet Rapture) – AA Bondy – American Hearts
13. People Do – Luke Temple – Snow Beast
14. (2)A Sunday Smile – Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
15. Hortur – Picastro – Whore Luck

Read on

It’s one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in a while and all I wanted was to try and keep it company. – Alma Har’el

It’s been a bit since we’ve had a visit from our dear old friend Alma Har’el, and ever the sweetheart, she’s gone and brought us a fresh slice of her newest Beirut pie for an oldie but goody, “Postcards from Italy”. Its a timeless companion piece to add to her previous work for “Elephant Gun“. Blending the past and the present and running it through her distinct vintage filter, Mrs. Har’el shows us not only how far we’ve come, but also how very much the same we are. Once again we had a nice little chat with her about the video, the beauty of our memories, and as always she gave us her advice on the certain outfit that drives the ladies wild. So strap in for a timeless ride forward into the past and don’t worry, where we’re going we won’t need roads.

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“It was so much fun that I was worried I wouldn’t get the right mood. I wanted it to be a little melancholic and mythical.” – Alma Har’el

Just as I promised for those of you watching closely. Here’s the second part to our exhaustive interview with “Elephant Gun” director and classy gal Alma Har’el. For those of you who missed out on the previous installment, check it out first and go download the video to your iPod, then return to us here for your dessert.

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Anyway, the usual letdown that is Subterranean was on last night, and after sitting through 50 minutes of snooze time — surprise, suprise — they decided to sneak in a little premier (I’m ignoring the Bjork premiere and the Tori Amos video was horrid. She actual spells out MILF, more than once!). Nicole Atkins’ video for “Neptune City” is a delightful, artsy and animated flick by David Sutton who works for Frantic Studios. Looking into Mr. Sutton past is a cloudy venture at best, and for all my digging I can’t really tell you anything about him. Whatever his history may be, he’s done an amazing job on this project, layering gritty still images of long gone days and coupling them with video cut-outs of Atkins, while a zooming/tilting camera makes an illusion of movement. A job well done and a video worth sitting through. Check it out.

“Zach and I spoke on the phone and I asked him: ‘Zach, who is singing the song?’ and he said ‘a safari hunter’. That’s how it started.” – Alma Har’el

We were right! Sexy AND Foreign is the way that Zach Condon (aka: Beirut) and Alma Har’el took us, and good god are we glad they did! Lucky (again) for you that we worked our magic and actually snagged Mrs. Har’el for a bit and delved into her head in order to find out the on-goings both inside and outside of the frame. The interview we danced away with is in-depth (we don’t fuck around here) so we split it up for your benefit and will bring forth the second part next week. In the meantime, take the weekend to study up on the video a few times, show the kids, read the interview and get ready for round two where we discuss getting in the mood, mixing work and play at the beach, and underage drinking? The plot thickens…

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