"Living Proof" video posted

[Patrick]

The dreamy, sizzuppy multi-faith video to Cat Power's "Living Proof," directed by Harmony Korine (who wrote 'Kids' and directed 'Gummo' and 'julien donkey-boy') is up on Cat Power's music and video page (http://www.matadorrecords.com/cat_power/music.html).

Patrick

[Dean]

All I'm getting is an Interpol sound file.

Perhaps the link is in need of repair, no?

[donkeytooth]

i just read the older posts regarding the video saying it is "heavy-handed" and "pretentious" and many other negative things which seems to be missing the point entirely about it. it was fucking awesome and hysterical. chan is in a red vinyl catsuit carrying a cross around. yes, there are overt political and racial images, but they are exagerrated and absurd, leaving them less loaded but mildly thought-provoking at the same time. blah blah blah. i am reading too much into it, but at least it is a video that inspires analysis. anyways, she obviously has a sense of humor and looks like she had fun doin it. my main question about it is whether or not that is Lefteye on the dude's shirt.

[Patrick]

All I'm getting is an Interpol sound file.

Perhaps the link is in need of repair, no?

Works fine for me... maybe you have something cached in your browser?

If that still doesn't work, try this direct link:

http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/bbanquet/rtsp/matador/interpol_ref.mov

Best
Patrick

[johansen smith]

Interpol for me too... note that the link itself says "Interpol" in it.

[Moon Pix]

Its Interpol for me too.

[Adrian]

If that still doesn't work, try this direct link:

http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/bbanquet/rtsp/matador/interpol_ref.mov

that's a link for interpol_ref.mov. there's actually an error in cat_power/music.html:
<param name="src" value="http://www.matadorrecords.com/images/cat_power/livingproof.mov">
<param name="autoplay" value="true">
<param name="controller" value="false">
<param name="href" value="http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/bbanquet/rtsp/matador/interpol_ref.mov">
anyway, here's (http://a716.g.akamai.net/5/716/154/43dd45d9/1a1a1a0776ec55ba2d5bcc40b6e445b52591f62487f66392ff 6ee44db22554b61879e758cd32a6d53db12595c431920667cb 3aac/livingproof_300.mov)a link that actually works

[adam]

a bad link crept in...all is fine. thanks for pointing this out!

[cubecutter]

i just read the older posts regarding the video saying it is "heavy-handed" and "pretentious" and many other negative things which seems to be missing the point entirely about it. it was fucking awesome and hysterical. chan is in a red vinyl catsuit carrying a cross around. yes, there are overt political and racial images, but they are exagerrated and absurd, leaving them less loaded but mildly thought-provoking at the same time. blah blah blah. i am reading too much into it, but at least it is a video that inspires analysis. anyways, she obviously has a sense of humor and looks like she had fun doin it. my main question about it is whether or not that is Lefteye on the dude's shirt.

i don't get heavy handed or pretentious, but neither the song or the video did anything for me.

still gonna get the album though.

[Zibeoh]

I dont' get the big deal over the video. IMO it's not that great. And is that red outfit supposed to be some sort of Britney Spears throwback or something? It's all very strange and slow.

[Patrick]

Strange and slow is good!

Patrick

[ABKman18]

Strange and slow is good!

Patrick



i agree


-adam

[Moon Pix]

All Im going to say is that I think its a cool video that makes no sense.

[Keith]

I can't get it, but Moonpix may have a point or at least a diopromatic head.

[Moon Pix]

I can't get it, but Moonpix may have a point or at least a diopromatic head.

Whats diopromatic mean?

Since when have Chan's videos made any sense anyway. Why is she on rollerskates? Why is she holding a coat hanger with little girls shoes on it? I don't know but it's all cool.

[Adrian]

Why is she on rollerskates? Why is she holding a coat hanger with little girls shoes on it?.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_hanger_abortion

[Moon Pix]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_hanger_abortion

Good god... thats cryptic imagery but it relates to the lyrics.:)

[Moon Pix]

When's the single coming out anyway? I know this has been posted but I can't find the post anywhere.

[Keith]

the 6th of March i think is the date. Which will work out just fine as it's right after the London show. Sorry if my spelling confused you.

[Moon Pix]

Sorry if my spelling confused you.

So you DID mean diplomatic?

[Zibeoh]

strange and slow can be good, but not in this context. It's just boring.

[pm77]

Kind of like it, it takes a couple of views maybe, but seems to link with the whole terrorism bit in the song maybe - certainly seen a lot worse, certainly seen a lot worse from Harmony Korine in fact...see his effort for Will Oldham last year for example.

[IntoDust]

Sorry but i haven't been keeping up, this is the only video that's been made for the new album so far right?

[Moon Pix]

Yes. Even though "The Greatest" came out as a single there was no video for it.

Can I just ask why Matador often have videos made for songs that arent released as singles. This is very rare in Britain. Is it quire common with American indie labels?

[Patrick]

Hi Moon Pix

There are 2 issues here:

1) US and UK often have different choices for singles - different markets, different radio formats, etc. So the song that gets made into a video for a radio song in the US may not match the radio song in the UK.

2) Indie labels in the US often don't make videos at all - they're expensive (even cheap ones are expensive), and until recently there was no outlet for videos in this country except MTV and they don't really even play much music anymore, let along indie music. So lots of indie labels stopped making videos for their singles -- UNLESS their European office or licensee wanted a video for THEIR radio single, because European MTV is much more open. So in this instance there might be no video for a US single or a UK single, or there might be a video for a UK single which doesn't match the US single.

Confused yet :)

Patrick

P.S. A third reason is that Matador rarely releases physical commercial singles in the US these days, and is releasing fewer and fewer commercial singles in the UK. They're completely non-profitable, can cut into album sales, and their sales are dwindling worldwide anyway. Often when there is no commercial single, a promo single is released nevertheless to radio. Gradually, commercial singles are being replaced by digital singles (iTunes etc.). The main reason to release a commercial single these days is part of a special marketing initiative, especially on vinyl (like the "The Greatest" /
"Hate" 7" in December, or the Mission Of Burma Subscription Series), or to play the UK charts game, which still requires phsyical commercial singles to succeed, especially multi-format ones with different tracks on them.

[Moon Pix]

Thankyou. I suppose it is very hard for labels like yourself that release music because you believe in it, regardless of the likelyhood of profits. The singles market in Britain for physical formats is pretty much a dying thing anyway which just makes it harder.

It always made me wonder who you were making them for. When I was watching the Everything Is Nice DVD I just sat there wondering "who do they think is ever going to see these things?"

The chances of MTV getting turned on by the prospect of seeing Matt Sweeney standing next to a bodybuilder in a fireman's hat are pretty slim right?:)

[Keith]

It was a nice history lession anyway, more fun than any i've set though.

[Patrick]

The chances of MTV getting turned on by the prospect of seeing Matt Sweeney standing next to a bodybuilder in a fireman's hat are pretty slim right?:)

Yeah. Though actually MTV was more open back in those days and the Chavez videos did get a fair number of spins on '120 Minutes.' Still, the personal pleasure we get out of watching that scene more than made up for any money we lost on Chavez.

Patrick

[Moon Pix]

Yeah. Though actually MTV was more open back in those days and the Chavez videos did get a fair number of spins on '120 Minutes.' Still, the personal pleasure we get out of watching that scene more than made up for any money we lost on Chavez.

Patrick

Going on the two songs on that DVD (which is unfortunately all the Chavez stuff Ive heard yet) they were one of Matador's greatest signings.

What became of them?

[Dean]

Matt Sweeney, who played guitar for them, was the producer on Early Man's Closing In and played on it as well. Before that he collaborated with Bonnie Prince Billy on Superwolf, and before that he was part of the unfortunate trainwreck that was Zwan. As far as the rest of the band, I have no idea what they've been up to, but if Clay Tarver's auteur-like turn in What's Up Matador is any indication, he's gonna turn up at Cannes sooner or later.

[Moon Pix]

Thankyou. All I knew about Matt Sweeney was that he was in Chavez and that he played guitar on "Salty Dog" but now I know more.

That DVD is so great for discovering things. Without it I may never have discovered the delights of Chavez and Helium.

Don't get the point of Chain Gang but there you go.:)

[Peterican]

my main question about it is whether or not that is Lefteye on the dude's shirt.

yes. it is.

[johansen smith]

Clay Tarver co-wrote the blockbuster Joy Ride.

[Peterican]

ok. so today my little brother tells me he'll be starting track next thursday. fine. then i come on here tonight instead of doing homework to see the vid for "living proof" for the first time. cool. then procrastinating even more, i look up the bio of najwa nimri, find out her birthday is today and she has the same birthyear as chan. ok. so i watch the video of one of my favorite songs by her for the first time. woah.
see it here (http://www.najwa.info/) for yourself. (select videos--> go cain)

[Keith]

I saw it last night by Mistake in a pub in Camden. On first viewing and bearing in mind the satting it was good. I thought it made it's message in a very profound way it was destictive.