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Illustrated by Katelyn Betz

So, you were looking at videos on the internet the other daaaaaay mightve been watching too many episodes of Letterkenny and having one (five) too many Puppers, thus resulting in a list of music videos mislabeled. Fucking embarrassing!

How are ya now? Not so bad, but its best time to pitter patter, bud, and get this list assembled so that the fine folks of this burg can get em watched. I mean, its still no kids fallin off bikesfuck, I could watch kids fallin off bikes all daybut its still pretty wondrous.

Radkey, Bend

As directed by Chris Durr, Radkeys video for Bend is maybe the most chill weve ever seen the trio of brothers. The whole aesthetic brought to it feels like a really intimate series of portraits of Dee, Solomon, and Isaiah before exploding in the final minute. The lyrics, especially When everyday is the weekend, you cant have fun anymore, when paired with images of breaking pencils and a joint, definitely make this feel like a contemplation of what rock n roll as a lifestyle might be.

You can snag Green Room, on which Bend appears, on Bandcamp.

Edison Lights, Find Some Light

I literally had three separate folks message me through Facebook, email, and (no lie) Linkedin to tell me that I needed to check out Edison Lights, and each and every one of them was correct. Its like the Mountain Goats John Darnielle jamming with Matthew Sweet, and maybe a little Weakerthans, too, which basically makes this fully in every corner of my wheelhouse. The video pairs imagery of police protests and the pandemic with sunshine-filled portraits of folks loving one another, offering up a bit of hope.

Find Some Light is the title track to the EP of the same name, which you can stream on Spotify or buy from Apple or Amazon.

Shun Ann, Forever

Sparse as hell instrumentation, paired with Shun Ann out the back window of a car and in an empty parking garage, ever-so-subtly increasing in tension, visually and musically. Theres so little going on herein a good waythat youre forced to pay attention to each and every detail, and you just get sucked right the hell in.

Stephonne, Beautiful Life (acoustic)

This live, acoustic version of Beautiful Life was recorded to raise money for The Greenline Initiative, and pairing the singers voice with Ben Byards guitar only emphasizes just how powerful it is. This song is powerful, as well, with hints of rap, reggae, and alt-rock all within four minutes. Hopefully, this is a sneak peak at Sis: Side B, which just met its fundraising goal.

You can support the Greenline Initiative here to help build Black generational wealth in Kansas City and read more about Stephonne in our feature from last September.

Nisee Amore, Scary Lover ft. Reggie B.

Nisee Amore is the first artist I want to see when concerts are a thing again. I need to hear this voice in person. This new single is a love letter to R&B, with influences stretching from the 60s to now, with a salsa backbeat running underneath it all. Also: Nisee and Reggie look like theyre playing grown folk Disney princess and prince in this, and while I totally lost count of the number of costume changes, its wonderful.

Southside Dame, PGLTD

A video about how hard it is to make a video? Dont knock it til you try it, as the barber says at the beginning. Set that thing in your local barbershop, and make it happen. I feel like Dame knows what works for him, and thats on display in this Davin Jeremiah-directed video. Hes a talented rapper, makes music thats fun as hell, and appears in these videos that make you feel like you got to hang out with him for a little while.

Kye Colors, Favorite Girl

A new Kye Colors video directed by Kendu? Yeah, we were in before we even clicked play. The color palette is on point, theres a superb use of 8mm film grain, and theres Ky with something like three different women, all while singing about his favorite girl. Its subtle, its clever, and the song is a jam, too.

Favorite Girl is on Kye Colors latest, with love. by faith., which is streaming on Spotify.

Dettsa, Get Faded

Directed by Nick and Nate Littlejohn, literally focuses on Dettsa. As in, everything else around him might be blurring, twisting, and smearing, but hes dead center in every frame. The trick makes the clothing and location changes work perfectly well, and given the songs title, its a clever visual twist. The song breezes by almost too quickly, though. I felt like Id gotten blazed, myself, and missed it. Thankfully, thats what the replay button is for.

Get Faded can be found on Dettsas Numb the Pain, which is streaming on Soundcloud.

Dead Ends, I Regret My Time

This is definitely a hardcore video. I feel like the video by Like Minded Companys Trae is going to turn into a snuff film at any point, which definitely means its effective. Think of it as the local, mosh-worthy take on Nine Inch Nails Closer. Its not even the most intense song on the album on which it appears: another song, Half Empty, will break you in half with its riffs.

I Regret My Time can be found on Dead Ends new EP, Lost In Reflection, which is streaming on Spotify.

Chess Club, Right Now?

The video for Right Now? was recorded live at White School House (sans crowd) by the Lawrence All-Ages Noise Destination cooperative in late 2020. Produced by Jake Scherm Visuals, with audio engineered by Giovanni Ventello, Inez Robinson, and Jaxon Ray, its the first taste of the Lawrence bands first vinyl LP, Youre Lucky I Like You, which is their second release for Kansas City cooperative Black Site Records. Its fantastic to see the trio rocking out, even if its weird that theyre all by their lonesome.

Youre Lucky I Like You is out March 23, and you can pre-order it on Bandcamp.

True Lions, Carrot Cake ft. Claire Adams

True Lions The Fempire Strikes Back wont be out from Manor Records until April 9, but if were going to get videos like this while were waiting, I can totally handle that. Fritz Hutchisons video is vibrant, exuberant, and joyous, much like the song itself, which finds the little things in quarantine to which you can look forward, like starting a garden, growing your own veggies, and then making cake. I really, really want some carrot cake now, too. With cream cheese frosting. Mmmmm.

You can pre-order The Fempire Strikes Back on digital, cassette, or compact disc on Bandcamp.

Other Americans, Chug Chug

Every Other Americans video is something to behold, surely, but the latest looks like an Instagram feed gone awry. Think totes amaze party pics paired with what starts out as the sort of inspirational quotes influencers share without checking to see if that attribution is correct (no, its not Gandhi, Chad), then maybe/kinda turns into a story about the dangers of failing to engage in self-reflection.

Chug Chug can be found on Paranoid Fiction, which is streaming on Spotify.

Are you a local musician with a new video to share? Email nicholas.spacek@gmail.com.

More:
Radkey, Chess Club, True Lions, and more of the best local music videos - Kansas City Pitch