JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates David Gilmour’s 80th birthday.
Category: music video
New Video: Weird Nightmare Shares Punchy “Pay No Mind”
Almost every band that’s worth a damn has had a member, who at some point worked in a record store. With JOVM mainstay acts METZ and Weird Nightmare, it was frontman and creative mastermind Alex Edkins. Slinging indie rock and hardcore records at his hometown record store while attending university, Edkins became an ardent student of rock ‘n’ roll from the psychedelic 1960s to the DIY 1990s and beyond.
Hoopla, Edkins’ sophomore Weird Nightmare album, which is slated for a May 1, 2026 release through Sub Pop globally and Dine Alone Records in Canada, reportedly sees the JOVM mainstay mixing and matching these wide-ranging influences in fun, exhilarating combinations, showcasing his sophisticated musical mind, while continuing to showcase his unerring knack for ridiculously catchy and rousingly anthemic hooks and choruses.
Co-produced by Edkins and Spoon‘s Jim Eno at Providence‘s world famous Machines With Magnets, Hoopla also sees the acclaimed Canadian artist expanding upon Weird Nightmare’s musical palette with the addition of piano, bells and castanets, which give his long-held straightforward songwriting a shiny luster.
The album will feature the previously released “Forever Elsewhere,” and the Cheap Trick-like “Might See You There.”
Hoopla‘s third and latest single “Pay No Mind” is a punchy, downright punk rock-like take on power pop, anchored around Edkins’ unerring knack for ridiculously catchy hooks and big riffs paired with what may arguably be his most socially aware, thoughtful lyrics of his growing catalog.
“We had a blast making this video with director Ryan Faist,” the Weird Nightmare creative mastermind says,. “It was a nod to the Elvis Costello and the Attractions ‘Pump it Up‘ video and some early footage of the Buzzcocks on cable access TV.
“The lyric was lifted from an Atlantic City tourism t-shirt. ‘I’m so broke, I can’t even pay attention‘ struck me as a particularly accurate comment on modern life. Obviously, the shirt is meant to be funny, but it felt quite dark to me. Due to the overwhelming onslaught of information and emotional baggage that comes with it, I think there is a tendency for people’s lives to become quite myopic. As a coping mechanism, we become more and more insular, ignoring the world around us.”
Throwback: Happy 56th Birthday, John Frusciante!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist John Frusciante’s 56th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 70th Birthday, Teena Marie!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 70th anniversary of the birth of Teena Marie.
New Video: A Place to Bury Strangers Returns with Pulsing “Acid Rain”
New York-based JOVM mainstays A Place to Bury Strangers — currently Oliver Ackermann (vocals, guitar), John Fedowitz (bass) and Sandra Fedowitz (drums) — will be releasing a rarities album, Rare and Deadly through Dedstrange on April 3, 2026.
Following 2024’s Synthesizer, Rare and Deadly sees the band cracking open a decade-long vault of raw nerve and sonic chaos. Spanning 2015-2025, this collection of demos, B-sides, abandoned experiments and forgotten fragments reveals the band at their most unfiltered, frequently caught between breakthrough ideas and beautiful mistakes.
Pulled from Oliver Ackermann’s personal archive of late-night recordings, blown-out tapes and half-finished sessions, the collection’s tracks pulse with the unruly energy that ATPBS has long been known for, but more dangerous with more jagged edges — on purpose.
Countless bands have opened up their vaults to fans and others, but Rare and Deadly is truly unprecedented: Every format is different — and as a result, tells a different story. The CD, cassette, vinyl and digital editions each feature their own unique track listing. No single version features the “complete” album. Instead, each format is its own window into Ackermann’s archive, revealing alternate paths, missing links and parallel “what if” versions of the band’s inner life. It’s deliberately unstable with the album shifting depending on how you choose to hear it, mirroring the chaos of its creation.
Across the collection’s tracks, you can hear the evolution of Ackermann’s restlessly creative mind. Some pieces feel like prototypes for future chaos, seeds that later bloomed on studio albums. Others are dead ends — ideas too volatile, too strange or too personal to ever fit the frame of a proper release. The tracks feature riffs mutated by malfunctioning pedals, songs born from gear pushed past its limits, or delicate melodies overwhelmed by towering walls of feedback.
Rare and Deadly will include the previously released, tense and menacing “Everyone’s The Same,” and the album’s second and latest single, “Acid Rain.” “Acid Rain” is a frustrated howl of a song, anchored around a relentlessly breakneck, motorik pulse, buzzing guitars, wild bursts of scorching feedback paired with Ackermann’s vocals, which are also fed through effects pedals.
“Acid Rain” was informed by the first Trump presidency. “Cruelty felt not just normalized, but weaponized. Watching people in power openly coerce others into silence, compliance, and violence was horrifying, and still is,” APTBS’ Oliver Ackermann explains. “What shook me most was how casual it all felt, how easily people turned their heads while others were being crushed.”
“The chanting at the beginning was recorded during the George Floyd protests in Manhattan and Brooklyn, real voices, real streets, real fear mixed with hope,” Ackermann adds. “For a moment, it felt like maybe people would finally wake up and refuse this racist machinery. But here we are, still watching detention centers, modern slavery, and countless other atrocities continue under different names. ‘Acid Rain’ is rage, grief, and disbelief all colliding at once, the sound of watching history repeat itself while knowing exactly how wrong it is.”
Directed by Gerson Vargas, the accompanying video was shot on January 16, 2026. The video follows the band as they get on the last car of a Manhattan-bound M train at Marcy Avenue, turning the subway car into a moving stage for a raucous live rendition of “Acid Rain” during the length of the Williamsburg Bridge into the Lower East Side. The guerilla-styled footage wasn’t scripted. There’s no script. And as a result, it perfectly captures the relentless pulse of the song and the city.
New Video: Hush Returns with Shimmering and Woozy “Phasing”
Montréal-based trio Hush — Paige Barlow (vocals) and multi-instrumentalists Miles Dupire-Gagnon and Gabriel Lambert — are part of a new wave of Montréal-based acts actively reshaping psych pop. And each member is an accomplished member of the local scene, with the band featuring members of Hippie Houraah, Elephant Stone, Anemone, and The Besnard Lakes.
Citing an eclectic array of influences that includes Broadcast, The Velvet Underground, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Steve Lacy, Cocteau Twins and Ariel Pink, the Montréal-based psych pop trio create a sound that’s simultaneously nostalgic and forward-looking. Their music lives in the blurred light of perception — half memory, half hallucination — and is an invitation to lose yourself inside of their hall of mirrors-like dream world.
Late last year, I wrote about the Canadian trio’s debut single, the Bibi Club-like “The Mirrors Were Right,” which also serves as the first single from their full-length debut, slated for a 2026 release through Simone Records. Their debut album’s second and latest single, album opener “Phasing” is a shimmering and ethereal blend of 60s psych pop, trip-hop and dream pop with Barlow’s radiant delivery darting and dancing around the dreamy accompanying arrangement and production.
The song thematically explores the uneasy ebb, shift and flow of feeling and perception, at points questioning the reciprocity and durability of our relationships with a seemingly lived-in quality.
Conceived by the band’s Paige Barlow and Aabid Youssef further emphasizes the song’s woozy and mind-bending blur: We see blurry images of local scenes projected both behind and in front of the band. The band also blurs in and out throughout.
Throwback: Happy 63rd Birthday, Jason Newsted!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Jason Newsted’s 63rd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 82nd Birthday, Bobby Womack!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 82nd anniversary of the birth of Bobby Womack,
New Video: TOMORA Shares Euphoric “SOMEWHERE ELSE”
TOMORA is a new collaborative project featuring:
- The Chemical Brothers‘ Tom Rowlands: As one-half of The Chemical Brothers, Rowlands has produced and recorded six widely acclaimed UK #1 albums and won six Grammy Awards.
- Norwegian artist AURORA: AURORA has released four studio albums and has quickly become one of Norway’s most influential and globally recognized contemporary artists. Her single “Runaway” has amassed over one-billion Spotify streams to date.
TOMORA builds upon a creative relationship that can be traced to the recording sessions for The Chemical Brothers’ 2019 album No Geography. AURORA contributed vocals to three tracks, including “Eve of Destruction.” Rowlands then went on to contribute to AURORA’s 2024 effort, What Happened to the Heart?, which landed on the UK Top 10.
Initially, speculation was rife as to who — or what — the then-mysterious TOMORA was or could be, after the name appeared on Coachella’s 2026 Festival lineup post without any additional information last year. Last December, the duo released their debut single “Ring The Alarm,” which received praise from Spin, BrooklynVegan, Stereogum and DJ Mag. “Ring The Alarm” also received DJ support from Erol Alkan, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U and a long list of others.
The duo’s TOMORA debut single was then released on a very limited and collectible white label vinyl, alongside B-side “The Thing,” which showcase a glimpse of the tender and hauntingly beautiful downtempo tracks that will appear on the duo’s full-length debut, COME CLOSER.
Slated for an April 17, 2026 release through Capitol Records, COME CLOSER was written and produced jointly by Rowlands and AURORA. The 12-song album sees the duo pairing the Norwegian artist’s distinctive vocal with the acclaimed British producer’s unparalleled studio expertise. While the album sees the duo creating their own unique space, somewhere they can produce the kind of magic that comes from flicking through a perfect record collection, flowing from wigged-out 1960s psychedelia to the hyper-futurism of sounds imagined for the 2060s.
Ultimately though, the album is less about two separate and distinct artists finding a fertile middle ground and more the sound of two tenacious individuals connecting in the studio and hitting massive creative peaks together.
“This is our album COME CLOSER, it is everything we dreamt of. We made it without obligation or expectation, just a joy in creation,” the duo says. “It’s the sound where we meet, the landing zone of our musical escape pods. It is a special place to us. We hope you dig it as much as we do.”
Last month, I wrote about album the hauntingly mesmerizing album title track “COME CLOSER.” Building upon the attention and momentum of the album’s previously released singles, COME CLOSER‘s latest single begins with AURORA’s otherworldly and ethereal melody and pairs it with a blissed out, relentlessly driving, hyper-futuristic production. The result is a song that sounds as though it could have been beamed from a futuristic interplanetary civilization in the year 4239 while simultaneously intimate, yearning and rousingly anthemic.
“’SOMEWHERE ELSE’ is one of the first songs we ever wrote, as TOMORA. And it opened up a big door for us, into our world,” AURORA says. Tom Rowland adds, “Ever since AURORA sang that melody to me it’s been running around my head brightening my day. We played an early version of the song at Glastonbury Festival and it felt like magic. Now we get to share it, it’s a total joy.”
Continuing their ongoing collaboration with Adam Smith and S T A R T !, the accompanying video for “SOMEWHERE ELSE” begins with AURORA waking up under the pier of a beach, not quite sure how she got there with one shoe missing. The rest of the video we see the Norwegian artist on an afternoon at the amusement park, wandering through a town and other adventures, potentially tripping and/or appearing like a humanoid alien trying to figure out human life.
New Video: BRDN Shares Woozy and Brooding “Unparalleled”
German electronic outfit BRDN (pronounced as “burden”) has quickly established a sound that sees them pair powerful synth structures with smooth vocal sequences and driving rhythms. Their work takes listeners to the more brooding side of introspection with his work thematically touching upon self-doubt and the desperate search for purpose. The result is a fever dream, ripe for interpretation and analysis.
The German outfit’s sophomore EP Maybe in another life is slated for release in June. The EP’s first single, “Unparalleled” is an eerily minimalist tune, featuring glistening synths and skittering beats serving as an uneasy and brooding bed for BRDN’s yearning delivery. Sonically, recalling The Ways We Separate and Escapements-era Beacon, “Unparalleled,” conveys a woozy sense of regret-fueled self-doubt.
Shot at dusk and at night, the accompanying video follows two lonely souls, full of brooding self-doubt and regret.
Throwback: Happy 60th Birthday, Tone Lōc!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Tone Lōc’s 60th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 84th Birthday, Lou Reed!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 84th anniversary of Lou Reed’s birth.
New Video: Fantôme Paradis Shares CInematic “Ámes sœurs”
Fantôme Paradis is the synth wave/darkwave recording projecting of a mysterious and emerging French producer. The mysterious French producer’s latest single “Âmes sœurs” features glistening synth arpeggios, tweeter and woofer rattling thump as a lush bed for a yearning, female French vocal.
Sonically nodding at a synthesis of The Weeknd and John Carpenter soundtracks, “Âmes sœurs” according to the mysterious French producer explores a relationship in crisis, caught in an uneasy conflict between devotion and hatred.
Throwback: Happy 69th Birthday, Cindy Wilson!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates The B-52s co-founder Cindy Wilson’s 69th birthday.
New Video: she’s green Shares Stormy and Anthemic “mettle”
Minneapolis-based outfit she’s green — Zofia Smith (vocals), Liam Armstrong (guitar), Raimes Lucas (guitar), Teddy Nordvold (guitar) and Kevin Seeback (drums) — specialize in crafting dreamy soundscapes that transport the listener to scenes of soft summer rain and fields of swaying wheat, infused with raw emotional intensity.
With their earliest singles “river” and “smile again,” the Minneapolis-based quintet quickly became a staple within the Midwestern alternative scene, while earning praise from Complex, Star Tribune and The Current. Their debut EP, 2023’s Wisteria saw the band establishing an honest and exploratory songwriting process and a reputation for being a force in the world of sonic surrealism. Adding to a growing profile, the rising Minnesotans have supported their material with tours throughout the Midwest and East Coast with the likes of Hotline TNT, Friko, JOVM mainstays Glixen and a list of others.
Last year, the Minneapolis-based quartet signed to New York-based Photo Finish Records, who released their Henry Stoehr-produced sophomore EP Chrysalis. The EP included the Souvlaki-era Slowdive-like “Graze,” and the Sundays-meets-A Storm In Heaven-like “Willow.”
Building upon a growing national profile, the band shares their latest single “mettle.” Continuing a remarkable run of 120 Minutes-era MTV-like shoegaze and dream pop, “mettle” features Zofia Smith’s powerhouse yet tender vocal ethereally floating over a stormy soundscape of hazy reverb-drenched guitars, sculpted and abrasive riffs and thunderous, driving drums. The song manages to be simultaneously oceanic yet intimate, rooted in personal experiences that are all too familiar and universal.
“‘mettle’ channels the frustration and discomfort that stem from what often feels like constant bad news, while also being an anthem of resilience and the courage to take action and bring about positive change,” the band’s Zofia Smith explains.
Directed by Jaxon Whittington, the accompanying 120 Minutes-era MTV-like video begins with the band’s Smith walking through an eerie forest scene similar to horror movies and is split between horror movie-like vibes and the band playing in the same forest.
The band will have a very busy 2026: Earlier this month, they announced that they’d be opening for Chapterhouse on select dates on that band’s first North American tour in 16 years. During the spring they’ll also open for Bad Suns and Slow Crush with some headlining sets and appearances at Nothing.’s touring Slide Away Festival. The festival will have a stop at the Brooklyn Paramount.