BOOKED: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Daniel Gibbs, Director

artist: What Made Milwaukee Famous
song: "Sultan"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Daniel Gibbs
production co: C3
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Chris Walla - Aaron Stewart-Ahn, director

Chris Walla is set to singlehandedly destroy the myth of indie rockers as slackers: Not only is he the guitarist/producer for Death Cab For Cutie, he's also the proprietor of the Seattle recording studio Hall Of Justice and has produced albums for Tegan & Sara, Hot Hot Heat and The Decemberists, just to name a few. He's now about to take the spotlight for a little bit as he bows his forthcoming solo album Field Manual with this video for "Sing Again."

Director Aaron Stewart-Ahn previously collaborated on the DCFC video album Directions in addition to directing videos for The Album Leaf and The Decemberists.

artist: Chris Walla
song: "Sing Again"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Aaron Stewart-Ahn
production co: Mister Boomboom
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions
rep: Laure Scott Representation

SHOT: Nada Surf - Jonathan Krisel, director

There are no coincidences in mystery novels and music videos. Consider the "Whose Authority" video shot last week in NYC for Nada Surf. It stars actor Michal Maronna — aka one of the Petes from the Nickelodeon cult hit The Adventures Of Pete & Pete — as a crazed bike messenger. Pete & Pete was shot at Bayonne High School in NJ. Nada Surf first shot to fame with the hit "Popular," which had a fittingly Popular video lampooning the typical suburban high school and was shot at... wait for it... that's right, Bayonne High School.

The photo? Also not a coincidence. That's Matthew Caws and Ira Kaplan of Nada Surf disguised as stock brokers for one of their cameos in the video.

artist: Nada Surf
song: "Whose Authority"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Jonathan Krisel
production co: Boulevard Industries
rep: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Nada Surf - Teqtonik, director

Animated video in the works for Nada Surf...

artist: Nada Surf
song: "I Like What You Say"
label: City Slang UK/Europe (band signed to Barsuk for U.S.)
director(s): Teqtonik
production co: Continuum Content
rep: Laure Scott Management
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Los Campesinos - Cat Solen, director

artist: Los Campesinos
song: "Death To Los Campesinos"
label: Wichita
director(s): Cat Solen 
production co: Partizan
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway

BOOKED: The Cribs - 3 Pronged Attack, directors

artist: The Cribs
song: "I'm A Realist"
label: Wichita
director(s): 3 Pronged Attack
production co: Draw Pictures
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway

BOOKED: Bloc Party - Ace Norton, director

artist: Bloc Party
song: "Flux"
label: Wichita (UK)
director(s): Ace Norton
production co: Partizan
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

Bloc Party is signed to Vice/Atlantic for the U.S.

PHOTO: Director Ace Norton on Simian Mobile Disco

Director Ace Norton watches the monitor on the set of his Simian Mobile Disco video, "Hustler." Looks like a tough day at the office, huh?

The video was produced by Partizan for Wichita Recordings and commissioned by Jill Kaplan of Skyway productions.

BOOKED: The Cribs - Dan & Jason, directors

Animated video currently in production...

artist: The Cribs
song: "Don't You Wanna Be Relevant?"
label: Wichita
director(s):  Dan & Jason
production co: Hornet
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Simian Mobile Disco - Ace Norton, director

artist: Simian Mobile Disco
song: "Hustler"
label: Wichita
director(s): Ace Norton
production co: Partizan
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

IN DEPTH: Menomena "Rotten Hell"

I said it before, I'll say it again. Slo-mo makes everything look better, grander, cooler. Take a food fight, for example. It's juvenile beyond belief and has been played out since at least 1978, when John "Bluto" Blutarsky impersonated a zit and then began filmdom's greatest culinary battle. Enter music video newcomers War And Julius who wisely realized that the only way to save the food fight was with glorious slow motion filmwork that elevates each salvo as if it were part of an epic battle or glorious ballet. That battle of rotten food makes up the video for Menomena's "Rotten Hell." The partnership of War And Julius were kind enough to let us in on the nastiness required to create something so beautiful.

War And Julius, directors: "Who doesn't like a good old fashioned food fight? No one... So, we decided to resurrect the cliche with high speed video technology, allowing us to match the rhythmic ploddings of the band's killer anthem with a slow motion barrage of hypnotic anti-war imagery that we hoped, in the end, would be something all our own.

All the carnage was left to bake for hours under 25,000 watts of lighting and produced what may possibly have been one of the worst smells EVER produced. We were fortunate to have witnessed only two fits of olfactory induced vomiting the entire day. You should be thankful that Smell-o-Vision never caught on."

--> watch "Rotten Hell"

Menomena "Rotten Hell" (Barsuk)
War And Julius, directors | Jenna Felling, producer | Smuggler, production co | David Rodriguez , DP | Nick Lofting/Union Editorial, editor | Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions, commissioner

BOOKED: We The Kings - Sean Donnelly, director

Emo/punk/pop group We The Kings set to bow with a release on the newly relaunched S-Curve Records — the label which brough you Baha "they let the dogs out" Men, Joss Stone and Fountains Of Wayne circa "Stacy's Mom."

artist: We The Kings
song: "Skyway Avenue"
label: S-Curve
director(s): Sean Donnelly 
production co: Awesome And Modest
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

SHOT: The Donnas - Roboshobo, director

The Donnas are set to return — via their own label, Purple Feather Records — with the sweet/nasty Joan Jett homage, "Don't Wait Up For Me."

artist: The Donnas
song: "Don't Wait Up For Me"
label: Purple Feather
director(s): Roboshobo
production co: Revolver Film Co.
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

NEW RELEASE: Bright Eyes "Hot Knives"

Director Patrick Daughters is the current king of performance videos, an underrated genre of music video that is impossible for most to master. When Daughters does his best work, he transforms the artists he works with into indie music icons. Although Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes already has an avid and worthy fan base, "Hot Knives" is the video that should propel his band onto the playlists of mainstream video channels where, not coincidentally, Daughters' "1234"  video for Feist is beginning to heat up. And where "1234" is playful, "Hot Knives," like many of Daughters' other great videos, is cinematic and supremely confident. Backlit by a swirl of psychedelic projections, Oberst's excellent songwriting and performance skills are seen in a new light; one that is masterly and mature. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "Hot Knives" in Quicktime 

Bright Eyes "Hot Knives" (Polydor UK/Saddle Creek)
Patrick Daughters, director | Janice Biggs, producer | The Directors Bureau, production co | Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions, commissioner | Shawn Kim, DP | Akiko Iwakawa, editor

NEW RELEASE: Spoon "The Underdog"

Nothing turns on a film geek like a good, long tracking shot. The opening scenes of The Player, Boogie Nights,  Touch Of Evil. The tour through the Copacabana in Goodfellas. The list of great tracking shots goes on, much to the delight of those production folks who appreciate the complexities involved in getting every little detail perfect in one continuous take. This first gem of a video off Spoon's truly fantastic new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a flawless homage to both the tracking shot and those tales of elaborate recording sessions in which every inch of a studio — including the adjacent hallways, bathrooms and even the parking lot — is used to accommodate the players and instrumentation necessary for the perfect track. In "The Underdog," a camera follows every move of a harried producer and other recording personnel as they stalk around making sure every ridiculous, yet essential cue is met. --> watch "The Underdog"

Spoon "The Underdog" (Merge)
Keven McAlester, director | Mark DePace, producer | Ghost Robot, production co | Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions, rep | Lee Daniel, DP | Christine Khalafian, editor | Carolyn Merriman, production design  

SHOT: Bright Eyes - Patrick Daughters, director

Screens, projections, psychedelic patterns, white lights/white suits... A series of photographs taken from the Brooklyn set of the new Bright Eyes video, "Hot Knives." Click em, make em bigger.

artist: Bright Eyes
song: "Hot Knives"
label: Polydor UK/Saddle Creek
director(s): Patrick Daughters
production co: The Directors Bureau
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Chromeo - Rozan & Schmeltz, directors

artist: Chromeo
song: "Tenderoni"
label: Vice
director(s): Rozan & Schmeltz
production co: Partizan
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Minus The Bear - Keith Schofield, director

Shooting in Seattle...

artist: Minus The Bear
song: "Knights"
label: Suicide Squeeze
director(s): Keith Schofield
production co: Factory Features
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Spoon - Keven McAlester, director

Spoon is gearing up for the July 10 release of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga with a video for "The Underdog."McAlester is the director of the Roky Erickson documentary, You're Gonna Miss Me, about the famed singer of garage band The 13th Floor Elevators.

artist: Spoon
song: "The Underdog"
label: Merge
director(s): Keven McAlester
production co: Ghost Robot
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

PHOTO: The Cribs and Director Norwood Cheek

Another video history lesson: Norwood Cheek may be an unfamiliar name to those who have only spent a few years seriously paying attention to music videos, but he's a director that should ring a bell for any fan of mid-90s alternative rock and, more specifically, the music coming out of his old hometown Chapel Hill, NC. His credits from back in the heyday include videos for Superchunk, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Archers Of Loaf and Ben Folds Five, plus out of town faves like Soul Coughing and criminally overlooked power pop band The Figgs. Watch 'em all and imagine  it's a vintage episode of 120 Minutes.

The photo shows Mr. Cheek (second from left) on the set of "Moving Pictures" with Wichita recording act The Cribs. Click it, make it bigger, enjoy.
 

BOOKED: The Cribs - Norwood Cheek, director

artist: The Cribs
song: "Moving Pictures"
label: Wichita
director(s): Norwood Cheek
production co: Go Films
rep: Heidi Gregory Management
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Toben Seymour, director

artist: What Made Milwaukee Famous
song: "I Decide"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Toben Seymour
production co: Commondeer
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway

BOOKED: The Cribs - Diane Martel, director

artist: The Cribs
song: "Men's Needs"
label: Warner Bros./Wichita UK
director(s): Diane Martel
production co: DNA
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Aqueduct - Charles Spano, director

artist: Aqueduct
song: "Living A Lie"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Charles Spano
production co: Commondeer
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

NEW RELEASE: Los Campesinos "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives"

Fuck war. Let's dance. That's basically the message in this colorful animated clip for the Los Campesinos track "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives" that manages to incorporate the aggression of battle with the sheer abandon of disco dancing. So, there you have it. War is fun. Call your local recruiter. --> watch "We Throw Parties, You Throw Thives"

Los Campesinos "We Throw Parties" (Wichita)
Monkmus, director | Hana Shimizu, producer | Hornet, production co |  Skyway, commissioner | Joe Suslak, editor

BOOKED: Bright Eyes - Patrick Daughters, director

artist: Bright Eyes
song: "Four Winds" 
label: Polydor UK/Saddle Creek   
director(s): Patrick Daughters 
production co: The Directors Bureau   
commissioner:  Jill Kaplan/Skyway

BOOKED: Menomena - Lance Bangs, director

Shooting in Portland, OR...

artist: Menomena
song: "Wet And Rusting"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Lance Bangs
production co: Field Recordings
commissioner:  Jill Kaplan/Skyway

SHOT: Boys Like Girls - Alan Ferguson, director

artist: Boys Like Girls
song: "The Great Escape"
label: Red Ink/Columbia
director(s): Alan Ferguson
production co: The Kompany
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway

Video is being produced through The Kompany; Ferguson remains signed with Anonymous Content.

BOOKED: Los Campesinos! - Monkmus, director

Acclaimed animator Monkmus will unfold a narrative across two videos in the works for UK indie band Los Campesinos!

artist: Los Campesinos!
song: "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives" and "You! Me! Dancing!
label: Wichita
director(s): Monkmus
production co: Hornet
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

NEW RELEASE: The Blood Brothers "Set Fire To The Face On Fire"

The construction paper city in the background of this Blood Brothers video may look all cutesy with its actors in skyscraper costumes and bright colors, but it only exists for pure destruction. Flames rage, anthropomorphic versions of natural elements attack the city's residents and The Blood Brothers hardly bat an eye as they bash out this ode to fire, fire, fire. -- watch "Set Fire To The Face On Fire"

The Bloood Brothers "Set Fire To The Face On Fire" (Wichita/V2)
Roboshobo, director/production co | Warren Woodward, producer/editor | Don Burton, DP | Skyway Productions, commissioner

BOOKED: P.O.D. - Ryan Smith, director

Video scheduled to shoot for this new P.O.D. track off  the band's upcoming compilation disc Greatest Hits - The Atlantic Years, to be released by Rhino Records.

artist: P.O.D.
song: "Going In Blind"
label: Rhino
director(s): Ryan Smith
production co: Merge @ Crossroads
rep: Labuda Management
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: The Blood Brothers - Roboshobo, director

artist: The Blood Brothers
song: "Set Fire To The Face On Fire"
label: Wichita UK (signed to V2 for USA)
director(s): Roboshobo
production co: Roboshobo
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

NEW RELEASE: The Long Winters "Fire Island, AK"

The Long Winters
"Fire Island, AK" (Barsuk)
Bex Schwartz, director | Michael Flexner , producer | High Water Mark, production co | Jonathan Furmanski , DP | Laura Weinberg, editor | Description: Singer/songwriter/Alaskan/presumable serial killer John Roderick of The Long Winters is greeted at his remote cabin by law enforcement agents — played by cleverly disguised fellow Long Winterers. They drag the lake and collect other evidence in an attempt to piece together the connection between a possibly incriminating letter that Roderick had written and a mysterious woman. -- watch "Fire Island, AK"

PHOTO: Grey Sky Films & Boys Like Girls

Grey Sky Films directors Chris Vaglio and Matt Serao (second from left and second from right, respectively) with Red Ink/Columbia band Boys Like Girls on the set of their newly released video, "Hero/Heroine."

The video was commissioned by Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions.

PHOTO: On Set with Viva Voce

Factory Features executive producer Steven Johnson (left) and director Moh Azima (bottom right) learn the fine art of hotel room destruction from Barsuk rockers Viva Voce on the set of "From The Devil Himself." This first video in support of the duo's forthcoming release, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out was commissioned by Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions.

PHOTO: Ace Norton and Smoosh

Partizan director Ace Norton (center) with the young Seattle indie rock duo Smoosh (and a drawing of Vegas era Elvis) on the set of "Find A Way." This will be the first video off their debut full-length for Barsuk Records.

BOOKED: Viva Voce - Moh Azima, director

artist: Viva Voce
song: "From The Devil Himself"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Moh Azima
production co: Factory Features
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Smoosh - Ace Norton, director

Ace Norton is confirmed to direct a video for the precocious alternative sister act Smoosh — who are now signed to Barsuk Records. This is Norton's second video for the group; He previously directed a Claymation video for "La Pump."

artist: Smoosh
song: "Find A Way"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Ace Norton
production co: Partizan
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

BOOKED: Rocky Votolato - Jon Watts, director

artist: Rocky Votolato
song: "White Daisy Passing"
label: Barsuk
director(s): Jon Watts
production co: Waverly Films
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions