NEW RELEASE: Feist "I Feel It All"

I told my friend this new Feist video gave me flashbacks to Audioslave "Cochise." My friend, being more clever than I, countered that it made him fearful for a reprise of that Michael Jackson Pepsi ad with the flaming hair. I made an ill-advised "explosive" pun in desperation, but it was too late. His reference was better. Watching it again, however, I think we were both wrong and that the real precursor is Art Of Noise "Close To The Edit." Barrels? Check. Sparks? Check. Punctuating each melodic stroke with a slash or jab of destruction? Heck, yeah. And, more importantly, that 1984 video by legendary director Zbigniew Rybczynski marked the beginning of music video as a surreal art form and it's not a gynormous overstatement to claim director Patrick Daughters as the current heir apparent. And with this latest swooning masterpiece with the Canadian singer Feist — the previous being "1234," "My Moon, My Man" and "Mushaboom" — it's undeniable that he's found his muse. --> watch "I Feel It All" in Quicktime or via YouTube

Feist "I Feel It All" (Cherry Tree/Interscope)
Patrick Daughters, director | Emily Skinner, producer | The Directors Bureau, production co | Jim Hawkinson, DP (PS: no edits means no editor)

NEW RELEASE: St. Vincent "Jesus Saves, I Spend"

Ah, merit badges. What better way for a budding Scout to show his worth than to have ten or twenty of them sewn on his sash? Sure, it's a little bit dorky, but what else should kids do with their free time (besides multi-tasking, apparently)? Directors Andy Bruntel and AV Clubber Bucky Fukumoto make Scouting cool again in this whimsical clip for St. Vincent aka Annie Clark. Theyre's a few new badges that sound like totally awesome additions to the BSA lineup, especially the one for Book Eating. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "Jesus Saves, I Spend"

St. Vincent "Jesus Saves, I Spend" (Beggars)
Andy Bruntel & Bucky Fukumoto, director | Daniella Southgate, producer | AV Club /The Directors Bureau, production co | Marc Ritzema, DP | John Paul Horstmann, editor |  Megan Fenton, production designer

NEW RELEASE: Interpol "No I In Threesome"

Seated beside a dying fire in the cold ruins of an old mansion, Interpol singer Paul Banks listens to the hollow notes played on an unmanned piano. While it may seem like the start of a nifty new horror flick, director Patrick Daughters instead treats us to a visionary and quite literal traipse through the looking glass in the band’s newest effort, “No I in Threesome”. There is no escape from this crumbling edifice, only introspection, as we are guided from the past through the present to an ultimately apocalyptic future in a long tracking shot. Like the song’s theme of a dying relationship, the mansion keeps us moving in an endless cycle where freedom might not be the ultimate desire. (review by Ced Esters) --> watch "No I In Threesome" plus a "making of" special

Interpol "No I In Threesome" (Capitol)
Patrick Daughters, director | Matthew Fone, producer | The Directors Bureau, production co | Denzil Armour Brown, DP | Joe Guest @ Final Cut London, editor | Oily Williams, art director

NEW RELEASE: Sia "Buttons"

Celebrities do pretty awful things to their faces in the name of beauty. Nose jobs, cheek implants, lifts, collagen and botox injections. Staying pretty ain't for the squeamish and that's exactly what director Kris Moyes and Sia skewer in this viral video for "Buttons." The lovely Sia sings while enduring a series of painfully misguided face applications that look horrendous and probably stood a good chance of resulting in asphyxiation. Most of the face wrangling and mangling is truly absurd, yet not any more so than strategically injecting botulism into your skin to eradicate wrinkles. --> watch "Buttons"

Sia "Buttons" (Astralwerks)
Kris Moyes, director | The Directors Bureau, production co

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

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

IN DEPTH: Architecture In Helsinki "Heart It Races"

The Noids. Not to be confused with The Noid. Architecture In Helsinki. Not from Helsinki, not to be confused with anything to do with architectures. They are from Australia, as is director Kris Moyes, and all involved have a taste for the absurd. And dancing. And ironically enough, what I do is akin to dancing about architecture. So, rather than prattle on about this excellently weird song and video — perhaps, I would have referenced Mummenschanz as the video's forebear —I pestered Kris Moyes into properly introducing and explicating the director's cut of this absurdist gem.

Kris Moyes, director: "The band are dressed as Noids, a mystical race of people (a la Mayans/Martians) with tiny bodies attached to their heads. The puppet idea was inspired by Bunraku, where a puppet is manipulated against a black backdrop by a number of puppeteers also dressed in black.  The difference here is that I made the puppeteers more visible —i.e., against an exotic backdrop of Teotihuacan and the floating gardens of Xochimilco in Mexico — so we can appreciate the craft and the story at the same time, or enjoy one independently of the other depending on our choice of perspective."

Additional info:

• Australian fashion label Romance Was Born designed the costumes.
• Ben Jones of art collective Paper Rad provided the voiceover
• Video was shot in Mexico and there are photos a'plenty

--> watch "Heart It Races"

Architecture In Helsinki "Heart it Races" (Polyvinyl)
Kris Moneys, director/DP/editor | Kris Moyes & Anne Johnson, producer | Kris Moyes / Mr. Woo / The Directors Bureau, production co

NEW RELEASE: Blonde Redhead "23"

After more than a decade away from the video scene, director Melodie McDaniel returns with a trippy, experimental performance video for NYC's Blonde Redhead. Singer Kazu Makino is layered inside smoke, lights and colors  as she asks a friend  to repent any number of times. I'm not sure the number 23 has any significance here, but the video does share some similarities with one made seven years ago for a band with five letters in its name: Doves "Catch the Sun." Both videos have beautiful photography, but this one matches the colors of the band name, which, incidentally, has 13 letters in it. A video for fans of prime numbers. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "23"

Blonde Redhead "23" (4AD/Beggars)
Melodie McDaniel, director | Eric Escott, producer | The Directors Bureau, production co | Patrick Simpson, DP | David Michalson/Ingenuity Engine, editor |  Mike Dunkely/Ingenuity Engine, visual effects 

NEW RELEASE: Feist "1,2,3,4"

Delightful. Not a word you hear too much in regards to music videos, but one that is very applicable to this new clip for Canadian singer Feist. Yes, she cut her teeth with the indie rock outfit Broken Social Scene but Leslie Feist really traffics in the kind of classic pop that manages to be sparkly, shiny, happy while remaining slyly profound. Director Patrick Daughters rises to the challenge by crafting the perfect video for it: It's a dance extravaganza that starts rather silly simply and then gets amazingly complex — both in terms of choreography and cinematography. If you're the sort who keeps cheat sheets on the best videos of the year, be sure to mark this down for nearly every category except for editing (it was all done in one take) and special effects (all those swirling camera moves were done the good ol' fashioned way). --> watch "1,2,3,4" in Quicktime or Flash

For more details on the video and Feist, definitely check out this Jon Pareles article from The New York Times

Feist "1,2,3,4" (Cherry Tree/Interscope)
Patrick Daughters, director | Geoff McLean, producer | The Directors Bureau, production co | Shawn Kim, DP | Noemie Lafrance, choreographer | image taken from photo by: Dustin Rabin

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

NEW RELEASE: The Shins "Phantom Limb"

Indie juggernauts The Shins return with a video that plays a bit like a combination of Max Fischer's stage productions from Rushmore and the R.E.M. video classic "Losing My Religion." A cast of mostly kid actors use homemade props to re-enact various violent confrontations from historic times. Toss in a Jesus figure and you've got a good Passion Play (or a Mel Gibson flick). --> watch "Phantom Limb"

The Shins "Phantom Limb" (Sub Pop)
Patrick Daughters, director | Karen Lin, producer | Black Dog, production co | Shawn Kim, DP | Mike Colao, editor (note: Patrick Daughters is now signed with The Directors Bureau)

SHOT: The Shins - Patrick Daughters, director

artist: The Shins
song: "Phantom Limb"
label: Sub Pop
director(s): Patrick Daughters
production co: Black Dog Films

Video was produced prior to Daughters signing with The Directors Bureau.

NEWS: The Directors Bureau Signs Patrick Daughters

Acclaimed director Patrick Daughters has signed with The Directors Bureau. Daughters' recent music video credits incude:

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Gold Lion"
• Beck "Nausea"
• The Blood Brothers "Lazer Life"
• Muse "Stockholm  Syndrome"

SHOT: Rooney - Roman Coppola, director

artist: Rooney
song: "Tell Me"
label: Geffen
director(s): Roman Coppola
production co: The Directors Bureau

SHOT: Robbie Williams - Mike Maguire, director

artist: Robbie Williams
song: "Rudebox"
label: IE Music UK (Virgin in the US)
director(s): Mike Maguire
production co: The Directors Bureau

SHOT: Morrissey - AV Club, directors

AV Club have completed two more videos in support of  Morrissey's latest album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors. "The Youngest Was The Most Loved" was shot in Rome and is currently airing in the UK. AV Club;'s third video off the album, "In The Future When All's Well" is slated for, well, use in the future.

artist: Morrissey
song: "The Youngest Was The Most Loved" & "In The Future When All's Well"
label: Attack/Sanctuary
director(s): AV Club
production co: The Directors Bureau

NEWS: Mike Maguire Joins The Directors Bureau

Mike Maguire of the now defunct directing team Kuntz & Maguire has signed on with The Directors Bureau for music videos and commercials. Maguire's best known videos include "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar" for Electric Six and "Frontier Psychiatrist" for The Avalanches, all of which were produced and directed under the Kuntz & Maguire banner.

NEW RELEASE: Phoenix "Long Distance Call"

Phoenix
"Long Distance Call" (Astralwerks)
Roman Coppola, director | Jean Ozannat & Charlottle Lepot, producers | The Directors Bureau, production co | Darius Khondji, DP | Julien Desplanques, editor | Description: Drama breaks out in the middle of this in-studio performance video shot in Paris, France. A mysterious, old man causes Phoenix to stop mid-performance in order to talk with the engineer and jot something down. Everything resumes without incident, though the reason for the stoppage is never explained (or at least not explained in English). -- watch "Long Distance Call" in Real or Windows Media

NEWS: TDB 60 Sec Film Contest Winners

The Directors Bureau unveiled the winner and finalists from their TDB 60 Second Challenge short film competition at the recent Res Screening in Hollywood. Director Eric Tu was awarded  the $2,000 grand prize (presented in the form of 2,000 one dollar bills, unmarked) for The Ballad Of Gabrielle. That 60 second film, and all of the shorts selected as finalists are up at TDB's 60 Second page.

NEW RELEASE: Morrissey "You Have Killed Me"

Morrissey
"You Have Killed Me" (Attack/Sanctuary)
AV Club, director | Anne Johnson & Ute Leonhardt, producers | The Directors Bureau, production co | Jesse Green, DP | Description: AV Club lovingly recreate a vintage, yet fictional Italian TV appearance of Morrissey and band performing this lead single off new album Ringleader Of The Tormentors. In a testament to AV Club's commitment to authenticity, the video was shot in Rome, Italy and the footage was appropriately fuzzed up so as to look like an old VHS bootleg. -- Watch "You Have Killed Me" at Myspace or The Director's Bureau

NEWS: Directors Bureau/Res 60 Sec Film Contest

Can you define love in sixty seconds?

Production company The Directors Bureau (TDB) and creative lifestyle magazine Res are co-hosting a very short film contest. The TDB Directors Challenge is accepting submissions of short films that are no longer than 60 seconds and be centered on the theme of love. The top five entries will be posted on TDB website and the ultimate winning filmmaker — as chosen by the TDB staff —  will receive $2,000.

Submissions are due by midnight, February 28. Complete details and rules have been "declassified" at the TDB_60 site.

Director Bureau's roster boasts Roman Coppola, Sofia Coppola, AV Club and Shynola. Staffers include Executive Producer Cayce Cole, Music Video Rep Lana Kim and Production Manager Eric Normington.

SHOT: Stephen Malkmus - Lana Kim & Andy Bruntel, directors

This stop action animated video for former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus involves photographs, the 1-hr photo development process, blood, and monsters.

artist: Stephen Malkmus
song: "Baby C'mon"
label: Domino (Matador in the U.S.)
director(s): Lana Kim & Andy Bruntel
production co: The Directors Bureau

SHOT: The Mountain Goats - Andy Bruntel, director

artist: The Mountain Goats
song: "This Year"
label: 4AD
director(s): Andy Bruntel
production co: AV Club/The Director's Bureau

NEW RELEASE: Kasabian "L.S.F."

Kasabian "L.S.F." RCA
AV Club, director
Anne Johnson, producer
The Directors Bureau, production company
Jesse Green, DP
Guy Harding, editor
Description: Get galactic with Kasabian in this video for "L.S.F." The band members have an ethereal glow as they perform amidst some other-worldly locales. Mixed in with everything are trippy motion effects and a variety of zodiac and religious symbols.

SHOT: Eisley - AV Club, directors

AV Club directed "Telescope Eyes" for alternative family act Eisley. The band members are stalked by a monster that has moved into their home.

artist: Eisley
song: "Telescope Eyes"
label: Reprise
director(s): AV Club
production co: The Directors Bureau