Here’s the Dave Longstreth-directed clip for Dirty Projectors’ “Gun Has No Trigger,” a simple clip filled with Dave Longstreth, Amber Coffman, and Haley Dekle-shaped silhouettes, a strobe light, and a backdrop of alternating color. Longstreth says (via press release):
GUN HAS NO TRIGGER is about the possibility for true dissent, and how I can’t figure out what that could be. What is a 2012 Exodus from the Society of the Spectacle (to mix language Situationist and Rastafari)? So we made a video from the iconography of the default profile image used by Facebook and Gmail, and also the look of the classic Apple iPod commercials. The colors in the background are the ones I think of when I hear the harmonies of Amber and Haley (via experimental synesthesia). Enjoy!!
Watch it below.
Swing Lo Magellan is out 7/10 on Domino.
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Most pretentious press release ever.
lol. That’s pretty spot on.
Still a great song though, and the end of the video is pretty sweet.
haha, and it’s not even a very good video. hahah
I thought so too. But then I watched it a second time, and something just clicked.
lol again, I have no idea what he is talking about.
Great singer though.
I don’t know, I think it’s refreshing to have a musician with big ideas behind his music who isn’t afraid to lay them out bare for us. I mean he’s only exploring questions, which I don’t think is that pretentious, but honestly, Dirty Projectors are on such another level compositionally that I think we can grant Dave some loftiness either way.
Yes. Calls to mind his part in Dark Was The Night where he was teaching everyone their song. “It’s really simple.” Yes, Dave, that’s why everyone apparently needed cue cards. You know, because it’s so simple.
Hilarious. I was actually kind of intrigued by his statement, but the video to me is the total opposite of what he’s describing. How does referencing iconic tech company images constitute an “Exodus from the Society of the Spectacle”? Isn’t that more of an allusion to it/embodiment of it?
If the press release is serious, I’m thinking a more fitting vid would be an expansion of their album cover with the backwoods guy, sans meme text. Shit, did I just take Dave’s bait?
For the record, I still thought the video was pretty cool.
I agree. It’s a pretty cool video but I, personally, would feel a little embarrassed after attempting to describe the muse as he did in that presser. Sometimes “we thought it looked pretty cool” is a perfectly acceptable explanation, but Dave strikes me as the kind of guy who always has to be the smartest guy in the room.
That said, this remains one of my favorite songs of the year. It hangs successfully on how aesthetically simple it is. Which is sort of ironic considering the explanation above.
Very very true. I love the song too, more and more with every listen. I guess if he said “we thought it looked pretty cool” that would’ve rendered his Yale degree pointless haha… not sayin I don’t get pretentious too once in awhile, but I was just hoping for the visuals to match his overwrought concept, esp since its themes seemed to relate to the cover art.
I wonder if Erykah Badu approves of Dave’s direction.
i think the press release is satire?
I don’t think so. Could the press release be satire without the song being satire? I’m not sure if Dave has that type of sense of humor. He seems like the type of guy who takes himself pretty seriously, although he is talented enough to pull it off.
yeah, it takes some magical talents to “pull off” a satirical press release…
wow, some of you people will convince yourselves of anything to keep a longstreth infallible in your mind. maybe he just wrote an annoying press release about a weak music video that was overthought and underexecuted. just maybe.
i still dig the song, though.
You wish it was…you wish it was soooo bad.
“Via Experimental Synaesthesia” means “when I was on acid.”
Creepy video, but what an amazing song!
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Yep. This is totally just like Adele. There are almost TOO many similarities.
wat
*facepalm*
*shitpalm*
I guess a few people didn’t see Mallrats? Who downvotes a shitpalm reference? It’s as American as shit-bagging someone’s house.
Awesome tune! I especially love the pain Dave puts himself through on our behalfs just to hit that note on the word ‘garbage’.
Is it just me, or does the nineties look kinda work for Dave Longstreth?
Shut down the comments section. Nothing more is needed after this one.
WHERE THE FUCK IS ANGEL.
“On hiatus”
wait, wait, wait – i thought Keanu Reeve’s band was called Dogstar…when he come out with the Dirt Projecterz?!
I kind of agree with the guy who got so many thumbs down that his comment is invisible.
I loved everything from “Getty Address” through “Bitte Orca,” but I’m definitely not feeling this as much. I thought the drum part was plodding. I realize that the chord progression is just as sophisticated as anything he’s done in the past, but instead of playing them on guitar all herky-jerky like we’re used to (which I think is great), he told the girls to sing them. Dave Longstreth is talented enough that what they achieved here is exactly what he intended to, and cheers to artistic change and growth. I’m just not going to pretend its my favorite sound for them. I for one think their past takes on weird pop music were more compelling, and hope that the rest of the album isn’t in the same musical vein as the first single.
Also, I’m pretty sure the press release is tongue in cheek, at least in its over the top, philosophy term paper jargon.
i just hope this is like their 8th best song on the album.
I’ve just noticed that Dave mouths the word ‘you’ instead of ‘they’ at 2:39. Hidden artistic message or complete balls-up?
Both and balls down. Who? Nebula cream.
is anyone else tricked into thinking they got a facebook chat message at 1:34?
Sad angel is gone, hope Amber gets to sing the lead on some songs. Dave’s voice is definitely an acquired taste…. :\
This song doesn’t really do much for me compositionally or melodically. Maybe they are saving the best for later?
I felt hypnotized watching this.