High Pop – “The Twist” Video (Stereogum Premiere)
On their Bandcamp page, High Pop declares, “I think we found rock ‘n roll,” which is a bold thing to say, but one listen and it’s pretty hard to argue with them. There’s something about “The Twist” that’s utterly intoxicating, the way it unfolds in wave after wave of distorted guitars that eventually tower over the song until it all dissolves into itself. The video, made by band member Ryan Schnackenberg, feels like a frenetic take on a sleazy arthouse theater, where the smoke from the patron’s cigarettes clouds the screen and someone’s getting a handjob a few rows behind you. It’s the only place where “Please enjoy a refreshment in the lounge” sounds more like a threat than an invitation. The band says the video and song “obsess in kitsch and camp along with 70’s rock’n’roll aesthetic in a light-hearted exploration of the different dimensions of oneself, idol worship, and love/lust.” Watch below.
High Pop’s Holy Smokes! LP is out tomorrow. You can pre-order the album here.