John Doe – “A Little Help” (Feat. Chan Marshall) Video
John Doe, the founder of long-lived LA punks X, dropped his latest solo effort The Westerner a couple months back. The album is a rustic, earthy exploration with little more than guitar strums and subtle drums to support Doe in his role as troubadour. “A Little Help” was a great track on the album, bolstered by backing vocals from Cat Power’s Chan Marshall, and today it gets a visual treatment courtesy of director Dave Doobinin (sick name). It’s a simple clip featuring the punk turned folk rocker driving through country plains switching between black-and-white and color aesthetics. Doe wanders before ending up on farmland and helping out a bit. He then sits in front of the piano as the song’s crescendo hits. It’s unclear whether he’s more comfortable on the farm or in front of the ivories, and that reflects the down-home allure of the song and the album. Watch via Pitchfork.
The Westerner is out now.