BOOKED: Gnarls Barkley - Happy, directors

artist: Gnarls Barkley
song: "Run"
label: Downtown/Atlantic
director(s): Happy
production co: Smuggler
rep: Labuda Management

BOOKED: Santogold - Ace Norton, director

artist: Santogold
song: "Creator"
label: Downtown
director(s): Ace Norton
production co: Partizan

BOOKED: Bret Dennen - Claire Carre, director

artist: Bret Dennen
song: "Ain't No Reason"
label: Dualtone/Downtown
director(s): Claire Carre
production co: Partizan

NEW RELEASE: Cold War Kids "Hospital Beds"

Two boys are seen growing up in this Cold War Kids video, sharing every experience and forming bonds that should have lasted a lifetime. They got in trouble together, went hunting together. They even had the same tattoo — 1948, presumably the year depicted in the scene — inscribed on their wrists. Unfortunately, they also shared the same interest in a certain girl, thus leading to a falling out that culminates years later in a bloody boxing match that may or may not be metaphorical. As with the ambiguous lyrics of the song — singer Nathan Willetts seems to thrive on placing non sequitur references to "Italian opera" and "fish and chips" in the midst of a vague narative about being in a hospital ward — director Jay Martin maintains a lot of mystery in the clip, purposefully leaving out gaps and placing unexplained clues that could have possibly enabled you to piece the full story together. And speaking of non sequiturs, the boxing motif and the Cold War reference in the band name reminded me of the Frankie Goes To Hollywood "Two Tribes" video. --> watch "Hospital Beds"

Cold War Kids "Hospital Beds" (Downtown)
Jay Martin, director | Michelle Faucheux, producer | DNA, production co | Simon Thirlaway, DP | Jennifer Dean, editor

SHOT: Cold War Kids - Jay Martin, director

artist: Cold War Kids
song: "Hospital Beds"
label: Downtown/Atlantic 
director(s): Jay Martin
production co: DNA

SHOT: Kevin Michael - The Beta Movement, directors

artist: Kevin Michael 
song: "We All Want The Same Thing" + "Vicky's Secret"
+ "Difference" (3 video package)
label: Downtown/Atlantic
director(s): The Beta Movement
production co: Boulevard Productions
rep: Refused TV

NEW RELEASE: Cold War Kids "Hang Me Out To Dry"

Directing team The Malloys conjure up a fake preview for an equally fake film noir in this debut video for the totally for real band Cold War Kids. Goofy critical blurbs  — "The film wraps its crooked fingers around your heart and yanks at its strings" is a good example — and only slightly bogus credits appear onscreen as The Malloys unfurl a fittingly obscure storyline. The song itself is an insidious groove that will wrap its crooked fingers around your heart and yanks at its strings. --> watch "Hang Me Out To Dry" at Revver.com (features a streaming flash version and a downloadable Quicktime)

Cold War Kids "Hang Me Out To Dry" (Downtown)
The Malloys, directors | Billy Parks, producer | Black Dog, production co | Barry Norwood, DP | Tim Wheeler, editor

SHOT: Cold War Kids - The Malloys, directors

artist: Cold War Kids
song: "Hang Me Out To Dry"
label: Downtown
director(s): The Malloys
production co: Black Dog
commissioner: Randy Skinner

This video was independently commissioned by Randy Skinner, who will be working freelance after parting ways with Virgin Records on Friday, December 15. Updated contact information will be in the weekly Video Static newsletter.

NEW RELEASE: Gnarls Barkley "Gone Daddy Gone"

One reference point for this new Gnarls Barkley video is surely the Pixar animated tale A Bug's Life , but in terms of the concept and good old fashioned perversion, it's more closely related to the '70s porn classic Autobiography of A Flea. Gnarl's Barkley singer Cee-Lo is portrayed as a horny flea, jamming out this Violent Femmes cover with his insect band within the cozy confines of a dog's fur. A quick scratch sends them tumbling to the carpet, where Flea-Lo catches a glimpse of a gorgeous housewife who becomes his new host of choice. Unfortunately, the attempted journey up her skirt is cut short and they all fall prey to a blast of insecticide. Oh, well. At least our hero is able to enjoy the last moments of life in a narcotic haze, dreaming of a world where a relationship between a flea and a beautiful woman doesn't have to be the love that dare not speak its name. -- watch "Gone Daddy Gone"

Gnarls Barley "Gone Daddy Gone" (Downtown/Atlantic)
Chris Milk, director | Barbara Benson, producer | @radical.media, production co | Eric Schmidt, DP |Kevin Zimmerman/The White House , editor

NEW RELEASE: Gnarls Barkley "Smiley Faces"

Gnarls Barkley
"Smiley Faces"
(Downtown/Atlantic)
Robert Hales, director | Coleen Haynes, producer | HSI, production co | Damian Acevedo, DP | Ken Mowe, editor | Mike Hersey, art director | Description: Woody Allen's masterful 1983 film Zelig told the story of human chameleon Leonard Zelig, a man who was present at nearly every important event of the '20s and '30s. Using archival footage and very clever editing, Zelig — played by Allen himself — is seamlessly blended into various real events with some of the most famous and notorious figures of that era. The latest iteration of this concept is the new "Smiley Faces" video for the similarly chameleonic act Gnarls Barkley. Director Robert Hales inserts the duo into footage of such important musical movements and moments as the hot jazz era of the '30s, a Yellow Submarine cartoon knock-off, the infamous Rolling Stones concert at Altamont, the early days of rap, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and David Bowie's "Let's Dance" videos, and performances with Bob Marley, The Velvet Underground and The Clash. Adding further credence and a PBS documentary feel to the video are some interview segments with bogus music know-it-alls played by actors Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell. -- watch "Smiley Faces" in Windows Media 

NEW RELEASE: Gnarls Barkley "Smiley Faces"

Gnarls Barkley
"Smiley Faces" (Downtown/Atlantic)
Marc Klasfeld, director | Amanda Fox, producer | Rockhard Films, production co | Robin Frank Management, rep | Edgar Reyes, editor | Description: Oh, the emoticon. The crutch that even the finest writer resorts to when expressing emotion in an IM. Are you happy? Smiley face. Sad? Frowny face. Simple. Director Marc Klasfeld  finds a few more uses to these icons in the video for Gnarls Barkley. The story follows a series of risque misadventures in an 8-bit imagination of a smiley world.  Our smiley face hero gets more than he expects when he picks up a big busted smiley chick online. A booty call leads to a nasty encounter with a pimp, which leads to a bondage club and then jail — where he does indeed drop the soap. The video is currently airing in the UK, but we get a sneak peek thanks to YouTube. -- watch "Smiley Faces" (YouTube link)

BOOKED: Gnarls Barkley - Chris Milk, director

artist: Gnarls Barkley
song: "Gone Daddy Gone"
label: Downtown/Atlantic
director(s): Chris Milk
production co: @radical.media

BOOKED: Gnarls Barkley - Marc Klasfeld, director

artist: Gnarls Barkley
song: "Smiley Faces"
label: Downtown/Atlantic
director(s): Marc Klasfeld
production co: Rockhard Films
rep: Robin Frank Management

NEW RELEASE: Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"

Gnarls Barkley
"Crazy" (Downtown/Atlantic)
Robert Hales, director | Coleen Haynes, producer | HSI, production co | Description: Gnarls Barkley is a collaboration between Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse. It's not rap. It's not rock. It's not soul. It's all of those things and more. This song is a Rorschach test. So is the video.  -- watch "Crazy" in Real or Windows Media

SHOT: Eagles Of Death Metal - Akiva Schaffer, director

Eagles Of Death Metal frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes makes a strong case for himself as the most powerful man in rock as he's able to make women (and men) disrobe through the sheer force of this tune. Also indicative of his power is the fact that both Jack Black and Dave Grohl have cameos in the video.

artist: Eagles Of Death Metal
song: "I Want You So Hard (Boys Bad News)"
label: Downtown
director(s): Akiva Schaffer
production co: Black Dog