video
Thursday, February 28, 2013
CL Visions Photo & Video Contest: Last day to enter — and vote!
Posted by David Warner on Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Photographers and filmmakers, today's your last chance to enter Creative Loafing's annual photo & video contest, CL Visions. Win $300, a show at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts or a screening at the Gasparilla International Film Festival. The deadline to enter is today, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. at cltampa.com/visions.
In keeping with CL's 25th birthday festivities, both contests invite you to do what we’ve been doing for 25 years: Go local.
Focus on the faces and places, the telling details or the big pictures in the Tampa Bay area. Local colors, flavors, heroes, legends. Local artists, shops, scandals, headlines. Local lights, lingo, flora, fauna.
Or none of the above: Just take a picture or make a video that says what “local” means to you.
But do it soon: You've only got a few hours left to win money, prestige and the official recognition that you are the Bay area's Cartier-Bresson — or the Tampa Bay Tarantino.
And this is also your last day to vote for your favorite photos or videos. Voting opened on Feb. 20 and continues through the end of the day today, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. Both the judges' and the readers' winners receive cash prizes and recognition from CL, as well as being part of either the museum exhibition or the film festival. Vote at cltampa.com/visions — just look for the "Vote" tab just above the CL Visions logo on the Photo Contest page and the Video Contest page.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
YouTube Artist to Watch: Tori Kelly
Sometimes, YouTube is better than the radio.
Posted by Brooke Beall on Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 4:31 PM
I'm constantly on YouTube seeking new artists because I feel like the talent you find on there is so much more diverse and interesting than what you hear on the radio. And you can usually find someone covering your favorite song, whatever that song may be on any given week. This is how I discovered 20-year-old Tori Kelly, who I came upon performing her own acoustic beat-boxed rendition of Frank Ocean's "Thinking About You" . I fell in love with her angelic voice and after hitting her YouTube page, I found more covers as well as some of her original songs. [Video and more after the jump]...
Monday, July 23, 2012
Antiwarpt III Must-See Video Spotlight: Florida Night Heat
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 1:00 PM
The first three featured must-sees were Jensen Serf Company, Permanent Makeup, and RedFeather.
Now, we present Florida Night Heat. The three-piece instrumental outfit (guitarist Jensen Kistler, bassist Andre Jones and drummer Chris Wood) has grown by leaps and bounds in the three years since they first got together and started jamming their loose, groove-oriented Southern grimy stoner rock. As newbie musicians Jones and Wood learned better command of their respective instruments, Kistler expanded on his fret maneuvers and pedal technique, the trio has gotten progressively tighter, incorporating more measured arrangements and drawing on electro, funk, psychedelic and spaghetti western sonic flavors.
The trio are currently putting the finishing touches on their four-song Omegas EP; check out them performing "Ice Station Larc" after the jump.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Antiwarpt III Must-See Video Spotlight: RedFeather
Posted by Leilani Polk on Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 12:52 AM
First two featured must-sees were Jensen Serf Company and Permanent Makeup. The next band to get the video treatment is RedFeather [video still at right].
The band began as the solo project of singer-songwriter Mark Etherington (who also drums in instrumental post rock outfit set and setting), and eventually evolved into a band with musician couple Jaqueline Titus (keys, vocals) and Doug Gialluca (bass), and drummer Todd C. Smith. They exhibit some pastoral qualities reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, CSNY and My Morning Jacket, their brand of alt folk rock balancing pretty subdued melodies with reverb and raw intensity, Etherington's ethereal vocal calls complemented by Titus' dulcet-haunting harmonies and keyboard arrangements. Read more about the band in Andrew Silverstein's story presented as part of the festival-themed Music Issue, out July 26. For now, check out the RedFeather Antiwarpt III Must-See Video after the jump.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Antiwarpt III Must-See Video Spotlight: Permanent Make Up
Posted by Leilani Polk on Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 4:00 PM
The series kicked off last week with Jensen Serf Co.. The next band to get the CL Antiwarpt Must-See Video Spotlight is Permanent Makeup, their sound a churning a mix of dark-tinged late'70s/early '80s-styled post-punk and churning, dissonant avant rock. For their Ryan Zarra-produced Antiwarpt video spotlight, Julie G. interviewed the band right here in the CL Space [still above], where they also performed a few tracks. Check out the vid after the jump.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Antiwarpt III Must-See Video Spotlight: Jensen Serf Company
Posted by Leilani Polk on Mon, Jul 2, 2012 at 12:50 PM
In the weeks leading up to Antiwarpt III, Creative Loafing has teamed up with fest organizers and St. Pete Beat to produce a series of videos spotlighting our favorite must-see acts playing the third edition of the downtown St. Petersburg alternative-to-Warped Tour-festival. This year's edition brings more than 99 indie performers to town, with a strong focus on super high-quality local and regional talent.
Ray Roa interviewed the first band to get the CL Antiwarpt Must-See Video Spotlight: St. Pete-based Jensen Serf Company [video still above right], an echoey retro-surf garage trio in the vein of Surfer Blood, but with a more raucous lo-fi sound. Formerly known as Michael Christmas (which was never supposed to be a permanent name anyway), Jensen issued a five-song split cassette with Saylor in March via up-and-coming Nashville-based imprint Sturdy Girls (listen here), and has been earning a hard buzz ever since. Check out the Ryan Zarra-produced Antiwarpt video after the jump.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
CL on the Road: Backstage at Bonnaroo, Part One (with photos, video)
Deborah rocks it like a VIP and offers her wrap up of the Tennessee music fest, days 1 and 2, with photos & video
Posted by Deborah Ramos and Mike Wilson on Sun, Jun 17, 2012 at 2:11 PM
You see, there is a bit of a caste system to the wristbands that provided access to this year's completely sold-out festival. The vast majority of Bonnaroovians have GA wristbands. They stay in tents, rarely shower (if ever), buy food from vendors (often eaten while walking), and spend hours baking in the hot sun to get a glimpse of bands amid thousands of others in a grassy field. Of course, that's if they aren't passed out in one of the plentiful spots of shade, simply too exhausted to carry on to the next show. The next level is VIP, which offers better access to the stages, private campgrounds with showers, or RV rentals. The highest level of wristband is Roll Like a Rockstar, a special package that provides accommodations on a fully stocked tour bus, chauffeured golf carts whisking around on hidden back roads, private viewing areas and restrooms, and hospitality lounges spread throughout the farm.
Our group wasn't just rolling like rockstars, we were rolling as rockstars. We wore the coveted yellow ‘Artist’ wristband, with full access to nearly every area at Bonnaroo one could ever wish to see, and plenty of perks that no paying attendee can experience. I didn't realize before the trip but this is much more access than even press receives, as my experience seems to have been much different from Andrew's. We didn't have a tour bus or golf carts, but none of that nonsense mattered because we had the most superior access to music out of anyone in attendance.
Sometimes, the good things in life are just about knowing the right wonderful people.
- Mike Wilson
- Danny Brown
We arrived at artist check-in after a long drive and a stop for a mind-boggling amount of food at Walmart, where the locals seemed completely amused by the chaos that landed upon them. We drove right in to our parking lot with no wait and no bag or body checks, checked in at our RV, and settled in for the weekend. Since getting onto the farm took less than 5 minutes, there was plenty of time before the first show we wanted to see to wander around and experience the calm before the storm. At this point, I hadn't yet accepted the Bonnaroo code of "Be In Here," and was struggling to find wifi and send texts, not comprehending my phone would be little more than a camera and notepad for the rest of the trip. After a quick walk back to the RV to freshen up, our group split apart, with some of us heading to an backstage crawfish boil complete with open-bar and the others towards the music. We were rested and ready to go.
We were instantly sucked in by heavy bass filling the grassy area in front of This Tent, walking right into the private viewing area at the foot of the stage to catch the beginning of Danny Brown's set. His biting delivery and filthy lyrics were nearly overcome by the bass, which up this close twitched the hairs on my arms to the beat. This was the first of several fantastic hip-hop sets we wandered into, and my introduction the the unbelievably enthusiastic Bonnaroo crowds. I've never seen anything like how ballistic the packed tent became when Brown shouted out, "Bonnaroo, y'all some freaky motherfuckers! You gonna be getting dirty up in those titties later?" Brown played a bit of Blondie's "Rapture," dancing around onstage to recapture the crowd's attention before launching directly into the aggressive "Die Like a Rockstar."
I don't know that I've ever left a show in the middle of a set, but had a sense it was going to become a trend as we headed briskly to the front of the Other Tent to see the act we'd originally planned to start with, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.. Their indie-rock seems deceptively simpler live than recorded, as I'd never realized their perfectly harmonized songs are fleshed out by recorded electronic elements. Not only did the band bring a killer cover of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," they also brought a little something special for the crowd. Josh Epstein explained that they were so grossed out by the porta-johns when the band played their last festival that they decided to buy a bottle of Dom Perignon and leave it in one of the 7,500 facilities spread across the Manchester farm. Though Epstein encouraged "whoever finds it, goddamnit, have a good time," I'm pretty sure anything I found in one of those things would be staying there for the next person to enjoy.
From the back of the field we caught the last two songs from Orgone. Their funky R&B had Soul Train written all over it, like a fantastic 70's blaxsploitation soundtrack. Vocalist Niki Crawford encouraged the crowd to get into her vibe, saying "Orgone has been making sweet, sweet love to you for the last hour. Did you feel it? How you gonna make love back to us?" before the crowd enthusiastically responded with a sing-along to "Love Maker" as we started our walk back to This Tent. Stopping briefly by one of the smaller side stages, the Great Taste Lounge Brewed by Miller Lite (one of the thankfully rare visible sponsorships), we enjoyed some psychedelic basement rock from Monstro before continuing on to catch Yelawolf. [MORE photos, video and wraps after the jump.]
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Outside the Box: WMNF Tropical Heatwave 2012
I've never worked so hard to get TO work!
Posted by David Russell on Wed, May 16, 2012 at 6:41 PM
So I tried to get to get something from the office last weekend and was waylaid by WMNF's Tropical Heatwave 2012. Fortunately, I had my trusty cameraman/editor/professional eye-roller Matthew Michael Schiel there to document the goings on. So join me on yet another exciting vanity project adventure through the mean streets of Ybor city!
As usual, a couple of caveats:
1. I would like to apologize to that nice couple that I broke up. Please do not hunt me and kill me.
2. I am not 100% sure that the guy that was arrested is a douche-bag, but he sure dressed the part.
3. That circle spinning machine is a workout! Let no-one tell you differently!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Reel Projections: Marvel's The Avengers, The Hobbit and more …
Welcome to the new & improved Reel Projections videocast.
Posted by Matthew Schiel on Mon, May 7, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Welcome back to the Reel Projections videocast, now sporting a whole new format — shorter, rapid fire, shot "on location" at the Tampa Theatre, and now weekly. That's right, we'll be hitting the beautiful downtown Tampa landmark weekly for Reel Projections, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest movie news and commentary.
In this week's episode, Joe and Dave discuss Marvel's triumphant The Avengers, the bad buzz on The Hobbit, and why the MTV Movie Awards keep increasing their level of suckage.
We hope you like the changes (we're still tweaking), and we'll be back next week with another Reel Projections …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
New music Tuesday! (Feb. 7): Air, Dr. Dog, Van Halen, Paul McCartney & more
A guide to this week's new releases, with audio & video.
Posted by Leilani Polk on Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Another bigger wave of new releases by some big names and smaller important ones. I've included info and links for the ones you want to know about most below, plus some other ones you may never have heard of (but should know), with audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to check out releases that dropped over the past few months ...
The classy French electro duo were commissioned to compose music to go with a painstakingly restored color print of Georges Méliès' 1902 film, A Trip To The Moon (Le Voyage Dans La Lune). Both the early sci-fi film and Air's soundtrack were premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival; the album (out today) is more of a companion piece to the film than an actual score.You can still listen to the album today at NPR.
Archer Black, Forgiveness Is a Weapon (Post Planetary)
Band of Skulls, Sweet Sour (Vagrant)
An iTunes exclusive release… physical album out 2/14.
Dierks Bentley, Home (Capitol Nashville)
Big James and the Chicago Playboys, The Big Payback (Blind Pig)
Big Sir, Before Gardens After Gardens (Rodriguez Lopez Productions)
The project of singer/composer Lisa Papineau (whose lent her pipes to records by Air and M83, among others) and bassist/composer Juan Alderete (of The Mars Volta). This is their third album. Listen to lead-off track "Regions" below and stream the album in its entirety at AOL Spinner today.
Blondes, Blondes (RVNG Intl.)
The electro duo (Sam Haar and Zach Steinman) release their self-titled debut; check out "Wine" below.
V V Brown, Lollipops & Politics (Capitol/EMI)
The British odd pop songstress otherwise known as Vanessa Brown issues her second full-length studio LP. Check out her video "Children" with guest Chiddy Ban after the jump along with the rest of this week's new releases....
