Ten Rapid: The Afghan Whigs introduce 'Algiers', plus Death Grips, LAW and more

This week's selection of the best new music videos: Greg Dulli of the resurgent Afghan Whigs introduces their studio return with Algiers, plus the latest clips from Death Grips, LAW, The National, Thurston Moore and many more

Feature by News Team | 20 Feb 2014

Welcome back to Ten Rapid, where we showcase a selection of the week's best new music videos, as curated by The Skinny's music team. This week's playlist features a mixture of indie, alternative rock and hip-hop, and cutting-edge electronic music with The Afghan Whigs, Death Grips, LAW, The National, Thurston Moore and more.

First off, we're very pleased to see the return of The Afghan Whigs with Algiers. They'll be back officially in April with, Do To The Beast – their first album in 16 years, on Sub Pop – before heading on to play the Coachella Festival. Their new track has a country swagger, with frontman Greg Dulli taking on a Wild West town inhabited by his bandmates. Speaking to The Skinny earlier today, he had this to say on the lead single and video.

“I imagine that dropping Algiers as the first song from our new record will probably be disorienting, but I think we've always confounded expectations – it’s the band we were, it’s the band we are. We’re provocateurs. The records we made were wildly out of step with what people were doing, so welcome back to that. Once this song was done, to me it sounded like a spaghetti western – it reminded me of Roy Orbison or even Elvis Presley. I had a hand in the treatment for the video, the director is my dear friend Phil Harder who worked on a lot of the early Afghan Whigs videos – he did Debonair, Sister, Brother, Milez Iz Ded, Turn On The Water, Conjure Me – all my favourite videos too. So his involvement was pretty logical. I only just ran into Phil recently after many years and said ‘so hey man [chuckles], wanna do us another video?’ It was great fun. We both vibed with the spaghetti western idea, and went for a homage to High Plains Drifter. We were just out to have a good time and make something cool.”

Next, a new video from doseone, featuring The Light Of Love Children's Choir – it's taken from the charity album BOATS, curated by Scotland's Transgressive North, with proceeds from that album's sales going to Scottish Love In Action, dedicated to helping to feed, clothe, house, and educate destitute children in Southeast India. In the video, doseone offers a half-sung, half-rapped verse, while the choir dance along. You can pick up a copy of the album – which also features contributions from Rustie, Son Lux, Deerhoof, Four Tet, Dan Deacon, Bear In Heaven, and project co-ordinators Marram – here.

Next, we have a new video from Edinburgh-based Young Fathers affiliate LAW. We told you about her recently-released free EP a while back – recently she performed Treasurer, a track from that release, for BBC Introducing, and it's a blinder, mixing Law Holt's iconic, soulful vocals with a loping, mercurial hip-hop rhythm. 

Next up, a video released on Valentine's Day, but hardly sharing its sentiment – Sacramento punk/rap/electronics terrorists Death Grips present a video for a track from their 2012 album NO LOVE / DEEP WEB. We cannot get enough of the feral fusion of Zach Hill's beats, Flatlander's pitch-dark production and MC Ride's lunatic delivery – and this is one of their finest tracks. For extra shits and giggles, have a look at this one with some old-school 3D glasses.

Another Scotland-based hip-hop artist blending his rhymes with R 'n' B and neo-soul is Kobi Onyame. The Ghana-born wordsmith was a runner-up in 2012's MTV Unsigned, and his track Went Too Far features various locals telling the camera their dreams and ambitions. There's even a cameo from a few faces in the Scottish music scene, including radio DJ Jim Gellatly. The track's taken from his latest release, Glory.

Electronic music now, as Ninja Tune's visionary producer Machinedrum teams up with LuckyMe affiliate Ango for a blistering track entitled K.I.L.L.Y.O.U.R.B.O.Y.F.R.I.E.N.D. (possibly a reference to the 90s comic by Grant Morrison, Philip Bond and D'Israeli?); nodding to juke and footwork with rapid, stuttering beats, and a a stroboscopic black and white video. 

The National's new video for I Need My Girl, taken from their barnstorming album Trouble Will Find Me, sees a series of dance partners slowly revolving, as if in a giant music box. Meditative and beautiful, the video was shot by director Sophia Peer.

Another returning rock heavyweight with a new video out this week is Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore. His clip for the track Heavenmetal, with his band Chelsea Light Moving, sees Moore sifting through newspaper cuttings in a gentle amber light, and playing guitar while two mysterious women walk through the minimal stage set. The clip was directed by Julien Langendorff. 

Another hip-hop track - the new video from rising star and Das Racist, Kitty Pryde and Mishka NYC affiliate Lakutis. His debut, I'm In The Forest, is definitely worth a listen, if ultra-hip New York weed rap is your thing. Ad the video? Gold teeth, taxidermy, gold paint, and nosebleeds are the order of the day, as Lakutis raps about his 'Jesus piece' (presumably his penis, as he isn't wearing a chain). It's taken from his much-anticipated follow-up to ...Forest, entitled Three Seashells, out soon (he promises...) on ex-DR man Himanshu's Greedhead label. 

And finally, Deftones front-man Chino Moreno's side project Palms have a new video out this week – we awarded their self-titled debut a rare five star rating back in June last year. Formed from the ashes of ISIS, the track, a thunderous slice of majestic post-metal, is accompanied by a dramatic, moody short film by director Adam Mason. Read our recent interview with Chino Moreno about his electronic side-project, ††† (Crosses), here.

That's it for this week's Ten Rapid! If you want to cue up all of the videos, see below, or visit The Skinny's YouTube channel, where you'll find a tailored playlist of this week's videos, not to mention regular video premieres, exclusive sessions with the likes of Young FathersAidan Moffat & RM HubbertUbre Blanca, and much more! We'll see you back here in 7 days for another Ten Rapid.

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