Artist:
THE MAJESTIC TWELVE
Label:
PANDORA’S LEGACY
Video:
“CRY”
Director:
J.R. Stauffer
Add Date:
December 20, 2007
A big hello to everyone in music video land! It’s Andy Gesner and the staff from HIP Video Promo, happy to bring you a new video from some very close friends of ours. Here at HIP, we don’t always work with big-budget clients. But it’s often been our immense privilege to help promote clips from artists who make terrific-looking videos without breaking the bank. It’s now possible for musicians and directors to create fantastic, complex, and visually sophisticated clips without needing the financial backing of a big record company. We’ve seen it time and again, and it always makes us smile – and for us, the act that epitomizes the trend is The Majestic Twelve. Wilmington, North Carolina rocker Kenyata Sullivan has never courted label money; on the contrary, he’s been resolutely independent in everything he’s done. Sullivan’s commitment to quality control only seems to grow as time goes on: Schizophrenology, the latest Majestic Twelve album, is a bright, crisply-written set of songs that only becomes more engaging upon repeat listens. His indie videos are some of the most original clips we’ve seen this year or any other year, and every time he drops a new one, he somehow manages to top his last effort.
Now, we’re huge fans of Sullivan and The Majestic Twelve project, but we wouldn’t have bet that the “Trapped Underwater” clip could be beat – on a shoestring budget, or otherwise. If you’ll remember, that M12 video followed the adventures of a strange sub-human sea monster living on the floor of a public swimming pool; the clip concluded with the terrifying and wholly believable abduction of one of the bathers. Featuring some stunning underwater photography, this Majestic Twelve clip seemed light years ahead of “Living On The Beach” and “I Don’t Have A Job”, the two video releases from M12 debut Searching For The Elvis Knob. “Break It And Breathe”, the first Schizophrenology follow-up, was also remarkable achievement for an indie act – a whimsical alien “invasion” of picturesque Wilmington, and an accompanying riverside concert done in full spaceman costume. No way they could best that one, right?
Wrong again. The “Cry” video looks and feels like a motion picture, and a spectacular and wildly romantic one at that. “Cry”, one of the highlights of Schizophrenology, is a complex story; one that tells the tale of a deteriorating relationship from conflicting but mutually reinforcing perspectives. Sullivan’s narrative captures the savage ambivalence of a painful break-up by giving voice to the doubts and hopes of both characters. The Majestic Twelve plays it straight – and perhaps surprisingly seriously – in the “Cry” clip by casting talented actors in the roles of the spurned boyfriend, the confused girlfriend, and the strange new paramour she meets on the road. To communicate the dizziness of a love affair in disarray, The Majestic Twelve cuts the screen in half, and occasionally in thirds. Every split-frame behaves like a mini-movie, interacting with the images around it, contributing detail and narrative color. Just as Schizophrenology rewards repeated listens, “Cry” can be watched over and over, and each viewing adds new pieces to the puzzle.
The best thing about this job is the fact that many of our clients become more than just business associates, they become close friends. This isn’t any more apparent than with Kenyata and the Majestic Twelve crew, and we are honored and delighted to be working together with them once again. If you haven’t gotten your copies of Schizophrenology for on-air giveaways yet, hit us up and we’ll set you up (or you can visit www.TheMajesticTwelve.com and download it for free to check out!!). If you need more info, call Andy Gesner at 732-613-1779 or e-mail us at info@HIPVideoPromo.com. You can also visit www.TheMajesticTwelve.com to find out more about The Majestic Twelve.
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| Visit The Majestic Twelve |
For info about The Majestic Twelve’s previous video, “I Don’t Have A Job” click HERE
For info about The Majestic Twelve’s’ previous video, “Trapped Underwater” click HERE
For info about The Majestic Twelve’s previous video, “Livin’ On The Beach” click HERE
For info about The Majestic Twelve’s previous video, “Break It And Breathe” click HERE