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Self-described as “the only hard-rockin’ pop band with ukulele," the Honey Brothers clearly don't take themselves too seriously. But, as we discovered on our first episode of Lighten Up, the playful New York City indie rock outfit is serious about at least one thing — the environment. In this behind-the-scenes look at the band, we catch them goofing off in their Brooklyn practice......read more
When the Honey Brothers took their new wave folk sound to the road, they made a commitment to minimize their tour's impact on the planet. Traveling in a biodiesel Sprinter van, the bandmates hit up local farmers' markets for grub and LEED-certified hotels for shelter. In this episode of Lighten Up, made possible by the good people at Stonyfield Farm, the Brooklyn five-piece inform us that touring......read more
Ah shoot, more evidence that Mark Ronson is actually THE dude. The video for "The Bike Song," off his excellent new album with The Business Intl, follows a story about bike gang spies set in swinging '60s London. The tune itself is a big, fun glorification of two-wheeled transport, featuring Spank Rock on pro-environment raps: "I can't understand it, but I can't really stand 'em, girls love cars,......read more
Animal friends going for a ride in a green vehicle is never a bad thing, in our opinion. Brooklyn's Tiny Inventions delivers the goods with a fun and fantastic multimedia interpretation of They Might Be Giants' "Electric Car". ...read more
We managed to miss this one when it dropped late last year, and goddamn if it may just be one of the videos of the year. At 8-plus minutes, "The Shrine/An Argument" is a certified epic, and maybe the best track off the Seattle folk heroes' patchy 2011 LP, Helplessness Blues. The video, directed by Sean Pecknold (brother of Fleet Foxes frontman Robin), features some eye-popping stop......read more
By now you're no doubt familiar with The Selby, the much-loved site on which Todd Selby documents the interior habitats of people of all stripes. For this new short film, Selby turns his attention to the culinary process. In Ignacio's Mostly Latin Lunch, Chef Ignacio Mattos conjures up a Latin-inspired meal for family and friends, showing off his cooking prowess with delectable dishes that......read more
Ah, summer holidays, how sweet you were. This 2008 video for Chicago's Sea and Cake is so leisurely and nostalgic it almost makes us mad. The short follows the happenings of a perfect summer day in the life of some young bros, which goes something like this: cruise to the lake on bikes and skateboards, chat up some girls, jump off a diving board, go swimming, rip around on a boat, walk......read more
Remember in the late nineties when the music press labeled the Sea and Cake and their genre-twisting, jazz-influenced brethren as "post-rock"? Worst name ever. Anyway, the rhythmic Chicago act dropped their tenth LP, Runner, a couple months ago, and now we have a lovely animated clip for album highlight "On and On." Like the song itself, Naomi Nagata's elegant stop motion video is a......read more
Longtime farming advocate Willie Nelson lends his voice to Coldplay's "The Scientist" in this charming piece of stop motion from Johnny Kelly. The story follows the plight of a farmer who, in an effort to modernize his farm, turns it into an industrial animal factory. Seeing the error of his ways, he reverts back to a small-scale, sustainable farm. The film was commissioned by Chipotle "to......read more
Judging from the lyrics of this song -- and the story of its beautifully conceived video -- indie-folker Yoriyos has the same values as his dad, Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens). Directed and animated by Ron Winter and Jon Watts, the video is a tightly wound narrative of environmental and spiritual reawakening. Great piece....read more
