Quite a few years ago, when I was still living at my parents’ house, my friends and I used to hang out in the garage religiously. We used to call it “garage party,” because we could drink, watch TV and be merry without having to be good houseguests. One night, we decided to watch movies on mute and listen to music over the top of them, just to see what new narratives or meaning we could impose on the film. The result was something unique and oftentimes captivating, and to this day, I still do it.
It seems to me that Randy Michael, perhaps best known for his work in the defunct local band the Booze and now the frontman for Tarantino loving retro rockers Black Linen, may have also conducted this experiment.
In the group’s latest video, Michael, along with guitarist Jonah Swilley, bassist Adam Anzio and drummer Jordan Manley, shows off an ability to merge their music with engaging cinematic visuals. Borrowing scenes from the 1966 animated short, Phillips Cavalcade: 75 Years of Music, the stop motion edit of “Mental” shows dark scenes of marionettes dancing, playing music and interacting with each other, which somehow pairs perfectly with Black Linen’s haunting, horn-heavy music. It might take a couple of viewings to get in sync with the band’s vision, but the results are surprisingly effective.
“Mental” is the lead single from White Noise, the band’s debut release, which has been finished for quite a while now and has yet to see the light of day due to lack of label distribution. During an interview last year with Creative Loafing Michael explained he hoped to have the record released later in the year, and if a deal couldn’t be reached, they would pay out of pocket to get it out there. That obviously didn’t happen, so let’s hope the record finds a home soon.
Update: White Noise will be out digitally on Sept. 10 via Michael and Swilley’s own InCrowd label.
Black Linen will celebrate the release of White Noise on Thu., Sept. 10 at Aisle 5. Supporting them will be Mattiel and the InCrowd Band. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $8 in advance or $12 at the door.
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