We meandered upon a couple of new music videos that, for us, help to overcome the greasy gray-matter outside our windows and convey some serious Summertime.  First up is a great new song and video by Eleanor Friedberger from her first solo record, “Last Summer,” which is due from Merge in mid-July.  Friedberger is the co-leader (with her brother, Matthew) of the inventive and invigorating band, “The Fiery Furnaces.”  In My Mistakes Eleanor delivers a powerful pop song brimming with honesty (and manages to incorporate some solo tennis in the video).  The Merge press blurb says it well:  “Friedberger’s phrasing is as good as anyone’s; even better, when the line’s over and most other singers would leave it right there, she’ll throw in an unnecessary extra syllable—a “yuh” or an “er,” even an “oh oh.” It’s like she hates silence. “Eleanor Friedberger’s music improves on silence”: there’s your headline.”

And below that is the perpetually peppy Matt and Kim (do they ever have a “bad day”?) with a new video for their song, Block After Block.  The video is an infectious bit of sound and and sight featuring New York City and environs (Union Square, Brooklyn Bridge Walkway, etc.).  Chapeau! to the maundering mosh-pit and the crowd-surf train guy.  All of which serves to remind:  it’s been far too long, NYC.  Check ’em out.

Eleanor Friedberger – My Mistakes from Merge Records on Vimeo.