As Tame Impala sinks deeper into the soft psych wormhole, they have to be careful not to sink into caricature. Their new video, created by the aptly-named Weirdcore, occasionally falls into that trap, but you can't help but marvel at how engrossing it is. Conceptually, it follows the song's lyrics, which veer a bit awkwardly into gender essentialism (he's a man, woman - he doesn't always think before he does) and its artwork (yup, those are balls alright), but adds depth to the song as the stationary models' heads shift from disco balls to rings to flowers, and you realize you're shifting through the stages of a relationship. Still, women could be treated better (one is a literal prop, holding up a television) and, yup, there's some very literal drug imagery. But just try to watch this video without feeling like you've taken a trip, mannnnn. - Richard Trapunski
You have to love a band like WEED who wear their influences so openly and so proudly. They like the indie rock bands of the late '80s and early '90s. Who doesn't? "Thousand Pounds," directed by The Courtneys' Courtney Garvin, revels in that aesthetic, with the WEED dudes loping around some park, caught in grainy lo-fi, and animated by scratches made directly on the stock. It could easily be a lost clip from Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, or Arches of Loaf — I think that's the point. - Chris Hampton
"The Legend of Chavo Guerrero" is John Darnielle's ballad to his childhood hero, the once high-flying, now 66-year-old professional wrestler named in the title. In the clip, directed by Scott Jacobsen and styled after an '80s wrestling broadcast, comedians (Rob Corddry), bandmates (Jon Wurster), and pro wrestlers mug and taunt and cut promos. When Darnielle gets in some trouble in the ring, Chavo Guerrero Sr. himself slides in and delivers a table-turning body slam. "He was my hero back when I was a kid," Darnielle sings, "You let me down, but Chavo never once did." - Chris Hampton
FULL SCREEN: Tame Impala take you on a trip, man; WEED are proudly lo-fi by Chart Attack | Chart Attack.
