Tuesday 30 August 2011

-Music Videos on my Mind- Calvin Harris’ “Feel So Close”


"European dance music is taking over the world. America loves it more than we do. At the moment there are more resident European DJs in Las Vegas than there are in Ibiza, that's how popular dance music is. I go there twice a month."

So says Scottish music producer Calvin Harris.

In some respects Harris is right. America seems really taken by the kind of Eurotrash dance music they laughed at 20 years ago.

With the success of tracks by LMFAO and everything put out by will.i.am, Americans seem intent on purchasing nothing but party music.

Calvin Harris' appreciation for all things Americana resulted in him recording the vocals for his new single Feel So Close in some bizarrely affected southern drawl. The accompanying music video directed by Vincent Haycock features Harris venturing out to generic American locations where some funky old redneck does mad things with a lasso, black kids do some predictable jive-dancing in suburban streets and a few young yokels―who can neither lasso nor jive-dance―just stand around looking all-American.

Calvin Harris is a true British success story who began his career stocking shelves in the supermarkets of Dumfries while spending his nights putting together music demos. Thanks to the power of MySpace
 the music industry came to his door armed with contracts and recording deals. Harris is now one of the world's most sought after producers having worked with Kylie Minogue, Kelis and Katy Perry. (He even turned down Lady Gaga early on in her career, accidently deleting her emails thinking it was from someone fraudulently posing as African aristocracy.)

The great thing about being a Brit with a music video like this is that we can always say it was meant to be an ironic statement about American culture.

The great thing about being an American is that you can always say Harris' video is an inspired tribute to the world's most lucrative and, therefore, important music market.

We're all winners!


8 comments:

  1. those two, unbearably annoying, Irish twins from the pic have reminded me of the Eurosong nightmare from back in May :(

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  2. Led on by heaven, and crownd with joy at last: Following!

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  3. I'm having flashbacks of the last Eurovision song contest. I watched it as if it were a train wreck.

    I wouldn't have known the singer in the video was British without reading the post.

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  4. I don't usually stop to check out the vid, but I think Calvin is brilliant, loved the video/tune! Thanks for sharing and stopping by my way.

    Yeah, M&S, whatever happened to the brand being true to it's roots? I don't mind a visual stimulating ad campaign, but if the style, fit, fabric, price isn't great, well there's isn't much hope for a sale! Stuart Rose almost took it to its death a few yrs back...
    As for the celeb culture, it's crazy how some peeps can fall for that type of thing, their power/influence...(in fashion), but in general I agree, there is too much of this worship of celebs - they're not Gods!
    x.o.x.o

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  5. This video makes American teens seem way cooler than they are. Lol. Or, I dunno, maybe kids in the southwest are a lot cooler by location default. Sigh. If this had been shot in Missouri, the video would be a lot more depressing. :P

    PS. Thank you for thinking I'm not ugly.

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  6. I absolutely love this video! I love it. I want to hang out with these kids (except for the ones making out, 'cause that'd be a bit awkward). I also now am really wanting a denim vest...

    I love that he thought Lady Gaga's e-mails were a phishing scam. Love that.

    Thank you so much for my birthday wishes!
    Amber

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  7. Calvin Harris is awesome. I love everything he does

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