Madonna - Bitch, I'm Madonna
Beyoncé, Kanye, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock, Rita Ora . . . Madonna's new video has more pointless celebrity cameos than Cannonball Run II. And if that reference seems past its sell-by date, well that must be catching. Child-exploiting and randomer-smooching, Bitch, I'm Madonna is an attempt by an ageing artist to remain relevant that is so desperate and so utterly shameless that even Bono probably winces when he looks at it.
Future Islands - A Song for Our Grandfathers
In this new Father's Day-themed video, North Carolina's Future Islands kick back with their families at a summer barbecue. It's a testament to singer Samuel T Herring's commitment to his art that he brings the same weirdo intensity to eating mashed potatoes and playing soccer with his niece that he did to stalking the Letterman stage last year.
Damien Dempsey - The Death of Cuchulain
With lyrics adapted from WB Yeats's poem of the same name and a video shot at various locations around the city, The Death of Cuchulain is released to raise support for Dublin2020. And since the blurb doesn't actually say what Dublin2020 is, I'm assuming the city is launching a bid to host the 2020 Olympics. I'm pretty sure they have already been awarded, Dublin. Still, nice hustle!
Sweet Baboo - Got to Hang Onto You
"People say I'm crazy but I just want to stay home/I don't feel the need to go dancing any more . . . " The first single from Stephen Black's excellently titled Boombox Ballads album finds the Welsh multi- instrumentalist settling for a life of bourgeois domesticity. He's got such a hapless, everyman quality to his voice, this track could also work as a sitcom theme or advertising jingle.
