"You Wind Me Up" - Nothing [YouTube Music Video]

Philadelphia-based shoegaze band Nothing has premiered the music video for "You Wind Me Up" from their recent LP Dance on the Blacktop.

"You Wind Me Up" demonstrates Dance on the Blacktop's departure from the harsher, more obscure influences on their previous LPs towards a cleaner sound.  While their trademark guitar wall-of-sound is still present, it creates a lighter atmosphere, reminiscent of '90s bands like Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. (the latter of whom producer John Agnello has worked with in the past) than their noisier contemporaries like My Bloody Valentine or Sonic Youth. 

The lyrics, which frontman Domenic Palermo described in an interview with DIY Magazine as "basically about trying to live a standardised life with someone who is suffering from a plethora of mental illnesses," remain dark under the instrumentation's brighter exterior.  "You Wind Me Up" is one of the LP's standouts and will definitely benefit from the attention that comes along with having its own visual.  Nothing show their versatility, and this song may be an entrance into a more reserved, possibly even radio-friendly direction despite their roots and position on prominent metal label Relapse Records' roster.

The surreal video, directed by "meme artist" / Instagram celebrity Teenage Stepdad, features a rocketship / tour van hybrid drifting through space while Palermo's face sings the lyrics on a screen labeled as "Cyro Chamber 5000."  Shots of the van and the screen are interspersed throughout with a radar screen that reads "service engine soon," shots of fast food packaging on the van's outer surface, and a sphere that reads "private planet" with a "thank you" bag floating next to it.  The engine begins to smoke and the van breaks down until an astronaut-mechanic fixes it up so it can continue on its journey and eventually get sucked into a wormhole. 

Characteristic of Teenage Stepdad's absurdist style, it may seem nonsensical on paper — but, like most bizarre art, it has a deeper meaning.  Teenage Stepdad explained in a statement to Juxtapoz Magazine, "The van in the video became a metaphor for my bedroom studio as I chased my muse and watched the world outside my window drift further away.  Artistic endeavor, while often thrilling, can also be incredibly isolating, and I think the video ended up reflecting a lot of that push and pull.  Hopefully people can relate in their own way."

The duality between the visual metaphor and the track's lyrics tie similar (though not identical) messages about tribulations together into a unified piece.  Finding common ground in a seemingly-positive exterior paired with a dark deeper meaning, the track and the visual compliment each other well.

Nothing will soon be heading out on a European tour that runs through the end of the year.  For more information and tickets, check out their Zumic artist page.