FREEDOM OR DEATH – VIDEO NEWS

If ever a music video deserved a post all it’s own then it’s this one. It’s pretty damn special, looking utterly astonishing, beautifully finished and well designed. Add in the fact that we adore Freedom Or Death‘s music and you have a resulting cocktail that is more Molotov than Mojito.

We’ve been fans of the Canadian duo ever since we first gave them some coverage (back here) and have been keen to hand you regular updates on their progress in the several posts since. They deserve it as they’re a shining example of the DIY approach to making a career in music. We’ve discussed this in more detail in previous posts, but the ex-label employees now seem to be making great progress alongside the awesome EPs and singles they’ve released to date.

They’re just finishing a European tour, before they head across Canada as part of their “With My Own Hands Tour” (see the dates below). They’ve also just handed out a full EP of tunes, including their cover of Bryan Ferry’s Don’t Stop The Dance. Download it for free here.

The new video for their track, Inside, was premiered on Rolling Stone‘s site earlier this week. It was shot by fellow Canadian Kyle Davison in Toronto, using identical triplets, which creates a clever visual trick with minimum editing. Our sympathy is with the actors who had to actually take the punches, as there’s no hiding an impact utilising the Phantom camera, due to it operating at 1200 frames per second.

It’s a cinematic piece of work, that suits their cinematic pop music. The film perfectly captures the songs themes of identity, suffering and bullying. Go watch the video, go grab the free music and try and catch them live if you can. (MB)

Sept 13 – Lo Pub, Winnipeg, MB*
Sept 14 – Amigo’s, Saskatoon, SK*
Sept 15 – The Exchange, Regina, SK*
Sept 16 – Broken City, Calgary, AB*
Sept 17 – The ARTery, Edmonton, AB*
Sept 18 – Tongue ‘N Groove, Lethbridge, AB*
Sept 20 – Library Square, Vancouver, BC*
Sept 22 – Rifflandia Music Festival, Vicrtoria, BC**
Sept 23 – Tofino Legion, Tofino, BC
Sept 24 – Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan, BC
Oct 22- Halifax Pop Explosion
*With Samantha Savage Smith
** With Braids

FREEDOM OR DEATH – THIS CROWDED ROOM (THE KILLABITS REMIX)

FREEDOM OR DEATH – INSIDE

FOE – NEW SINGLE

This is a great example of why we’re fully behind FOE. We met up with the star-in-waiting, Hannah Clark, at a recent gig in Brighton and she explained that her next single was due in the summer, so we promised to cover it here on The Recommender’s pages because it’s a great showcase of her style.

Since the first couple of posts about FOE back in 2010 she’s taken a few giant leaps in the right direction, including signing for the Mercury imprint, Vertigo records, who have chosen to release through the Stella Mortos blog label. Her deadly looks pair up with a 90s slacker rock sound that is leading at the sharp of edge of today’s contemporary guitar-based pop music.

The new single, Deep Water Heartbreaker, came out yesterday and it’s one of the finest tracks we’ve heard from her to date, punching with hooks and uppercuts throughout. The video, by long-term collaborator Entrepreneurs, has arrived alongside it, so we attach it below. The B-side, The Fox, is also streamable below, alongside a video recording that she recently did for Steve Lamacq’s Introducing show. (MB)

FOE – THE FOX