I’m often told to spend more time with grandparents. People always say the elderly shouldn’t be undervalued, they do after all have a wealth of experience over the rest of us whipper snappers. Which I have no gripe with, (mine are a bunch of cobra fighting badasses) but perhaps we’d all be inclined to do so more often if our cute grannies and pop-pops were flamboyantly dressed dinner party hosts. If such parties are as awesome as the one in The Aves‘ video for Juan Bianco visits to the old folks home would be far more frequent.
The best dinner party your grandpa never threw you, The Aves delve into the weird and wonderful with their video for Jaun Bianco.
The Aves are four-piece outfit from Adelaide whose pretty indie rock guitar tones and cheeky lyrics have won them plenty of fans in their local town, nationally and internationally as well. The band have released three EPs, played Big Day Out (RIP), BIGSOUND and travelled abroad to tear up the stages at Canada’s NXNE Festival and New York’s River Rocks. Juan Bianco is just a tasty morsel of their forthcoming debut album Good News set for a release on Friday December 11. Made under the stewardship of Mick Wordley (The Beards, Jackson Firebird), Good News is looking to be a worthy successor the band’s previous efforts.
The clip for Juan Bianco stars an elderly gentlemen, introduced to us blankly staring into his bedroom mirror. Disheveled, uninspired and down-trodden. His sad demeanor is at odds with the more cheery vibes that the guitars float on. What follows is a montage of exuberance and joy, our senior citizen making a dramatic transformation from his tired old self into whatever he wants to be. Cowboy, chill Hawaiian guy, basketball homie, Tom Cruise from Risky Business, the endless characters he inhabits are paraded in front of the mirror before he chooses the ultimate persona with that bright orange dressing gown.
The video is sweet natured and playful but there is a sadness about it (there’s a slight Buffalo Bill vibe too). “That’s how it seems you will need / To adjust your dreams” echo the lyrics in the track, the disguised darkness of the clip coming to light in the bridge. What is our protagonist really trying to achieve, or more pertinently, what is he trying to escape from? Freud would have a field day with this one. At the very least, Juan Bianco captures that desire we all have to live a life free from the constraints of the real world when it doesn’t coincide with your dreams.
The Aves will be launching their debut album Good News this Friday December 4 at The Cranka with Babes Are Wolves and West Of Salvador. It kicks off at 9pm, and will cost you a grand total of zero dollarydoos.
