By David Lurvey
Led artistically by filmmaker Vincent Moon, La Blogotheque has been one of my absolute favorite blogs for the past few years. This website is devoted to recording some of the best musicians around today in a way that was new and honest, that is, recording them playing live in unorthodox locations ranging from the confines of an elevator to the streets of Paris. While this is a way that is often imitated now, Vincent Moon and the people at La Blogotheque were the ones to popularize the “Take Away Show.” Now, the archive of videos is quite extensive so in order to narrow this list down a little I limited myself to choosing only videos that Moon shot himself. Although there are several other people and groups who contribute to this site regularly that are also worth checking out, that’s for another post. Here are 5 of my favorite sessions shot by Vincent Moon.
Sigur Ros
This song is so joyous and I love the energy that they bring in the environment of this mostly empty restaurant, yet how the workers there just continue on business as usual.
Bon Iver
This session is the one I’m probably most jealous of not being able to have been present at the recording. This session is broken up into two parts, the first being in line with Vincent Moon’s other videos, but the second is a collection of songs from what looks to be like a concert in someone’s living room. Wish I could have been crammed in that little room, sitting on the floor, experiencing that, but I’ll take the videos as a small taste of what went on that night.
#93.6 BON IVER – Skinny Love
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Fleet Foxes
I really like how these guys fill the space they find in this video. I also think this is one of the strongest videos visually, although I love almost all of Moon’s shots.
Vic Chesnutt
This, for me, is the most haunting of the sessions posted. Vic Chesnutt’s distinctive howl was captured here and mirrored by the grittiness of the video. Dark, tragic and beautiful.
#74.1 – Vic Chesnutt – Sponge
Uploaded by lablogotheque. – Explore more music videos.
Alan Sparhawk
I love the spontaneity of this session. As he walks and sings “Hatchet” you’ll see him have to stop and restart after he goes into a gallery of some kind and gets quickly kicked out. I guess not everyone appreciates the impromptu serenades. I’ll take em. The other song he does is great too; I think I prefer that one as a song but this one as a video.
#46.3 – Alan Sparhawk (low) – Hatchet
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And a 6th because these last two were sad songs and I don’t like to end on sad songs:
Architecture In Helsinki
Architecture in helsinki – #58.1 -Heart it races
Uploaded by lablogotheque. – Arts and animation videos.