Miami daze-rockers Lil' Daggers have bundled their latest offering, "Dead Golden Girls," in a grayish-blue bundle of captivating aesthetics. No sign of Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, or Betty White in this reel, though.
In what appears to be a reel of closed-circuit camera highlights, the band performs in a dreary, dimly-lit room. An interesting use of projection is present as short clips of blank-faced people stare out from the walls. All color is absent with the exception of dull blue coating, which is fitting given the song's somber tone.
The band members themselves show little animation as they bob and sway through skittering and warped segments of footage that snaps back into focus at seemingly random intervals, reminiscent of the the time you drank half a bottle of whiskey and decided that it might be a good idea to try PCP.
The video is directed by Michael Ruiz-Unger and Matthew Prickett and produced by singer Johnny Saraiva, who look like they may have taken influence from '90s electronic gloom-hop luminaires Portishead, which is of course always a good thing.
Musically, the song calls bands like the Modern Lovers and Murder City Devils to mind, albeit less capricious than the former and not quite as over-the-top as the latter. A simply-strum guitar riff over a repeated drum loop that progresses into something that is clearly not a ballad, but gives off the same surge of feeling as the song builds up into a moaning chorus over a squealing organ.
"Dead Golden Girls" is featured on their full-length, self-titled record, which is available for stream and download from their Bandcamp page. It can also be attained on vinyl from Limited Fanfare. More information about Lil' Daggers can be found from their official Tumblr page.
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