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...music video? - 'Tonight'

music video 300
Enlarge Joe Odea

Music Video's Wes McCanse (left) and Paul Jenkins performing live.

music video 300
Joe Odea

Music Video's Wes McCanse (left) and Paul Jenkins performing live.

March 17, 2008 - It's been five years since Postal Service released their one and only full-length CD Give Up, and since then fans have been jonesing for another album. With no new music from the band on the horizon, you can now safely fill the void with the Tucson, Ariz. duo ...music video?. ...music video? makes very organic electronic music that deftly mixes pop rhythms with glitches and guitar rock. The group is fronted by the cozy voice of singer and songwriter Paul Jenkins, with Wes McCanse taking care of the mixing and computer wizardry.

...music video? stands out in a crowded field of electro-pop groups with their strong sense of melody, flawless production and surprisingly fresh use of synths and samples — a mix they pull off without sounding cluttered or gratuitous.

"As far as electronic acts go, I believe we try to set ourselves apart by being a bit more concerned with the songwriting," says McCanse. "I mean we love to hear strange, quirky sounds as much as the next guy, but we also want to hear a good melody, or a clever lyric. There are plenty of bands that play with backing tracks (we use an iPod), so that really only sets us apart in our hometown of Tucson, Ariz."

Jenkins and McCanse formed ...music video? in 2003. Now that My TV Has Wings I'll Never Be Lonely is their second album, released in 2007. Their debut was the 2004 CD Fireproof Your TV. They describe their sound as a "laptop fighting a boombox" and cite Radiohead, Grizzly Bear and the Beach Boys among their influences.

The featured track, "Tonight" was the first song they recorded for Now that My TV Has Wings. They say it's "about not having a significant other but trying to make up for a great deal of lost time in one evening. A one night stand that lasts forever. It has become a fan favorite being that its one of our higher energy songs."

...music video? is working on a third album with plans to tour along the west coast. They're also looking for a label, a manager, a booking agent or "all three rolled into one."

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    • CD: Now that My TV Has Wings I'll Never Be Lonely
    • Artist: Music Video?
    • Released: 2008
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