RVA TV is proud to present the exclusive premiere of "Reprise," the newest video by Charlottesville, VA's The Fire Tapes. Directed by RVA TV alumnus William Pence, the video mixes what looks to be a Depression-era cartoon demonstration of the way your body processes soundwaves into information that is decoded by your brain, and strange graphics that appear to depict sea life swarming through people's bodies and other off-kilter images. The song this video footage accompanies, "Reprise," from The Fire Tapes' 2011 album Dream Travel, is one of their more ambient tunes, featuring a long feedback-laced intro and some excellent, ethereal vocals from singer/guitarist Betsy Wright.
Wright explains how the collaboration between The Fire Tapes and filmmaker William Pence came about: "He made a video for the band Whatever Brains (NC) and wanted to make one for us," she says. "He looked at images on our website and listened to the song. The rest was up to him, and he came up with this really creative video that really goes with the vibe of the song. I told [Pence] to look at all the images on our website and get our "general vibe", then told him to do whatever he wanted. The programs he used are After Effects, Illustrator, and Photoshop." In addition to The Fire Tapes and Whatever Brains, Pence has also made videos for Brooklyn, NY's Patois and Charlottesville, VA's Order, and, as we previously mentioned, once worked for RVA TV. You can find his current work at themumblemagnificent.com.
The Fire Tapes have played several shows in Richmond over the last year or so, and have wowed audiences each time with their guitar-driven psychedelic sound and mixed-gender vocals. Their overall sound is reminiscent of Yo La Tengo at their heaviest, or the earliest work by The Dream Syndicate. They return to Richmond this Sunday, July 29, when they'll play a free show with RVA local heroes Canary Oh Canary at Bandito's Burrito Lounge, located at 2905 Patterson Ave. The show starts at 10 PM and is free. For more info, check out the facebook event page HERE.