RVA Mag is proud to present the world premiere of the new video by Rose & Vines, "Hey! Loose Lips." A collaboration between Virginia Beach rapper Lloyd Vines and VA Beach-born, LA-based guitarist/producer Landen Rose, Rose & Vines released their self-titled first album last year. "Hey! Loose Lips" is the first video released from that album--and it's a blast! Filmed at what appears to have been a succession of absolutely insane parties, the video proves that if you ever spent a weekend in VA Beach, Lloyd Vines is the man you'd want to be partying with. Of course, the video also has a weird subplot involving people eating and then spitting out/pretending to vomit up squishy foods like ice cream and mashed potatoes--which I'm assuming relates to the whole "loose lips" thing.
Fortunately for us all, these shots are far outnumbered by the amazing party clips, which are filled with the most fun-looking debauchery I've seen in a while. Lloyd co-directed the video himself, along with Allyn Smith and assistant director Bradford Davis, and it even features graphics from RVA Mag's recently departed creative director, Bryan Woodland. Lloyd and Richard Perkins are apparently friends, and it makes sense, because this video looks at times like the setting for some of Richard's more outlandish photography. Scantily clad girls in Star Wars masks, people jumping fully clothed into pools, silly string everywhere... it's great.
But I don't want to minimize the quality of the song, either--"Hey! Loose Lips" should appeal to hip hop fans, as Lloyd Vines is a great rapper with memorable lines and a distinctive flow. But the music he and Landen Rose come up with for this and other songs by Rose & Vines is unusual in that it not only mixes elements of hip hop production and rock music but does so WELL. On the chorus to "Hey! Loose Lips," Lloyd drops the rapping in favor of some outright singing overtop of an emo-punk riff that makes me think of one of his admitted favorite bands, Saves The Day. Having heard and enjoyed the entire Rose & Vines album, I can tell you that these sorts of transitions are kind of their stock in trade--they do a great job of mixing hip hop verses with rocked-out choruses, and when Rose & Vines performs live, it's as a full band with guitars and drums and the whole nine (as you can briefly see in the video). The fact that, in this day and age, the idea of a punk-rap hybrid mostly makes people think of Cobra Starship or Gym Class Heroes is a goddamn travesty when there are groups like Rose & Vines out there doing the sound right. But hey, maybe this video will get them some wider recognition and tip the scales back in the direction of actual quality. We can only hope.
Rose & Vines came out as a CD last year, but it's now available as a free download from Lloyd Vines' website--click HERE to score yourself a copy. Rose & Vines are preparing to release a followup, Rose & Vines: The Perfect Conversation, and there'll be a mixtape called Crucial Style Volume One dropping in the near future as well. Keep an eye on these guys--we're fully expecting them to blow up.
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