the adventures of adgirl

So it has come to my attention that some of you are still not acquainted with the following two Toronto artists, and given that it’s Music Monday on Twitter, I thought I’d take the opportunity to educate you.

Please shake hands with:

and

You may have noticed a subtle mention in a Sounds of Fashion review, AdGirl TV video, or Shannon Boodram interview teaser…

But I digress.

The reason why I felt compelled to highlight them tonight is because of the reactions I saw and whispers I overheard at Sounds of Fashion where they performed last Friday. For a moment, I forgot that not everyone knows and sees what I wish they would. And then I remembered that I have a blog.

Alas, I give you:

1. Wolf J McFarlane’s Official “Grizzly Bears Panda” video

I asked Wolf to give me some background on the vid.

Turns out it was filmed By Creative Tim and directed by Wolf himself. Shot in a home studio on a plain, white background, the intent was to capture Wolf’s different personalities:

• the arrogant Wolf (wearing the scarf and rocking the mohawk)
• the calm, non-chalant Wolf (wearing the cardigan and the tuke)
• and the real, sincere Wolf (wearing the furr hat)

The black and white video stays in theme with his mixtape artwork for continuity purposes.

This makes an AdGirl happy.

Wolf told me he chose to make a video for “Grizzly Panda Bears” versus the other (equally great) songs  from his Upsidedown Day Tapemix based on the generous feedback he received from his fans. “A lot of people told me they related to the song, so I changed my mind about doing a video for New Vogue and did Grizzly Panda Bears instead”. Wolf told me that this decision was challenging because the song was so personal and included real people from his life that really mattered – from deceased family members to girls that broke his heart.

It’s funny how the most personal and honest songs are -rule-of-thumb- always the ones that are most successful.

On to the next…

2. KJ’s Official “Repeat” video

KJ’s story is unique. He never intended to make a video for Repeat (off his album The Headphone). Instead, he was approached by music video director Lavado Stubbs, who expressed interest in the song (and rightfully so).

I got in touch with Lavado, who told me that the inspiration for the video came immediately after hearing Repeat.

“I instantly knew from KJ’s vibe that I wanted to do a video that shows the essence of hip-hop. We got a female model to represent one of the purest elements of hip-hop – the drums. I decided to have her beating a marching drum alongside KJ in a graffiti alley – another element that represents the essence of hip-hop. I wanted the audience to really hear KJ’s great lyrics and did one authentic long take to have KJ directly tell the audience a story (another hip-hop element) and allow them to follow him word for word. I wanted a simple concept that was both effective and creative”.

[If you're from Toronto, you may recognize the Queen and Spadina location. ]

The video has become so popular that it has earned a nomination for an Americafree.tv Music video Award. If you like it, you can still vote.

Note that the wardrobe seen in Repeat is a line called Malyka, owned by Lavado and also represented at Sounds of Fashion. An intriguing brand that represents the uplifting of individuals, creativity and their choice to express themselves as today’s leaders. Check out this promo short, featuring guest appearances from both Wolf and KJ.

Oh, you thought all we had was Drake?

~AdGirl

P.-to-the-S.

If you like the headphone pic at the top, I like you.

Seriously though, I’m so impressed by the Japanese audiowear company Kotori. They allow you to choose from over 100 variations of ear buds or design your own. Talk about wish list – I want ‘em all… [!]