The Bobbleheads
“I Really See You” Music Video
Directed by Fred Gebhardt
PopPop Records
Add date – 09/16/19
About The Bobbleheads
San Francisco has always kept the faith. While other local music scenes have moved away from the style, the tradition of guitar-based pop-rock bands and strong melodic songwriting continues by the Bay. The Bobbleheads are the latest carriers of the torch, and they’re doing it with total confidence and scrupulous attention to lyrical and sonic detail. Everything about the group – the ringing 12-string Rickenbacker guitars, the fleet but driving beats, the sweet multi-part vocal harmonies, the joy and love that radiates from their performances – feels effortlessly classic. They put out a record called Automatic Fun, and since 2003, these musicians have always made good on that promise.
Yet fun isn’t all they’re about. There’s a thoughtful side to The Bobbleheads’ storytelling, intriguing undertones beneath the sweet and straightforward melodies, and shadows amidst the West Coast sunshine. Much like the bands that inspired them – from the Beatles to Big Star to XTC, R.E.M., and The Smithereens – The Bobbleheads understand that winsome guitar pop-rock can convey some surprisingly complicated sentiments. Myths & Fables, their latest album, is by no means somber or serious: it contains the same bright, catchy, hook-driven songs that have always delighted the fans of The Bobbleheads. But this time around, the songwriters are grappling with deeper subjects than they ever have before and applying their signature sound to material that leads with its maturity. “I Really See You,” the single from the set, is ultimately hopeful, but it acknowledges the communication problems that all people in relationships face. The Bobbleheads support singer John Ashfield with music that’s at once muscular and meticulous, forceful and engaging, instantly memorable, and maybe even haunting.
About the video
Even if you didn’t know The Bobbleheads were from San Francisco from their distinctive Bay Area sound, Fred Gebhardt’s clever and slightly trippy video for “I Really See You” would give the band’s hometown away. There’s no city in America and no smoke machine on earth that can produce fog as cinematic as this. The marine layer decorates every nourish shot in the clip, including the neon lights of a bus stop at night, the alleyways between buildings, and the faces of a young couple out on a date. In keeping with the tone of the video, the two lovers are mysterious: why is the man’s face completely covered with gauze? We won’t give it away, but we will say that the answer is salient to the song’s subject matter – and its sound, too.
Want more from The Bobbleheads and HIP Video Promo?
We can “really see” The Bobbleheads securing lots of new exposure with this new clip, so please let us know what we can do to make sure “I Really See You” is included in your regular programming and online presentations! We’ll also have The Bobbleheads merch available for on-air contests and online giveaways. For more info or to have us send some merch your way, call Andy Gesner and the HIP Video Promo team at 732-613-1779 or email us at info@HIPVideoPromo.com. Keep up with the band on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheBobbleheadsPage.