Love Crushed Velvet is one of those bands whose hometown contributes as much musically as any other band member does. Formed in 2008, Love Crushed Velvet is fronted by the visionary singer-songwriter A.L.X., who uses the scenes of New York City as the main inspiration for their music. One would find it incredibly difficult to imagine the same band making the same music if they were to be formed in almost any other city. The streets of New York are filled with rage, and they speak loud and clear to A.L.X., who in turn uses his music to translate those emotions. Over the years, Love Crushed Velvet has enjoyed viral success with their songs “Letter” and “Goodbye Goldblatt”, both from 2011.

Love Crushed Velvet’s newest single, “Ride The Dice”, is a response to the unpredictability of life. The protagonist of the lyrics is singing to someone they hold dear to their heart, but the feeling is not reciprocated. Dejected, they turn to “riding the dice” as the only alternative, as nothing they have achieved in their life has brought them any satisfaction. The heavy bass and piercing drums of the instrumentals allow the audience to share the deep, dark, despairing feeling that the song’s protagonist is experiencing.

It would not be possible to talk about “Ride The Dice” without discussing its music video. The story takes place in a dive bar, and we are shown scenes from around the establishment, from the live entertainment performing the titular song, to individuals drinking and flirting at the bar. Spliced in between are surreal performers dancing in a reflective pool in the middle of a salt flat. What makes the music video even more interesting is that it is animated, but not in the way that you would imagine. Headed by award-winning Director William Goins, the music video uses a wide variety of mediums for audiences to experience. The movement of the characters was motioned and captured using state-of-the-art technology from the Film Labs at NYU. The experience of watching this music video for the first time isn’t something that will leave any of us for a long time.

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