Celluloid Bachelor #57: Small Black "Despicable Dogs"

There is a lot happening under the surface of this video. That much I'm certain of. What it is that is happening, well, I don't know. The only person who probably does is Small Black frontman Josh Kolenik, whose uncle is the aging surfer featured in the video.

The film itself is brilliant and carries in its nearly four minute runtime as much emotional energy as any feature length film. Director Yoonha Park certainly deserves credit for much of that. It leaves me wanting to know more, especially how Josh's uncle, Matt, feels about his life, and how Josh and his friends feel about Matt's life. I could watch this again and again and probably will.

I'll also be paying attention to Kolenik and Ryan Heyner, the other founding member of Small Black, who earned a little bit of buzz last summer when this track was released as part of the duo's eponymous 2009 EP debut. Since then, they've been signed by indie heavy hitters Jagjaguwar and, as such, are poised for great things, including the late April release of a remastered and expanded version of the aforementioned EP. Currently, the band is prepping for a month-long tour which will take them through Detroit, but sadly not Cleveland as they make their way around the country before settling back in Brooklyn to make more music with new members Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin.

Small Black: Despicable Dogs from Yoonha Park on Vimeo.