Late into 2014, much was made about Taylor Swift’s richly derided song “Welcome To New York,” along with her strenuously dubious appointment as the city’s new cultural ambassador (ultimately a roiling crock of shit, but whatever). The backlash was predictably swift and merciless … which is exactly as it should’ve been. I weighed in, of course.
In the wake of that, I started compiling a list of better NYC anthems in anticipation of an official video for “Welcome To New York,” but — last I checked — one never arrived. I had several likely candidates lined up to cite, but after a while — the moment passed, and I rightly forgot about it.
Earlier this week, however, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion unleashed their video for “Do the Get Down,” a new track off their excellently titled forthcoming album Freedom Tower No Wave Dance Party 2015. Simply put, it just might be the most NYC video of all time.
Instead of merely stitching together shots of locations (not that there’s anything wrong with that), “Do The Get Down” is a visual love letter to New York City’s colorful cultural past more than just its architecture and topography. Spliced together like the samples on Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys come images of old New York signage, pre-Disney Times Square, MTV’s “The Real Word,” SWANS, Jay-Z, the Wu-Tang Clan, Lung Leg, Jim Jarmusch’s “Permanent Vacation,” shots of an open air NYHC gig in Tompkins Square Park, Lydia Lunch, Nick Zedd, Rudy Giuliani, Public Enemy, “The Uncle Floyd Show,” sensationalist New York Post headlines, graffiti-slathered subway cars, Tom Verlaine of Television, The Fat Boys, breakdancing, Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours,” heroin, the Tompkins Square Park riots, “Wall Street,” Basquiat circa “Downtown `81,” the Club Kids, the Ramones on “The Joe Franklin Show,” a vintage “Plato’s Retreat” ad, CBGB, the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, the Dead Boys, Talking Heads, “The Robyn Byrd Show,” Crazy Eddie, Lou Reed’s ad for Honda Scooters in front of the Bottom Line, Tom Synder, Andy Warhol and Nico, “Taxi Driver,” “The Wanderers,” Alan Vega of Suicide, “The Warriors,” David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz, scenes from the blackout, “Midnight Cowboy, “ the Velvet Underground and more….
In fact, to my mind, the only things noticeably absent were maybe the Beastie Boys, Blondie, Cop Shoot Cop, Missing Foundation, Bella Abzug, Ed Koch, David Dinkins and maybe Al Goldstein (unless I missed them).
It’s practically everything I hold dear about New York City in one three minute clip. It's insane.
Enough of my yackin’ about it….. Enjoy “Do the Get Down”…
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