I know we already included Mr. McGuinness on the tippy top of a recent Moving Pictures, and we have his video for “Lion” over on our VodPod woogiewahoozit on the side, but I’m STILL obsessing like a little school boy over the song, the choreography, and the attitude in the Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern (The Fall, Elbow, Arctic Monkeys, Blur) directed flick.  We’ve never seen the Essex native look so dapper, and with his new persona, McGuinness takes a savage bite out of the recent English (and some “Sex On Fire” American’s) trend of passive, apathetic attitudes in seen in some of today’s artists.  The lyrics are basically a huge fleet of fingers jabbed into the chests of the selfish and the exploitative.

“I really don’t know what to say about this one. It’s [‘Lion’] just meant to be the biggest ‘fuck off’ my soul could muster.”

But while some of his past videos have been playful and even psychodelic, the stark setting and atmosphere in the dirgey warehouse gives McGuinness’ 2011 clip a campy, far-off feel.  So much style with just some blue paint and red chairs.  But what really, REALLY has me coming back for about 34 times so far, are the dance troupe Libby Hall choreographed by Supple.  The style is so effortlessly lion-esque and bizarrely unusual (why isn’t ALL dance like this?), it can’t help but please your eyes in all sorts of ways.  So much so, it caused me to go out and learn how to make gif images, and use bunches of hours making my very first one.

Her name is Madleen Teetsov, and she’s absolutely the best red in the whole video and so very saxy and I’m in big types of ridiculous love with her.

Enough of that.  “Lion” is the very first track off of Eugene McGuinness’ next release all set for early 2012.  It’s available for download below and (for an email) at his website.  And coming out December 5th, it will be available as part of a digital bundle with a song entitled “Frosty”.

Eugene Mc Guinness – 01 Lion by Mautz & Tastaton

[Official Website] [Facebook] [LastFM]

-Matt