Art Brut - Direct Hit

What this video is

Released in June 2007 as the second single from Art Brut's second album It's a Bit Complicated, 'Direct Hit' arrived at the commercial apex of the NME-branded Art Wave movement, which grouped South London guitar bands including Art Brut, Franz Ferdinand, The Rakes, and Bloc Party. Art Brut occupied a self-aware, comedic position within this scene, with frontman Eddie Argos deploying a sprechgesang vocal style and…

Why it matters

A high-water mark of mid-2000s UK indie rock's self-conscious performance-video tradition. The video's 1.51s average shot length and 139 scene changes exemplify the kinetic editing grammar that defined NME-era guitar band promotion. The song itself, with its sprechgesang delivery and…