If you are hoping to wind down early from the work week, and looking for a great Friday ‘pick-me-up’ tune to unofficially start the weekend, you’ve come to the right place! Launching a music video for “Bad For You,” the lead track from his 2018 “Rude Mechanicals” album, Orillia, ON folk-blues rocker Michael Martyn is starting your party early – right here, right now!!! Go ahead and grab that early beer (it’s five o’clock somewhere), saddle up, and enjoy this ride.
I’m not sure which is more impressive – the simple (read: spectacular) audio delights found in the opening three chord guitar riff, or the visual imagery of a laidback Martyn seated on a pop bottle crate, guitar in hand, against a backdrop of dark rolling clouds to signal that trouble is a brewing. With a lyrical focus about sexual longing and desire, this video craftily spins a simple narrative where Martyn’s signature D’Angelico New Yorker guitar, in the hands of Kerry Ann Wright (actor/director), is the stolen object of his desire.
“Don’t call the doctor / Don’t call the priest / Don’t call the judge or the jury / Or St Jean Baptiste / Don’t call your professor / The hell’s he gonna do? / Read from the Iliad?/ I got it bad, bad for you,” Michael recites, momentarily setting his guitar aside, unaware of the larcenous act about to occur. “Batten the hatches / Trim up the sails / Man the harpoon, sing us a tune / About the great white whales / Scan the horizon / D’cedez dan jeu / Berlin to Baghdad / I got it bad, bad for you.”
Shot on location by David Delouchery (Hawkeye Films), this video is fun, straightforward, and punchy as the song it supports, taking both Martyn and the viewer on an adventure along railroad tracks, into the great outdoors, and to the scenic beauty of the Muskoka lakes; all in pursuit of this mysterious, elusive lady, and the prized possession she holds captive. Gaining ground whilst walking those railroad tracks, our hero is thwarted by the arrival of a passing CN freight train, raising his vocal intensity (frustration) once reaching his bridge: “Now did you listen / To what your daddy said / I take off my rose-coloured glasses / Now I just see red / Sweet little storm clouds / Lay me off that blue / As quick as a hand / I got it bad, bad for you.”
Accompanied at every turn by plenty of great bluesy guitar riffs bouncing around the speakers, the stakes are high as Martyn encounters his nemesis at every turn. Just who is this elusive lady wearing the summer dress and hat, and will our hero ultimately be reunited with his faithful six string? Hey, we’ve already stated that the weekend is almost here, so kick back, enjoy the video, and find out firsthand how this one plays out. Believe me, you’ll watch this mini action-adventure more than just once – okay, I’ll join you for another beer.
Michael Martyn’s current studio album, “Rude Mechanicals,” is available via 112 Records.
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
