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Jim James Can’t Cure Digital Ennui in ‘State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)’ Video

jim james, state of the art (a.e.i.o.u.)

Jim James’ spirituality-focused Regions of Light and Sound of God LP opens with “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.),” a Flaming Lips-like meditation on humanity’s role with modern technology. “We’ve got our wires all crossed / Our tubes are all tied,” the My Morning Jacket frontman sings on the first track from his solo album. “And I’m straining to remember / Just what it means to be alive.” Now, the Louisville mainstay has shared a music video for the song that aims for the track’s robotic heart.

Premiered on Billboard, the clip follows a sad-sack who’s got a television for a head. Decked out in his best powder-blue blazer, this half-man, half-machine is all mope — he wanders city streets, sits on rooftops, and walks along a beach, never quite knowing where he belongs. The surreal concept came via San Francisco-based production company Clean White Lines, who won a competition to film their idea as the official visual for “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)”

Here’s what James had to say about the collaboration: “They did a really good job and it was a cool chance to have this kind of fan interaction process because I love people getting the chance to get their work out there through one of my songs… I grew up in a place — Louisville, Kentucky — where there aren’t too many opportunities for upcoming bands, so things like this are really cool. It’s really exciting to me because it gives somebody a chance that might not have had a chance.”

See what came of the contest by watching the video above.