It’s been a while since Apple has had an ad on TV with a song that just stops you in your tracks, but it looks like they’ve done it again with their 2012 iPod collection campaign featuring “Yeah Yeah” by New Zealand-born/London-based singer/songwriter and producer Willy Moon. Back in the day it seemed like every single Apple TV spot contained an edgy, little known or at least non-mainstream artist, artists like Feist (“1234“), Yael Naïm (“New Soul“), The Ting Tings (“Shut Up and Let Me Go“), Chairlift (“Bruises“), The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (“Around The Bend“) all come to mind. Hell, THIS blog’s name was even inspired by a song featured in an Apple advert: CSS – “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex.” Today, while Apple advertising might not be as innovative as it was a few years back, every once and a while they introduce us to something or someone pretty cool and unique and right now, Willy Moon is that something or someone for me.
The 23 year old talent released his latest single, “Yeah Yeah” (Cherrytree/Island Records) back in September where it eventually went on to peak at #34 on the UK Singles Chart. Here in America, the song debuted on Billboard‘s Alternative Digital Songs Chart at an impressive #25, thanks at least in part to the iPod ads in heavy rotation all over American television. As cool as it must be to have your music featured in a prominent TV spot, I’m glad Willy Moon now has his own unique visual counterpart for the song, in the form of a super cool music video.
Directed by Grammy-winner Alex Courtès (U2, The White Stripes, Justice), the “Yeah Yeah” video debuted on VEVO at the end of October and showcases Mr. Moon’s dapper style and impressively suave dance moves. Featuring a troop of dancers clad in black and a wall of mirrors, Willy Moon shows off his quirky stylings up on a pedestal while his dancers move around him. Check it out BELOW!
“Yeah Yeah” is available to download now on iTunes but for those of you who like holding a physical copy of a CD, get excited for December 4th. That’s when Willy will release a physical EP via Cherrytree/Island Records. In terms of Willy’s musical inspirations and influences, this blurb from an official press release certainly sheds some insight:
“23-year-old Kiwi Willy, who broke through earlier this year with ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, writes, records and (mostly) produces everything on his own. He keeps everything short. Nothing grazes the three minute mark. Inspired equally by love of the physical energy of Cab Calloway, the brevity of The Ramones, and the style of film noir, Willy doesn’t blend different sounds so much as smash them together–as if rock ‘n’ roll was deep-frozen in 1965, and abruptly reanimated 45 years later by a laptop hip hop producer.”
Moon just completed a European tour with Jack White and made his stunning TV debut on BBC‘s Later…with Jools Holland. While “Yeah Yeah” might be his international breakthrough track, he actually released a limited edition vinyl single, “Railroad Track” previously through Jack White‘s esteemed Third Man Records. Expect Moon to make some high profile live appearances here in America sometime next month, and stay tuned for some hot “Yeah Yeah” remixes by Cedric Gervais and A1 Bassline, the latter of which you can actually download for free BELOW.
Listen to both remixes and tell me what you think!