On May 22nd, Jim James stoked excitement for his upcoming album, Uniform Distortion, by performing the album in its entirety for a group of lucky fans at Brooklyn’s intimate record store/venue Rough Trade NYC. Today, he has released a new pro-shot video of the live debut of the Uniform Distortion single, “Throwback“, from last month’s Rough Trade show. The video is directed by renowned photographer, filmmaker, and musician Danny Clinch.
Jim James – Throwback (Live at Rough Trade Records)
[Video: jimjamesVEVO]
As James explained in a press release when “Throwback” was released late last month:
I wrote this song doing pretty much what you are probably doing right at this very second: scrolling thru social media. It struck me as SO wild – how, as you scroll back in time through someone’s account, you watch their face grow younger…but as you do this, REAL TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!!! The clock is ticking…instead of doing good work or creating love or taking a walk in nature, I am here STARING AT MY FUCKING PHONE!!!! ha ha ha. Don’t get me wrong – social media is an amazing tool…but I think we should look at it more like a tool, like a hammer you pick up for a little while to do a job, and then you PUT IT DOWN. You don’t sit there and keep hammering away or else pretty soon your entire world would be destroyed and fall apart! And I feel like that is exactly what is happening right before our very eyes to this precious real beautiful human-filled earth. So lets WAKE EACH OTHER UP PEOPLE! Lets stand up against injustice and use this tool of social media to fight for peace and love and equality! Let’s throwback for a minute, but try and live in the NOW for a better future. Thanks for listening.
Read Jim James’ original explanation of the full album here. Uniform Distortion is set for a June 29th release via ATO Records.
Jim James is also preparing to hit the road for a tour of historic venues, during which he’ll play songs from throughout his career. For a full list of upcoming Jim James solo dates, see below. For more information, head to James’ website.