On the latest episode of The Cosmic Elastical Show, brothers Steven and Jeff MacDonald explain their motivations (love, of course) in multi-part harmony against a starry night sky with old-school video effects that recall 1980s public access TV. The overwhelming kitsch of the scene makes for the perfect setting for the music video for “The Main Attraction,” a new song by the MacDonalds’ band, Redd Kross, that appears on their just-released self-titled double album.
The song is saccharine, soppy, and tongue-in-cheek, like all of Redd Kross’ best power pop songs. The guitars climb up, the bass descends down, and the brothers sing about being “motivated by love” with rare gusto. And it’s even better seeing them sing it to each other in the video. Regarding the clip’s twinkling ending, Steven MacDonald said in a statement: “Those that dare to indulge pettiness before an awe-inspiring loving universe should probably get what they deserve…. a pie in the face.”
Steven said he came up with the music for “The Main Attraction” all in one day while trying to come up with a way to lift a friend’s mood. “The lyrics came sometime later, after filling out a sort of self-help questionnaire,” he said. “One prompt was, and I’m paraphrasing, ‘Do you ever pray, and if so, how?’ The nihilistic inner teen within rolled his eyes, but managed some words he could stomach without vomiting and going full head spinning, Linda Blair style: ‘Ever expanding universe, please help me make best use of my place in you. And may all my actions be motivated by love.’”
Steven said that Jeff helped him round out the song and came up with the phrase “cosmic elastical show.” “I said, ‘I like it, but I don’t think ‘elastical’ is a real word,’” Steven said. “Jeff quickly responded, ‘So?…’”
The band previously issued videos for Redd Kross’ “I’ll Take Your Word for It” and “Born Innocent.” The band will hit the road in support of the album this summer with support from Melvins drummer Dale Crover, who will perform a solo set in addition to drumming with Redd Kross. Full details are on the band’s website.
A documentary about the band, also titled Born Innocent, will be on the film festival circuit this year, while a memoir written by Steven and Jeff, Now You’re One of Us, will come out in the fall.