Must-Watch Music Videos: Har Mar Superstar Channels Motown To Perfection

[Editor’s Note: Two major trends have emerged in the recent history of new media: 1) Music videos are the new music and 2) YouTube is the new MTV. With that in mind and to keep you up to speed with the greatest and latest in this online video category, Tubefilter has partnered with INDMUSIC, YouTube’s largest independent music network, to bring you at least one must-watch music video every week. Turn up your volume and we hope you enjoy the analysis, sites, and sounds. For more Must-Watch Music Video installments, click here.]

“Lady, You Shot Me,” are the ubiquitous final words uttered by the great Sam Cooke as he fell down, murdered by the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles in 1964. They’re powerful and striking as far as last words go, and they’re now re-appropriated by the only music “revivalist” worth a damn, Har Mar Superstar (or, as his friends call him, Sean Tillman.)

The single pays homage to the greats that created the music Har Mar Superstar now re-creates with precision and style. It’s also the first single and video from his new record Bye Bye 17 out on Cult Records (the label started by Strokes front man Julian Casablancas).

Channeling the charisma and stage presence of the great James Brown and the pleading earnestness of Cooke, Tillman struts around the stage belting and wailing to precise effect.

Washed in red light with sexy, Motown-esque girl band backup singers, the video puts us in the front row for a sultry, sweaty performance. Har Mar Superstar does best impression of The Godfather of Soul. He makes you completely forget his uncanny resemblance to another “star” and proves why he’s been a mainstay of the New York music scene for so long.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes, and Gossip have  all taken notice of Har Mar Superstar’s talents (he’s toured, in some capacity, with all of them). It’s his passionate full boar performances that keep those famous musical acts and us watching him on stage, and it’s what ultimately makes this video so enthralling.

Bye Bye 17 is out now on Cult Records and is available here. Har Mar Superstar has also lined up a bunch of summer tour dates so do yourself a favor and go see this man live.

Arshan Sadri is the Channel Manager at Brooklyn based, INDMUSIC, YouTube’s largest music Network. He got his start booking comedy and music at the University of Maryland. On weekends he refuses to travel above 14th street, likes to run, and plays in two bands that are just ok.

INDMUSIC is YouTube’s Largest Music Network, allowing independent music content creators to monetize their YouTube views without sacrificing creative control or rights to their content.