Video: Andy Clockwise, ‘Money Power Sex & Fame’

Kevin Bronson on November 30th, 2019

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Andy Clockwise, the roguish but lovable Australian who’s been commanding listeners to L.A. dance floors for the better part of a decade, is gearing up to release his new opus, “War Stories,” next year. And the album is shaping up to be a battle royale.

As he has relentlessly (and with vein-bulging vigor) over the years, Clockwise leaves few topical stones unturned. Whether playing post-punk provocateur, heartland troubadour or dance-floor doyen, the nattily attired singer-songwriter-producer picks at the scab of human frailty and societal blight. He has songs that make you want to ball up your fists, and others that make you want to just bawl. Still others seek purely to escape.

Yes, Clockwise’s songs tackle lots of issues, which brings us to “Money Power Sex & Fame,” or what some night call the Mount Rushmore of Los Angeles. It’s an ’80s dance-floor banger that covers better than half of the seven deadly sins. “I thought I would write a soundtrack to dance to through the mess, a war cry of optimism … a pop musical ode to human dysfunction, heartache, sex, grief, revolution and the death of our youth,” he says. “When I play this one live, the room explodes so it must sound all right, too.”

Since May’s release of his wistful ode to his hometown, “This Town,” Clockwise has pulled the curtain back on a few new songs from “War Stories,” which was made between L.A., Australia and London. Included were the big anthem “The Lucky Ones” (with a classic opening verse, “If rock ’n’ roll is dead / then shoot me in the head”) and the arching pop number “The Game.”

||| Watch: The video for “Money Power Sex & Fame”