Formed in 2014, Flaunt first burst onto the scene with their album, ‘CODON’. Critically acclaimed, they then went on to release a synth/electronic based EP, ‘Surburban Rogue Animal’, containing an eclectic mix of songs and videos – not least of which was the epic ‘My Clone Sleeps Alone’. Originally sung by Pat Benatar, Flaunt’s take on it is accompanied by a mini film, directed by Christopher Arcella and starring Amari Cheatom (best known for his portrayal of Roy in ‘Django Unchained’) :
The brainchild of Justin Jennings and Joseph Vitterito, Flaunt hail from Colorado and Maine. The pair met over social media, and decided to record together. Now they have just released their latest album, an eighteen track feast called, ‘Rave Noir’. With a style that ranges from pop to rock to R&B and then back again, Flaunt’s premise is to make music that is art, and that is what they do with ‘You Sure Know How To Hurt Someone’. In their own words, they’ve taken “a faithfully straight forward approach on this cover preserving the ironic buoyancy in the sad lyrics.”
‘You Sure Know How To Hurt Someone’ was a song first recorded by Ann Margret in 1964, but not released at the time. Full of fingerpicking guitar and husky vocals, it deserved more attention than it received. Thankfully, this is where Flaunt comes in. The duo resurrected the song from a greatest hits compilation, which was the only place it could otherwise have been heard, and have made it their own.
Accompanied by a video, once again starring Amari Cheatom and directed by Christopher Arcella, Flaunt takes the song and gives it a contemporary twist. The fingerpicking guitar and husky vocals are still there: but instead of it being a sad song, it’s now a funny look at modern relationships. The video opens with Cheatom on a park bench, waiting for his girlfriend. It’s soon apparent he intended to propose: he’s got a ring box, 2 glasses, and a bottle of wine. Instead she’s stood him up. He realises she’s always been about “me me me” (and we hear the voice of Raylene Gorum as the girlfriend) and in the end knows he’s had a narrow escape.
Another great song on the album is the R&B song, ‘I Haven’t Thought About You Yet’. A world away from ‘You Sure Know How To Hurt Someone’, the bluesy, slightly seedy (but in a good way) number comes with a gritty black and white video to match.
‘Rave Noir’ was released March 18 on Anticodon Records. It can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music, and downloaded from iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.
Find Flaunt online on Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud, Youtube, and their website.
