Albert Hammond - 101

2007

Albert Hammond - 101 (2007) Director: Patrick Daughters Era: Post-Punk Revival / Indie Rock Boom (2006–2007) - Peak of New York indie scene's solo project era, coinciding with the commercial breakthrough of Strokes-adjacent artists on boutique labels like Rough Trade and New Line Records. High curatorial value as a convergence artifact: a confirmed Patrick Daughters-directed video at a pivotal moment in his career, tied to a historically significant solo debut from a key New York post-punk revival figure. The video's practical-effects narrative structure, warm-contrast visual palette, and boutique-label provenance make it a precise cultural timestamp of the 2006–2007 indie rock moment. Essential for any archive documenting the NYC downtown scene's visual culture or the Daughters directorial canon. Context: Released as the lead single from Hammond's debut solo album 'Yours To Keep' (Rough Trade / New Line Records, 2006–2007), '101' arrived at the apex of the New York post-punk revival's second wave, when Strokes members and associates were establishing solo identities. The video's March 2007 online debut placed it squarely within the emerging music-blog and early-YouTube distribution ecosystem, circumventing traditional MTV broadcast channels. Directed by Patrick Daughters, the preeminent visual auteur of the NYC indie scene at the time, the clip reflects a broader aesthetic moment in which indie-rock videos prioritized narrative wit, cinematic craft, and emotional nuance over spectacle. Director notes: Confirmed director via HIP Video Promo industry dispatch (hipvideopromo.com, add date March 22, 2007, label: New Line Records). The video employs a darkly comedic narrative conceit: Hammond is killed in a bicycle accident and returns as a ghost to his flat. Practical SFX include a hand passing through a guitar and detachable limbs. The clip is characterized by warm tungsten-toned interior lighting, measured editing pace, and a theatrical deadpan tone consistent with Daughters' 2003–2007 indie period work. The video's emotional register, blending ruefulness with absurdist physicality, matches the wry, longing quality of the track itself.