Queen Kwong really nailed an archetype of a man of stunted development trying to maintain a veneer of cool in the lyrics of her song “Sad Man” from her ambitious pop noir album Couples Only. But the video for the song has Johnnny Knoxville of Jackass fame playing the part of a figure like Havey Keitel circa Bad Lietenant. The lurid and gritty scenes while Kwong’s vibrant and dusky voice and haunted keyboard melody with Christian-Death-circa-Only-Theatre-of-Pain-esque guitar histrionics trace the edges of angst and agony on screen. Kwong herself plays a nun that serves as the conscience and reminder to Knoxville’s character of who he once was before he allowed himself to hurtle down a path of self-hating self-destructive hedonism and corruption. It’s all a powerful combination that anyone that has been part of any music scene in any city of size recognizes immediately but the specificity of Los Angeles is something we’ve all seen in movies and heard stories about for years except Queen Kwong puts the spotlight on the so not glamorous but much more common story of lack of success and clinging on to a myth and image of fake rock and roll romanticism rather than make an honest go of it with integrity. Watch the video for “Sad Man” on YouTube and follow Queen Kwong at the links below where you can also give a listen to the rest of Couples Only.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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