Nowadays where it feels like music videos are often reduced to glossy, forgettable content farmed for social media scrolls, Movie Club — the Venice Beach psych rock duo of Vince Cuneo and Jessamyn Violet — have gone in the exact opposite direction. Their latest project, a double music video package titled Grindhouse Venice for new singles “Python” and “Black Mamba”, isn’t just a clever throwback to the DIY, blood-spattered aesthetics of Tarantino and Rodriguez’s Grindhouse — it’s a brilliant love letter to their hometown and the hypnotic power of instrumental rock when paired with a wild, visual narrative.

Both songs, cut from the same cosmic cloth as the duo’s previous work but pushing into heavier, darker, and more introspective territory, feel like soundtrack pieces to movies that don’t exist… until now.

“Python” opens with an ominous sound and riff that uncoils with swagger, leaning into fuzzy, garage-psych tones reminiscent of early Oh Sees but with a sunnier, surf-soaked edge. Vince’s guitar work is on another level here — snarling one moment, soaring the next — while Tim Lefebvre’s bass anchors the track with a subterranean groove..

“Black Mamba” is the more upbeat, in your face counterpart — a brooding, atmospheric slow-burner that eventually explodes with sound. It’s psych rock for people who like their instrumentals dramatic and their atmosphere suffocating in the best possible way.

Both tracks were recorded and mixed by Mike Kriebel (Oh Sees, Ty Segall), and the production is sharp where it needs to be, with enough grit and tape hiss to feel authentic — like these tunes were rescued from a long-forgotten ‘70s psych compilation.

As far as the video goes, Grindhouse Venice isn’t just a double music video — it’s a ten-minute, self-contained short film that blurs the line between music video, indie cinema, and stoned fever dream. You’re taken through the picturesque streets of Venice Beach, California, led by a clown and the band’s own Jessamyn Violet. The city itself becomes a character — sun-drenched, weird, a little dangerous, but endlessly alluring.

Without missing a beat, “Black Mamba” takes over, this time directed by Vince Cuneo, with Jessamyn as a noir-ish assassin, doling out psychedelic justice to shady characters on the Venice streets. It’s part Tarantino revenge flick, part low-budget horror, part music video jam session — shot entirely by the duo, who also handled all other production duties themselves.

Both songs stand tall on their own as feral, beautifully crafted psych rock jams, but when paired with their cinematic counterparts, they transform into something even cooler: a sweaty, sun-baked, VHS-tinted dreamscape where Venice Beach becomes a violent, neon-lit wonderland. We’ve reviewed the band plenty of times in the past, but this distinctly feels like a new era for the group. Whatever they’re calling it, we’re 100% locked in.

For everyone out there looking to add a little edge to their life, we overwhelmingly urge you to both listen to the songs and to experience the video in full. You can do so and follow along for more by clicking those links below. Enjoy!

Listen to “Black Mamba” & “Python”

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Movie Club’s “Python” and “Black Mamba” are a Psychedelic Grindhouse dream