Ex Hex's "Don't Wanna Lose" Video Is All Lips & Legs

BY LIZ

There's a new Ex Hex video out today and it's a remake of Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, which is a movie I watched once in like 2007 and have no memory of and should probably revisit. The video's for "Don't Wanna Lose" and it's directed by Lara Gallagher who also did the "Hot and Cold" video that I love so much, plus that beautiful Mikal Cronin video starring Mary Timony as a sad-eyed maid in Portland. Big spoiler: Timony's not sad-eyed at all in "Don't Wanna Lose" - she's having the most fun! Just yesterday I had a moment of being super-thankful for Ex Hex for letting me know that my 40s might be the best fun yet (I turned 37 a few weeks ago, gotta think ahead), and then I realized that Ex Hex are like the opposite of that goddamn joyless This Is 40 movie. So waking up today to a video where they're roller-skating and doing choreographed dances and wearing punk makeup and generally being hot beautiful goofs was totally reassuring. Not that I needed to be reassured, but that's what Ex Hex does for you: takes the good vibes and intensifies them until your heart and head just burst into cool blue flames that burn forever. Here they are, being fashion heroes:

My fave part of "Don't Wanna Lose" is when they're at the photoshoot and Laura Harris whispers to Timony to get rid of her gum, and Timony makes her adorable "Oh no, my gum!" face. Mary Timony is a great actor; she really killed it in this little beautiful short film from 15 years ago. Also: perfect pink jeans, Laura Harris.

And my second-fave part: when Timony and Betsy Boots are sitting together and "jamming" or whatevs and Mary's checking out Betsy's bass like she's trying to figure out how to play her own guitar, like she isn't the #1 guitar god of the 21st cench. "Cool determined girl figuring stuff out" is always a good look, and Timony wears it well.

A soulful human, pondering things:


And lips, in asymmetrical lipstick, a hot look for 2015:



Look at Ex Hex on all the magazines! I wish this were a reality. I wish it were 1987 and Ex Hex were in Tiger Beat and BOP and I could tear out the pinups and pin them to my walls.

And I have to show the legs again: the legs and the tights, the socks and the heels. Another reason I feel psychically connected to "Don't Wanna Lose" is that in one of the leg shots the babes are doing the pony, and I briefly did the pony the other night, and I've been thinking how we really need to bring the pony back. My own personal pony moment was to "Typical Girls" by The Slits at a Chain and The Gang show, and I'd say that's a pretty smart place to start, if you can make it happen.

Some trivia: Mika Miko (Jennifer and Jessie from Bleached, before Bleached existed) also did a Ladies and Gentleman The Fabulous Stains-referencing video a few years ago, and that's really great too:

Anyway - it's rad that T$ is played by Mary Timony. And that Laura Harris's name is Party Guy. Best teen-film cast since Dazed and Confused, or maybe The Outsiders.

Okay well - bye for now, Ex Hex. Amazing movie, come back soon. And please actually make that feature-length Foxes remake, like I told Timony to on the phone last summer.