This week I am reviewing my top five favorite music videos, at least for right now. J I kid you not, my opinion changes like every day. It’s ridiculous.
So, here we go.
In no particular order…
1.
This head I Hold by Electric Guest- Alright, it’s
not exactly a secret that I love this band—I’ve only had two whole posts about
them—and I think this music video is a good explanation for “why.”
(for the record, this post refers to their
music video with a running time of 4:28,
not the 2:20-something one)
What makes it amazing: the plot. Okay, so
Asa, the brunette guy, in case you didn’t know, shows up and it’s like a big
audition for something. He’s all like super nervous and stalling and there’s
all these rude people who keep pushing him out of the way. Chill people.
Seriously. So, he gets out there, panics, and runs. My God, does he ever run.Then, he wanders around the desert, runs into a lady, makes a baby, grows
a Little House on the Praire beard (he doesn’t look ½ bad with it either) and
eventually runs back to the auditorium to find that it’s time for him to
audition and guess what? He can do it! And all the judges applaud. Hooray! As
you can see, that is one heck of a plot. Kudos to whoever wrote that. The special effects/or lack thereof:
spinning the chair, a magically switching suit, falling forward with a rope,
the lazy Susan, plastic arms, the trampoline and others.
This music video just came out several
weeks ago and instantly caught my attention. How could it not with that color
scheme? This video is very in your face and not to mention, unforgettable. If
any other band tried to do this, I’d probably laugh at them and be like, “Ha,
it worked in the 70’s, but now it looks dumb.” Not MuteMath. Those guys can
take what seems like an overdone throwback and change it into something cool
and current. With the doubling effects, bright lights, making all of the
members look like black shadows, and putting as much emphasis on Darren King as
possible, MuteMath turns a potential epic fail into an epic win. As well, the
fact that these guys made the music video themselves just makes it even better.
J
3.
Heart’s A Mess by Gotye
Okay, so Gotye is no one knew, but I’d
venture to say his old music is just as good, if not better than his new music.
His music videos, for sure, were much more artistic, very organic, and
downhome. Not to say I didn’t like “Somebody That I Used to Know.” That was a
good music video; they must have spent a fortune on body paint. Wonder if they
still have the receipt? Anyways, this song, “Heart’s a Mess” is from Gotye’s
second Album Like Drawing Blood. That
album was/is a beautiful masterpiece. But, back to the music video. It is
essentially animation with Gotye’s face pasted on one of the “people,” (is that
what they are??). It sounds trippy, but it’s not. The Animator, Brendan Cook,
did a phenomenal job, creating, what I assume to be a futuristic world with
dancing robotic people that matches the song’s melancholy tone: “Your hearts a mess/ You won’t admit to it/ It
makes no sense/but I’m desperate to connect/ but you can’t live like this.”
4.
Ready To Go (Get Me Out of My Mind) By Panic! At
the Disco
Yes, my least favorite live musicians know
how to make cool music videos. It’s funny, Brendon doesn’t know how to control
himself when he’s in front of an audience and I leave feeling emotionally used—I’m
a teenage girl…I reserve the right to be overly dramatic—but when that side
comes out in a music video, through his acting, it works really well.
Thing I hate: nothing.
Thing I love: Brendon’s military jacket (hey,
I like fashion too), how hard he is strumming that guitar (he’s trying to kill
it. I think. It works. My punctuation sucks.), that “oh” line, that glowing
musical note that looks like it came from a Disney movie (it’s like National
Treasure, but for legit muscians), how Spencer slowly gets up from his drums (“Oh,
boy, another door. Are we ever going to finish practicing?”) rapid costume
changes, Brendon’s glasses (so hipster, but so cool), “hey, look, there’s a microphone!
Time for band practice,” the backup dancers (um, when they all have time to
rehearse if he just found that door), Spencer playing drums in an argyle
sweater (only he could probably pull
that off), Alright, yes! Mary Poppins
throwback time! (hey, it works), the fact that Brendon looks like the could
have played an amazing Bert (the chimney sweeper guy who takes Mary and the
kids she was nannying to a world of carousel racing and penguin waiters. Yep,
that guy), pretty cool choreography and I don’t usually approve of coreography,
the string section, Brendon’s determined
look as he walks towards the cannon (“I’m gonna do this. Yeah. Time to put on
my goggles and swim cap.”), Okay, I hate to keep making references to National Treasure, but Spencer looks
like Nick Cage holding the torch like that, how it swtiches to animation, the
clock that says 9:00 and I’d say it’s fair enough to assume it’s in the
afternoon, dancing in the street with umbrellas, yep perfectly normal, I wonder
if Spencer just wanted to sit there and drum instead of dance, Well, aren’t we
all dapper with our little hat tip, and another music note; is there going to
be a sequel?
5.
50 Ways To Say Goodbye by Train
Yes, I understand they are not alternative,
by any means, but I saw this music video the other day, and it has forever been
cemented in my memory. And here are the ten reasons why:
12. Imagine if Pat Monahan—lead singer—was at
a grocery store. I don’t think he would just be left alone to examine his
tomatoes. I think every crazy thirty-something woman would be throwing
themselves at him. Maybe this is his dream grocery trip.
11. David Hasselhoff is in it. I mean, I
know he used to be super big, but now…is this what it’s come to? Believe me, it’s
different, but I like it. His appearance in the video kind of gives it a sense
of “oh, this is going to go viral in a day or two.” Celebrity appearances have
that effect. Not to mention, singing into corn while laughing at the utter
stupidity of it should do it as well.
10. The mariachi band. Want to bump up your
cool status? Get a mariachi band.
9. That butcher. What an awesome guy. They always
look so stiff and unfriendly at my grocery store. Time to switch stores…I mean,
it’d be cool if they’d let me high-five my meat before buying it.
8. The storytelling lyrics acted out. Never
looking at a tanning machine the same way again. J
7. Every time he tells someone what “happened,”
they always look so concerned. That’s cool.
6. That guy with the sign, coupled with Pat’s
facial expressions (The “Rack City B*tch” one was hilarious.)
5. Why doesn’t The Grim Reaper shop in
Iowa?
4. That old guy. Enough said.
3. The crazy ways his girlfriend “died.”
Creative to the max.
2. Pat’s dance moves
1. The kids playing soccer with her “head.”
0. Awkward ending…can’t beat ‘em.
That concludes this week’s post. Hope you
enjoyed it! If you did (or didn’t, it’s okay, I can take it) comment, e-mail me
at thesoundtrackofmylife2012@gmail.com,
or tweet me at twitter.com/tsoml2012
Until next week,
Bella
Bella
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