Let's Watch Pitchfork's Top 25 Music Videos: TOGETHER!

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Not to argue about their list (zzzz), but just to watch some videos. 'Cuz I don't watch enough videos.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 14 December 2006 23:44 (seventeen years ago) link

Lily Allen sounds like Nelly Furtado produced by the Streets. And I can't follow the storyline of this video--whether the shots at the beginning imply that the dude who's getting mistreated is a boyfriend she's trying to seek revenge on, or if they are non-linear things that happen AFTER and he's a guy she's trying to get with, so she's having a bunch of people do mean things to him so she can "take pity" on him. Which is a pretty good tactic if you ask me, and makes the video more enjoyable if you watch with that plot in mind.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 14 December 2006 23:49 (seventeen years ago) link

Not that you would give someone you're trying to get into bed with you ExLax... but, y'know, it makes the plan even more devilish and sick, were it true.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 14 December 2006 23:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Also, her facial expression don't match the tone of the song, and I don't think that's intentional.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 14 December 2006 23:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Nothing in the video even touches why we should be glad that she's scratching his records and giving him the shits, but I didn't realize that until like halfway through... which means maybe I'm kind of with Lily in that all guys are jerks?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 14 December 2006 23:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Also, let me say that I wasn't zzz-ing about Pitchfork's list, I was zzz-ing about arguing about it.

Now, on to Arctic Monkeys!

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:03 (seventeen years ago) link

That Rapture video is really great.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:19 (seventeen years ago) link

finally, a beastie boys for OUR generation

― violent j (sandboxhulkington), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:32 (seventeen years ago) link

here's the arctic monkeys video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knx9zcZ-amI

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Arctic Monkeys get semi-famous actors to redo totally trite storyline for their no budget video.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Like since all YouTube-era videos are anymore is an "idea," it's really kind of sad that this is completely devoid of one beyond: What if your weird "save an indie rock girl from herself fantasy" came true?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:44 (seventeen years ago) link

This is like Miranda July without any quirk.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Also weird how both Lily Allen and Arctic Monkeys focused their videos around lovers spats involving someone who's not really interested in the other person.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 00:48 (seventeen years ago) link

the arctic monkey's video fits the song quite well. both shite.

― colin0Hara (colin_o_hara), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, what is up with those dudes? They sound like a bunch of high school seniors who just discovered the Jam or something.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:30 (seventeen years ago) link

OK, who's gonna watch this Basement Jaxx video with me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gij1PytzQNg

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Huh. Is the rest of the album this good?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Why are eastern bloc stereotypes so hot this year?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Beyonce - "Ring The Alarm"

All the creepy mirror shots show geniune paranoia, but the rest just sort of shows Beyonce's legs.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:52 (seventeen years ago) link

No Cornelius or Danielson? Hmm...

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Boards Of Canada - "Dayvan Cowboy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xN3t1fSbnc

Clearly made to show something scenic and beautiful and conceptual, so it's definitely a big minus that it's on a grainy, buffering 3-inch screen next to a windows add and a search box that's beckoning me to look up videos of pugs saying "I love you." The surfers are a little bit too "Beaches And Canyons" this late in the game. And the song sounds like Boom Bip, who I wish put out a record this year.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 01:58 (seventeen years ago) link

i was totally won over on that song by seeing the video on a giant screen in a bar a few weeks ago. videos WORK.

― violent j (sandboxhulkington), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:01 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh, and where's Ciara's "Promise"?!

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:01 (seventeen years ago) link

xxpost i meant basement jaxx

― violent j (sandboxhulkington), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:02 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, I mean despite my snark, the Jaxx is a pretty good-looking video. And it's good to see anything on an indie-label use real choreography. So--so far--it's the only video in this pile to get a thumbs up from me

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:08 (seventeen years ago) link

Cat Power - "Lived In Bars"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNQ7fSMW3Q8

Metropolitan indie chick slums it with the locals! And they are all drawn into her song! Real (hypothetically bar-going) overweight people and black people dancing like in the aisle of "Been Caught Stealing" but without the irony! Kind of icky.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:10 (seventeen years ago) link

she still gives me the funny feelings though

― violent j (sandboxhulkington), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:12 (seventeen years ago) link

haha i really did watch a bunch of these before i left work tonight. i blame you weingarten.

― violent j (sandboxhulkington), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:13 (seventeen years ago) link

the rapture video would have been leagues better without the schoolhouse rock bits.

b jaxx needs more dancing bears.

― violent j (sandboxhulkington), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Name me a video that doesn't need more dancing bears.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Concretes - "Chosen One"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq4SsH5375E

Kind of a $1000 Gondry job that reminds me too much of that printer commercial with the guy who looks like RJD2 in it. Not an incredibly original idea, but this type of stuff always FEELS like an original idea, so that's fine. Looks really nice, but I can't help but think it would move a little faster if it had a bigger budget (not their fault). Totally cute and engaging and, y'know, what if we WERE just all a speck on a giant's toenail?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:20 (seventeen years ago) link

I like doing stream-of-conscious reviews that have to be over before the song is done. I think Kogan and Eddy do them in the comments section of my site, and I wish more people would.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:21 (seventeen years ago) link

re:davyan cowboy--i got too stoned a few weeks ago and watched it like six times in a row, and then woke up my roommate to tell him how powerful it was--humanity! limits! return! birth! life!--and he got pretty mad. i still maintain its my favorite piece of art all year.

― max (maxreax), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:24 (seventeen years ago) link

oops...just saw the 'no arguing' part...but because i brought them up, Danielson ("Did I Step On Your Trumpet?"), Cornelius ("Fit Song"), Ciara ("Promise")

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:24 (seventeen years ago) link

CSS - "Alala"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cnOvMFnRvs

I'm a big fan of Cat Solen's stuff because she has tons of fun ideas that don't really cost a whole shitload (see that Bright Eyes video on the plane or that Cake video with the chalk). Is that the sound from Kraftwerk's "Pocket Calculator" in the pre-verse? That probably wasn't cheap. What's with all the bands fighting each other? Like between the Magik Markers and this? You would have never seen Aerosmith kicking the shit out of each other (as a joke at least). Less money = more frustrations = fantasizing about killing your friends, I guess. Also the non-sequitor shot of the cat is funnier than anything I've ever seen on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, so thumbs up.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Max, did you watch it on a YouTube though? It's hard for me to be sucked into a piece of art when it's glitching out on me. I'm real obsessive and easily distracted, I guess.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:33 (seventeen years ago) link

Daft Punk - "Prime Time Of Your Life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSETFWuZM-g

Browbeating AND a bummer? Ooh, can I buy your record?

Finally the mix of Tom Petty's "Jammin' Me" and Robbie Williams' "Rock DJ" we've been waiting for.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij5CXOb1WE8

This not only SOUNDS like Aimee Mann's "Save Me", but the video even looks and feels like "Save Me"'s Paul Thomas Anderson-directed clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2tc4jR9dws
They both sort of dwell on suburban alienation (lost in supermarket vs. lost in local bar/cop car/game show--actually it's kind of shocking there's not a supermarket scene), with one solitary female delivering a message of hope/hopelessness with a droll stare. The message in "Save Me" is "At least we're not alone in feeling alone," and Haines says, "Yeah, but your still fucking alone." Moving, sure the song is gorgeous and the slow-mo is hypnotic, but it feels like a prequel, not an improvement.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 15 December 2006 02:49 (seventeen years ago) link

I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THAT TREADMILL VIDEO THANKS FOR CALLING

― editio princeps (pato.g27), Friday, 15 December 2006 03:42 (seventeen years ago) link

I think if I saw that Daft Punk video at age 10 I would be getting maybe four hours of sleep a night to this day.

― nathan explosion (natepatrin), Friday, 15 December 2006 04:38 (seventeen years ago) link

The Basement Jaxx one & "My Love" are my favorite videos of 2006.

― Rodney and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay (Rodney J. Greene), Friday, 15 December 2006 04:41 (seventeen years ago) link

And Jess totally beat me to the Rapture-as-Beasties thing; all they need is a fisheye lens and they're doing "Shake Your Rump"

― nathan explosion (natepatrin), Friday, 15 December 2006 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link

xpost no i had an mp4 of it from somewhere. but its sposed to be grainy--its found/stock footage of a parachute jump from the upper atmosphere. totally cool story.

― max (maxreax), Friday, 15 December 2006 05:03 (seventeen years ago) link

i love the cat power video. i'm not a huge fan of hers but i really like watching her. "cross bones style" is one of my favourite videos.

― colin0Hara (colin_o_hara), Friday, 15 December 2006 12:00 (seventeen years ago) link

am I the only one really disappointed by that Scott Walker video? I think his music provides some awesome opportunities for matching visuals, so to make a video with 6 minutes of abstract colorful kaleidoscope patterns = boring, disappointing.

― hm (modestmickey), Friday, 15 December 2006 16:07 (seventeen years ago) link

Supermarket videos got overused around 1996, I think, and still haven't entirely bounced back. (Also Thom Yorke has stopped sitting in shopping carts and wearing racing stripes, as in the now-somehow-weird-and-funny "Fake Plastic Trees" video.)

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 15 December 2006 18:39 (seventeen years ago) link

and yeah, that Cat Power video is great!

― hm (modestmickey), Friday, 15 December 2006 19:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Daft Punk is vid of the year.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Saturday, 16 December 2006 05:41 (seventeen years ago) link

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