Sex, News & Violins 12.29.07
Posted by Jamie Buttineau on 12.29.2007
The best music videos of 2007 in all their Youtubey glory! Come in and know these videos better man!
Ah the holidays, where the news dries up and we have to resort to posting tidbits about James Blunts planting trees. Damn Santa, making it hard for us news report folk to write up columns. So desperate times call for desperate measures and thus I present to you:
The Sex, News & Violins Super Awesome Greatest Videos Ever Made Of 2007 Spectacular Extravaganza!
Let's, get it on!
First, some honourable mentions:
Bats For Lashes, "What's A Girl To Do?"
From the album Fur And Gold, 2007
Probably one of the best reasons not to go bike riding in the middle of the night. You end up being stalked by creepy BMXers wearing assorted animal masks. Also, you may end up running into weird people standing out in the woods holding balloons, which seems so unwholesome. Also, why doesn't that girl have any visors or lights or anything? That's an accident waiting to happen!
Justice, "D.A.N.C.E."
From the album Cross, 2007
Well the album isn't called cross necessarily, but they made the friggin' title the sign of a cross and I'm not computer savvy enough to figure out how to make that thing. Damned kids and their conceptual titles. This video is something I can get behind since I love French electro music and I love wacky t-shirts. And a video filled to the brim with the goodness of both can only lead to most excellent things. Speaking of Justice…
Justice, "D.A.N.C.E."
Live on Jimmy Kimmel Live, October 9, 2007
Now this is actually even more awesome than that video. Justice managed to find an inventive way to get around the problem of Justice doing a live performance. It's kind of hard for two DJs to make their live performance on TV seem all that interesting, so instead they got Michael Jackson, Prince, Rick James, Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart rocking out to the sounds of Justice. Those French, they're crafty.
LCD Soundsystem, "All My Friends"
From the album Sound Of Silver, 2007
I don't know why this video works so well but it does for some reason. There's something quaint and elegant about it. It just focuses on James Murphy's face as he sings about missing his friends. But for some reason it doesn't come off as contrived, which is a testament to Murphy's emotive skills. Also, the weird KISS meets Of Montreal meets David Bowie facepaint job he's got going helps too.
LCD Soundsystem, "North American Scum"
Live on Later With Jools Holland
I also really enjoyed this performance from these guys. Probably because they sped up the song by a few steps and James Murphy just wails out the lyrics, so the intensity is amped up considerably. It almost becomes garage rock. The original version the song is done is awesome alone, but hearing this version makes me wish they recorded it like this.
Battles, "Atlas"
From the album Mirrored, 2007
Just think, somewhere out there in space Battles are playing inside of some kind of glass pod. Listening to the music the idea isn't that far fetched really. I still say that this sounds like some kind of demonic, drugged out, psychedelic interpretation of Snow White & The Seven Dwarves.
The Go! Team, "Grip Like A Vice"
From the album Proof Of Youth, 2007
You know it's awesome, it's The Go! Team. If a song by The mutherfuckin' Go! Team doesn't make you want to get the hell up and rock the fuck out then I'm afraid there may be hope for you my friend. No hope at all.
The Go! Team, "Keys To The City"
Speaking of rocking the fuck out, if they sound this good live than I gotta see them. Man, they just don't stop kicking ass.
The Arcade Fire, "Neon Bible"
From the album Neon Bible, 2007
When Arcade Fire made an announcement that they were coming up with something cool in a cryptic and mysterious way many people thought they were following Radiohead's lead and releasing some new material onto the interwebs. Then it turned out to be a music video where you play with Win Butler's hands….*Cough*. Still, the video is a pretty cool piece of work, even if the interactivity is just Win's hands lifting up and revealing a ball. Try it out for yourself here.
Gogol Bordello, "Wanderlust King"
From the album Super Taranta!, 2007
Ya know call me crazy, but I think the lead singer of Gogol Bordello would make an awesome children's show host. I dunno, every kid show these days are so watered down and milquetoast that it's enough to make you sick. We need another Hey Vern! or Pee Wee's Playhouse, and this guy could totally do that.
Bjork, "Earth Intruders"
From the album Volta, 2007
Oh Bjork, you crazy Icelandic insane-o-nut. I really don't have to say much, if you're at all familiar with Bjork then you know this video is just gonna be weirdness piled on top of more weirdness. And that is why it is oh so great.
Dan Deacon, "Crystal Cat"
From the album Spiderman Of The Rings, 2007
Speaking of weirdness piled on top of more weirdness, this is weirdness piled on top of even more weirdness piled on top of a whole heaping assload of insanity. Heed my warning, DO NOT EVER TAKE DRUGS WHILE WATCHING THIS!! I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that this video would probably break your brain under any mind altering substances. Hell, this video will probably break your brain no matter what. It's just, odd.
Jens Lekman, "A Little Lost"
Live from what appears to be some vacant arena with yellow chairs.
Jens Lekman seems to enjoy performing in bizarre or unexpected venues. He's known for giving random performances in parking lots and on the streets and elsewhere. Here he's sitting in some empty venue playing on some pleasant instrument that looks like a children's toy but it's probably got some fancy technical name. Either way it's exactly what you'd hope to get from Mr. Lekman, a pleasant tune about unrequited love filled with wonder and whimsy.
Jay-Z, "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)"
From the album American Gangster, 2007
Jay-Z is one of the true masters of hip hop, and I'm glad to see him back on his A-game after the disappointing Kingdom Come. This video seems to be somewhat autobiographical as it talks about his teenage friends who formed a crew and called themselves "The Roc Boys". It also flashes forward to the rich ass, high class Jay-Z we know today hanging out with Mariah Carey, Nas, Diddy and other famous hip hop bourgeoisie. Damn, all that and he gets to nail Beyonce every night. Lucky sum bitch.
The Wrong Trousers, "Video Killed The Radio Star"
Ah, watching band geeks play on their geeky instruments and doing an awesome yet geeky cover of "Video Killed The Radio Star". Is there anything better in life?
And now, my top ten favorite videos of 2007.
At Number 10:
Modest Mouse, "Dashboard"
From the album We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, 2007
Isaac Brock looks way too comfortable here as an old sea captain. But I guess I could see Isaac Brock as an old, grumpy sailor man, going to random taverns and telling random stories while drinking heavily. I can even see him with the hook hand too. Granted he'd actually have to live to old age of course.
Number 9:
The Shins, "Phantom Limb"
From the album Wincing The Night Away, 2007
Man, The Shins really know how to put on a school play. Seriously the budget for this thing must have been huge. In my school they'd give us a used wedding dress, a few assorted 2x4's, a table and a cowboy hat and say "entertain us!" Plus there's nothing more adorable than watching children violently murder each other. Awwww.
Number 8:
Feist, "My Moon My Man"
From the album The Reminder, 2007
Chances are if it's Feist and there's some kind of complicated dancing in it that it'll probably kick serious ass. Feist seems to somehow make walking in an airport seem exciting and sexy. I wish all commuters broke out into spontaneous dance, then all I'd need is singing chipmunks and my life would be complete.
Number 7:
Robyn, "Konichiwa Bitches"
From the album Robyn, 2005
This was released all the way back in 2005 and yet this badass video only showed up this year. It's fun of Looney Tunes-esque buffoonery and costumes galore. Robyn is quite possibly one of the wackiest cats I've ever seen, and her accent adds another layer of weirdness to it all. Awesomeness.
Number 6:
Beirut, "Elephant Gun"
From the album Lon Gisland EP, 2006
I have no idea what magnificent drugs these people are on but I think I may want to partake. This is just an absolutely fun and gorgeous video, lots of dancing and weird writhing about, along with a lead singer with a detachable moustache. My roommate introduced me to Beirut and I'm glad he as they have a wonderful sound. The elephant trunk hasn't been this cool since Death From Above 1979 broke up.
Number 5:
Escort, "All Through The Night"
You wanna know how awesome The Muppet Show was? It was so awesome that they managed to piece a video of disco awesomeness just from clips of the show. Parts of this song synch up so well that it makes me think that this show was retroactively made just for this song.
Number 4:
Kwoon, "I Lived On The Moon"
From the album Tales and Dreams
I haven't heard anything else from Kwoon, hell I barely know who Kwoon are. But I do know that this video is amazing, absolutely amazing and one of the best videos of 2007 by far. It's an animated video from some French people and the world they've created around this song is breath taking. Flying manta rays, talking purple plants, three tailed monkeys, roly-poly orphans and evil elf pirates who live in the clouds. This is an absolute must see video, check it out.
Number 3:
Daft Punk, "One More Time/Aerodynamic"
Live from the Wireless Festival in London, 06/16/07
Come on, how could you have not seen this clip? This is one of the greatest live clips I've ever seen. If you told me two DJs dressed in robot costumes playing electronic music would be one of the greatest live acts in recorded music history I probably would have looked at you quite oddly. But everything clicks here, from the crowd who are completely into the performance to the mash up of two great Daft Punk to the amazing light show beaming off of their pyramid of awesomeness. Perhaps one of the greatest live clips of all time. Fantastic.
And ya know what, I can't make my mind up about which video I like more, I just love both of these way too much to choose one. So I hereby declare a two way tie for first!
At Number 1:
Kanye West, "Can't Tell Me Nothin'"
From the album Graduation, 2007
Kanye West's music? Great. Zach Galifianakis? Great. The both of them put together? Fan-fucking-tastic. Seriously, there is perhaps nothing greater on this Earth that I have seen (with the exception of our number one video here of course) that I could deem greater than watching Zach Galifianakis lip synch to the words of Kanye West. It's just so incredibly random that there's no way I couldn't declare it one of the greatest things ever. But it's the little things that help this. Like the beginning with Zach gearing up a chainsaw with the word "turd" inexplicably plastered on his forehead. Or the fact that for some reason William "Prince" Oldham is along with him the whole time. Or the fact that halfway through Zach and Oldham are dressed like hip hop pimps from the 80's for no reason at all. Or the fact that Zach manages to drive a tractor like a gangsta. Or the fact that there are clog dancers in this video for some bizarre reason. There's so much to love about this video that it would waste too much energy to describe it's greatness. Go, watch it, watch it now I say!
And also at Number 1:
Feist, "1234"
From the album The Reminder, 2007
I'm sorry but it's just too close to call between this one and Kanye's Galifianakis opus. This video most likely required such an insane amount of choreography and rehearsal to get this down pat. I mean this is one continuous shot of dancing, not one cut away or anything. It's crazy when you think of it. Plus the song itself adds such a sense of whimsy and joy it's impossible not to be enraptured by this video. I've adored it from day one and have found myself having trouble loving any other video. If it wasn't for Kanye this would have been a clean sweep but unfortunately I have to declare a tie as both videos are too awesome to declare one better than the other. Watch this one and find yourself finding in love with Leslie Feist. It's not an uncommon occurance, it's just what happens.
IT'S OVER
And that is it for 2007. I shall return next year and begin my countdown for the Top 50 Albums of 2007! Yes, I can feel the excitement, it is palpable. Until then, Happy New Years and a Merry January 3rd.
