Wonderful time last night watching music videos. They progressively got better as the night went on, so I thought I would give you a breakdown. And the best part? All of these are free on Comcast for those of you subscribers out there!
- Coldplay ~ Violet Hill
I was definitely a fan of this song upon it’s release, but my affections have waned with the passing of time, and I must say that I am really not much of a fan anymore. This video does manage to capture on film the tumultuous and confused state of the band; the video displays a band and song still undecided whether to take themselves seriously and try to pose as a new, more “aware” and introspective Coldplay or to maintain the fun-loving, goofball image. Sadly, having a video that tries to be the serious, artsy Coldplay and the fun-loving goofy Coldplay serves only to present a befuddled, rather lousy video. If this video is supposed to be about anything, it is lost on me. If it isn’t, then it is just lost. ZING! - Death Cab For Cutie ~ Cath…
Now, DCFC’s latest offering, Narrow Stairs, was not upon first listening a favorite of mine. However, the passing of time and subsequent re-listens have sent this album higher in my ears. While I think the album falls short of 2005’s Plans, I think that any follow-up to such a perfect (to me) record would seem lackluster. The more I listen to Narrow Stairs, the more I love it. It takes me back to the early DCFC days, with tracks like “No Sunlight,” “Cath,” and “Your New Twin Sized Bed” that remind me of the Something About Airplanes and The Photo Album days. The single “Cath…” and its video are essentially DCFC: simple, understated and effective. The guitar hook is signature, the story the song tells is memorable but not try-hard like much of today’s Decemberist-would be’s. The video is very basic with some cool shots of the band sitting in a grass-laden dressing room and while the teeny plot of the video is predictable, it is actually quite refreshingly so. Added bonus is Ben Gibbard looking sweet with long hair and new horn-rims. I give this one 4 little Seans. - Weezer – Pork and Beans
Now, I realize that the latest Weezer has probably left a bad taste in the mouth of most W fans, but I have to say that the video for “Pork and Beans” is perfectly and quintessentially Weezer: the entire video is a hilarious smattering of YouTube “Best Of’s,” all re-shot for the video. Yes, the “Afro Ninja,” and “Numa Numa” dude are in this video! I can’t think of anything dorkier than an entire music video dedicated to stupid, random YouTube clips and characters; therefore I can’t think of anything more perfectly Weezer. Plus Rivers has a stellar mustache. Try and argue with that. - Fleet Foxes ~ White Winter Hymnal
I have to preface by admitting (if you haven’t figured it out by now,) that I am a huge music video fan. I love the combination of the music with visual elements, especially seeing how sometimes the two elements tie with each other to further express a song and sometimes the video presents the song in an entirely new way. I can’t decide exactly which way “White Winter Hymnal” is portrayed in this video, but either way this is both one of the best music videos and animated work I’ve ever seen. The “Hymnal” video uses classic stop-motion (claymation) to present a stunning, beautiful, melancholy visual rendition of an already-wonderful song. If you haven’t heard the band’s brilliant, eponymous debut album, you are missing out on music that is perfect for napping, walking, driving, sleeping, sad, happy, apathy…it is just always good. The video for “Hymnal” creates a gorgeous landscape, made unassuming and somehow grandiose by the use of stop-motion. Especially in this time of CGI addiction, this return-to-simplicity method mirrors the aged, choral sound of Fleet Foxes. I can’t recommend the album and video highly enough.
