Another week, like last week, when people had other things going on and weren’t cranking out music videos with the consistently that they might otherwise. It makes sense. After watching the grand drama of the election, the states falling blue one-by-one, the schadenfreud-rich concession speeches, the immediate right-wing identity crisis playing out on TV in real time, the final triumphant speech — well, somebody’s computer-made psychedelic collage was just not all that compelling. But we still got some good videos this week, and five of them are below.
5. Lil Debbie – “Michelle Obama” (Feat. Riff Raff) (Dir. Maxwell Albert)
America!
4. Amanda Palmer – “Do It With A Rock Star” (Dir. Wayne Coyne, Amanda Palmer, George Salisbury & Michael McQuilken) (NSFW)
There’s always plenty of reason to be annoyed with online-argument flashpoint Amanda Palmer, but credit where it’s due: Her self-conscious rock-orgy bacchanal silliness is a whole lot of fun for seven minutes. Do you think Stoya showed up for more than a high-five and a hug?
3. Line & Circle – “Roman Ruins” (Dir. Jordan Satmary)
I will never regret having kids, but I do miss the living hell out of dizzy last-minute road-trips with my friends, and this particular video does a nice job illustrating how hard those rule.
2. Kool A.D. – “Manny Pacquiao” (Dir. Piranha Brothers)
If you’ve ever been to a music video shoot, you know how criminally boring they are. At every budget level, video shoots make for long, long stretches of sitting around and waiting for stuff to happen, interspersed with brief bursts of stressful action. They suck, basically. But I wish I could’ve been at this video; it actually looks like a fun place to be, for once.
1. Lushlife – “Magnolia” (Dir. Lamar+Nik)
A simple and sharp conceit, executed with grace and style, that leaves me liking the song more than I already did. That’s really all you can ask a music video to be.
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Man, It was a slow week.
What is up with these Oklahoma cameos?! That Lushlife video has him walking through Guestroom Records in Norman. I buy records there sometimes!
Shame on you, Stereogum, for not including Scott Walker’s Epizootics video. Easily better than any of these (mostly uninteresting) videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ih7KzKLLWA
Hallelujah
No way man. I support Wisconsin public-worker unions.
Holy Hell! I can’t tell if I like the song or the video more. Either way this should’ve definitely been on the list instead of “Michelle Obama”
For someone who has really only let “The Drift” scare the shit out of me, “Epizootics!” comes as a surprise. Scott Walker comes off as playful. I just got super pumped for “Bish Bosch” just from that video.
Thank You Ikart!!
Really very glad glad I saw this.
The new DeLeon video is suuuper beautiful. I recommend it if you like Mexican countrysides and epic journey videos. http://youtu.be/ngAU9xykXcU
Line and Circle’s “Roman Ruins” is amazing. You know the feeling when a song grabs you, and sings to you on a visceral level: you sing the song to yourself all day long, and the melody, the beat, haunts you…This is a beautiful song; I can’t stop singing it; this is a band that deserves wondrerful praise and our dancing, lip-biting devotion. Share this song, please–everyone needs to hear it…