Monday Morning Music Videos

There’s no better way to start off a week, my mother used to say, than with some lifelike dismembered limbs contrasted starkly against crude computer animation. That, and a hearty stack of pancakes. Mmmm…pancakes. The video is for Xiu Xiu’s “Muppetface” (mov), and it’s easily one of the most memorable I’ve seen this year. It’s just this side of explicitly anti-war, but artfully so, like David O. Russell’s Three Kings. It drapes itself in that same sort of obviously dated stylistic references (15-year old looking video-game technology), but manages to squeeze in some poignantly disturbing messages about the nature of long-distance battle. I’ve never been a fan of Jamie Stewart’s dissonant music, but I can’t say I don’t like this video, which I feel works perfectly with the song.

Fresh from his hott #2 ranking on Dodge’s year-end best-of list, blog-tastic singer/songwriter Jose Gonzales offers up the first video from his new project Junip, for the song “Black Refuge” (mov). I got word for this from Robot Blair, who never manages to astound me with his appreciation of all manner of music that I happen to dig. This is a fantastic video, perfectly complementing the song’s barely contained darkness with interesting superimpositions, z-axis movement toward the viewer, and, of course, that rich bi-chromatic presentation. A little smoky ambience doesn’t hurt, either.

Next, fresh from their equally hott (and somewhat surprising) #2 ranking on Gorilla vs Bear’s year-end list, Sigur Ros’ adorable video for “Hoppipolla” (wmv stream). The album is a nice step toward mass acceptance from (), and the video is surprisingly accessible as well, in a less mawkish Waking Ned Devine sort of way.

Finally, I’d be disappointed in myself if I didn’t make mention of the video that most of you no doubt have seen already–for Kanye West’s “Heard ‘Em Say” (wmv stream). A quick recap–this video was released in lieu of a much more involved one from marathonpacks Hall of Fame inductee Michel Gondry. I’m thinking that there’s one reason for this–post-production is going way over on the Gondry piece, and this Bill Plympton vehicle was released as a hold-over to keep Kanye on the lists of holiday shoppers. Needless to say, this is far from Plympton’s best work–pretty disappointing, really, considering his stellar resume, including that “Your Face” piece that used to air between videos (!) on MTV.

Filed under: Bill Plympton  Jose Gonzales  Junip  Kanye West  Michel Gondry  music video  Sigur Ros  Xiu Xiu