To tell you the truth, I’ve never really been a big fan of music videos, especially lately. I feel like in recent years, most videos have absolutely nothing to do with the song material associated with it. Sometimes that’s very disappointing, but at other times it can be surprisingly effective and exciting. This year was no exception to the latter part of that rule.
So here are some of my favorite videos of the year. I’m not going to go in any particular order, but these are the videos that most entertained/captivated me.
Battles – “My Machines (feat. Gary Numan)”
Battles already put out one of the most enjoyable albums of the year with Gloss Drop, a record filled with plenty of fun beats and melodic moments. “My Machines” was easily one of my favorite tracks off the album, especially with the addition of Gary Numan’s vocals. The video for the track matches the spastic and absurd energy of the band, coupling the intricate drum work with shots of a distraught shopper wrestling with some escalators that just won’t let go.
Check it out below!
tUnE-yArDs – “Bizness”
One of my favorite artists of this year, Merril Garbus really brought a brash and exciting sound to alternative music with W H O K I L L. “Bizness” was the first track and video I got to witness from this new talent, and it was more than enough to intrigue me. Another bizarre video, this one has children with face paint that later in the video become adults in a sort of tribe. It’s very weird, but it makes for a cool watch.
St. Vincent – “Cruel”
Easily a new favorite of mine, St. Vincent’s Strange Mercy was another nice surprise this year. “Cruel” is one of many great tracks on that album, and the video matches up well with the dark, vicious feel and text of the song.
Slow Club – “Two Cousins”
Liked this vid as well. Simple, with loads of dancing. Matches really well with track too! Wish I had more to say about this haha. On a similar note with our next video…
The Black Keys – “Lonely Boy”
This video (whether or not if it is the official one for the track) features the same concept of someone dancing to the track, except not as choreographed/scripted as “Two Cousins”. Still fun to watch though!
Canon Blue – “Bows and Arrows (Vegas)”
Another nice surprise from this year was Canon Blue, with their effort Rumspringa. “Bows and Arrows” was one of my favorite tracks of the album, and the video is a nice complement to the song. Plus, doesn’t that lady right at the beginning look sort of like Beyonce? Haha.
The Dodos – “Companions”
This was a very dark video, but nonetheless included a track from one of my favorite artists of this year. Great stuff.
Manchester Orchestra – “Simple Math”
Manchester Orchestra is a group that really knows how to channel the basic drive of alternative rock today. With Simple Math, they made an album that is a testament to rock music. While I didn’t enjoy the entire effort, “Simple Math” itself was one of the better tracks of the disc. The video isn’t incredible, and is sometimes cheesy. However, it does match up to the song somewhat well, which is always good.
Los Campesinos! – “Hello Sadness”
This was a very disturbing video to one of my favorite tracks of the year. It shows the band being tortured by different people in various ways.
M83 – “Midnight City”
One of my favorite tracks of the year, the video for “Midnight City” has some great visual effects and is a cool juxtaposition to the already effusive track.
Girls – “Honey Bunny”
Another fun one. I especially find Christopher Owens’ over-acting in the video really entertaining, as he struts down the street, showing off and chasing after different girls.
TV on the Radio – “Nine Types of Light”
As much as a visual/aural mess Nine Types of Light was, I still enjoyed the whole thing. It’s even the exciting moments like “No Future Shock” and “Caffeinated Consciousness”, that don’t exactly fit with the rest of the disc that are a lot of fun. The music video equivalents don’t disappoint, though “Caffeinated Consciousness” is a little strange. And the zombie apocalypse blast that is “Forgotten” is cool to watch as well. Favorite segments: “No Future Shock”, “Will Do”, “Repetition”, “Forgotten”
Real Estate – “It’s Real”
Another sort of strange yet entertaining watch, the video for “It’s Real” shows the band hanging out in different places, with plenty of dogs. Fun stuff.
Mother Mother – “The Stand”
More fun stuff.
Cults – “Abducted”
My favorite track off of Cults, the video for “Abducted” shows us some interesting visuals mixing the band with different scenery. One of the coolest shots shows the lead singer opening her mouth and a road being there. I especially enjoy the “twist” at the end.
A Buzz in My Ears 