If There Was a Me For You: More Music Videos

Posted by Jesse November 12th, 2008 at 09:45am In General MTV Music Videos The Funk

Continuing our weeklong salute to the even-more-lost art of the music video (check you never, TRL), here are my top five. I don’t know if these are really my five absolute favorites — I tried to work myself into a nostalgic reverie over the videos I remember from high school, but all I could picture were Oasis videos, which were rarely very good, and Aphex Twin videos, which were rarely not terrifying — but these are what feels right at the moment. Also, I already posted Blur’s “Coffee and TV” a week or two ago to celebrate MTV having a website that makes it easy to embed the “Coffee and TV” video (and, secondarily, other videos), so consider these my five favorites besides that one.

5. Fatboy Slim, “Weapon of Choice”

I have to include a Spike Jonze video, and this one gets bonus points for being so much better than the actual song. It also perfectly encapsulates the Jonze style of taking (or coming up with) a deceptively simple premise and running with it for the perfect length of time. Other strokes of his brilliance: “It’s Oh So Quiet,” “Buddy Holly,” “Praise You,” Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation.

4. Rilo Kiley, “Silver Lining”

I can’t say this is a video I’ve watched over and over, junior-year-of-high-school-style. But I love it because I love any music video that perpetuates my own ideas about what a band I love is like, especially in a heart-wrenching style (put another way: yes, someone gets left at the altar). Plus, Jenny Lewis is aesthetically pleasing.

3. The Mountain Goats, “Sax Rohmer #1″

I’m a sucker for a good video gimmick, and this one is made to look like it was done all in one take — and then piles an even better gimmick on top of that, to go along with John Darnielle’s trademark facility with words.

2. The White Stripes, “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”

There are a lot of awesome White Stripes videos, there are a lot of awesome Michel Gondry videos, and there are a fair amount of awesome White Stripes videos directed by Michel Gondry. But this one is my favorite

1. They Might Be Giants, “Ana Ng”

I can’t front: this is one of my favorite things ever, chockablock with strange, memorable imagery, lyrics that scroll by almost too quickly to read, and a handy dance. Most of TMBG’s recent music videos have been animated; this makes me miss the days of their in-person appearances.