Ah, the golden age of music videos: when the “M” in MTV was still a dominant force and people like Axl Rose nonchalantly swam with dolphins in thematically insane three-part epics. Of course, there are still some awesome music videos being released, from lo-fi budget-minded productions to those with a glossy, high profile sheen (Hello, “Telephone”). This batch of the best music videos of the past week falls somewhere in between, from the fuzzy camera work documenting a clearly insane Jamie Lidell and the modern dance routines of These New Puritans to the ambitious Wu-Massacre project. Trust us on this: it’s a good week for music videos when Raekwon the Chef is being framed for murder. After the jump, watch Flavorpill’s other choices for best videos of the week, and let us know which ones we left out.
Raekwon/Ghostface Killah/Method Man – “Our Dreams”
Judging by the abundant Se7en references and cliffhanger ending, this should be the first of many videos to come from the Wu-Massacre album combining Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man. The song switches jarringly between a bubbly Michael Jackson sample and plainspoken patter over tinkling bells indebted to Kanye West’s “We Major,” and the images are equally schizophrenic. Even if the storyline might be incoherent, rest assured you get plenty of exposed flesh, police interrogations, and lots and lots of flowing alcohol.
Jamie Lidell – “The Ring”
This video juxtaposes old Kodak split-screen photography with a seriously freaked-out Jamie Lidell lying on sand, throwing sand, gently caressing sand, and eventually eating sand. The wonky, farting horns and spastic, flailing dance moves make you believe there truly is a “rhythm to his madness,” and the music cuts out at all the right spots to showcase just how soulful and tearing Lidell’s voice can get growling at you from in front of the camera lens.
YACHT – “The Afterlife”
Consider the religious imagery and repetitive depictions of being submerged in water as baptism by dance music. The settings progress from an austere, anonymous creek to a bubbling hot tub, porcelain bathroom, majestic fountain, kiddie pool, and thundering waterfall. You’ll want to put YACHT in charge of planning your next pool party.
A Place To Bury Strangers – “Ego Death”
Fishnet stockings, static-y sunglasses, and an eyeball rapidly mutating between different psychedelic tints all make appearances in this video that burns your retinas and could possibly contain hypnotic subliminal messages that will enslave your mind to the will of shoegaze thrash – in a good way, of course.
These New Puritans – “Attack Music”
Samurai sword slices and tribal drums eventually morph into outright gunshots, mowing down a long list of people running from the invisible threat. Closeups of seriously well-sculpted bodies engaged in a tangled dance alternate with doughy skin jiggling to the beat. The video is all sharp edges, muscles contracting and joints violently gnarled and twisted.