Day & Age dropped this week, and to further promote not only a great band (The Killers) but a great album as well, Visually Delicious this time around is going to be devoted in its entirety to The Killers. Enjoy, and buy their g-ddamned album.
The Killers -- Smile Like You Mean It
To kick things off, a throwback to Hot Fuss, the album that started it all. I didn't pull out the 2002 favourite, "Somebody Told Me" in order to introduce some of you's to one of the lesser-known singles off of Hot Fuss. The video is a bit dark, making the lyrics a scoche more depressing, the fact that Mr. Flowers and the rest of the band are wandering around as ghosties doesn't cheer things up either. Still interesting.
The Killers -- For Reasons Unknown
The 4th single off their sophmore effort, Sam's Town, and my favourite track of the aforementioned album, "For Reasons Unknown" has the boys prancing around the desert on ponies, and stopping occasionally to perform. Okay, I made it sound way lame, when it really isn't. Just watch the damn video.
The Killers -- Tranquilize (feat. Lou Reed)
Collaboration with G-d-among-men Lou Reed, "Tranquilize" is an amazing track. The twangish guitar in the beginning and the western sound carried throughout it is perfect. The video is probably their darkest with seances and other spooky stuff. So much love for Mr. Reed.
The Killers -- Don't Shoot Me Santa
By far my favourite Killers video for the sheer hilarity of it. Watch it and you will not be disappointed.
The Killers -- Human
Of course this post wouldn't be complete without this song. The video I posted isn't of the highest quality compliments of all the good quality ones having embedding disabled. The Killers return to one of their favourite video past times: performing in the desert. You'd think it would get boring after awhile, but with Brandon Flowers image re-vamps it keeps people on their toes.Though I must say, I am sad to see the 'stache gone. Also, pardon the other video after it. It just comes with the embedding-disabled-territory.
Since 1) I am horribly one-track minded when it comes to things, and 2) because Michael Jackson has made some of the most innovative (as well as interesting) music videos, this edition will be dedicated in its entirety to the King of Pop.
Circa 1979, Jackson is is 21, wearing a sequined top and striped pants standing against a black background with pretty lights flashing. It's amazing that a little over 25 after this video was made, he's be shelling out a cool 7 million dollars to make "Scream."
"...she's just a girl who thinks that I am the one." Sorry, I can not help myself when I hear this song. The beat is great and Jackson's vocals are superb. The split screens are cool (doubling and tripling your pleasure), and I wish the ground lit up when I walked. He was gorgeous back in the day and this video is definitely a testament to that.
Directed by Martin Scorcese, shot in four days in the Big Apple, and clocking in at nearly twenty minutes, "Bad" is more accurately classified as a short film than a music video. MJ plays Daryl, a City youth who returns home after a term away at a private school. Hooligan-turned-schoolboy Daryl has to prove to his hooligan friends how down he is without having to resort to violence. Naturally, a lot of dancing (coupled with a costume change) ensues to prove just how bad he is.
"Dirty Diana" is one of my top five Jackson tracks. His voice paired with thrashing guitar is a gasm and a half to my ears. The video is definitely one of his most minimalist, with just him performing--no story, no interpretive dancing or crazy moves. A few cuts to the silhouette of a curvy woman and that's it.
An awesome song shittily covered by some forgettable alt-rock band with a shitty name of the early 2000's. This is the Moonwalker version, meaning it has the extra lyrics that were omitted in the album version of "Smooth Criminal." Strange interpretive dancing all the way! Also? I would fucking kill to know how to do the fucking lean.
Presented here in its full 11 minute glory. When I was little, the mornings in my home were musical, my sister would put MTV on in the living room (the hubub of activity) as everyone bustled about getting ready for school and I remember busting out of my room in nothing but my underwear to sing and dance when "Black or White" came on. The video was unreal and I just could not get enough of the song--much to the chagrin of my Michael-Jackson-loathing brothers. I was six and thought Michael Jackson was the bee's knees--still do.
Definitely Jackson's most playful video, and perhaps his most critically acclaimed. Cartoonish and reminiscent of the early MTV spots. It's hard not to like this video and definitely takes more than one watch to really absorb some of the images.
This video makes me want to pinch his cheeks and give him a hug. Between him sitting in the forest with children flying above him in ships, the video screams Peter Pan. A song that, surprisingly, didn't garner much attention with lyrics like: People say I'm not okay 'Cause I love such elementary things It's been my fate to compensate, for the Childhood I've never known... He addresses why his interest in children and other "elementary things" is so grand, and no one notices. Nice.
The last music video released by Mr. Jackson off his last release, Invincible, co-stars Marlon Brando, Michael Madsen, and Chris Tucker. This video has a longer version HERE which I highly recommend you watch. The man is pushing fifty but moves like he's twenty. Pushing the weird plastic surgery aside--any man who can move like that can rock my world any time. "I don't know man, I think we should just beat it."
I know some of you may be feeling a bit mutinous in my not including "Thriller," but come on, who hasn't seen "Thriller"?
Expect a full-on Michael Jackson post Monday or Tuesday.
I just can not help myself. I'm sorry. My Mac addiction is at an all-time high and you guys are getting the brunt of it. One good thing about the Mac? Their videos are always an artsy acid trip. From Seven Wonders to Everywhere (can't get away from that song) to Hold Me--all cinematatic endeavours reminding you of just how hip and non-conformist the Mac are.
Britney in anime--surely you jest? No. I can’t. It happened and here’s the proof. “Break the Ice” the new single off Blackout, provides the background noise in this interesting mini animated feature. I am a bit speechless actually. Maybe it’s because I’m over-tired and my brain is still trying to process that nonsense. The end leaves us with a cliffhanger--to be contined...
We are not boys. We are men. To prove it, we’ll ditch the our roles and our tunnel of love and sing about heartbreak in the desert. Because then? Then we can fall on our knees in the sand repeatedly, because THAT’s how men do it.They just fall--BAM! just like that. No bubble guns, so silly finger wagging, no classic ’90s hairstyles. We grown, yo.
Speaking of grown men singing in boy bands attempting to produce artsy themed music videos...I actually had to dig out my way old cd for this song, as I could not find it on the internet. I remember when the video came out and they were on TRL and when Carson Daly asked what the video was about, they tried to assign it some deep meaning. The girl was crying because love hurts as does getting hit in the face and love and a person’s face are things that don’t need to get bruised.
I was addicted to these ladies like you wouldn't believe. While I did love me some Spice Girls, I just never got into them as much as I got into B*Witched. Maybe it was because they were Irish, maybe because their songs were addicting, or maybe because the cover of their first album was orange--who knows. When I broke my cassette from overusing it, I immediately set out and bought it on CD. I bought all of their singles--hell, I even had a t-shirt.
I like how instead of me discussing the music videos, this has just evolved into me rambling on about the song or the artist. Nice. Also? This was totally started on Saturday. Totally.
The single dropped last month, this month we have a video. Guest-starring J. Timb as the City Vibin' host, the video has the Gnarls duo as performers on a music show--think American Bandstand in the '80s. At the 2:20 mark, the acid you forgot to drop kicks in as the visual effects pick up. Good watch, making me all the more anxious for their sophmore release, The Odd Couple, to drop next month.
Speaking of waiting for new releases, Erykah Badu dropped Part One of her New Emerykah releases, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) on February 26th. "Honey" is the first single offf the album. The video is brilliant in my opinion. Having Ms. Badu recreate the covers of several classic albums, as well as the Yoko One and John Lennon Rolling Stones cover. Unique, fresh--one would expect nothing less from her.
To keep the videos connected, I'm throwing up one from Badu's babydaddy, Andre 3000. The tune is Big Boi based, so 3000 doesn't even appear in the video, but can be heard throughout the chorus.
Since homegirl is tired and still has to go to work, this week's installment is going to fall two videos (as well as tracks) short. Don't worry though, I'll catch you on the flipside.
Every time I think about this song, the first thing that pops in my head is Puffy's performance from the '97 MTV VMAs. Between the choir and the fact that Sting actually came onstage and performed with him, made that performance pretty unforgettable. Being only a few months after Biggie's passing, emotions were still high and by the end of the performance the entire audience was on their feet. It was one of those "wow" moments. I wonder if there's a video...
Mark Ronson is gorg*, so naturally any video in which he appears multiple times in a single frame is made of Win by default. Seriously, with his looks aside, this video is still pretty rad. Originally I was going to post the video for Valerie but then realised that Mr. Ronson had just dropped Just as the fourth single off Version. Also, the fact that Ronson's video is a throwback to the Radiohead original helps this video score points as it demonstrates that he's keepin' it real, yo.
I easily could have posted the dope fucking video for D.A.N.C.E., but this video is not without it's charms. When I first saw the video, I thought it a bit reminiscent of Daft Punk's Prime Time of Your Life video--visually if nothing else. But upon a second watch, I think any correlation between the two videos is that they were both made by french electro-house duos. A solid video definitely worth five minutes of your life.
Out of left field, huh? Keeping you on your toes is all. Pretty much a visual orgy of sex, drugs, and sadomasochism. There's no question in my mind as to why this video is considered controversial--between the graphic sex scenes, drug use, and naked Mr. Manson--any kid watching it would not grow up to be alright.** I'm not even sure what to say about this video. Yeah. If you're squeamish about blood, this video definitely is not for you.
*gorg is slang for gorgeous. **my sad attempt at The Who humour.
I remember when this video first came out--VH1 and MTV went crazy for it. Luckily for me, both stations played it in the AM, making Virtual Insanity my morning jam for the '96 -- '97 school year a.k.a. the sixth grade. I remember the arguments that grew from how the fuck they did the special effects. "He's just that good of a dancer, man." "No, bro, it's a lame camera trick." "No, the floor moved." "The walls did, buttface." "Shut the Hell up, Jay Kay is magic."
Interesting tidbit: won "Breakthrough Video" as well as "Best Video of the Year" at the '97 MTV Video Music Awards. For the record: it's the walls that move.
I've grown to love Mika in the last couple of months, and it wasn't on account of the song Love Today--which I can not stand--but on account of this song, actually. A housemate was given Mika's album for Christmas and Lollipop played while driving around one blustery afternoon, and I was hooked. It's so g-ddamned catchy! He's like Freddy Mercury meets George Michael meets the Spice Girls and I absolutely fucking love it. Although the video was illustrated by five French animators collectively known as Bonzom, the style, as well the characters were inspired by album art that Mika and his sister designed for his album, Life in Cartoon Motion.
My name is Georgia, and I am a Kylie Minogue fangirl. I've been shaking my fangirl ass to her tunes since the nineties--Locomotion?! Even during my "punk is the shit everything else blows" phase, I never denied my love for her music. I just didn't care, and still don't. She's too much damn fun. It was a toss-up between this video, Red Blooded Woman and In My Arms. Red Blooded woman isn't nearly as fun and in In My Arms, Kylie is just a bit too crazy for my tastes(the fan part?). Also, Wow is her new single off X (an album I highly recommend you purchase). Speaking of Wow, check out the Spitzer and MSTRKRFT remixes here and then snag the CSS remix. I think a Kylie post is definitely in this blog's near future...
"You are my lollipop..." I see a another theme developing in this post. Hmmm. Aqua is just one of those groups you hope release a new single if only because it means a new video. This video is "what the fuck" dipped in awesome. It's cool though, they're Danish.
I think we'll keep it at four before Blogger blows a load over the size of this post.
*Kid tested, Mother approved, unless of course they work for the RIAA.
Twenty-One. Ovary Carrier. Philosopher. Overworked. Underplayed. Writer. Lover. Music Appreciator. Batman Freak. Red-Haired. Freckled.
Just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind...
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