Despite music television being roundly trounced by YouTube, 2007 has still managed to produce some fantastic music videos, some of which might never have existed without YouTube. I'll start with a traditional video for a great band called Battles, who I saw play at Koko in Camden recently. It was a tough call to choose between 'Atlas', the first single from their album Mirrored, and this one, 'Tonto':
Here, on the other hand, is what's known in the biz as a "mash-up". Someone has taken the climactic scene of Sergio Leone's incredible 'Once Upon A Time In The West' and set it to 'My Body is a Cage' by everyone's favourite band of 2007, Arcade Fire. It's the sort of thing YouTube is made for.
Paul McCartney didn't have a great year, all told. His single 'Dance Tonight' is fun though, if a little slight. And until this month, it was the only video all year from that master of the genre, Michel Gondry. It has Natalie Portman and that fella from the Office in it, too.
I'm off to see Bruce Springsteen at the O2 next week, and his album 'Magic' will probably make some end of year lists. This video for 'Long Walk Home' nearly made me weepy. the visuals are pretty straightforward Americana, but they fit the song perfectly.
The Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters both produced great performance videos with a twist. I'll go with the Monkeys one because I prefer the song, and it has a title that makes me chuckle ('Brianstorm').
And that's five. But there must be space to fit in Radiohead, who are taking the same DIY approach to music videos as they have to album sales. It's simple and faintly silly, but I like it. Directed, incidentally, by Adam Buxton of Adam and Joe fame.
Go ahead and send me links to whatever you think I've missed.
Try some Emma Kirkby
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Y6Qz1Plu0
Posted by: Biffo | Friday, 14 December 2007 at 12:33 PM