Video: "True Loves" by Hooray For Earth

"True Loves" has been floating around the blogosphere for a while now (it even snuck on to my favorite songs of 2010 list), but with Hooray For Earth's debut album just out, similarly titled True Loves, I felt it was appropriate to revisit this great track. And the visually impressive video makes for a dramatic companion to the electronic epic.

Video: "Celestica" by Crystal Castles

I went to my first legit music fest last weekend! Actually, perhaps not as legit as your Coachellas, your Bonnaroos, your Lollapaloozas, but still an awesome time. The 2nd annual Sweetlife Festival was a one day affair at Maryland's own Merriweather Post Pavilion and while most everyone was there for Girl Talk and the Strokes (both of whom were amazing), one of the more memorable performances earlier in the day was Crystal Castles. I hadn't gotten around to listening to them before, but this concert changed that. How would I describe it? Alice Glass hopping around stage on crutches (due to broken ankle), falling to the floor and writhing frequently, screaming chants piercing and incoherent. All backed by a seizure-inducing light display and a comparably dizzying rapid fire of electronic beats and hisses from Ethan Kath. It was bewildering, challenging, and strangely captivating. As I see if their two studio albums capture the dramatic freakout of their live show, here is the video for one of their more popular, quieter songs "Celestial".

Video: "Wolves, Lower" by R.E.M.

As much as I want to say Collapse Into Now is a rebirth, or at least a crawling-out-of-the-grave, for R.E.M., sorry, but it's really not that good. In fact, I prefer Accelerate, which itself is barely above average. But I'm on a strong R.E.M. kick lately, delving into their latest proper live album, 2009's Live at the Olympia, which is a lovingly compiled double-album that focuses more on early-career hits and deep-cut favorites. The album inspired me to finally check out the oldest R.E.M., their 1982 debut EP Chronic Town, which has just the kind of jangly guitars and mumbled lyrics that counts as quintessential R.E.M. for me.

Video: "The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Another soul kick. This one is courtesy of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. On a whim of somewhat recognizing the album cover, I bought their 1965 landmark album Going to a Go-Go at the DC Record Fair. Since then I've been enthralled with this record, particularly their classic "The Tracks of My Tears". I'm not the karaoke-inclined man, but if I was to find myself on stage in front of a microphone and eager audience, I might just have to (lovingly) butcher this song out of euphoric admiration.

Video: "Life in Technicolor II" by Coldplay

Well done Coldplay! I don't say that too often these days, but they surely deserve the kudos on the music video for "Life in Technicolor II", which I've just recently had the pleasure of seeing, while more non-cave-dwelling music fans surely saw it when it came out two years ago. Highly entertaining and very funny (particularly 2:57 and 3:28), I highly recommend it you haven't seen it. You've seen it a million times already? Oh, sorry.

Video: "The Reeling" by Passion Pit

I'm just one man, and I can't even begin to try to listen to all the year's best music in that calendar year.  In 2009 I did not properly register the warm and mellow surf rock of Real Estate and now I see I've also sorely overlooked the wacky electropop dance party that is Passion Pit.  Among the best from last year's debut LP Manners is the ecstatic song-of-escape "The Reeling".

Video: "Soul Serenade" by Aretha Franklin

I've been on a soul kick lately.  In watching old Aretha Franklin videos and absorbing every second of I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, I'm convinced she could have read the phone book and make it sound like a Sunday spiritual reawakening.  This simple black and white video from 1968 captures her in her time of breakthrough to superstardom.

 

Video: "Pillar of Salt" by the Thermals

A fantastic live show can ease away many a disappointment on record, and that's exactly what I saw the Thermals do last Friday.  I was let down with the voracious pop punk trio's fourth album Now We Can See and have found their most recent LP, the mostly mid-tempo Personal Life, to be a major downgrade from their more agitated and engaging past.  But in seeing them absolutely kill it at the Black Cat, I'm reminded of why I still love and respect these guys.  Whether through fiery politics or composed reflection, the Thermals are a crowd-pleasing kind of band that values most an audience enjoying the hell out of their music.  This philosophy explains the awesome video for "Pillar of Salt", arguably their best song.  Watch out for the Arrested Development chicken dances and the Decemberists' Colin Meloy!

Video: "Coffee & TV" by Blur

Behold: my absolute favorite music video! Fantastic song, thoughtful plot, and most of all, an iconic and utterly adorable protagonist in Milky the Milk Carton. Check your pulse if you don't at least crack a huge smile while watching this.

Video: "Mmmhmm (feat. Thundercat)" by Flying Lotus

As much as I hear technical skill, wide-eyed imagination and obsessive experimentation overflowing from Flying Lotus's Cosmogramma, it's a maddening work that I feel like I'll never figure out.  The lush sonic textures warrant a headphone listen, and yet the abrasive tones have me at a distance now matter how low I turn down the volume.  It's certainly the most challenging album I've heard all year, but amid the jungle  is the superb space odyssey of "Mmmhmm" featuring Thundercat.  The music video is exactly the kind of thing you'd expect to go along with this song.

Video: "North American Scum" by LCD Soundsystem

This past weekend I went to a small nightclub where their Friday night thing is a dance party with indie-variety music and music videos playing on a large projector.  Two of my friends lit up when this particular song started, which I was unfamiliar with.  I couldn't make out much, but soon enough every 10 seconds we were screaming "NORTH AMERICA!" Passing by the projector to see two slow-motion astronauts wearing aluminum foil space suits and fighting on the moon, I knew then that I would be youtube-ing it once I got home.

Video: "Which Song" by Max Tundra

Ben Jacobs is quite the quirky Brit. As Max Tundra, he crafts sleek and bizarre electropop that makes you question what pop is. Is this catchy? Is it odd that I'm singing along to this?  That's not saying you can't have a blast listening to Tundra, particularly 2002's bloody brilliant Mastered by Guy at the Exchange, but it undoubtedly turns your expectations for hook-laden pop on its ear, and it's not for everyone.  At the bare minimum, you have to say that he's economical: £22 bought him this daffy video for "Which Song".

Video: "Written in Reverse" by Spoon

With so much indie built on sensitive, introspective foundations, Spoon sticks out as indie's popular kid. Besides being excellent artists, their music drips cool confidence and a commanding presence on record. This live recording of "Written in Reverse", which is not far off from the Transference version, is textbook Spoon: bluesy groove, musically tight, swagger to spare.

Video: "Super Soaker" by Wavves

I think the new Wavves album King of the Beach will be very good and surprisingly, a smooth and better transition from distortion-hoarding fuzz to smarter, cleaner punk.  Not sure if I'm sold on the live or studio versions being the better of the two (both available on youtube), but overall, infectious song in line with "Post-Acid".  Who knew after Wavvves that this band actually had legs?

Video: "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson

I'm a day late.  Sure, I was in the "Michael Jackson is psycho" contingent during his child sex abuse trial period(s) and like plenty others, I was fairly creeped out enough by his changing appearance and what other kind of questionable acts were going on with him.  Without ever being found guilty though, time sort of moved on, and it was about three years ago that I started getting into his music rather than his public business.  'Bout time I get past "Thriller" and "Beat It" and really get at this "King of Pop." In delving into his music and influence, regardless of your fondness of it, it's indisputable his legendary impact on pop culture.  In listening to his music with friends and enjoying his music videos and albums on my own, particularly Off the Wall and Thriller, I saw him as a troubled man in his later years but, ultimately, one I would greatly admire for his pop music stardom.  Today I'm remembering him through the video of "The Way You Make Me Feel", which is a testament to his incredible talents, charisma, and star power.

Video: "Losing Feeling" by No Age

I'd probably be mesmerized enough if the swirling pools of rumbling electronics would build wordlessly to a zenith, but No Age's punk bent brings a striking immediacy to the calm of "Losing Feeling."

Video: "Aqueous Transmission" by Incubus

Can I be blamed for understanding innovation and mainstream "alternative" rock as divergent concepts? Or at the very least, the former concept applying to the latter far too rarely or slowly? We're way past Incubus' turn of the millenium heyday, but I feel like this problem existed then as it still does now, in that whenever I turn on rock radio, bands are lockstep into formulas of safety and broad appeal without stamps of interesting personalities (I'm lookin' at OneRepublic and the Fray among countless others). I would argue that Incubus did something different in that particularly between S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and Morning View, the band's music was widely approachable, and yet, through maturation and varied influences, reflected artistic decisions independent of radio play.  One such detour from the likes of "Drive" and "Wish You Were Here" is Morning View's gorgeous closer "Aqueous Transmission," a fluid, pipa-led meditation. In this context, it seems to say that while popular rock bands evidently don't have to innovate if their formula works on the charts, an artistically relevant rock band should be something more.

Video: "Turnover" by Fugazi

This doesn't happen anymore. Maybe I'm never in the right place at the right time, but I don't think so.  Local D.C. legends Fugazi playing Lafayette Park in 1991 (i.e. Bush 1's front yard across Pennsylvania Ave.) to protest the first gulf war.  Fugazi were all about cheap (if not free), all-ages shows and being all inclusive not just for D.C. kids but for everywhere around the world they played.  But really, modern punk legends playing an uncommercialized PROTEST gig at the seat of power. You don't see shows like this much anymore, and it brings to my mind notions of political authenticity in music and the state of music as a unsettled balance of craft, expression, and capitalism, and... yea other stuff.  Also, it rocks.

Video: "Elias" by Dispatch

These guys are undoubtedly modern legends.  Building a huge name for themselves on a transcendent fusion of folk, rock, reggae, and African music for the masses, Dispatch will forever be one of my favorites. But what hits more strongly than the songs are the band's ethics.  They rose to fame on the strength of their songs spread through file-sharing networks rather than the backing of major record labels; they made it happen for themselves.  But beyond their musical economics, it was their message: aside from writing songs about young love and freedom, they inspired an awareness about struggles in the third-world, particularly in Africa, and, especially on their last album Who Are We Living For?, standing up politically against the forces that perpetuate poverty and strife beyond America's borders.  And just about everything that was incredible about Dispatch can be found in these 8 minutes.

Video: "Let's Go Surfing" by the Drums

There are a ton of indie bands aping the sounds of '80s new wave to certain degrees.  The Drums are one of the few bands where, especially from tracks like "I Felt Stupid", without knowing better, you could actually peg the music as coming out in the '80s. Certain production flourishes or lyrical quirks may blow its cover, but what's unmistakable is the Drums' penchant for the era.  "Let's Go Surfing", which is on last year's Summertime! EP and will appear on the band's self-titled debut LP coming out June 7th, is effective in its simplicity.  From the sunny whistling to Jonathan Pierce's carefree chorus, it charms from the very first listen.