Title: Top 25 Music Videos of 2006 Artist: Various Director: Various Year Released: 2006
ABOUT THIS COMPILATION
After watching countless music videos this year, we have chosen our favorite 25. Any "list” that you come across iis always birthed out of a particular
paradigm. MTV and “Total Request Live” (remember the golden years?) base their list primarily on popular songs - the video is just circumstantial (the visual that accompanies the song). Although there have been both brilliant and memorable music videos over the years (i.e. “Sledgehammer”, “Thriller”, etc…), for the most part they are made for promotional purposes. Enter the new millennium.
Over the past few years - as MTV has become anything but “Music” television, the promotional aspects of decreased while the art has increased. While promotion could never become extinct, it can (and has) become less than front and center. We are currently in an era where the art of the video trumps the promotion. It is not uncommon now to see a video WITHOUT the band/artist in the video. This has only enhanced the freedom of visual storytelling, which leads us to our paradigm (or “school of thought”) in determining this list.
Here’s what we look for: narratives, art over promotion, wonder, transcendence, beauty, humor, technique, and creativity. In other words, here are 25 videos that we like. Because ?ranking? is often misleading and relative, we have placed our favorites in the following categories based on their unique offerings. The following are in no particular order (so don’t miss any). We know we have left videos off this list and would be curious if you think one should be represented here (remember we limited to videos released in 2006). Also, let us know your favorites of the list below and your response. Comment freely.
MOST CREATIVE MUSIC VIDEO
Knights of Cydonia(Muse) - An appropriate video from epic-like Muse. After watching the video, you wonder if the video was made for the music or vice-versa. Prolific director Joseph Kahn directs this video far away from any typical shoot as he graces us with the rare "western" music video. It comes complete with hero, villain, and love interest along with a few bonus features-the incorporation of plenty of pop culture references of the 60s and 70s. In fact, after releasing the video, Muse announced a contest in correlation with the video on their website-giving away a movie-like poster of the video to the first those who guess all 15 references correctly. You can make your guesses at: www.knightsofcydonia.com. As a side note, although this site tends to give its weight to "content and/or transcendent" art - this could in fact be the best music video of the year - creative, narrative, artistic, and funny all at the same time.
Boy from School (Hot Chip) - These guys were busy this year and will most likely always be in contention for anything under a "creative" category. A "big" idea. P.S. Their "Over and Over" video is worth seeing as well... an excellent parody of green-screen filming/technology.
God's Gonna Cut You Down(Johnny Cash). The only reason this video is listed here is because we do not know what to do with it - and the shear fact that is has us debating, gives it this spot. The background on this video only makes it only more bizarre. If you were to make a list of top 10 artist that are completely opposite of Johnny Cash, Justin Timberlake would be one of them; however, Timberlake is exactly the one who birthed the idea of this video via a conversation with producer Rick Rubin. The concept then moved forward through collaboration with Mark Romanek (director of Cash's Hurt) and controversial British director Tony Kaye, who ended up officially directing the video. Here's the deal. On one hand, it's a tad annoying. You can imagine the conversation: Timberlake: "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we got some A-listers to be in a Cash video... say.... myself?" Kaye: "Yeah, and then we can make it look all artsy like your 99 Problems (Jay-Z) video, Mark. That cool?" On the other hand, line the images of these artists, actors, and actresses and everything they represent midst the lyrics and the distinct and powerful voice of Cash and you have some significant yet enigmatic irony. As many might despise the overt use of celebritism midst this video, you cannot escape the notion that there is some "identification" taking place within this traditional song-both from the performers and the viewer? And thus the mystery. Why?
Friendly Fire(Sean Lennon) - The fact that we are posting the "trailer" for the music videos of Sean Lennon's Friendly Fire should tell you why it earns this title. These series of scenes (broken up by songs from the album) are directed by Michele Civetta and are available with the CD+DVD purchase of the album. Other than an obvious enormous budget, what makes this film interesting is that the storyline is the "Hollywood Cinematic Version" of the "True Hollywood Story" of Lennon's recent years. In other words, Lennon's heartbreak from discovering his true love's (Bijou Phillips) affair with his best friend (Max Leroy) is retold. To make matters worse for Lennon, Leroy died in a motorcycle accident absent of any reconciliation between the two. There are few other musicians that are trapped with the levels of media labels and identity issues than that of Sean Lennon, who reverently gives "mom" and "dad" the credit deserved on his MySpace page (under influence). In many ways, this makes his open book mentality more respected. Lennon said in an interview with Chicago Innerview (December 2006):
"I believe in being honest. It's not hard for me to show the public how I really feel," he says. "I prefer when people know what I'm really thinking, as opposed to when they have some idea about me that's false. That's what bothers me. I'd rather represent myself truly and honestly so that people can see me for what I really am."
To advance the irony in this project even further, the film stars none other than Bijou Philips herself, whose voice is present as well-as she contributed to the backup vocals on the album. To top off this tabloid-style video, it must be noted the queen herself, Lindsay Lohan, also lands a role.
Trailer:
one of the scenes/tracks... "Dead Meat"
BEST PERFORMANCE MUSIC VIDEO
Woke Up New(Mountain Goats) - Here's the deal. As mentioned, we typically lean away from "promotional" or "performance" music videos due to... well, lack of interest in watching artists attempt to lip-sync. That said, rumors around this video claim only 2 cuts are made within in... if so, an impressive performance by both John Darnielle and Rian Johnson (director). Although many will assume Darnielle is relatively new in the music industry - this is far from the truth. John has been making music since 1991 and has earned great respect within the "indie" world-a scene where you can either be loved or banished quickly. This video incorporates a few creative spins thanks to director Rian Johnson, who too is respected in his line of work - having earned the "Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision" at Sundance in 2005. "Woke up new" could have easily received a "most conversational video" tag as well - as this is in fact what Darnielle's lyrics are often known for-to a point where it might even seem uncomfortably "plain" which seemingly makes it all the more curious.
Harrowdown Hill(Thom Yorke) - "Harrowdown Hill" is the first track released from Thom Yorke's album Eraser, released earlier this year. It is tagged as his first official single away from Radiohead. "Harrowdown Hill" is a reference to the location in England where Dr. David Kelly's body was found in 2003. Kelly played a significant role in testifying about Iraq's supposed "Weapons of Mass Destruction." His coincidental suicide days after a parliamentary investigation resulted in obvious political scandal. There is plenty mystery within the song itself and Yorke has refrained from commenting on its depth-although, he has claimed that it is the "angriest song" he has ever written.
The visual effects presented in this video earn it this spot. The technique/effect used is a process called SmallGantics - and was both developed and used here by the folks at Bent Image Labs. In fact, they provided most of the footage for this video. If you are remotely intrigued by the technique, you can find out more here.
All the Same (a.k.a. Free Hugs Campaign) - Sick Puppies. Along with the Ok-Go video below, this would be in anyone's considerations for top viral music video of the year-as Sick Puppies were propelled into YouTube stardom the moment it made a oh-so-desirable "front page" appearance only days after its initial upload. This video was actually shot by the lead singer of Sick Puppies - Shimon Moore, who received a hug from the now famous "hug guy", who goes by the name Juan Mann (play on words) within the streets of Sydney. Mann received a lot of attention via his hug campaign and was eventually asked to stop - although a petition seemingly reversed the ban (see video). To make the story even more interesting, the video was put together by the singer only for the intensions of lifting the spirits of a friend whose grandmother had just died. Moments later... well, you know the drill.
Here it Goes Again - (Ok Go) - It almost seems silly to talk about this video at this point as you would have had to have your ears plugged to the music world not to know about this video. This video actually would receive the viral video of the year - as it was hands down the most viewed video (anywhere) of 2006. If you are wondering the ingredients to a successful viral marketing, it is simply:
1 band
1 song
8 treadmills
1 sister (must know how to choreograph)
1 continuous take
All of this and then simply add YouTube - the stir happens automatically. (I know... I know... couldn't resist)
Leave Before the Lights Come On(Arctic Monkeys) - Starring actor Paddy Considine (In America) and actress Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead), this narrative short tells the story of a suicidal woman and... well, why would we tell you anymore? This video was directed by John Hardwick and shot in Sheffield England. If you happen to be a Arctic Monkey's fan, "The View from the Afternoon" video is worth seeing as well as it is wonderfully shot.
Chasing Cars(Snow Patrol) - Although it does not match their brilliant Glosoli (Sigur Ros) video, directors Arni and Kinski still understand visual beauty. Performance videos are not our favorite (especially ones that commit radio suicide after being overplayed) but this one seems to barely fall into that category as it is undoubtedly visually driven. Nobody is playing with motion depth of field as much as this duo. In fact, in order to experience the quality - you must watch via the Arni&Kinski site as YouTube does not do it justice.
Someday You Will Be Loved(Death Cab for Cutie) - Because we have already featured the video on this site, we won't say too much and direct you to the earlier post. This said, it is worth knowing this was is directed by the young Ace Norton, who at the age of 26 has approximately 200 shorts to his name including "Cherry Coke Rage"-which earned him the most prestigious award at the Los Angeles Film Festival at the age of 17. Ace got the "Someday You Will Be Loved" job after directing Death Cab's "Crooked Teeth" video. This video is a part of the Directions video collection - which was released on DCFC's site as part of a low-budget ($5K) full album video project. It can now be found on iTunes or DVD and is well worth your money. P.S. Ace is not the animator and feel the animation team of Valeria LaPointe, Hsin-I Tseng, and David Bazelon should receive their props.
Dayvan Cowboy(Boards of Canada) - Directed and edited by Melissa Olson, this video is the first video release from musical group Boards of Canada. This video makes good use of stock footage and is edited for a bit of a transcendent experience (especially if you are a surfer). The stock footage used at the beginning of the video is worth noting and is described in the Board's of Canada news feed: "The footage in the first half of the video is from real footage of the highest descent ever recorded from the edge of space by Joseph Kittinger in 1960, skydiving from a height of 102,800 feet in a space suit. With complications on the way down, he was convinced he had not survived the jump and hallucinated falling through hell. The second half of the video... well, watch it yourself and find out!"
Doctor Blind (Emily Haines) - As some videos are often tagged as just plain "weird", this one did not match up for some reason. When you combine circumstantial surprises, a "fluorescent lighted" department store, and stoic individuals acting in dream-like behavior that transcends reality, you are left with "eerie". This narrative is directed by Jaron Albertin and is a part of Canadian Emiliy Haine's (of Broken Social Scene) Knives Don't Have Your Back album.
We're Here(The Guillemots) - Directed by Chris Cairnes, this video is uses time-lapse photography via the use of a still photo camera-similar to that of "Modern World" also featured in this write-up. It was shot over the course of three weeks while camping in Scotland. To appreciate the footage used here, it is worth noting that 12 hours of footage often equates to only 2 seconds in "time-lapse" format.
Modern World(Wolf Parade) - If you have seen a cool stop-motion video lately, chances are it is from Adam Bizanski. Bizanski also did the Zero 7 (featuring Jose Gonzales) - "Left Behind" video that we'll include below because... well, it's obviously worth seeing too. This song/video ("Modern World") makes a subtle yet significant statement about the pop-music-factory we are graced with all too frequently. We assume you will watch "Modern World" and have a handful of questions, so we'll go ahead and answer a few for you:
1. Did he make all the puppet figures? Yes
2. Did he make the music machines? Yes (made to actually do what you see)
3. Did he have any help? No
4. What did he shoot it with? Nikon D70s (still digital camera)
5. How long did it take? Month and a half or 4-8 seconds of animation a day
Friend of the Night - (Mogwai) - For those unfamiliar, Mogwai is a Scottish band that has been making music for over a decade now-and often categorized with the mysterious and vague "Art-Rock" genre label (others: Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade to name a few). We most likely would not have had an "Art-Rock" category other than the fact that this video is certainly a prime example motion-visual art. This video is directed Woof Wan-Bau, who takes you on a pleasant journey of still images that are mysteriously connected. Although unconfirmed, it appears that Wan-Bau uses a pen-light technique as a visual guide-a method similar to that of Mark Romanek's "Criminal" video (Fiona Apple). Imagery often conveys beauty in unexplainable ways and we would hope that you could allow it to be just so.
Suffer Well(Depeche Mode) - Okay, so it's not from the 80s, but those at least somewhat familiar with Depeche Mode know you cannot think of them outside of this context. As an original player in the music video scene ("Just Can't Get Enough" - 1981) with MTVs launch 25 years ago. We felt they deserved a shout-out for releasing almost 3 decade's worth of videos. This year's Suffer Welloffers an intriguing narrative-as we witness a
Heart Made of Sound(The Softlightes) - How many different ways can you spell a word? I bet Kris Moyes (director) can out do you. If you haven't figured it out yet... stop-motion is in. Video+Audio synchronization
The Saints are Coming(U2 and Green Day) - We know you might not be a Green Day fan as we were skeptical as well; however, you can't help turning this one up. Proceeds of this song go to Music Rising - organization co-founded by The Edge to benefit the rebuilding of New Orleans's music scene. The shots of Hurricane Katrina's damage are quite moving. "The Saints are Coming" is a cover of The Skids- a Scottish punk band. The song was oh-so-appropriately used to usher in the New Orleans Saints NFL return to the Superdome (footage included). If this isn't pre-game locker room music I don't know what is.
Chosen One(The Concretes) - Do you realize there are two videos here that utilize vacuum cleaners? Well, this is one of them - with some obvious attention detail and bizarre objects, this video is just a bit odd. This said, it's hard to diss on a video that undoubtedly took hours and hours of setup.
Window in the Skies(U2) - For not producing any "official" album this year, U2 was certainly busy producing music videos. First, a black and white performance video was made to accompany the One remake with Mary J. Blige (post-Grammy performance) ; next, the memorable and symbolic Saints are Coming video was released in conjunction with the U218 Singles debut; and finally, we were blessed with this video. Though the initial fascination lies with whoever sorted through the immense amount of stock footage used, there is still something transcendent to experience. Window in the Skies exists as U2's tribute to "rock-n-roll" that is only enhanced by U2's lack of performance in the video. This said, U2's presence still remains the only question is "can you spot them?" (a personal favorite)
Amateur(Lasse Gjertsen) - This is actually not an "official" music video although it is a video and it does include "music." What makes this interesting is that each sound you hear is an actual video "cut." Meaning, this dude did a whole lot of editing. Although it is similar to Michael Gondry's "drum kit" video, he never loops any of the footage.... not to mention, who cares? You have to give this guy props for the idea, time, and creativity. This isn't the official title by the way - but its title on YouTube that has earned him over 2 million views.
Kama?(Unknown) - Okay, as we have received/downloaded/seen so many videos this year, we sometimes lose track from where they are from. We cannot figure out where this video came from - but none the less... it's both pleasant and "simply" brilliant. We'll update the info. if anyone can help us out with the title/artist - but as much as we have to go my is the "kama.mov" file we found.
Different Names for the Same Thing (DCFC) This piece gives you a perfect window into the creativity that exists amongst the collection of music videos. This video was directed by Autumn De Wilde, respected photographer often known for her work with Elliot Smith. She has frequented the travels with Death Cab over the past few years - photographer who has documented the travels of Death Cab over past few years. (See also "Summer Skin")
Honorable Mention: Beck with The Information CD + DVD.
Cell Phone is Dead (Beck) - There has been few from the "famed directors" this year (at least worth mentioning), but this one should in fact make the list. Directed by Michel Gondry - this one offers a variety of artistic and iconic imagery.
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