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| The Foo Fighters Aim To Immerse Their Sound With 8 Distinct Geographic Regions |
Showing posts with label Foo Fighters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foo Fighters. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
The Foo Fighters Aim To Immerse Their Sound With 8 Distinct Geographic Regions
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Dave Grohl Q&A: Why Rock Will Never Die & Why 2011 Was His Best Year Ever
We are amused to no end when folks talk on how there is no good music anymore or how rock n' roll is dead. Clearly they are a bit jaded or like many have had a hard time finding new music that they can get into. Luckily we are living in a time with a boundless amounts of great music, ya just have to know what rock to look under.
This is no easy task, as everywhere you turn, social media is popping up in new and different ways beckoning you to listen to this, sign up for that and most of all participate in some new site that will change the way you listen to music. Well, supposedly that is what their advertising is trying to make happen. We check out many of these resources to see what the skinny might be, but our top routes for finding new bands is to listen to internet radio stations, spelunk on spotify and itunes, get referrals from friends and certainly most important, get out to shows to see bands live.
Dive into the article below from Billboard magazine and read up one of the most diehard music fans and true originators in modern music today. Down to earth individuals such as Dave Grohl only come along every so often so do yourself a favor and go see them live. The Foo Fighters live show is damn near incendiary and proves that pure talent, enthusiasm and great song writing, clearly are the true school of rock.
Oh yeah Dave, please bring back PROBOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Link to original article on Billboard.com
"After 17 years spent lurking on the fringes of rock superstardom, Foo Fighters now find themselves, in many ways, leading the charge for a resurgent modern rock scene. 2011 was reaffirming year for the Foos on many fronts, driven by the success of the band's critically-lauded seventh studio album, "Wasting Light" -- and the blowout global tour and six Grammy noms, including Album of the Year, that followed.
This is no easy task, as everywhere you turn, social media is popping up in new and different ways beckoning you to listen to this, sign up for that and most of all participate in some new site that will change the way you listen to music. Well, supposedly that is what their advertising is trying to make happen. We check out many of these resources to see what the skinny might be, but our top routes for finding new bands is to listen to internet radio stations, spelunk on spotify and itunes, get referrals from friends and certainly most important, get out to shows to see bands live.
Dive into the article below from Billboard magazine and read up one of the most diehard music fans and true originators in modern music today. Down to earth individuals such as Dave Grohl only come along every so often so do yourself a favor and go see them live. The Foo Fighters live show is damn near incendiary and proves that pure talent, enthusiasm and great song writing, clearly are the true school of rock.
Oh yeah Dave, please bring back PROBOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Link to original article on Billboard.com
"After 17 years spent lurking on the fringes of rock superstardom, Foo Fighters now find themselves, in many ways, leading the charge for a resurgent modern rock scene. 2011 was reaffirming year for the Foos on many fronts, driven by the success of the band's critically-lauded seventh studio album, "Wasting Light" -- and the blowout global tour and six Grammy noms, including Album of the Year, that followed.
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| Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters killing it a Lollapalooza in 2011 |
As
he reflects on what he calls "the best year of his life," the Foos'
Dave Grohl weighs in with Billboard on the health of rock'n'roll,
what's wrong with the music business, and why these "five dorks"
might just actually represent something bigger than just a simple
band.
Congrats on a hell of a year.
Grohl:
It's been a good one, 2011 was very good to me. I was at a New
Year's Eve party and someone asked me how was my year, and I said I
honestly think 2011 was the best year of my entire life, and I
actually meant it.
You and the Foos were in the thick of it all year, so what's your take on the health of rock?
There's always gonna be rock'n'roll bands, there's always gonna be kids that love rock'n'roll records, and there will always be rock'n'roll. I travel all over the world and play music, and it's easy to think rock'n'roll has gone away when you're in a country like America. We just got back from a trip Down Under, we did a tour of Australia and New Zealand where we were pulling 40,000-50,000 people a night, selling out stadiums. To me, that means rock'n'roll is alive and well. The thing that will never go away is that connection you make with a band or a song where you're moved by the fact that it's real people making music. You make that human connection with a song like "Let It Be" or "Long and Winding Road" or a song like "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Roxanne," any of those songs. They sound like people making music.
In America, rock'n'roll isn't in
the forefront of the mainstream as it is the rest of the world.
England is another country where rock bands are hugely successful:
You hear them on the radio, they have hits and play stadiums, and
it's almost like it's bigger than it's ever been. But for whatever
reason, here in America there's not as much focus on rock'n'roll
bands. I don't know what it is, but it's one of the few countries in
the world where rock'n'roll is not huge.
Is this discussion something you've had with the band and your team?
No.
One of the reasons why we're still a band and we still make albums
and we're still successful is we don't pay attention to any of that.
We have our own studio, our own label, and we do everything on our
own terms. To us the most important thing is we're satisfied within
the band, and once we finish making a record we give it to the rest
of the world. But we've always lived within this beautiful bubble
that is the Foo Fighters. You can't pop it, you can't change what we
do, because we try to keep it entirely real and pure. We've seen
lots of trends come and go -- nu metal, skinny ties -- and we just
kept our heads down and done our thing for so long that none of
that really matters, and ultimately what happens is we end up making
albums people connect to because they're real records.
"Right now, the current musical climate is not unlike it was back in
1991, right before Nirvana got popular"
But
no, it's never been an issue. For years, usually about once a year,
you have a rock band that comes out and says, "We're gonna save
rock'n'roll," and then you'll read an article asking, "Is Rock
Dead?" It's never gone away in my world. Ask the guys in AC/DC
whether they think rock'n'roll is dead.
Because
you have things like "American Idol" and you've got radio stations
that play music made entirely by computers, it's easy to forget
there are bands with actual people playing actual instruments that
rock. For the fans, I don't think it's gone away at all. I don't
know too many people that give up listening to rock'n'roll. It's
seems to be fucking alive and well.
When
you come out of your "bubble" and deliver these massive hits,
does it surprise you that radio gets behind it and people respond
the way they do?
You have to
understand, we're a really simple band. We think we suck and we try
really hard to make good records and we practice. We don't feel like
the biggest, best band in the world. We just feel like the same
five dorks that were touring in a van 17 years ago, that hasn't
changed. But there was a time about 10 years ago when we would get
asked to come play an awards show or a radio festival or something
like that and we'd show up and be the only rock band. Here we're on a
bill with pop artists like Pussycat Dolls or some new rapper and
then we get up and beat the shit out of our instruments. And I
started wondering, "Why are we even here?" I wondered if they just
needed a "rock band" -- "Who's a rock band? Call the Foo
Fighters." Then I started thinking maybe we actually represent
something to people, maybe when they hear the name "Foo Fighters"
they just think rock'n'roll, and I thought, "Wow, that's cool." Then
over the years playing shows I'd look out at the audience and see
kids with Nirvana shirts and their parents with Foo Fighters shirts
-- which seems upside down -- and I'd see moustaches and kids at
their first rock concert. Our audience became so diverse I thought,
"Man, they just want to see a rock show." Go see Bruce Springsteen.
Go see Tom Petty, AC/DC, Roger Waters, any of these people. Go see
Pearl Jam or Soundgarden. I went to see Soungarden four or five
months ago; I didn't stand in the VIP section, I ran down and got
crushed in front of the stage and danced around sweaty with a bunch
of people I didn't know for an hour and 45 minutes.
I don't think there's anything wrong with rock at all. It's overlooked. And right now, the current musical climate is not unlike it was back in 1991, right before Nirvana [Grohl's former band] got popular. The late '80s was full of over-produced pop that kids had nothing to grab hold of -- they had no way of connecting to this hair metal band singing about fucking strippers in a limousine on Sunset Boulevard. Who can relate to that? Then you had a bunch of formulaic pop songstress bullshit, and music was boring. And then a bunch of bands with dirty kids got on MTV and rock'n'roll became huge again. And I feel like that's about to happen. Something's got to give. It can't be song contests on television for the rest of our lives. It can't be the same playlists on every radio station for the rest of our lives. It can't be music made entirely by computers with people talking over it the rest of our lives. It can't go that way, it just won't.
I feel like as
a musician and a part of this rock'n'roll scene, I have a
responsibility to make shit real, to not think about all of that
other bullshit, not think about making music for money or promoting
music for fashion, the contests. My responsibility is to make shit
that's real. Once you start doing the right thing, it will get
better.
Someone asked me recently, "What do you
think the problem with the music industry is?" I said, take the
Adele record, for example. It's an amazing record and everybody's so
shocked that it's such a phenomenon. I'm not. You know why that
record's huge? Because it's fucking good and it's real. When you
have an artist singing about something real and she's incredibly
talented, it deserves all the rewards it gets, it's a great record.
Now imagine if all records were that good. Do you think only one of
them would sell? Fuck no! All of them would. If all records were
that good the music business would be on fire, but they're not. A
lot of people are promoting records that are just
throw-it-against-the-wall-see-if-it-sticks meaningless bullshit.
Everybody has the responsibility to do the right thing and promote
artists that mean something."
Friday, December 30, 2011
Hellbound Glory Tops Farce The Music's Top Albums Of 2011
"The boys went and growed up on us. While Hellbound Glory is still
infatuated with the darker subjects - addiction, dysfunctional families
and death, in particular - their songwriting has improved a great deal
since their last album. Not that it was ever bad. It's just that this
time around the songs are better developed. The hooks are hookier and
the subject matter comes across more naturally - it no longer feels like
they're trying to shoehorn in every deviant behavior and curse word
they can, just because they can. This is a band on the rise and with
material this good, they may eventually break down the wall between alt
and country. Best tracks: Better Hope You Die Young, Knocked Off the
Horse." - Farce The Music
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| Hellbound Glory featured in Farce The Music's 2011 Top Ten List |
The Full List of Farce The Music's Best of 2011
1. The Damn Quails - Down the Hatch My tastes were more oriented towards roots-music this year than any in recent memory and The Damn Quails put out a stunning debut that satisfied my yearnings like no other. The unique voices of Bryon and Gabriel combine for divine harmonies and their writing is the class of contemporary bands that fall into the "red dirt" scene, or nearly any scene for that matter. There isn't a weak song on the offering and what's more, nearly every tune spent time lodged in my brain on replay at one point or another. Brilliant work, epic even. Best songs: All of them, but if you must have 1 or 2 …"Fool's Gold" and "Mary" always slay me.
2. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Here We Rest
Wrapped around the undeniable song of the year, "Codeine," is an album that more than pulls its own weight. Isbell fans may have hoped for something louder, but what they got was an artist-defining gem of a southern rock and soul record. Strong lyrics, excellent musicianship and plenty of easy-to-love melodies make this an album most anyone can appreciate, and true music lovers will adore. Best tracks: Codeine, Alabama Pines.
3. Hellbound Glory - Damaged Goods
The boys went and growed up on us. While Hellbound Glory is still infatuated with the darker subjects - addiction, dysfunctional families and death, in particular - their songwriting has improved a great deal since their last album. Not that it was ever bad. It's just that this time around the songs are better developed. The hooks are hookier and the subject matter comes across more naturally - it no longer feels like they're trying to shoehorn in every deviant behavior and curse word they can, just because they can. This is a band on the rise and with material this good, they may eventually break down the wall between alt and country. Best tracks: Better Hope You Die Young, Knocked Off the Horse.
4. Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO
What else is there to say about Hayes? Rapier wit. Songwriting that recalls the greats of country and folk music. Memorable, affable voice. Actually has something to say. Just enough weirdness to keep him a little mysterious. Check, to all of those. This guy's the real deal; one of the few artists I'll buy an album from without hearing a single note. He never disappoints, never rests on his accolades. Thanks for another winner, Hayes! Best tracks: Another Like You, Chances Are.
5. Jimbo Mathus - Confederate Buddha
Jimbo calls this "catfish music," and I see no better way to describe it. Confederate Buddha is a melting pot for southern music - R&B, rock, folk, country and swamp soul, all mixed, matched and sifted out at different times on the record. Mathus' writing is in turns poetic, straight-forward or abstract, all expertly crafted and emotionally performed. Best tracks: Cling to the Roots, Aces and Eights.
6. Cary Anne Hearst - Lions and Lambs
Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin and Neko Case in a blender vocals. Transgendered Hayes Carll songwriting chops. That was weird. …this album is great.
Best tracks: Are You Ready to Die, Hell's Bells
7. Butch Walker and the Black Widows - The Spade
The in-demand producer of #6/former hair band member/former 90's alt-rock band, the jack - nay master - of all trades turns in this hook-driven smorgasbord of power pop, hard rock and jangly country-flavored rave-up goodness. This album alongside #8 would make a killer party soundtrack. Best tracks: Synthesizers, Suckerpunch
8. The Black Keys - El Camino
If this is a sellout, I wish every artist who's been accused of such had such a well-done betrayal of ideals. The Black Keys expand their blues rock sound to (bluesy) glam rock and power pop without missing a step or making it sound contrived. Sometimes you just need to turn off your inner-critic and enjoy. Fun, fun, fun! Best tracks: Gold on the Ceiling, Nova Baby
9. Adele - 21
Adele somehow straddles the huge divide between modern pop and "old people" soul music with great success. Even the songs that lack lyrically are made great by Adele's huge (but never diva-esque) voice. There hasn't been an artist in some time that brought together so many people in mutual admiration. This is a chick album that dudes can be unashamed to love. It's an old-school album that kids can groove to. Excellence. Best tracks - Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You.
10. Ponderosa - Moonlight Revival
Sounding like the Black Crowes by way of Muscle Shoals, Ponderosa is a super-talented band of southern rockers who mostly steer clear of the clichés of the genre. Kalen Bush's lead vocals are stirring and the harmonies take their sound over the top. Ponderosa isn't reinventing the wheel here, but what they do, they do very well. Best tracks: Old Gin Road, Devil on My Shoulder.
11. Austin Lucas - A New Home, In the Old World
12. Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Heart of a Dog
13. Stoney Larue - Velvet
14. Drew Kennedy - Fresh Water in the Salton Sea
15. Ryan Adams - Ashes and Fire
16. Pistol Annies - Hell on Heels
17. Wilco - The Whole Love
18. Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Scandalous
19. Mastodon - The Hunter
20. Will Hoge - Number Seven
21. Scott H. Biram - Bad Ingredients
22. Miranda Lambert - Four the Record
23. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
24. Justin Haigh - People Like Me
25. Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra
26. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones
27. Larry Hooper - Between Here and the Stars
28. Bon Iver - s/t
29. Sunny Sweeney - Concrete
30. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
31. Bad Meets Evil - Hell (The Sequel)
32. Left Lane Cruiser - Junkyard Speed Ball
33. Centro-matic - Candidate Waltz
34. Big KRIT - Return of 4Eva
35. The Decemberists - The King is Dead
36. F*cked Up - David Comes to Life
37. Merle Haggard - Working in Tennessee
38. Eli Young Band - Life at Best
39. Adam Hood - The Shape of Things
40. JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound - Want More
41. Glossary - Long Live All of Us
42. Mike Ethan Messick - The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
43. Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
44. Dawes - Nothing is Wrong
45. Cody Canada and The Departed - This is Indian Land
46. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
47. George Strait - Here for a Good Time
48. Robyn Ludwick - Out of These Blues
49. John Moreland & The Dust Bowl Souls - Everything the Hard Way
50. Jason Boland and the Stragglers - Rancho Alto
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Most Awesome Music Videos of 2011 by Yahoo
After the horrible videos posted the other day, there are a few gems in this batch which are flat out amazing. Definitely scroll down to #3 which is by the Black Keys and #1 goes out to the Beastie Boys.
"While most music videos are merely slick, soulless promotional vehicles for potential hit singles, with no more substance or purpose than a Shamwow infomercial, occasionally a video comes out that transcends crass commercialism and actually stands alone as a work of visual art. Happily, quite a few such artworks hit TV screens and computer monitors for three or so minutes at a time this year, and when we added all those minutes together...well, we realized we spent much of 2011 enjoying some really awesome music videos.
So here, in ascending order of awesomeness, are our picks for the top 20 videos of the year.
20) Noel Gallagher - "AKA...What A Life"
This epic road movie stars ex-Oasis man Noel's real-life friend Russell Brand as some sort of wicked Wonderland mad hatter who lures a golden-haired lass into his dark lair and then forces her to go on a psychedelic trip. The casting is certainly ironic, considering the now-sober Mr. Perry's very well-documented past struggles with drug addiction. But certainly, this is the role Russell was born to play.
This epic road movie stars ex-Oasis man Noel's real-life friend Russell Brand as some sort of wicked Wonderland mad hatter who lures a golden-haired lass into his dark lair and then forces her to go on a psychedelic trip. The casting is certainly ironic, considering the now-sober Mr. Perry's very well-documented past struggles with drug addiction. But certainly, this is the role Russell was born to play.
19) Stars - "We Don't Want Your Body"
This bizarre sweating-to-the-newies clip tells the musclebound love story of a male and female bodybuilder, who lip-synch to the song while pumping iron in the gym (while "Physical"-style, speedo-sheathed himbos strike poses in the background). And all along, the sexual tension, and hilarity, builds between them. The Vaseline-lensed video is a clear homage to the '80s fitness craze, when excited new VCR owners stocked up on cruddy jazzercise workout videos, Jamie Lee Curtis and John Travolta donned legwarmers and leotards for Perfect, and, yes, Olivia Newton-John cavorted with sweaty jocks in "Physical." It's sure to get your heart pumping, or at least make your abdominals ache from all your laughing.
This bizarre sweating-to-the-newies clip tells the musclebound love story of a male and female bodybuilder, who lip-synch to the song while pumping iron in the gym (while "Physical"-style, speedo-sheathed himbos strike poses in the background). And all along, the sexual tension, and hilarity, builds between them. The Vaseline-lensed video is a clear homage to the '80s fitness craze, when excited new VCR owners stocked up on cruddy jazzercise workout videos, Jamie Lee Curtis and John Travolta donned legwarmers and leotards for Perfect, and, yes, Olivia Newton-John cavorted with sweaty jocks in "Physical." It's sure to get your heart pumping, or at least make your abdominals ache from all your laughing.
18) Rihanna - "We Found Love"
Art imitates life, in the artiest way possible, in this gorgeously shot clip starring RiRi and a bleached-blonde actor who bears a disturbing resemblance to her ex, Chris Brown. The scene where Rihanna and the fake Chris fight in the car will haunt you for days, but you won't be able to look away.
Art imitates life, in the artiest way possible, in this gorgeously shot clip starring RiRi and a bleached-blonde actor who bears a disturbing resemblance to her ex, Chris Brown. The scene where Rihanna and the fake Chris fight in the car will haunt you for days, but you won't be able to look away.
17) Foo Fighters - "White Limo"
The Foos are known for making hilarious big-budget videos, but they actually outdid themselves with this cheapo clip. Apparently all of this video's budget was spent on getting Lemmy from Motorhead to play a starring role...but it was money very well spent.
The Foos are known for making hilarious big-budget videos, but they actually outdid themselves with this cheapo clip. Apparently all of this video's budget was spent on getting Lemmy from Motorhead to play a starring role...but it was money very well spent.
16) Battles with Gary Numan - "My Machines"
Experimental rockers Battles teamed with electric friend Numan and the folks at the Creators Project--and the result is the singularly best chronicle of one man's attempt to scale a shopping-mall escalator ever committed to film.
Experimental rockers Battles teamed with electric friend Numan and the folks at the Creators Project--and the result is the singularly best chronicle of one man's attempt to scale a shopping-mall escalator ever committed to film.
15) tUnE-YarDs - "Bizness"
Like a classic Talking Heads video on steroids or a Keith Haring painting come to life, Merrill Garbus and company's "Bizness" is one of the most colorful, original, and joyous video sprees of 2011. We dare you not to smile, or even scream like a giddy banshee, when watching this.
Like a classic Talking Heads video on steroids or a Keith Haring painting come to life, Merrill Garbus and company's "Bizness" is one of the most colorful, original, and joyous video sprees of 2011. We dare you not to smile, or even scream like a giddy banshee, when watching this.
14) Matt and Kim - "Cameras"
This bizarre but compulsively watchable clip depicts the usually lovey-dovey Matt and Kim, who are a couple in real life, beating each other to bloody pulps during a rehearsal gone very, very awry--with musical instruments, mic stands, drum stools, cartons of Chinese takeout, fists, and droplets of (hopefully fake) blood flying in all directions. Considering the duo's behind-the-scenes personal relationship, the domestic-violence overtones of the video would be a bit unsettling if a) we didn't know that Matt and Kim underwent stunt training before the shoot, b) Kim fights just as down 'n' dirty as her male counterpart here, and c) the song wasn't just so darn cute.
This bizarre but compulsively watchable clip depicts the usually lovey-dovey Matt and Kim, who are a couple in real life, beating each other to bloody pulps during a rehearsal gone very, very awry--with musical instruments, mic stands, drum stools, cartons of Chinese takeout, fists, and droplets of (hopefully fake) blood flying in all directions. Considering the duo's behind-the-scenes personal relationship, the domestic-violence overtones of the video would be a bit unsettling if a) we didn't know that Matt and Kim underwent stunt training before the shoot, b) Kim fights just as down 'n' dirty as her male counterpart here, and c) the song wasn't just so darn cute.
13) Breakbot - "Fantasy"
This video by 30-year-old French producer/DJ Breakbot (real name: Thibaut Berland) depicts an art class full of worked-up male students who just can't seem to concentrate on their canvases once their subject, a brunette beauty, drops her trenchcoat and strikes an unclothed pose. Then one particularly creative, and particularly distracted, pupil starts fantasizing about the model...and it all culminates in an "A-ha moment," so to speak. This one's a real work of art.
This video by 30-year-old French producer/DJ Breakbot (real name: Thibaut Berland) depicts an art class full of worked-up male students who just can't seem to concentrate on their canvases once their subject, a brunette beauty, drops her trenchcoat and strikes an unclothed pose. Then one particularly creative, and particularly distracted, pupil starts fantasizing about the model...and it all culminates in an "A-ha moment," so to speak. This one's a real work of art.
12) Cee Lo Green - "Cry Baby"
This Broadway-style romp stars Jaleel White--aka Urkel from "Family Matters," all grown up--hoofing and lip-synching up a storm. Come to think of it, with credentials like that, maybe this video should be higher up on this list...
This Broadway-style romp stars Jaleel White--aka Urkel from "Family Matters," all grown up--hoofing and lip-synching up a storm. Come to think of it, with credentials like that, maybe this video should be higher up on this list...
11) Best Coast - "Crazy For You"
One of 2011's finest meshing of the feline minds comes from Los Angeles indie-pop band Best Coast, who thrillingly teamed with the LOLcats over at icanhascheezburger.com for this caption-tastic tour de force. I can has great music video? Yes, you can, Best Coast. We still can't stop LOLing over this.
One of 2011's finest meshing of the feline minds comes from Los Angeles indie-pop band Best Coast, who thrillingly teamed with the LOLcats over at icanhascheezburger.com for this caption-tastic tour de force. I can has great music video? Yes, you can, Best Coast. We still can't stop LOLing over this.
10) Beastie Boys - "Make Some Noise"
Videos vanguards the Beasties added two more amazing clips to their videography this year, starting with this VMA-nominated allstar short film. Starring actors Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, and Seth Rogen as the Beasties circa 1987 (along with cameos by Will Ferrell, Jack Black, John C. Reilly, Ted Danson, Rashida Jones, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Schwartzman, Rainn Wilson, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Kirsten Dunst, Maya Rudolph, Malin Akerman, and Orlando Bloom), this is the prequel to "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" that we'd always dreamed of.
Videos vanguards the Beasties added two more amazing clips to their videography this year, starting with this VMA-nominated allstar short film. Starring actors Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, and Seth Rogen as the Beasties circa 1987 (along with cameos by Will Ferrell, Jack Black, John C. Reilly, Ted Danson, Rashida Jones, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Schwartzman, Rainn Wilson, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Kirsten Dunst, Maya Rudolph, Malin Akerman, and Orlando Bloom), this is the prequel to "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" that we'd always dreamed of.
9) Manchester Orchestra - "Simple Math"
Detailing a horrific car accident and the "life flashing before your eyes" phenomenon that the driver experiences during the harrowing slow-mo crash, this is certainly one of the most unique and haunting videos of the year. It requires multiple viewings to fully grasp, but it will take only one viewing to stick with you forever.
Detailing a horrific car accident and the "life flashing before your eyes" phenomenon that the driver experiences during the harrowing slow-mo crash, this is certainly one of the most unique and haunting videos of the year. It requires multiple viewings to fully grasp, but it will take only one viewing to stick with you forever.
8) OK Go - "Muppet Show Theme"
OK Go have landed places on multiple year-end video lists, and have starred in landmark videos with dogs, treadmills, and marching bands. But in this video, they star with Muppets. 'Nuff said. It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights. Watch it now.
OK Go have landed places on multiple year-end video lists, and have starred in landmark videos with dogs, treadmills, and marching bands. But in this video, they star with Muppets. 'Nuff said. It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights. Watch it now.
7) Radiohead - "Lotus Flower"
This bizarre clip consists of little more than Thom Yorke going bonkers in black-and-white, thrashing about a barren warehouse in what appears to be a totally improvised, totally unhinged modern dance. It's an incredibly simple concept...and it's incredibly awesome, better than most big-budget videos out there. Who knew Thom had such awesome moves? He truly is the king of (flailing) limbs. And even better than this video? All the hilarious parodies that flooded YouTube within hours of its release.
This bizarre clip consists of little more than Thom Yorke going bonkers in black-and-white, thrashing about a barren warehouse in what appears to be a totally improvised, totally unhinged modern dance. It's an incredibly simple concept...and it's incredibly awesome, better than most big-budget videos out there. Who knew Thom had such awesome moves? He truly is the king of (flailing) limbs. And even better than this video? All the hilarious parodies that flooded YouTube within hours of its release.
6) Pink - "F***in Perfect"
This video is controversial, as its troubled main character deals with schoolyard bullies, mean girls, unsympathetic teachers, controlling parents, anorexia, shoplifting, and, in the clip's most unsettling (and, be warned, bloodiest) scene, cutting--all in her attempts to find herself and finally feel that she's "perfect." But the video's surprise ending should bolster the confidence of many self-doubting viewers who can relate to the girl's story. This video is pretty much perfect, and so very timely in a year when the problem of bullying has been in the spotlight. Just try not to get teary-eyed by the end.
This video is controversial, as its troubled main character deals with schoolyard bullies, mean girls, unsympathetic teachers, controlling parents, anorexia, shoplifting, and, in the clip's most unsettling (and, be warned, bloodiest) scene, cutting--all in her attempts to find herself and finally feel that she's "perfect." But the video's surprise ending should bolster the confidence of many self-doubting viewers who can relate to the girl's story. This video is pretty much perfect, and so very timely in a year when the problem of bullying has been in the spotlight. Just try not to get teary-eyed by the end.
5) Duran Duran - "Girl Panic"
There was a time, back in the hallowed 1980s, when supermodels were superstars, practically on the same A-list level as the pop singers who recruited them for their bombastic music videos. And in this nine-and-a-half-minute mini-movie, the "Supers" are back in the gauze-lensed spotlight, recapturing all the celluloid glamour of THE ultimate '80s band's heyday. Starring Naomi Campbell as frontman Simon Le Bon, Cindy Crawford as bassist John Taylor, Helena Christensen as drummer Roger Taylor, and Eva Herzigova as keyboardist Nick Rhodes, along with Simon's own real-life model wife Yasmin, this video perfectly epitomizes the glamour and excess of Duran's champagne-swilling, yacht-hopping glory days.
There was a time, back in the hallowed 1980s, when supermodels were superstars, practically on the same A-list level as the pop singers who recruited them for their bombastic music videos. And in this nine-and-a-half-minute mini-movie, the "Supers" are back in the gauze-lensed spotlight, recapturing all the celluloid glamour of THE ultimate '80s band's heyday. Starring Naomi Campbell as frontman Simon Le Bon, Cindy Crawford as bassist John Taylor, Helena Christensen as drummer Roger Taylor, and Eva Herzigova as keyboardist Nick Rhodes, along with Simon's own real-life model wife Yasmin, this video perfectly epitomizes the glamour and excess of Duran's champagne-swilling, yacht-hopping glory days.
4) Ke$ha - "Blow"
We thought it was awesome enough when Ke$ha engaged in drag-queen chainsaw battles and romped with white tigers in the unofficial "Ke$ha 'n' Friends" day-glo version of her "Take It Off" video last year. But that was nuthin' compared to "Blow," in which the party girl makes out with unicorns (maybe the best use of the white-unicorn motif in a music video since Muse's "Knights Of Cydonia") AND spars with James Van Der Beek in a lazer-rainbow gunfight to end all lazer-rainbow gunfights. Because hey, if there's anything more awesome than a drag-queen chainsaw war, it's a Dawson rainbow war. Right?
We thought it was awesome enough when Ke$ha engaged in drag-queen chainsaw battles and romped with white tigers in the unofficial "Ke$ha 'n' Friends" day-glo version of her "Take It Off" video last year. But that was nuthin' compared to "Blow," in which the party girl makes out with unicorns (maybe the best use of the white-unicorn motif in a music video since Muse's "Knights Of Cydonia") AND spars with James Van Der Beek in a lazer-rainbow gunfight to end all lazer-rainbow gunfights. Because hey, if there's anything more awesome than a drag-queen chainsaw war, it's a Dawson rainbow war. Right?
3) The Black Keys - "Howlin' For You"
A grindhouse trailer of which Quentin Tarantino or Ed Wood themselves would be proud, the howlingly funny "Howlin' For You" stars Maxim Hot 100 actress Tricia Helfer as Alexa Wolff, "a sexy assassin with a troubled past" according IMDB.com, who leaves "a trail of bloody corpses and broken hearts in her wake" as she avenges her father's murder. Along that trail, she meets "Diff'rent Strokes" icon Todd Bridges (perfectly cast as a sassy, lecherous priest), snowboarder Shaun White (one of Alexa's many conquests/victims), and actors Sean Patrick Flanery and Corbin Bernsen. Pass the popcorn and enjoy a screening of this instant cult classic now.
A grindhouse trailer of which Quentin Tarantino or Ed Wood themselves would be proud, the howlingly funny "Howlin' For You" stars Maxim Hot 100 actress Tricia Helfer as Alexa Wolff, "a sexy assassin with a troubled past" according IMDB.com, who leaves "a trail of bloody corpses and broken hearts in her wake" as she avenges her father's murder. Along that trail, she meets "Diff'rent Strokes" icon Todd Bridges (perfectly cast as a sassy, lecherous priest), snowboarder Shaun White (one of Alexa's many conquests/victims), and actors Sean Patrick Flanery and Corbin Bernsen. Pass the popcorn and enjoy a screening of this instant cult classic now.
2) Katy Perry - "Last Friday Night"
The greatest John Hughes movie never made, this totally awesome eight-minute teen flick stars Katy--or more specifically, "Kathy Beth Terry," her orthodontically challenged, heavily mouth-breathing geek-girl alter ego--along with "Glee's" Kevin McHale as the knight in Medieval Times armor of her nerdy dreams, and Kevin's "Glee" castmate Darren Criss as the big man on campus (the role Emilio Estevez probably would've landed if this video had actually been filmed in 1985). But that is just the beginning of all the teenage dreaminess. Former tween heartthrobs Hanson also make a cameo as the band playing at Kathy's outta-control house party, '80s teen sensations Corey Feldman and Debbie Gibson portray her hard-partyin' parents, and Rebecca Black plays Kathy's cool (yes, cool) BFF. And then, as a little something for older viewers, the original sexy sax man, Kenny G, stars as..."Uncle Kenny." And yes, he's got his saxophone with him. Seriously, all that's missing here is Jake Ryan driving up in a red sports car at the end.
The greatest John Hughes movie never made, this totally awesome eight-minute teen flick stars Katy--or more specifically, "Kathy Beth Terry," her orthodontically challenged, heavily mouth-breathing geek-girl alter ego--along with "Glee's" Kevin McHale as the knight in Medieval Times armor of her nerdy dreams, and Kevin's "Glee" castmate Darren Criss as the big man on campus (the role Emilio Estevez probably would've landed if this video had actually been filmed in 1985). But that is just the beginning of all the teenage dreaminess. Former tween heartthrobs Hanson also make a cameo as the band playing at Kathy's outta-control house party, '80s teen sensations Corey Feldman and Debbie Gibson portray her hard-partyin' parents, and Rebecca Black plays Kathy's cool (yes, cool) BFF. And then, as a little something for older viewers, the original sexy sax man, Kenny G, stars as..."Uncle Kenny." And yes, he's got his saxophone with him. Seriously, all that's missing here is Jake Ryan driving up in a red sports car at the end.
1) Beastie Boys - "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"
What's cooler than Beastie Boys? Beastie dolls! Spike Jonze, the genius director behind classic Beastie vids like "Sabotage" and "Sure Shot," reteamed with the trio and cast a bunch of plastic action figures in the most action-packed video of 2011. In a year when the Beasties landed on the list of new Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, it was also great to see them land on this list twice."
What's cooler than Beastie Boys? Beastie dolls! Spike Jonze, the genius director behind classic Beastie vids like "Sabotage" and "Sure Shot," reteamed with the trio and cast a bunch of plastic action figures in the most action-packed video of 2011. In a year when the Beasties landed on the list of new Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, it was also great to see them land on this list twice."
Monday, February 14, 2011
Foo Fighters & Lemmy = White Limo
Got word about the new video called "White Limo" by the Foo Fighters and clearly didn't expect something this great. Its off the cuff and simple reminding me of a late 80's video style, which has been mined a bit by bands such as Municipal Waste and The Damned Things, to great effect. Hopefully this is a change of pace for Dave Grohl and company and with this style, I know of the perfect opening band, yep She Rides would be kill it on a tour with them.
While thinking on killer projects with Dave Grohl and Lemmy together, how can we forget about Probot! An amazing album and the song for the video even features Wino, double dose of good shit!
