Rumproast’s Top 15 Music Videos of 2009
Yesterday we rolled out the honorable mentions and today we present the fifteen best music videos of 2009. Enjoy.
15) Steel Panther’s “Death To All But Metal”—A perfectly goofy, risque and politically incorrect ([Trigger warning.]!) send-up of all of those “Hot for Teacher”-style videos of the 80’s. The lyrics could not be more appropriately moronic or offensive. Features a cameo by Sarah Silverman as a horny principal.
14) The Flaming Lips’ “I Can Be a Frog”—A cutesy-odd little semi-animated video featuring a girl in a bikini imitating critters (and other things) and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O providing the sound effects. Deceptively adorable.
13) The Swell Season’s “Low Rising”—The couple from the film Once deliver a nice Van Morrison-style tune with a gorgeous, sopping-wet video to accompany it.
12) Blitzen Trapper’s “Black River Killer”—Music video as motion picture.
11) N.A.S.A.‘s “The People Tree”—When it came to music videos in 2009, N.A.S.A. owned the year. This gorgeous and disturbing video featuring the artwork of Marcel Dzama and vocals by David Bryne is the first of three N.A.S.A. efforts to land in our top fifteen.
10) St. Vincent’s “Actor Out Of Work”—There’s something about St. Vincent (besides the fact that she’s beautiful) that makes you want to stare at her forever. I know a lot of critics preferred her video for “Marrow,” but I liked this song a lot more and the Warhol Screen Tests-style close-ups of the blubbering actors couldn’t have worked better.
9) N.A.S.A.‘s “Spacious Thoughts”—Tom Waits as an animated red smoke monster. You need more than that?
8) Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks”—Sparky.
7) Nyle’s “Let the Beat Build”—NYU student Nyle covers Lil Wayne’s “Let the Beat Build” (with new lyrics) in this one-take, feel-good live music video (replete with strings, horns, piano and a banjo). If you don’t crack even the smallest smile when watching this, your soul needs to be sent to the shop.
6) Raekwon’s “House of Flying Daggers”—Kung fu film meets Tarantino meets Wu-Tang. Brains are punched out of skulls, rib cages fly through backs, and, well, blood and bodily fluids pretty much flow everywhere. Fun!
5) Charlotte Gainsbourg’s “Heaven Can Wait”—Sure, Beck is in this, but what really makes it work is that it’s like a box of Cracker Jacks that never runs out of prizes.
4) Fall On Your Sword’s “Shatner Of The Mount”—The only thing funnier than this music video is how inexplicably catchy the tune is.
3) Amadou & Mariam’s “Masitéladi”—Stunning animated wall-walking from Mali’s talented gift to the world.
2) Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s “I Am Goodbye”—Call me crazy for picking this low-budget, no-frills entry for the #2 slot, but I think I’ve watched it more than any video this year. It brings me great amounts of joy and no video moment this year was better than that smile he flashes at about the one minute mark.
1) N.A.S.A.’s “A Volta”—This is the music video equivalent of Amores Perros (except possibly more disturbing). It’s a hideously fascinating stop animation trip through the darkest Lego-type world you could ever possibly imagine and it’s extremely violent, so don’t watch it if that kinda stuff ain’t your cup of tea. Brutal as hell, but it’s so original and visually arresting that there’s no way I couldn’t rank it at the top of the heap.
Posted by Kevin K. on 12/22/09 at 10:17 AM • Permalink
Categories: Music • Music Videos • Rumproast Related • YouTubidity •
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