OK Go “I Won’t Let You Down”
OK Go are the hardest working band when it comes to music videos. They’ve created several single shot videos that have been memorable and fantastic. Their latest for “I Won’t Let You Down” is no exception. This video is probably their biggest work to date. At times they are filmed from high up in the air as this video was shot in a single take using a “multi-copter camera” created specifically for the shoot. There is a large cast of females in the video performing all kinds of dancing moves as backups to the band, and umbrellas come into heavy play. It’s impressive to see what is created considering that no special effects were used, but that this is all about timing and position just like a college band might perform during halftime of a football game. At some point this band just won’t be able to up the ante anymore, but for right now they keep pushing the limits of one shot videos.
Fitz & The Tantrums “Fools Gold”
Relationships can be tough, especially when things are going well for you but not your partner. That moment you hear that someone’s no longer in love with you can feel terrible. It can really knock you back as though your falling off a tall building. That’s kind of the story in the video for Fitz & The Tantrums’ “Fools Gold”. It begins with a woman standing in her apartment as her boyfriend is telling her he’s just not in love with her anymore. She goes crashing back through the wall and free falling towards the ground with debris all around her. She keeps going back to memories of them having good times, like when she was cuddling and having a tickle war in bed. And then the image of her being blind sided would be emphasized as the bed would split in half and she’d fall again. Then the images of hope would come. First she imagines landing in a small pool, and that her boyfriend is there and everything will be ok. Then she imagines a stranger getting a group of people together to catch her. It’s the old “I’ll find someone else who’ll save me and forget about you” ploy. In the end, she lands on her feet looking up. Her now ex is looking down from above. The best image of what’s actually happened is in this moment, because she feels let down. But that’s it, just like fools gold you think you have something when you don’t. It’s best to move on.
Sharon Van Etten “Your Love is Killing Me”
Speaking of relationships, Sharon Van Etten’s video for “Your Love is Killing Me” deals with a special type. This relationship, just from the lyrics of the song alone, is one of those “I love you, but I don’t like you” deals. It starts out with Sharon sitting in a bar, having a beer, and lighting up a cigarette as she stares out the window. The bartender comes over to repeatedly ask her to put the cigarette out. She eventually does, glaring at him while putting it out on the bar top. She finished her beer, collects her cigarettes and lighter, and heads out the door. While walking to her destination we see her pull over and look down as she does something. We don’t see what. She continues on to another bar where the person who’s love is killing her is waiting. She walks in, looks at him, and holds up both her arms. The sleeves of her shirt are covered in red, and she collapses to the ground. He runs over, unbottons her sleeve, and sees that there is not cut on her wrist. She stands up smiling and walks out to go on her way. This is sociopathic behavior. She just wants to get back at him so she frightens him into thinking she’s cut herself. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done anything wrong, but given the context of the lyrics it’s obvious this guy was a dick to her, and she snapped. Don’t joke around like this. If you’re in love with someone who is a dick, just leave. It’s hard. It’s going to take a lot of work, but no contact is the best rule. One day, you’ll be happier.
Shadow Child featurng Doorly “Climbin'(Piano Weapon)”
Shadow Child’s latest song features Doorly and is called “Climbin’ (Piano Weapon)”. The video features around a nerdy guy who is walking home with his comic book in hand. His mind is on the attractive young female in Nike sneakers who he wants to notice him. He finds his way to a park where a ping pong table is set up, and sees her playing against a friend. From this moment on, his mind is racing. He’s trying to find a something to talk about that might interest and/or impress her. He goes to a record store where he considers finding a great Indie album to listen to. He changes his mind and goes to look at videos hoping to pick a new hobby. He considers martial arts but realizes that wouldn’t be a good idea after imagining himself training in his bedroom. He then finds the holy grail, a VHS cassette
titled Ping Pong 101. His life becomes training for ping pong, though that only involves getting a paddle and practicing the swings the video teaches. Now he wants to challenge his love. He goes to the park but she isn’t there. He finds flier for a ping pong tournament, and heads on over to it. He enters and makes it far enough to face her. She unloads on him. She is blitzing him with hits that he just can’t combat. She knocks him over with a shot. This is when she walks over, puts on her glasses, and offers a hand up. Here is his chance to meet her. Let’s hope he gets something out of it.
Bombay Bicycle Club “Home By Now”
Bombay Bicycle Club’s latest video for “Home By Now” is like Max Fischer directing directing a Rushmore production of Space Odyssey: 2001. OK, so this is actually a 5th grade production of the sci fi classic, but it’s still the kind of thing I’d picture Fischer doing. They follow the movie fairly closely though for obvious reasons they condense the scenes. You’re not going to find a school with a stage big enough to hold an actually bay with pods. Nor will you have enough room to build HAL to full scale. They still do a great job, and the colors are so much more vibrant than I recall the movie having. Though, to be honest, the movie used music to help build tension and mood overall. We do have music in the video, but it doesn’t correlate to the story as well as the soundtrack to the movie did. What we have here is the use of colors to help build action and emotion. Plus, I do like the set designs a lot.
