And now for some boobs: The Brighton Port Authority - “Toe Jam” (feat. David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal)

OK, so the time has come. Nobody follows my blog, so I have to fire the big guns (or rather big boobs) in a last-ditch resort for saving my blogger career. So here we go. Let me present you a video with naked chicks. And seriously... This is a brilliant song by Fatboy Slim's The Brighton Port Authority, featuring the one and only David Byrne, whose distinct vocals and nonchalant delivery fit perfectly with the lighthearted melody and the funny video. And speaking of the video - yes, there are naked chicks in it. But all the fun parts are covered with censor boxes. I am sure it required a huge amount of editing, as it has been done in a very funny and creative way. It is not very often, when you can see censorship actually adding some value to the censored material. Absolutely brilliant. Just watch it for yourself. Oh, and the guy behind the video is the acclaimed music video director Keith Schofield.

The Brighton Port Authority - “Toe Jam” (feat. David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal)

I will show you this infographic: Autokratz - “Stay the same”

I just want you to see this video, because it is absolutely brilliant - creative and funny. Musically it is also worth noting, if one is into electro, as it illustrates a single from the debut EP of the band AutoKratz, but it definitely stands out because of the video, directed by Laurie Thinot. The video is a parody of infographic with charts changing to the beat of the track. It was presented in 2009 at Saatchi & Saatchi's New Directors Showcase - a part of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Autokratz - “Stay the same”

From Middle Earth to Outer Space: The Phoenix Foundation - "Hitchcock"

One more lucky find. It was posted on the channel presenting short films, which it is indeed. But at the same time this is a video to a song by a New Zealandish band The Phoenix Foundation. I've never heard of them, but judging from this song, this is a mistake I have to correct as soon as possible. This is a truly brilliant video, combining very original animation with perfectly corresponding music. It was directed (or in this case rather "made") by Reuben Sutherland, a visual artist specialising in mixing up live action and animation. And the music is also original. I guess it could be labeled "post rock", but it wouldn't do justice to this great piece. This is a combination of atmospheric instrumental rock fueled by prominent guitars with electronic sounds straight out of Jean-Michel Jarre's most "cosmic" tunes. The result is something I would call "space rock". OK, enough talkingwriting. I have to book a ticket for a nightflight to Venus.

The Phoenix Foundation - "Hitchcock"

A higher quality version can be found here.

She's got talent: ElettroVoce Duo - "Parlando"

I ran into this video by chance, as this form of art is not my main field of interest. This is a recorded live performance of the act ElettroVoce Duo, comprising of Agata Zubel (voice) and Cezary Duchnowski (computer). And Agata Zubel herself is supposedly a young but already renown Polish vocalist and composer of contemporary academic music. And you just have to hear what she can do with her voice. That's not something I would call "music", as it obviously does not qualify for repeated listening. But judged on its own merits, as an artistic performance showing technical prowess, insane command of the voice and infinite imagination and creativity in finding new ways of expression and stretching the boundaries of what is humanely possible to do with the voice - it is absolutely brilliant to watch.

ElettroVoce Duo - "Parlando"

YouTube sidebar recommends: The Grates - "Turn Me On"

Damn you, YouTube sidebar! I have some work to do, you know?! This time simply a fantastic video to the song (not bad either) by the Australian act The Grates. It was directed by Dimitri Basil. Dimitri is not on Wikipedia (yet), but you can read an online interview with the guy. I hope his future career will be as successful as this clip.

The Grates - "Turn Me On"

Music is well, thank you: Selah Sue - "Raggamuffin"

Some people like to complain that true music died and all that contemporary artists produce is shit. Usually it is strangely related to those people getting older and becoming less open, more nostalgic and focused on the past. Well... What can you do? The world moves on. However, as long as you can still top the charts just with a good melody, powerful voice and acoustic guitar, I officially announce: the Music is well, thank you for your concern. OK, good looks won't hurt, either. ;-P

Selah Sue - "Raggamuffin"

Back to the '60s: Miss Li - "My Heart Goes Boom"

A stylish take on the sound of the '60s. A stylish take on the videos of the '60s. Both missions accomplished.

Miss Li - "My Heart Goes Boom"

Double brilliance: Ane Brun - "Do You Remember"

A brilliant song illustrated by a brilliant video. It was directed by Magnus Renfors and it has been nominated as the music video of the year in the Norwegian music awards Spellemannprisen. "Do You Remember" is the third chapter from a short film based to music from Ane's album It All Starts With One.

Ane Brun - "Do You Remember"

Your job sucks? You're not alone: JbDubs - "I Hate My Job"

This song is not particularly my piece of cake. But the video is so hilarious (and original) that I just had to share it with you. All the more so, I'm sure many people will easily relate to its lyrics.

JbDubs - "I Hate My Job"

Let's stay in the present: Skrillex - Summit (feat. Ellie Goulding)

No big story or a common theme this time. I just like this video. Maybe I'm getting old and seeing a record of such footloose partying brings me sweet memories and a general feeling of nostalgia? Or maybe it is just fun to watch people having fun? Nevertheless, the video perfectly fits the song and is really well done by the Pilerats Collective.

Skrillex - Summit (feat. Ellie Goulding)

Tired of Pellington? Let's see this: Jigsaw Soul - "Last Train Ride"

I've never heard of the band Jigsaw Soul, until accidentally having run into this video. Wait a minute... didn't I write something like that recently? Anyhow. They come from Williamsburg, New York, US and as they say about themselves: The music is an eclectic set of rhythmic styles, propelled by a deep undulating groove and layers of atmosphere that envelopes and ultimately haunts the listener. Live performances feature stunning widescreen digital graphics and are augmented by innovative contemporary dance. You can see below one example of such graphics, in the form of the music video Last Train Ride, shot (or - in this case - drawn) by the Turkish filmmaker Gokhan Okur. A really atmospheric piece, in my humble opinion. It won several well-deserved awards at short-film festivals around the world.

Jigsaw Soul - "Last Train Ride"

A countdown to Jeremy: P.M. Dawn - "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss"

Spandau Ballet - "True"

Surprised? Oh, you shouldn't be. P.M. Dawn is a hip-hop act, right? So it should be obvious they are copycats ripping off true artists, like (almost) all rappers do. And the above song is not the only one used in the P.M. Dawn's hit. It contains samples from The Soul Searchers' Ashley's Roachclip and the main drumbeat also samples from Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full. Even the lyrics are heavily inspired by other songs. The opening verse is influenced by the Joni Mitchell song The Boho Dance. The original "A camera pans the cocktail hour/ Behind a blind of potted palms" becomes "The camera pans the cocktail glass/ Behind a blind of plastic plants", and the line "Subterranean by your own design" is echoed as "Subterranean by design". In the second verse, they mention two hit songs from 1985. "Careless whisper from a careless man" refers to Careless Whisper by George Michael, and "A neutron dance for a neutron fan" makes reference to Neutron Dance by The Pointer Sisters. The line "Christina Applegate, you gotta put me on" is a reference to the song Bonita Applebum by A Tribe Called Quest. But, surprisingly and contrary to the majority of their fellow "MCs" (fuck you Coolio, fuck you Puff Daddy), they happened to be talented enough to add some value to the borrowed mixture of samples. And even more - Set Adrift On Memory Bliss is much much better than the bland Spandau Ballet's song. It is a truly nice catchy pop tune. With a classy well-fitting video by Mark Pellington (you lucky bastards!), still waiting for his Jeremy. But with the great gift of YouTube, you don't have to believe my words. You can check for yourself. Just push play. Oh, one more thing. Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley made a cameo in the video, appearing near the end of it. He had to be jealous as hell, but he masked it well.

P.M. Dawn - "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" <<< PREV <<<           [ Mark Pellington ]           >>> NEXT >>>

Disclaimer: No Wikipedia articles were hurt in making of this post, but some of them were extensively used.

Yet another Pellington: Crystal Waters - "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)"

The first real hit to be filmed by Mark Pellington. It peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at number two in the UK Singles Chart, and it went to number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. It was the highest-debuting single for a new act in the UK Singles Chart at that time. A simple dance tune would not be particularly memorable, if not for the infectious "la da da" chorus - catchy for some, annoying for others. Nevertheless, those were still the good old days when even dance songs had proper lyrics. As for the video - nothing spectacular here, either. It's purely utilitarian, but it does its job of illustrating a dance tune. Pellington had to wait one year more for a song great enough as to match the size of his video-making talent - Pearl Jam's Jeremy.

Crystal Waters - "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" <<< PREV <<<           [ Mark Pellington ]           >>> NEXT >>>

Disclaimer: No Wikipedia articles were hurt in making of this post, but some of them were extensively used.

They did not deserve this: Information Society - "Repetition"

Let's continue exploring the portfolio of Mark Pellington, a brilliant music video director. The next video is from 1989 and comes from Information Society again. This time it is not upbeat synthpop, but a bland pop ballad. Nevertheless, the video is really good, perfectly corresponding with the nostalgic feel to the song. It is truly too good for them. But little did they know that in three years Mark Pellington would help send them, along with the rest of synthpop plague, to the garbage heap of history.

Information Society - "Repetition" <<< PREV <<<           [ Mark Pellington ]           >>> NEXT >>>

Pellington again: Information Society - "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)"

Generic synthpop - not much to listen to here, but the video is directed by Mark Pellington. Although the song is totally missable, Mr. Pellington did a good job here. Fake instruments fit perfectly the plastic-like feel and artificial nature of synthpop and overuse of bright colors corresponds well with the pop upbeat tune. Wikipedia says that the song achieved U.S. success when released in 1988, peaking at #3 on the Billboard pop charts in October. It is so good that the '80s lasted only ten years.

Information Society - "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)" <<< PREV <<<           [ Mark Pellington ]           >>> NEXT >>>

We need to go deeper: Deep Six - "Stay Right Here"

There is almost nothing interesting about this video or the dull pop rock song it illustrates, except the fact that it is the debut music video of the acclaimed director Mark Pellington, who moved on to film such masterpieces as Pearl Jam's Jeremy or U2's One. So it is interesting for the purpose of observing his artistic development.

Deep Six - "Stay Right Here" <<< PREV <<<           [ Mark Pellington ]           >>> NEXT >>>

One flew over the cuckoo's nest: The Real Tuesday Weld - "Bathtime In Clerkenwell"

I've never heard of the band The Real Tuesday Weld, until accidentally having run into this video. Wikipedia says they are a British band, fronted by lead singer and founder Stephen Coates. They are known for producing jazzy cabaret-style music with subtle electronica influences, a style dubbed "antique beat" by Coates. They have six albums, several singles and EPs and many tracks on compilations. Their combination of big band jazz era sounds with beats has been influential on the current range of 'electro-swing' artists and DJs. The band is named after American film actress Tuesday Weld. Coates once had a dream involving Weld and 1930s vocalist Al Bowlly. Coates and others often cite the dream as inspiration for the band and its particular style. The animated video was created by Alex Budovsky and it won several well-deserved awards at short-film festivals around the world.

The Real Tuesday Weld - "Bathtime In Clerkenwell"

One-hit wonder again: Whale - "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe"

Another one-hit wonder. This time it's import from Sweden, where both of Whale's albums scored the charts. But only one song off the debut gained the true worldwide popularity: "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe". A completely loony but catchy song with awkward female vocals and insane noisy chorus of two madmen. The song accompanied by equally crazy video, put on heavy rotation on music channels. Those good old days when such insane tune was played in the prime time, instead of the Freak Hour Show at 2 AM... If you lived in Europe back then and was old enough to operate the TV remote, you couldn't miss this one. The group was formed by Henrik Schyffert, Cia Berg – more recently known as Cia Soro – and Gordon Cyrus. Their first single, 1993's "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" achieved critical acclaim, heavy spins in the Euro dance club scene, saturation airplay on MTV and reached the Top 10 in Denmark and Norway, Top 30 in Holland and Austria, Top 40 in Sweden and #24 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also reached #46 on the UK Singles Chart chart in 1994, and when reissued in 1995, reached #15. The video was directed by Mark Pellington - our good old friend from the Pearl Jam's "Jeremy". The video's popularity was acknowledged when it won the first MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video in 1994.

Whale - "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe"

Disclaimer: No Wikipedia articles were hurt in making of this post, but some of them were extensively used.

I've got no idea for a witty title: Cornershop - "Brimful Of Asha"

Not exactly a one-hit wonder this time, although no other Cornershop's tunes got so extremely popular to be played everywhere. In fact I have never ran into any of their songs except for this one. But Wikipedia says they are pretty successful. Good for them. They deserve it for this song, if not for anything else. "Brimful of Asha" originally reached number 60 in the UK Singles Chart in 1997. After a remixed version of the song by Fatboy Slim, originally released only as a limited edition 12 inch single in the UK, became both a radio and critical success, the song was re-released and reached #1 in the UK chart in February 1998 and number #16 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The lyrics are a tribute to Asha Bhosle, one of the most famous pop singers/film-score vocalists of India. Below I present both versions, so you can check for yourself which is better. The music video was directed by Phil Harder. As you see, the guy did a great job.

Cornershop - "Brimful Of Asha" (original version) Cornershop - "Brimful Of Asha" (Fatboy Slim remix)

Disclaimer: No Wikipedia articles were hurt in making of this post, but some of them were extensively used.

One-hit wonder: Babylon Zoo - "Spaceman"

A one-hit wonder is a person or act whose only reason for visiting our world is to record a one special song before sinking into oblivion. Special, because it is much much better than the rest of works of a particular artist. And because of its enormous awesomeness it manages to storm the charts and gain the unknown artist immortality. The song I present below went straight to number 1 on the UK singles chart on 21 January 1996, selling 418,000 copies in the first week of release. At the time it was the fastest selling single by a debut artist in the UK. The single remained at number 1 in the UK for 5 weeks, selling 893,000 copies in this period. The single also went to number 1 in the single charts in twenty-three countries. Babylon Zoo released two more singles from the debut album and the next album followed three years later, but they never repeated this success and eventually they broke up. The song is undeniably great, but two more factors helped with its success. One was a brilliant video, put on heavy rotation on MTV. And the other - it was used in a popular Levi's jeans ad. Finally, another reason to praise Babylon Zoo for this song is that it kicked out Coolio's shameful rip-off "Gangsta's Paradise" from the top spot on several charts. Thank you, guys. By the way, do not buy this track. If you like it, just download it from the Internet and use your money on another artist. These guys would not see a single penny, as all the rights belong to the fucking EMI, who is not interested in profiting from this song anyhow. If they were interested they would not block this video in some countries on YouTube and DailyMotion.

Babylon Zoo - "Spaceman"

Disclaimer: No Wikipedia articles were hurt in making of this post, but some of them were extensively used.