6.06.2008

Your New Favourite Music Videos

I lost myself in the maze of youtube yesterday, but ended up back at the same old videos I can't get enough of. The first, by Sigur Ros, is brand new so I havent been able to watch it more than 4 times. The rest are classics that I return to every time I need some beauty in my day. So lose yourself today in some of my favourite music videos.

Sigur Ros

Two things about this band:

1. They made up their own language to intersperse in their music along with their native tongue (they are from Iceland.)
2. They live in the most beautiful country on the planet, and have made a movie about playing music there. Cannot WAIT to see this and have daydreams about moving there.

Their newest music video, Gobbledigook, was made with inspiration from photographer
Ryan McGinley. The album releases in North America on June 25th, but the video is available now, is g o r g e o u s and is not safe for work (unless you work from home or are in the naked-people-everywhere industry...)

Youtube does not have the uncensored version so click
HERE to watch it from another site. sorry.

Trailer for their movie Heima:


Beirut

Besides having a beautifully designed website, Beirut is a band I haven't been able to get sick of yet. Zach Condon happens to be one of the most talented 22 year old dude I can think of at the moment. Zach's instruments of choice are the trumpet and the ukulele, which he favours over the guitar due to a wrist injury stopping him from being able to reach around the neck.

I am so in love with this video that it has inspired the theme of my wedding. *note to all our groomsmen: you will now be wearing mustaches, and linen, khaki clam-diggers, sorry* The video was shot in LA and directed by
Alma Har'el. The costume director was Lauren Tafuri, whom I may end up marrying if only I could find more information on her! For your viewing pleasure "Elephant Gun":



And if you like the way this sounds, you are in luck because all their songs sound slightly the same! In a good way.

Grizzly Bear

If you like whistles, banjos and harmony... have I got a band for you! Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn based band including Christopher Bear (drummer/vocals), Edward Droste (singer/guitarist), Daniel Rossen (singer/guitarist) and Christopher Taylor (bass/woodwinds/electronics/vocals). This video includes 3 of the members in an impromptu version of the song "Deep Blue Sea." It is an old American folk song that seems to be derived from an old British ballad or sea song (
source). Either way, that people can make music from their bodies that sounds like this.... amazes me. The sound equalizes after about a minute so don't get frustrated.



CocoRosie

CocoRosie consists of sisters Sierra Rose Casady ("Rosie") and Bianca Leilani Casady ("Coco"). According to wikipedia:

Their estranged mother, a teacher and artist, would compulsively move the girls across the country from one state to another. Their estrangedfather traveled around the US teaching in Steiner Waldorf schools, and was involved in Shamanism and Peyote religion. Sierra and Bianca spent their summers hiking from reservation to reservation with their father.

The girls lost contact after Sierra was kicked out of the house. Bianca left Brooklyn to travel the world and found Sierra in Paris years later where the two holed up in the bathroom (where the acoustics were the best) and made music. As you can see, the girls use whatever they can find to do this: kazoos, children's toys, harps, etc. They produce music so raw and beautiful you can't help but wonder if your uninhibited tinkering could sound this good!



Thanks for watching my favourite videos! What are yours?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Meg- love your taste in music (and art)
I always really loved that Cocorosie video. If you listen to that song with your eyes closed, and open them halfway through that video, you'd be like "how the hell are they getting all of that sound...sitting on a couch with plastic toys and a harp?" At least thats what I think.
Here are two of my favs
Loney Dear (I am John)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA57ImfVqcE
Wolf Parade (Ill believe in anything)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZgwW-RzD30

Meagan Whiteley said...

Thanks! I like what I like! I agree about the cocorosie video, have you seen the one of them in the elevator? same deal, how are they doing it?!!
Those are Great videos too, I hadn't seen them! Thanks for sharing.

meg

House of Rainbows said...

Love Sigur Ros. If you ever end up fulfilling your daydream of going there - take me in your carry on;)
xo

Meagan Whiteley said...

You know what's so weird? My downstairs neighbours had a BBQ this weekend and shared with me that they are going to ICELAND on wednesday! coincidence!

Abby said...

I didn't know you liked cocorosie! I am retardedly obsessed with them. My favorite songs are werewolf and turn me on. And I loveee the video on youtube for turn me on.

I've seen a few interviews with them and they're really weird, in a neat way of course. They both, at least at one point in time, dated Antony from Antony and the Johnsons.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=y2hoP9CllbI

Michelle Suzanne said...

oh see how i am catching up now on all your amazing posts.
i am not so into videos, but i am obsessed with beirut.
just saying.

Meagan Whiteley said...

Michelle: The videos are so good though! You should watch them if you have a chance. I love the beirut video, obviously or I wouldn't post it in my "favourite videos" post. duh.
thanks for reading!

Michelle Suzanne said...

meg, you are so right. that video is amazing. i seriously cannot believe that dude is only 22.