November 2010

WATCH IT: Oars "Karats" (So Spun We Spun West, dir.)

The handmade vibe of this mixed-media video for Oars is a bit off-putting at first, yet gets strangely compelling as the video gets more and more elaborate and complex. Disembodied heads, sprawling landscapes constructed from magazine cut-outs and other detritus are manipulated via various ways, including some old-school hand-cranked conveyor belts and magnets. It's trippy, silly DIY that works thanks to its charm and a lack of pretension. --> watch "Karats"

WATCH IT: N.E.R.D. "Hypnotize U"

If you're the type of guy who likes to spend some extra time in the shower lathering up (so to speak) and dreaming about the gaggle of underwear girls waiting in your bedroom, well, this video is for you. That said, all the contact here is aural (not physical and, no, certainly not oral). N.E.R.D. mastermind Pharrell is only able move the ladies through the song itself. When he hits the refrain, they spring to momentary erotic life. Otherwise, they loll around his mansion like vacant, hypnotized eye candy. Call it the Musician's Paradox: She only loves you until the song ends. --> watch "Hypnotize U"

WATCH IT: You Say Party "Lonely's Lunch" (Sean Wainsteim, dir.)

Director Sean Wainsteim delivers an action-adventure sci-fi tale for this You Say Party video. Shot on location in India and showcasing a vibe that evokes both Slumdog Millionaire and District 9, the video stars a female resistance fighter who's on the run and about to learn why you should never trust a man with a neck tattoo. --> watch "Lonely's Lunch"

WATCH IT: 7L & Esoteric "Retrospects" (McFarland & Pecci, dir.)

To every rap fan who dreams of living the gangster life: It's probably much more like what you see in this gritty, violent and insane 7L & Esoteric video than the flossy depiction usually found in music videos.  It's a similar vibe to photographer Ross McDonnell's Joyrider series —  which apparently inspired the visuals here — but with a twist that has the Boston rapper Esoteric abducted by a Russian crew that's not afraid to get as depraved as they wanna be.  --> watch "Retrospects"

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