1,2,3 with Caswell Coggins

In light of the July 4th holiday, Video Static will be on holiday for a few days. Funny how that works. We will, however, leave you with a new feature we call "1,2,3 with..."

Here's the deal: We'll be asking directors and other creative types in the music video world to pick three videos based on any criteria of their choosing. Their three favorite videos, ever. The three videos that they never want to see again. The three best videos with cameos by professional wrestlers (yes, Captain Lou Albano would count). Also, they have to explain their picks. Leading things off is Caswell Coggins, who directed the recent Chris Cornell "Arms Around Your Love" in addition to videos for Keane, Boy Kill Boy, The Feeling and plenty others.

Caswell Coggins, director (Draw Pictures):

Here are three videos I think are great...

1. The first is Chris Cunningham's video for Aphex Twin "Windowlicker." It's a very dark video. It gets stranger each time I watch it.
   
2. The second is Michel Gondry's video for Daft Punk "All Around the World." It's just a fantastic thing to watch. I never get tired of seeing it.
   
3. Third is a recent video by Timothy Saccenti for the Battles "Atlas." It's just a great piece of music and a great performance captured by a beautifully simple visual concept. It has a relentless quality that I find very satisfying.
   

NEW RELEASE: Smashing Pumpkins "Tarantula"

If that chugging riff at the center of this new Smashing Pumpkins track reminds you of vintage Black Sabbath — specifically, "Children Of The Grave" — then just wait til you see the video. It struck me, at least, as another in the long line of performance clips influenced by "Iron Man" and other footage from Black Sabbath's appearance on German TV show Der Beat Club. Then again, everything reminds me of Black Sabbath. It might be a mental disorder. Anyway. Chief Pumpkin Billy Corgan — in a space-age shawl, of course —is joined in performance by his new bandmates and a whole bunch of additional musicians — played by folks cast in Atlanta, where the video was shot. The psychedelic video treatments look like an old 3-D film viewed without the glasses and the barrage of green screen backgrounds is as over the top as you'd expect. --> watch "Tarantula" via Spinner/AOL premiere or Brightcove or YouTube

Smashing Pumpkins "Tarantula" (Reprise)
P.R. Brown, director/editor | Christina Wagner, producer | Anonymous Content, production co | Jason Presant, DP

SHOT: James Blunt - P.R. Brown, director

artist: James Blunt
song: "1973"
label: Atlantic
director(s): P.R. Brown
production co: Anonymous Content

SHOT: Shiny Toy Guns - Travis Kopach, director

artist: Shiny Toy Guns
song: "Rainy Monday"
label: Universal Motown
director(s): Travis Kopach
production co: Refused TV/Dignity & Shame

BOOKED: Angie Stone - Gina Prince-Bythewood, director

artist: Angie Stone
song: "Baby"
label: Stax/Concord
director(s): Gina Prince-Bythewood
production co: Mabam!

NEW RELEASE: Bonde De Role "Solta O Frango"

Bonde do Role is in danger of being completely overlooked by the indie rock jetset, who are too busy being distracted by M.I.A.'s musical internationalism. No mind! The Brazilian baile funk group is already getting some airtime on MTV, and hopefully this clip will usher in a wave of loose, sexy vibes to America's clubs. "Solta O Frango," which means something like "Untie the Chicken," is set in an alley of one of Rio de Janeiro's favelas and features a staged cockfight between two costumed men being egged on by singer/referee Marina Vello. While we have seen a lot of this before — favelas and chickens — Bonde do Role and director Barney Clay have made what may be the first baile funk video to get international attention. And beyond that, it's good fun! Drop your cynicism and enjoy. (review by Kevin Holy) --> watch "Solta O Frango"

Bonde De Role "Solta O Frango" (Domino)
Barney Clay, director | HSI, production co

NEW RELEASE: Mia "Boyz"

M.I.A. is not from the streets. Or, at least, not from the streets you'd expect for any artist so influenced by old school hip-hop. Born in London,  raised in Sri Lanka and India before returning to the UK, M.I.A.'s music reflects that broad spectrum of influences. Her new single "Boyz" is a wild soundclash of styles and cultures — reggae, hip-hop, techno, tribal beats, etc, etc —  and the video is just as colorful and frenetic. M.I.A. fronts a boisterously rough dance troupe while jagged illustrations zig-zag across the screen and the faux letterbox borders. The color scheme hews closely to the Jamaica flag — which makes sense, since the video was shot on-location there — and I have to give a tip of the cap to my SubterraneanBlog.com friends for pointing out the video's obvious precursor in Neneh Cherry s"Buffalo Stance" video. --> watch "Boyz"

M.I.A. "Boyz" (Interscope)
M.I.A. & Jay Will, director | Carleene Samuels, producer | Creative Source (Jamaica), production co | Brendon Sherman, editor | Ben Jones/Weirdcore, editor

NEW RELEASE: Of Montreal "Suffer For Fashion"

Of Montreal may keep their little musical clique clicking at 130 bpm, but their videos clock in at a slightly slower rate. After an incredibly strange "let's put on a show" video for "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse," band leader Kevin Barnes and crew have let Scandinavian artist Sigrid Astrup create a little art project to serve as the video for "Suffer For Fashion." A pair of hands manipulates various objects — including some live performance clips —and creates a series of mixed media still lifes in largely stop motion footage. There's not too much going on, but the video has a definite handmade charm that makes it, well, charming. --> watch "Suffer For Fashion" at SubterraneanBlog.com

Of Montreal "Suffer For Fashion" (Polyvinyl)
Sigrid Astrup, director