Whether it’s because they roundhouse kicked us in the eyeballs with their visual creativity or just plain upped our site traffic, we've got nothing but love for music videos. In no particular order, here are just five of the clips that compromised our workplace productivity in 2009:
The Dead Weather, "Treat Me Like Your Mother"
Directed by: Jonathan Glazer
Give Allison Mosshart and Jack White microphones, and they'll do plenty of damage. Give them fully loaded weapons, and they'll deliver one of the most badass videos of the year. The Dead Weather bandmates meet on the most desolate playing field imaginable -- a suburban sub-division -- for a semi-automatic showdown. Bullets fly, black-leather jackets get irreparably damaged, but White and Mosshart come out unscathed. Is there some cheesy statement about rock 'n' roll never dying in there?
Department of Eagles, "Nobody Does it Like You"
Directed by: Patrick Daughters and Marcel Dzama
Like the Dead Weather's video, this one for Grizzly Bear side project the Department of Eagles boils down to a bullet-ridden battle of boys vs. girls. But this time, the war of the sexes gets a balletic treatment. The innocence of pirouetting dancers, puppets and cheerful singing ghosts makes the video's final battle scene -- and a chilling interlude moment featuring one of the puppet-faced warriors having his leg amputated -- indescribably eery.
Lady Gaga, "Paparazzi"
Directed by: Jonas Akerlund
While the video for Gaga's most recent single, "Bad Romance," has been gobbled up by her little monsters, while the euro-dancey single is pimped via everything from Gossip Girl to an Alexander McQueen fashion show, we're more partial to the omnipresent pop star's frothier previous effort, "Paparazzi." The fashion on display in this mini-movie about the hazards of fame-whoring is no less crazy-pants couture than the outfits on display in the "Bad Romance" vid. (Gawk at the Mickey-Mouse suit courtesy Jeremy Scott, oh-so many Giuseppe Zanotti heels, a Thierry Mugler swimsuit of armour.) Plus we get to see GaGa live out every little girl's dream: making out with True Blood's Alexander Skarsgård.
Paparazzi (Director's Cut) from IShotCandyWarhol on Vimeo.
Depeche Mode, "Wrong"
Directed by: Patrick Daughters
The first video off of Depeche Mode's Sounds of the Universe manages to combine several of our worst phobias: 1) Finding ourselves trapped in an out-of-control car with no driver; 2) spooky, Michael Myers-style plastic masks; and 3) accidentally running over Spike Jonze. (So, maybe we made up that last one; we'd still hate to be responsible for sideswiping the awesome Being John Malkovich director). This video so perfectly creates an atmosphere of stylish dread, we're getting ulcers just thinking about pressing play on the video clip.
Depeche Mode - Wrong from Depeche Mode on Vimeo.
The Lonely Island, "I'm on a Boat"
Directed by: Akiva Schaffer
From the moment Andy Samberg finds a very-special prize in his cereal box, this video's ensuing three minutes are self-explanatory: he's on a boat -- with The Lonely Island's Akiva Schaffer and T-Pain (sorry, Jorma). A balls-in-your-face sendup of the ever-popular my-big-ass-luxury-items-are-better-than-your-big-ass-luxury-items genre of music videos, apparently there's a thin line between parody and genuine pop. The song is nominated for a Grammy in the best rap/sung collaboration category. Legit.
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