Best Music Videos of 2008

The holiday season is upon us, which for any self-respecting music writer means making end-of-the-year lists.  I, like many a blogger, live for this kind of year-end reflection, so this will be the first of many lists.  Here before you are the absolute 25 best music videos of the year 2008.   All the videos are embedded below for easy viewing, but I highly recommend you watch the higher quality version, which you can view (if available) by clicking on the song title. Except for the five at the end (the best of the best) the order is completely random.

The qualifications for this list are the video must be visually interesting, uniquely executed, with a song that’s pretty good as well.  Superb editing and gorgeous cinematography doesn’t hurt either. Basically I didn’t put a video on this list if it’s not was worth your time (it’s not like you have anything better to do over the holidays than sit for an hour and a half watching music videos though, amirite?).  As always, If you have any favorites videos from the year that you think I missed, make sure to leave it in the comments. The first three are embedded below, but you’ll have to click through to see the whole list.

Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor (Dir. Nima Nourizadeh)

The Ting Tings – Shut Up and Let Me Go (Dir. Alexand Liane)

Okkervil River – Lost Coastlines (Dir. Seth and Bobby) MP3

Click the link below for the rest!

Video: Passion Pit – Sleepyhead

Here’s a creative little video for a band that I’ve seen popping up on the blogs quite a bit lately, Passion Pit.  If you like bands trapped in spinning cubes soundtracked by retro synths and crazy falsettos then this is the video for you.  Would it be wrong to call this video Cut Copy meets Battles?  I don’t care I’m doing it anyway.

MP3 Passion Pit – Sleepyhead

Whoa. Just noticed that YouTube is all widescreen now.  I’m digging it.

Video: Lovely Sparrows – Year of the Dog

It’s been a while since I saw a music video that really caught my interest, but the colorful construction paper world shown here mixed with the gorgeous acoustic folk-pop of the Austin band, The Lovely Sparrows song is really exceptional.  Created through use of paper machete backgrounds and stop-motion animation, the video provides beautiful images of nature, changing seasons and some truly organic instruments.  The song pulls you in with its lovely finger-picked guitar and a peppy chorus that features handclaps and a flute.  I got to hand it to the videoographers because they made a wonderful video for the song.

MP3 The Lovely Sparrows – Year of the Dog

Video(s): Jamie Lidell and Be Your Own Pet

I’ve got two videos to show you today, both from artists that have highly-approved-by-me albums released this year. Both videos also have unexpectedly violent endings. Hooray! The first is from funky neo-soul man, Jamie Lidell, who I last saw doing his thing at Pitchfork Fest a year ago. I hadn’t heard of him at the time but his set completely won me over. The video is for fantastic single “Little Bit of Feel Good” where Jamie is seen courting a lady unicorn and dancing with her under colorful flashing lights. It’s all fun and games until he chops of his unicorn-date’s head and adds it to his shrine of vaguely religious relics.

I was a fan of Be Your Own Pet‘s first s/t album and their new one Get Awkward is another winner from the young frentic garage punk band. The first single “The Kelly Affair” is about as energetic and riff-heavy as they come, and it’s got a fitting Halloween costume party video to go along with it. It turns out though, that there’s some kind of caged monster in the basement and the host is a transvestite cannibal who eats the entire band. But whatevs, it’s all in good fun.

MP3 Be Your Own Pet – The Kelly Affair

Video: Justice – DVNO

I really enjoyed making that best music videos list last year (and I still stand by my choices completely), so I’ve promised myself to feature videos I enjoy more regularly on here. Starting Now. For the typography/logo nerd it doesn’t get much better than this video. You can even turn it into a spot-the-logo game: HBO, NBC, 20th Century Fox, BET, Universal, and a bunch of other old-school Film/TV logos that I can’t think of right now.

Yes, it’s a bit reminiscent of art director So Me’s work on the Kayne’s Good Life video and even have shades of the now-classic D.A.N.C.E. t-shirt clip, but this still scores big points for cool factor. Download the song also. It’s right behind D.A.N.C.E. for best tracks on †.

MP3 Justice – DVNO

Best Music Videos of 2007

Here listed before you are hands-down the 22 best music videos of the year 2007. I’m not saying I watched every music video in 2007, but I’m just going to assume that all the other ones completely suck (for purposes of this list). I’m estimating it would take about an hour and a half to watch all these videos, but seriously, do you have anything better to do today? To make it easier though, I’ve embedded them all below. Also, except for the five at the end (which are the best) the order is completely random.

As you can tell by the list I like videos that use stop-motion, videos all done in one take, bright colors, interesting effects, Wes Anderson nods, changing t-shirts, ridiculously high drum cymbals, etc. As always, If you have any favorites videos from the year that you think I missed, make sure to leave it in the comments. I provided MP3s for some of the songs that you might not already have. The first three are embedded below but you will have to click through to see the whole list.

The Shins – Australia

Noah and the Whale – Five Years Time MP3

Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position

Click the link below to see the whole list including my top five!

New Los Campesinos! single/video – International Tweexcore Underground

While Los Campesinos! are prepping their debut album on Arts and Crafts, the twee poppers have let another single slip out through their myspace page and exceedingly fun music video. The song’s conspicuous title and mock-snobbish pokes at Henry Rollins and Sarah Records show that haven’t strayed from their stated goal of “trying to find the perfect match between pretentions and pop”.

They also are continuing to make great music, and this song ranks up with You!Me!Dancing! (MP3) as my favorite from the band. This song showcases all the eccentric qualities of the band that reminds me of Architecture in Helsinki before they got so serious. The bands size allows them to create a huge wall of sound, a effect that’s improved by looping background vocals and handclaps over the music. Also, you have to give Los Campesinos! credit for bringing glockenspiel back. Download the song and watch the video below.

MP3 Internation Tweexcore Underground