http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fusKcZjj7dgM

Opus 40 is a dream pop/indie pop song by Mercury Rev released in 1999. The song is named after Opus 40, which is a large environmental sculpture in Saugerties, New York.

The video is quite surreal, but definitely captures the drama and emotion of the song. And it's a wonderful song.

Tears in waves, minds on fire.


Bits to watch out for / anti-serious commentary:

0:25 - Crazy shifting cloud room. I'd really like to have some crazy shifting wallpaper. Someone has to invent animated wallpaper eventually.
0:43 - He has vulcan ears!
0.43 - And seriously long finger nails.
0:59 - I love the non-matching lamps. They look a bit lonely and out of place.
1:20 - The wizard guy back there is my favorite.
1:23 - He looks a bit pissed off. Hey, at least you don't have to wear outrageously long things on your fingers.
1:33 - This is particularly freaky and reminds me of Donnie Darko for some reason.
2:19 - Deer?
2:23 - Dramatic poses are fun. Try it.
2:38 - I would like to frame this. An alien/astronaut watering a girl, with a deer and a big rock.
2:47 - It would be... interesting... to be serenaded by that crew.
3:13 - And the big finale: sparklers!
3:24 - That is honestly freaky. It's like some maniacal grinning firey creature from the depths of darkness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIlglm7EImE

or, much better sound on the following, but I couldn't embed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nII_rWBfDTs

Calling All Girls in a pop/rock song by Hilly Michaels, released in 1980. In the video, a very bored, rich Hilly Michaels decides that he wants some female companionship, and so he sends out a signal to (literally) all girls, causing them to stop whatever they're doing to look shocked and cover their ears and mouths. But it's okay, because his intentions are good. All he wants to do is feed them ice cream sundaes.

Bits to watch out for / ridiculous commentary:

0:04 - His hair is alive!
0:19 - Check out the seating. They remind me of teeth. ...Oh and also, he has a helicopter in there (as if you hadn't noticed). How did it get in, and how does he plan to get it out?
0:43 - Singing Mona Lisas. Just awesome.
1:04 - His money is literally multiplying before our very eyes. If it continues, it could bury the entire world. No wonder he's so desperate to spend it.
1:10 - "Ahhhh there's red and black stuff issuing from all the speakers in the room!"
1:16 - Woah, his car is a TARDIS. It's HUGE on the inside. Either that, or Hilly Michaels is a tiny man.
1:33 - This bit is just awesome.
1:47 - Oh my. He really is calling ALL girls, including underaged girls, old ladies at the grocery store and anything in between.
2:19 - Confirmed. Hilly Michaels is a tiny man, only a bit larger than a balloon. The reason why he's never spent time with girls is that they're all too gigantic compared to him. He must have spent most of his fortune on a shrinking machine, to shrink all the girls.
2:25- He also purchased a teleporter. Some of the girls are a bit shocked at their sudden displacement, until large ice cream sundaes appear in front of them. Ice cream sundaes make everything better.
2:41 - He seems to have forgotten the spoons. Perhaps he ran out of money.
2:47 - The party descends into an ice cream fight, until Hilly Michaels is transformed into a giant sundae. I hope he's happy now.
3:14 - That's right, this was on Al TV.

Random amusing (misinformed) comment from Youtube:
"If someone tried to call those girls today, Chris Matthews from Dateline NBC would get them arrested! Make sure the girls you do call are over 18!"


Bonus vid: Ladies of the World - Flight of the Conchords
Jemaine and Bret from the Flight of the Conchords also want to do something special for all the ladies, but they probably aren't talking about ice cream.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLJ5a6aJOb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgcxd9wtXUE

Children of the Revolution is a glam rock song by T. Rex, released in 1972. There are some great, nonsensical lyrics in there, including, "I drive a Rolls Royce 'cause it's good for my voice!"

Have I mentioned yet that I love glam rock? Ah, well, I do. Almost as much as I love Marc Bolan. I won't comment on Marc's dancing. Just enjoy it.

0:25 - How many guys could pull of a pastel yellow frilly frock? Marc can. But that is not surprising, because he can also pull off things like excessive glitter and high heels.
0:48 - The dancing people are all hilarious, but check out the guy in the target t-shirt in particular, who just moves his arms. Hahaha
0:57 - Marc is also wearing shiny silver pants. I repeat, with a pastel yellow frilly frock.
1:04 - The drummer is wearing a T Rex shirt! (I want that shirt.)
1:07 - The crowd may be dancing, but they really don't look that energetic, do they?
1:35 - Return of target guy. Someone needs to tell him that whipping his arms about like an octopus doesn't necessarily count as dancing.
1:39 - Warning: completely unnecessary special effect. There seemed to be a rule back then that dictated that every normal video of a band had to have a least one special effect sequence thrown in.

Bonus: Ringo Starr + Marc Bolan outtakes. They just can't hold it together!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWh1rlCGIdo



http://Lindamacca.deviantart.com/art/Marc-Bolan-91798888

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VeIL7juFE0

Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse is an indie pop song by Of Montreal, released in 2007. Although it's often interpreted as being about drugs, according to Kevin Barnes, "chemicals" mean the chemicals in your mind. The song, like most of those on Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? deals with Barnes' depression, mood shifts, and chemical imbalance during the time of writing the album.

Although, the video is really quite psychedelic. It's directed by the Brothers Chaps, of Homestar Runner fame.

I'm really not sure if I can possibly point out all of the interesting moments in this video. I'll just point out a few that you might miss. (Also, I'm a bit tired.)

Bits to watch out for:

0:06 - I love the eyeshadow. Really. But, awww. He looks so sad.
0:28 - As soon as the rocket ship people appear, you know that this going to be a random video.
0:36 - Kevin battles chemicals. "Chemicals" seems to be a dude with wings and a crown of fig-leaves.
0:38 - There is a sheet ghost in the audience!
0:46 - Apparently, they are are planning to drop gigantic oranges on the enemy. Let me know how that works, guys.
0:57 - Absolutely priceless expression. (And terrible drawn-on mustache.) Could I get that framed?
1:16 - Robin Hood is also chemicals, and he shoots an arrow at Kevin. Which Kevin catches, because he is awesome.
1:37 - Wouldn't that be an interesting Halloween costume? "What are you?" "Oh, I'm a drawing."
2:17 - The bear-head guy is the best. *edit* Yes he is the best, because that's the Late BP Helium in there.
2:29 - WHAT?! I could pretend that the rest of all of this made sense, but I really don't know what just happened there. This is all evidently too weird for Mr. (Mrs.?) Sheet Ghost.
2:45 - The guy has bananas. Bananas are good.

To quote a youtube comment, "I think the chemicals won."



http://Lindamacca.deviantart.com/art/Come-on-Chemicals-91691128

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrhEHcRymTQ

Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth is a twee pop song by the Brunettes, released in 2007. It has a 1960's vibe. The Brunettes are excellent, by the way. I recommend that you check them out. http://www.myspace.com/thebrunettes

The video mainly speaks for itself. However, I'll do my commentary anyway, for there are things that you might miss.

Bits to watch out for:

0:08 - I swear I have that green bracelet.
0:18 - I totally want a board game in which all the pieces are animated, and jump around the board by themselves. Let us hope that this technology is available by the 2060's.
0:41 - Why won't they show the drummer's face?!
0:57 - Those gloves. Are amazing.
1:00 - Guy: Ahh. There are balloons raining down on me.
1:16 - I just love it that it's so obvious that neither of them are actually in that room.
1:22 - Once again, headless drummer. Perhaps the drummer has no head.
1:25 - Ahhh doppleganger!
1:29 - Smiley hammer. I need one of those, for next time I feel like pounding holes in the wall.
2:00 - Guy: Uuurgh balloons get them off of me!
2:05 - Squirrel?
2:12 - So, his name is apparently "Harry." That's good to know. Why don't you like balloons, Harry? (Actually, it also said his name around 0:10, but I didn't notice.)
2:59 - What could possibly make this video more cute? Answer: PUPPIES!
3:16 - See? Adorable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHPikUPlRD8

Rapture was released in 1981 by Blondie and was the first rap single to reach number 1 on the US Billboard chart. And... it is about a man from Mars who's eating cars (and now he only eats guitars). Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I might actually listen to rap if more lyrics were about men from Mars.

This is one of my favorite videos from the 80s, mainly because of the randomness and the generally nonsensical lyrics.

0:01 Right from the get-go, there's a man (from Mars?) in a white suit, dancing strangely.
0:22 - Urgh, that's creepy. I don't care if he can dance (or can't, as the case may be). If I saw him through my window, I'd call the police and hide in a closet or something.
1:00 - a large number of guys with early 80s hair drooling over Debbie Harry. ...It looks like a rather lame party, if you ask me.
1:17 - Poor guy. He's trying so hard to be serious and cool. He fails.
1:30 - What is that, the claw? Please don't tell me that that was an actual dance move.
1:34 - And he wins the prize for the most hideous shirt on a guy. Possibly ever.
2:00 - And so starts the rap section, featuring a bunch of people that were dragged from the street and forced to put on funny costumes.
2:36 - Uncle Sam in the background, waving his arms about.
2:44 - I think that costume may have been borrowed from the Village People.
2:53 - That phone box wasn't there before, was it? (Perhaps it's a TARDIS. Any scifi fans reading this blog?)
3:08 - I just love to hold up cans of spray paint to walls that already have graffiti and bounce around.
3:21 - Goat. I can't believe they went through the trouble of having a goat in the video if it was only going to appear in the background for literally 5 seconds.
3:45 - A girl in shiny clothes, repeatedly walking into the wall.
4:10 - And she is doomed to walk into that wall for the rest of eternity (or at least until the video ends).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPtTS0TYtU


Wonderwall is song by the Britpop/rock band Oasis, released in 1995. It's quite possibly their most well-known song and has been frequently covered by other artists. (I've also heard a swing-jazz style version by Paul Anka. Very... interesting.) Oasis was heavily influenced by the Beatles, and the song is named after George Harrison's album "Wonderwall Music," which was a soundtrack to the film "Wonderwall."

Wonderwall is one of my favorite songs (and videos) so if you're my friend, there's a good chance that you've already seen it. But hey, see it again.

Bits to watch out for:

Throughout: The stunning spotlights on Liam's glasses.
Throughout: It's all black and white, except for certain objects, mainly the guitar, which changes color three times.

0:08 - What do clowns like to listen to? Apparently, Oasis. That's good to know.
0:29 - Swinging saws, and hanging guitars. ...And a showgirl.
1:02 - He doesn't just look bored. He looks like he's going to cry. "I didn't want.. to be... *sniff* in this video..."
1:13 - What's he chewing on? Gum, presumably. Do you chew gum in your music videos? (That is, assuming you have music videos.)
1:22 - "DOUBLE DISCOUNT" Another good thing to do in a video - read the paper and ignore everything else.
1:41 - Swinging saws again. I can just imagine what brought that about: "I've got this big wrack. We could use it in the video, and hang things from it." "All right, cool."
2:15 - Pull the lever!
2:41 - Blinding indeed. Uuuurgghmyeyes.
2:59 - Reminiscent of A Hard Day's Night.
3:19 - Noel points the megaphone at Liam's ear. I don't think I'd want one of those pointed at me.
3:44 - He does it again. (And yes, he is still chewing.)
4:05 - Sad guy seems to have cheered up a bit.
4:10 - See, Liam is annoyed by the megaphone. And Noel knows it.
4:25 - "Hmm? Oooh, tambourine. *shake*"



http://Lindamacca.deviantart.com/art/Wonderwall-82401010

Above is a digital painting of mine from a while back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6t11D99tA

Centerfold is a (rather poppy) rock song by The J. Geils band, released in 1981. It's about a man who's shocked when he learns that his highschool crush posed for a centerfold. It's also an incredibly catchy song. Na na nana nana, na na na nana na nana...

Bits to watch out for:

Throughout: Peter Wolf's ridiculous "dancing."
Throughout: The girls are constantly changing costumes. Seriously, where are they hiding all these extra outfits?

0:17 - Forget the drummer; the skeleton is always what catches my eye.
0:26 - He slaps the desk. What did the desk ever do to him?
0:41 - The look on his face = O.O
0:45 - Enter, girls with blank looks carrying books. They look a bit too old to be in a classroom with an alphabet chart, don't you think?
1:00 - The girls have put on shirts. Which is good, because I don't know of any schools that would allow girls to come to class wearing nothing but black bras and skirts. Except for the fictional school for centerfolds.
1:11 - Shaking in his shiny gold shoes, apparently.
1:42 - Finally, the girls smile, although it looks rather forced.
2:10 - It took me a bit to even realize that was supposed to be a car. It looks more like a Weiner mobile.
2:46 - Fake endings annoy me. Apparently, they also annoy the girls, who proceed to dump their books on his head.
2:48 - A drum full of milk. Which explodes like something Keith Moon got a hold of. (Thanks for that, Lilly!) That's a waste of milk. But actually, I don't even like milk, so... Yay exploding drums full of milk!
2:56-end - Chaos in the classroom + na na nana nana. I dare you to not sing along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8hyCWH1Ww0

Last Stop: This Town is an alternative rock song released in 1998 by Eels. Although it's a very energetic song, the lyrics are quite sad. Mr.E (the frontman) was going through a hard time after the death of many of his family members and friends. And although the song has a rather sad theme, the video is still amusing (and awesome).

Bits to watch out for:

0:09 - Uh. Carrot? Spinning carrot, actually. Perhaps it should have been, "The carrot keeps spinning" instead of "the world."
0:38 - A piece of his hair is magically changed into green slime (how does that work?) and injected into the carrot.
0:52 - I think that may be the creepiest carrot-related thing I've ever seen. That's even worse than when I found a carrot shaped like a finger.
1:07 - Notice that the little device has different colored noses on it. How many little vegetable clones does this guy have?
2:06 - Over on the left - He seems to be temporarily passed out on his piano.
2:27 - The carrot picks the boring glasses. I would have picked the star-shaped glasses. Really.
2:56 - So, he needed the carrot as a head for his robot. There really must be a better, more straight-forward way to make robot heads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtHEmVjVw8

Video Killed the Radio Star is new wave song recorded by the Buggles and released in 1979. The lyrics are about a singer who's career is cut short by television. It's a very catchy song, and I often get it stuck in my head. Plus, the video is quite amusing. I thought that this might be a fitting first song for my blog. It was the first music video shown on MTV, on August 1 of 1981.

Particular bits to watch out for in the video:

0:52 - Exploding radio!
1:21 - Girl with a pompom on her head, in a tube. Oh, oh!
1:54 - The band members (especially this one) don't look particularly excited.
1:57 - Clearly, they couldn't afford that many real radios, especially after they blew up the first one.
2:41 - She can fly! (And it's shown twice, just to prove the point)
2:56 - Bored band members, again.