Monday, September 22, 2008

I Declare It Time For Random Awesome Things

MICHAEL FIRER '09

This Week in Random: Hyper Music Videos

In other words, generally fast music that makes you feel like standing on a table and spinning in circles with one leg outstretched, kicking over anything in your way.

A few of these aren’t really all that hyper, but you know what? Don’t worry about it. Also, I’ll try to aim for more obscure stuff, but it’s not a rule. Also also, count how many times I say “these guys.”


Start Wearing Purple, by Gogol Bordello
The lead singer, a Ukrainian gypsy, has a fondness for mustaches and a distaste for shirts. A winning combination if I ever saw one. Every song is a bizarre, alcohol-fueled “gypsy punk” extravaganza. Watch American Wedding to see what I mean. Or for that matter any of their stuff.


Night Boat to Cairo, by Madness
These are the guys that wrote Our House, which most people know better as “that coffee jingle.” Madness is, without a doubt, the happiest band I’ve ever seen. Every song is this upbeat, even one named Cardiac Arrest. Clearly the planning for this video never went beyond “everyone dances, jiggly guy sings and jiggles (simultaneously!), everyone dances some more,” though I can’t say I don’t love it.


Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru, by Gruff Rhys
Apparently, Gyrru is Welsh for “driving.” Who knew? Gruff Rhys is the singer of Welsh band Super Furry Animals, though his solo stuff is, without a doubt, better. This is when all two people out there who know and love Super Furry Animals send me death threats. Also check out Y Gwybodusion and, unless you’re afraid it’ll compromise your manliness to even consider it, Candylion.


Dreaming of You, by The Coral
This is the only song I know by these guys, but it never grows old to me.


Girl Anachronism, by The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls never cease to creep me out, which doesn’t mean I listen to them any less.

Dashboard, by Modest Mouse

Pork and Beans, by Weezer

Here it Goes, by OK Go

Okay, so these three aren’t really all that obscure, but I could listen to each one on a loop for an hour straight before getting sick of them, so I figure that earns them a place here. That’s all I’ll say about them. Those are the links, go click 'em if you want to hear the songs.


Moskau, by Dschinghis Khan
Okay, after those three it's time for something really obscure. A German band whose name means Genghis Khan (hence the costumes, I suppose). This is the only song of theirs I know, but please, watch the video while you listen. It's simply not the same without it. Believe me, I wish I could dance like that.


Go-Go Gadget Gospel, by Gnarls Barkley
This should be pretty self-explanatory, methinks. These are the guys (well, there’s only two of them) that made Crazy.


Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured, by Arctic Monkeys
No video here, just the song, but I’ve had that opening stuck in my head for a good week now. Maybe putting it here will appease the angered music gods.


Dr. Worm, by They Might Be Giants
Every song these guys write is hilariously bizarre. Also check out Ana Ng, one of their saner songs, The Mesopotamians, one of their saner weird songs, and Birdhouse In Your Soul, one of their not-so-saner weird songs.


I Feel Fantastic, by Jonathan Coulton
Internet nerd sensation Jonathan Coulton writes songs about zombies, robots, supervillains, you name it. The song has no music video, but I like this fan-made one, so here you go. Go here and check out Code Monkey and Chiron Beta Prime and pretty much everything else. Oh, and the guy in the video looks so much like my brother that the similarity weirds me out enough to end this article here.



More randomness next week.

No comments: