I'm not going to lie. I wasn't particularly impressed with the music output of 2013. There were a lot of big names that delivered underwhelming material and not a lot of exposure for the emerging or underground musicians who can usually fill those gaps. Singles dominated the airwaves and the discussion over albums and even music videos. Still, there are a few music videos that stood above the rest.
6. Sharon Needles, "Call Me on the Ouija Board"
I'm a sucker for a good horror reference. Sharon Needles fills her infectious single "Call Me on the Ouija Board" with gender-bent versions of many of them. Never have Damien from The Omen and Pennywise the Clown been so...confusing to a viewing audience.
It's the perfect campy approach to an intentionally campy song with a whole lot of horror references thrown in. Bonus points were duly awarded for recognizing the madness of my favorite evil child film, The Bad Seed.
5. Ylvis, "The Fox"
Comedy is hard. It's even harder to convince people that an act as intentionally ridiculously as "The Fox" isn't just a joke. The confusion over the sincerity of Ylvis' video is part of what makes it so strong. You might mistake it for a straight up studio video until Ylvis is dancing like fools in fox costumes surrounded by sexy fox backup dancers.
On face value, it's clearly a joke. The lyrics are all about animals making noises. The chorus is a constantly changing series of silly noises that might be the sound of the fox. The balance between commitment to the joke, the quality of the recording and underlying composition, and the hilarious execution elevates this video in unexpected ways.
4. Wallpaper, "Underdog"
I don't think you realize how geeky Wallpaper's video for "Underdog" is. Yes, it features adults fighting each other with various paints and toys in animal onesies in a mock tournament. Those onesies are known as Kigurumi and they are all the rage at fan conventions around the world. They're Japanese cosplay pajamas that do come in licensed and unlicensed character forms.
The video, expertly directed by Max Landis (writer of Chronicle, writer/director of (NSFW) "The Death and Return of Superman" comedy comic criticism short), is amazing to watch. There's just so much color, detail and style to take in. The use of slow motion and jump cuts brings out a certain nuance to the song that might be missed just by listening to it. And, of course, total nerds play-fighting with silly string and streamers in animal onesies are the epitome of the "Underdog." NSFW
There isn't a sillier, cuter music video from 2013 than Yoko Ono's "Bad Dancer." The performance artist teamed up with the surviving members of The Beastie Boys to release her first ever rap track; that's what she claims. It's not rap. It's spoken word with a positive message.
The video features a wide variety of guests--including Questlove, Ira Glass, and Roberta Flack--dancing (as bad as they can) with Ono and participating in recreations of her various art mediums in a tinfoil covered room. The most striking image is Ono attacking a gigantic canvas with huge brush and a bucket of black paint, followed by a dance troupe ripping through a different canvas to dance with just their hands and feet. The whole thing is ridiculous in the best way possible.
2. Fiona Apple, "Hot Knife"
Last year, "Hot Knife" wound up on my best songs list. This year, the beautiful music video lands even higher in the rankings. It's a simple approach with a lot of intensity. Basically, you're watching Fiona Apple put the track together.
It starts with Apple drumming out the rhythm on a timpani. As the camera pans up, it switches to a combination of close-ups of Apple singing the various melodies and harmonies of the song. It makes the "Hot Knife" video this intense, intimate moment of human emotion, perfectly encapsulating the theme of the recording.
1. DWV for...All of Their Videos
DWV, the all drag girl band comprised of Detox Icunt, Willam Belli, and Vicky Vox, is killing it. Is it fair to compare all of their videos to artists with only one or two good videos this year? Yes. Last year, the would have topped two separate music charts with their output; this year, I'm lifting the multi-honoree limit per category. Forget gender and sexuality. Good music is good music. Good comedy is good comedy. Any reasonable adult should be able to find something to enjoy in these videos.
The videos are funny and clever. The recordings and parody lyrics are strong and catchy. Even their original Christmas song is better than most of the new music from 2013. From the most wonderfully bizarre take down of the idiocy of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" to the awkward comedy of "Boy is a Bottom," DWV proved they are a force to be reckoned with in popular music. Just watch the four videos and enjoy. NSFW.
So what were your favorite music videos of 2013? Share them in the comments below.