Over the next two weeks, I’ll feature some of the best videos from 2011. I don’t watch many videos so to come up with this list, I’ve leaned on Pitchfork.com, which did a year-end wrap-up.
Now, Pitchfork is a rather insufferable website, the sort of obnoxious hipster destination that posted a top 50 album list without naming more than three artists I’ve ever heard of. But their video coverage is pretty strong, including interviews with the directors of many of these clips.
So I don’t vouch for the songs themselves — most of these tracks I wouldn’t listen to again if given the choice — but I am intrigued by the visuals.
Kicking things off is ‘Santa Fe’ by Beirut (as with most of these selections, this band is entirely new to me). The video is shot like an old Mexican movie and follows a man who, in its opening minute, loses both his wife and his dog.
This day undone
(The kind that breaks under)
All day at once
(for me, for you)
I’m just too young
(And what of my heart)
This day was once
(Silence before)
All grace of lost
Can’t wait at all
(Can’t wait at all)
Temptation won
And what ever comes through the door
I’ll see it face to face
All by your place
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son
Sign me up Santa Fe
On the cross Santa Fe
And all I want
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son
And I and I and I alone want you to know
And I and I and I alone
And I and I and I alone want you to know
And I and I and I alone
Your days in one
This day undone
(The kind that breaks under)
All day at once
(for me, for you)
I’m just too young
(And what of my heart)
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son
Sign me up Santa Fe
On the cross Santa Fe
And all I want
Sign me up Santa Fe
And call your son..
Meet Me In Montauk 
rather interesting video. Somehow I think having a vision of my wife and dog at the moment of self-immolation would drive me to strike the match–it certainly wouldn’t lead me to join in a baptism:)
For what it’s worth, he doesn’t join the baptism but instead steals the belongings of those who did.
yeah, I was wondering if that’s what happened. I couldn’t tell if he was just contemplating doing that or if he did. So they are chasing him at the end, rather than him joining with them? That’s funny.
Cool idea for a theme week! And I like being introduced not only to bands I’ve never heard of but hipster websites that are also unknown to me 🙂