As far as songs go, I can't think of a better track released in 2011 than Forget That You're Young by The Raveonettes.
Having waited for the record company to issue an official music video that never came (primarily because it was not released as a single), enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to issue bootleg variations, many to disappointing results.
The video below provides fairly uninspiring visual accompaniment for what is a stunningly emotive song. Whoever made it doesn't even let the song play out to its beautiful fading finale; clumsily snipping it a few seconds too early (stuff like that matters, people).
Nonetheless, being Denmark's finest alt-rock band, The Raveonettes have consistently impressed music lovers with their elegant vocal harmonies and gorgeous fuzz-guitar sounds. Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo's boy-girl double act continues to astounded fans, though it's a pity none of the other tracks on their last album Raven in the Grave lived up to the quality of this particular song.
Still, it would be great if The Raveonettes were better known beyond the faithful few. It'd be even better if the existing faithful few could make worthier music videos to compliment their songs.
Remember when Matthew McConaughey's character in Dazed and Confused said the line: "That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age"?
If anyone has stayed the same age it's McConaughey. The guy looks like he's only aged 20 minutes since starring as the avuncular stoner David Wooderson back in 1993. This week marked Wooderson's second coming as McConaughey reprises the iconic character for Butch Walker and the Black Widows' much hyped Synthesizers music video. McConaughey also agreed to direct the clip, which is pretty good value for money in the face of dwindling record sales and compromised profit returns.
McConaughey playing Wooderson again is all well and good, but what I'd love to see is Rosie Perez reprising the role of Tina in Do the Right Thing: preferably before Beyoncé rips it off for her next music video.
This is the kind of song that screams out 'love me,' though that doesn't necessarily mean you have to.
Accompanied with a stylish music video directed by Natasha Pincus; Gotye and Kimbra's song Somebody That I Used to Know was a phenomenally successful release in their native Australia last year, where it spent eight weeks at #1. The song has fared equally well in other Australasian and certain European territories, but has struggled to find love in the UK and US.
It's a perfectly innocuous radio-friendly track that's tiresomely redolent of something which may have been worthwhile back in the '80s when Sting was still relevant.
As it stands, Somebody That I Used to Know is a true test of one's music appreciation credentials. If you like it then you may also want to check out Rick Perry's seriously important policies on American hair care. If you don't like it then you should think about ruling the world.
When people calling themselves 'Cunt Destroyer', 'Mass Marketing 4 U' and 'Adult Sex Dating Fun' start following your blog, you know something is going wrong.
When you spend time writing an eloquent and enlightening post extolling the many reasons why people should download Death Grips' excellent mixtape Ex-Military, and no one bothers to do so, you know you're wasting your time.
So, as not be defeatist, let's try and get back to some level of normality by flagging up Bombay Bicycle Club's rather fantastic new music video for their latest song Leave It.
Ryan Hope has directed a pretty impressive concept-driven clip that seems brimming with ideas and thoughts. Using a mutual aid setting, the camera pans around a gathering of people exhibiting the challenging journeys life can sometimes take. It starts with Jack Steadman and his band arriving at a group meeting, but as the camera moves in a seemingly single rotating shot, the group's identity changes from new mothers, to autistic twins, angry obese men, despondent military personnel, various amputees, faceless disabled folk, cancer victims, gospel singers, serious criminals, blind people and ends with a shot of a wife gripping a funeral urn. It presents a snapshot of life and how wrong it can occasionally go, though it's all done with amazing grace and technical proficiency.
In a perfect world it would be Bombay Bicycle Club and not Adele who'd be Britain's strongest current musical export. In this perfect world Adele would still be stuck in her high rise flat in Tottenham with a forty-a-day fag habit, while Katy Perry would be married off to some neo-conservative Christian who doesn't allow her to sing and Ke$ha's parents would have remembered to use contraceptives.
Alas, this is not a perfect world and Bombay Bicycle Club continues to be a parochial niche article, whilst Death Grips remains largely ignored.
At least the 2012 music scene can't get any worse, can it Cunt Destroyer?
