-Music Videos on my Mind- British Sea Power's “Monsters of Sunderland”

British Sea Power is one of those undervalued English bands that seem to have more importance than we give credit. They’ve only been around for ten years yet whenever a credible radio station does a countdown of greatest British songs of the last fifty years; a few BSP tracks usually crop up.

The thing is BSP exists under the radar. When their first album hit in 2003 it was a flop. Yet sustained word of mouth resulted in the album shifting 60,000 units by 2005, which guaranteed sold out concerts in big venues across the UK. Six albums in, BSP is hardly a household name, but they consistently sell near enough the same amount of records every time, which means they’re popularity is consistent. They have a loyal fan base that isn’t growing, yet isn’t faltering. That’s pretty impressive considering how ephemeral pop music is by nature.

And because it’s Halloween, this video seems very seasonally pertinent.

-Music Videos on my Mind- Young’s “The Paper Kites”

Argh! This video needs to come with a public health warning. Though the Australian band’s deceptively soothing melody draws one in, the frenetic editing will make peoples’ brains melt. The video consists of 350+ faces taken over 7 days shooting time, with 10 days of assembling time for 4000+ photos, all blended together at blinding speed. It is an amazing technical accomplishment, and because the band realises it’s not an easy watch, they’re rewarding viewers with a free copy of the song for their endurance.

Just focus on the mouth or else you’ll end up in casualty.

-Music Videos on my Mind- Tired Pony’s “The Creak in the Floorboards”

Blimey, supergroup Tired Pony is the music equivalent of a comic book superhero team up. You’ve got Gary Lightbody (he of Snow Patrol), Peter Buck (he of R.E.M.), Scott McCaughey (he also of R.E.M.), Richard Colburn (he of Belle and Sebastian), Iain Archer (he that is a mega-successful songwriter) Jacknife Lee (he that has produced numerously well-received albums of the last decade) and Troy Stewart (whoever he is), all brought together in the love of creating good music.

Even with the American talent involved, Tired Pony seems a British-led act that is very much inspired by country music and Americana in general. It’s our interpretation of the sounds and feelings of a culture that we grew up tapping into, but is shaped by the isolation of existing in a tiny, rainy island in north Europe. Because of that, it sounds special.

With such a top-tier music ensemble that all have other ongoing active commitments, coordinating the logistics of making a music video must be too complicated. Therefore, this is the best that can be done.

-Music Videos on my mind- Local Natives’ “Ceilings”

They say that one of the main attractions of joining the army has to do with being able to see the world. The occupational hazards are manifold, but the idea of going places is the greatest reward in itself.

The rewards of being in a band that tours the world and gets to perform songs to fans across the globe is the option that sounds more appealing, especially when you consider that travelling is perhaps the greatest creative stimulant imaginable.

California’s Local Natives’ new music video exhibits a band dumbstruck and savouring being in a position where making music has opened the world to them. Consisting of footage shot on smartphones by touring band members during downtime and sound checks, Ceilings is an intimate song made all the more effective because of its minimalist video. There’s a dreamy quality to it, almost as if shots of historic relics, abandoned foreign factories, prosaic hotel rooms and massive international festival crowds is something that seems mightily unreal to a bunch of lads that can’t believe their luck.

RIP Bombay Bronx

Bombay Bronx is allegedly no more. Apparently the actuality that some desi clientele cannot handle their drink, and Muslim and Sikh groups cannot keep from violently attacking each other in social situations, has resulted in this club night becoming too much of a liability to host.

-Music Videos on my Mind- RjD2’’s “Her Majesty’s Socialist Request”

RjD2 is an American hip-hop producer who makes largely instrumental records that eschew the trend of employing brand name all-singing pop stars to boost sales.

After starting his music career when his dance teacher mother supplied him with the cash to purchase some used turntables off a friend, RjD2 has become the thinking person’s hip-hop producer of choice. He’s so highly regarded that the clever guys at AMC decided his track A Beautiful Mine would be the ideal music for the opening of Mad Men.

The title Her Majesty’s Socialist Request may have derived some inspiration from America’s current Tea Party belligerence towards Obamacare (one can hear aggressive capitalist chants of “buy” and “sell” masterfully laced around jolting breakbeats), but this tune is classic US hip-hop to a tee. The video is among the very best of 2013―something that is perhaps a tribute to the dance-loving mother who nurtured RjD2’s love of music and movement.

If this is what socialism sounds like then America deserves more it.