In this week’s top music video picks, we take a journey through a futuristic kingdom, a seedy Thailand, and the inside of a life-sized washing machine. From hip-hop to electronic and indie rock, featuring artists like The Postal Service and Designer Drugs, see which music videos are becoming viral.
Wavves: “That’s On Me”
Is that the Hattori Hanzo sword Uma Thurman used in Kill Bill? Surf-rock band Wavves delivers a delightfully mesmerizing music video for “That’s On Me.” A businessman—with some potential anger management issues—slices through items such as soda bottles, watermelons, and pig heads with ferocity (revealing some impressive macro photography shots), as a cheerleading squad roots him on.
Foals: “Bad Habit”
The last time Foals worked with music video director Nabil, they collaborated on creating a dark and sexual romp through rooms of a Romanian hotel for “Late Night.” Reuniting with him for their “Bad Habit” track, the English rockers’ lead singer, Yannis Philippakis, follows a freckled and naked redhead through a desolate and barren desert landscape, encountering some psychedelic mirages along the way in this video.
Miley Cyrus: “We Can’t Stop”
Hannah Montana’s all grown up now! Miley Cyrus gets in some adult-like behavior as she writhes on a bed, twerks, and spanks her friends, in this Diane Martel-directed video. Some of Martel’s stylistic work was also seen recently in Robin Thicke’s sexy summer pop hit, “Blurred Lines.”
Gesaffelstein: “Pursuit”
This eerie and off-putting music video perfectly complements the tone of French DJ and producer Gesaffelstein’s dark electro rhythms in “Pursuit.” A young king gets knighted into a futuristic society, clones march in unison holding rifles, nudity ensues, and the lines of time are blurred.
Designer Drugs: “Space Based”
The music video for “Space Based” feels like a prelude to the seedy underbelly of Bangkok portrayed in the upcoming Ryan Gosling flick, Only God Forgives. Electronic music duo Designer Drugs provides the vibrating energy for this very NSFW video about a young Thai boy who gets involved in some dangerous situations.
Bruno Mars: “Treasure”
Bruno Mars travels back in time for this 1970s-style music video, channeling energy from the likes the Jackson 5 in a big-group, finger-snapping performance. What are most impressive about this nostalgic video are the effects that give it a realistic VHS-recorded look.
Chvrches: “Gun”
Chvrches is making waves in the U.S. On the heels of releasing their highly acclaimed Recover EP in March and performing live on NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, the Scottish electro-pop outfit has released an engrossing music video for “Gun.” Data-moshing is elegantly used in this clip and clever editing and effects surround this video throughout.
The Postal Service: “A Tattered Line of String”
Well, doing laundry has never been this fun! In The Postal Service’s “A Tattered Line of String” video, a man attempts to wash his unmentionables at a laundromat, but ends up spinning around in larger-than-life washer. The seminal band resurfaced recently with the reissue of their 2003 Give Up album.