Music Video of the Day: This Here Giraffe by The Flaming Lips (1996, dir by Sofia Coppola)


Since yesterday’s music video of the day was the first music video to be directed by Sofia Coppola, it only makes sense that today’s video should be the second music video directed by Sofia Coppola.

This video features a giraffe, a pickup truck, and Wayne Coyne.  What more could you want!?

Enjoy!

 

Music Video of the Day: Shine by Walt Mink (1993, dir by Sofia Coppola)


Happy birthday, Sofia Coppola!

Today’s music video of the day is the first music video to have been directed by Sofia Coppola.  In fact, this may be her first directorial credit.  While the song itself is a bit generic, the video is pure Sofia Coppola.  Watching it, it’s hard not to see the same vision that, a few years later, would give us The Virgin Suicides, Somewhere, and The Bling Ring.  This video was filmed at the Coppola vineyard in Rutherford, California.

Interesting to note that the film’s editor was Spike Jonze, who would later marry Coppola in 1999 (they would get divorced in 2003) and who is thought to have been the inspiration for Giovanni Ribisi’s character in Lost In Translation.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: My Type by Saint Motel (2014, dir by Sam Winkler)


Sorry, everyone.  I’m pretty ill right now so, instead of going into a lot of detail, I’m just going to share this video of Saint Motel’s My Type and hope that you enjoy!

(This is one of two videos for My Type.  Check out the other one by clicking here!)

Music Video of the Day: Cochise by Audioslave (2002, dir by Mark Romanek)


Fireworks seem like a good way to welcome in the month of May.

This video was filmed, over the course of two nights, near the Sepulveda Dam in Los Angeles and apparently, all of the explosions and the fireworks convinced local residents that they were under terrorist attack.  Lead singer Chris Cornell was in rehab at the time of the shooting and commuted directly from the facility to the set and then back again.

Enjoy and let’s make the best of May!

Music Video of the Day: Money (That’s What I Want) by The Flying Lizards (1979, dir by ????)


Hi, everyone!  Welcome to the merry old month of May!

So, today is May Day, which is apparently some sort of communist new year.  (Actually, technically, the holiday is International Workers Day or something like that but May Day sounds prettier and little bit less grimy.)  Anyway, with that in mind, it only seems appropriate (to me, at least) that today’s music video of the day should be about wanting money.

This song was originally recorded by Barrett Strong in 1959 and subsequently become heavily identified with the Beatles.  There have been quite a few covers over the year but my favorite version is by The Flying Lizards, largely because this version achieves a perfect balance between sincerity and satire.

This video was recorded for a show called TopPop, which was apparently some sort of Danish music show.  I have to admit that I have a weakness for bands that were willing to be openly eccentric.  That’s something that the world is missing today.  Everyone’s so tediously earnest.

Anyway, enjoy!

 

Music Video of the Day: Livin’ Thing by Electric Light Orchestra (1976, dir by ????)


Hi, everyone!

I don’t have much to say about this video.  That’s actually one of the reasons why I picked it.  My allergies and my asthma are teaming up to try to take me out before April ends so I figured this would be a good day to pick a video that can pretty much speak for itself.

I’ve liked this song ever since I first watched Boogie Nights.  Apparently, in 2006, it was voted the “greatest guilty pleasure” of all time by the British music magazine, Q.  I just find all the random shouts of “I’m taking a dive” to be fascinating.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Human Behavior by Bjork (1993, dir by Michel Gondry)


A video featuring a human-sized toy bear beating up a hunter?

The question isn’t why wouldn’t I share this video.  The question is why haven’t I shared this video yet?

The song, of course, is a look at human behavior through the eyes of an animal.  Bjork had the following to say about the idea behind the video:

“Human Behaviour is an animal’s point of view on humans. And the animals are definitely supposed to win in the end. So why, one might ask, is the conquering bear presented as a man-made toy? I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t think it would be fair to force an animal to act in a video. I mean, that would be an extension of what I’m against.”

This was the first video on which Michel Gondry and Bjork collaborated.  (Gondry, of course, would later direct Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.)  Gondry had the following to say about the video:

“When we did our first video, for “Human Behaviour”, I was thinking: “Great, we’re going to Iceland and we’re going to shoot a lot of great landscape.” And she [Björk] said no – she had a similar idea as my friend Etienne in Oui Oui, she wanted to use animals to reflect human nature. And it was great, because as soon as she started to throw some ideas, they started to bounce in my mind and imagination and I immediately came back with other ideas, and we did a video that was very collaborative. “

So, there you have it.  The animals always win in the end.

Enjoy!

Music Video Of The Day: Novocaine For The Soul by Eels (1996, dir by Mark Romanek)


So, I’ve been having a bit of a Mark Romanek film festival tonight!

Val and I have looked at several Romanek-directed music videos here on the Shattered Lens.  Here’s just a few of them: Perfect Drug, Closer, Criminal, Hella Good.  Shake It Off.  Hurt.  (Also I should mention that I’m a huge fan of Romanek’s adaptation of Never Let Me Go.)

For this video, Romanek decided to create the impression that the band was flying by suspending them in the air.  In the audio commentary for this video (which can be found on The Work of Director Mark Romanek), Mark Oliver Everett says that he was scared for his life at certain points during the filming.  He also complained that the bass player, Tommy Walter, wasn’t moving realistically for someone floating in the air.

That may be true but Tommy’s the best-looking guy in the group so who cares?  Or, I should say, he was the best-looking guy in the group.  Tommy left Eels a year after this video came out.  The drummer, Butch Norton, left several years later.  Apparently, Mark Oliver Everett is incredibly talented and also extremely difficult to work with.

Anyway, it’s a good video!

Enjoy!