It's Friday. Find joy today. [c/o Ane Brun]

I knew this song. And I liked it. But watching the video has made me love it even more. The storyline is trippy. There's a man. He's in a hospital. He finds freedom. He loses it. He ends up in hysterics, imagining himself on a beach trying trying trying to float away. But before he ends up stranded, tied to a dozen balloons in attempts to fly away, he finds joy and he dances and he smiles.

So, let's focus on the joy. Watch now.



[Thank you to our fellow bloggette at Walk This Way LA for the reintroduction.]

Tonight.

 

To be concise: Lykke Li makes beautiful sounds that I want to listen to.

Kate Bush danced like she wanted to.

30 some odd years ago, the music video hadn't yet developed its affinity for special effects, half naked girls, and cameos by film stars. It was unrefined and shot in one take in the woods with its star in a modest, long red dress and dancing like she's never danced before [and thankfully not many have danced since].

Questionable dance moves aside, the song is beautiful. And beauty's something modern day music doesn't always promise nowadays either.

The Impossible Girl lands in Kansas City.

Sometimes you see a band in a big stadium and the impact of the light show and the surround sound and the power of thousands of fans all swaying to the same beat proves overwhelmingly beautiful. And occasionally you sit on the floor of a small lingerie boutique and watch a girl and her guitar perform in the dressing room and you well up a little bit. Because that's pretty beautiful too.

Thanks to Peregrine Honig for hosting Kim Boekbinder at Birdies this week and introducing me to a great new artist. Kim Boekbinder is from NY and just spent several months in Australia and I discovered her in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Missouri.

And thanks to Kim for penning a diddy about Facebook stalking. We all do it. No one should be ashamed...

How to make it in America.

When you're working on a show about America, it is easy to get patriotic. You see enough American flags and energetic fervor around them and you start to believe the hype. Which is a good thing. But America: Now and Here isn't just about hype and it's not about patriotism. It's about a dialogue and a conversation.

And it is probably not a coincidence that this song has been on repeat on each of my Apple music devices over the last several weeks.

Charles Bradley, I couldn't have started a more universally engaging conversation had I tried. Which I might have. But didn't have to. Cause this song does it so superbly.

Why is it so hard to make it in America?

Please enjoy Bradley's dance moves around 2:30 and 4:30 responsibly.

Timothy Bloom: the music and the [nude] man.

Oh my god. This video would be insanely hot and steamy if the song wasn't so insanely beautiful. Proof that sometimes sweetness trumps sex.

I may have just cried a little watching. Enjoy.



Download the track from Said the Gramophone.

Catalog shoot. Take one. Ratatat brings it.

The official vid for 'Drugs' off Ratatat's 2010 album, Lp4. Makes me want to buy button down shirts from a mail order catalogue. Makes me want to order a scrip for anti-depressants. Makes me want to dance.



Video by Carl Burgess.

I still run this thing like a Dancehall Queen.

The irony of my loving this song by Robyn does not escape me. I am not a Dancehall Queen. I don't even like to go into dancehalls or discotheques or whatever you young, crazy club kids call them these days.

But I do still run this thing.

And I approve of the invention of the word 'shiwouw.'

Co-Directed by Diplo, Red Foxx & Pomp&Clout

Make ya dance. Make ya smile.

Dancing in my seat and I want you to as well.

Like the song but the awesome low budg video? You can download the track for free at Said the Gramophone.

Nicki Minaj's fairy tale fashion.

In Nicki Minaj's new music video for 'Moment 4 Life,' the Cinderella story gets a modern day, hip-hop twist. And just in time for Valentine's Day, female rapper dreams do come true.

Those familiar with the original fairy tale will recognize some key changes in the highly stylized story line in Minaj's version...

* Cinderella's footwear of choice is no longer glass slippers. It's blinged out Louboutin stilettos.
* Cinderella isn't into rags for her work around the palace any more. It's all flashy gold studded numbers now that reveal breast, breast and more breast.
* The Prince (Drake, swoon)'s wardrobe has given up royal robes in Nicki's fantasy fairy tale land. He dons a drab black pant and shirt for most of the video. But he still looks good. And so we're willing to suspend our disbelief.

Nicki Minaj - New Music - More Music Videos

[via Interview Magazine]

LA band Warpaint covers Bowie.

Like Warpaint cause they're LA based. Like 'em cause it's members are all super cute ladies. Like 'em cause they were just this week nominated for BBC's Sound of 2011 (and the BBC knows what's up).

[Thanks to my friend Dylan Willoughby for sharing this video.]

OK Go's tribute to toast.

This video, featuring toast and only toast, is as beautiful as the song its made for, Last Leaf.

Last Leaf

OK Go | Myspace Music Videos

Vampire Weekend. Tonight at the Bowl.

Are you ready for a dose of preppy pop, Hollywood?

I am.

Blood by The Middle East. A music video worth watching.

If all lyrics were written like this, I'd listen.

grandfather, gentle soul, you'll fly
over your life once more before you die

And if all music videos looked like this, I'd watch them.

Spoon makes screaming sound so, so good.

Britt Daniel. You can scream at me any time you want. Cause though it sounds like you might be causing irrevocable damage to your vocal chords singing this song, I just don't want it to stop. Brilliant.

Cee-Lo avoids censorship on the interwebs.

If Janet can't show boob on national television, there's no way this single was going to make it to the airwaves. So, Cee-Lo said 'Fuck You' to censorship and put his catchy new single, profanities and all, online. With more than 1 million views on YouTube, it seems that the general public is not so easily offended after all. And, after all, the song's about lost love. And who among us who's had our hearts broken hasn't wanted to shout 'Fuck You' too.

Currently Listening (& getting overemotional) To: Where'd You Go

Am I trying to depress you today? Maybe.

Though I typically shriek and run at the mention of Linkin Park, I'm loving (and playing on repeat) this 2005 single from Mike Shinoda's side project, Fort Minor. 'Where'd You Go' will move you. It might bring you to tears. It will definitely make you think of the one or ones that got away. Unless you've got hearts of stone. Which is entirely possible as well.

Currently Listening to: Sia's Electric Bird

From her witty dialogue with the audience to her magical, magical voice, Sia is pure perfection. There are other videos that show more of her quirky side (dancing included) at other shows, but I liked this one for its quality.

Enjoy.

Highlights from TEDxUSC.

This week marked the second annual TEDxUSC conference--a local offshoot of the famed (and occasionally infamous) TED conference. While the program had its ups and downs, it was, overall, an inspiring and uplifting day of speakers, performances, and screenings. (Which says a lot as I'm generally not easily moved. They don't call me Cruella for nothing...no, they don't really call me that, you nincompoop.)

Here are some highlights.

* Raul Fernandez' short film/music video, 'The Woods: The Final Breaths of a Main Character.' The film is beautiful and creative and worth watching. The video is below for your viewing amazement.
* Paul Frommer spoke on creating the made up language, Na'vi, for communications on the land of Pandora (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you were clearly out of the planet for the last Oscar season).
* Jazz musician Charlie Parker apparently invented bee bop because he suspected that white musicians would not be able to copy the style. This somehow related to Johanna Blakley's talk about the lack of copyright protection in the fashion industry (don't ask me to explain my notes 3 days later, please).
* Short film 'Amelie and Alchemy' portrayed a father's quest to have his four year old daughter pose and hold still for a photograph taken by a century old camera device. I wish I could find the short in full online to show you as it was fantastic.
* Navigenics is a company founded by speaker Dr. David Agus. You: spit in a vial. They: give you a full report on your chances for disease as compared to the average population. Fascinating. Advanced. Likely insanely expensive. But still fascinating!

View talks from the 'real' (okay, okay-original) TED conference online. You will be so glad you traded in that hour of Real Housewives for something more inspired.

The new Gaga vid - soft porn or Virgin Mobile ad?

Last night Lady Gaga's new video premiered. I'm not sure if the end goal was soft porn, bad hat showcase or product placement opportunity for Virgin Mobile.

Either way, I'm a little confused, a little impressed, and maybe a wee bit scared.

It's like a 10 minute long, live action David LaChapelle photograph. Enjoy.