So everyone knows I love music. I also enjoy a good music video. Since the advent of MTV, some good videos have been able to make a song, or even a band, reach new heights of popularity. Others have at least provided exposure for bands while generally confusing their audience.
Back in the 80's music videos were relatively new, and simply standing in front of a camera playing a song could suffice for a video. Today with every band under the sun posting their videos on youtube, most try to do something different to stand out.
After watching a few videos from the early 80's, I thought it would be fun to do a video comparison. I thought comparing New Wave to Indie made sense because they are both sort of against the mainstream, and their videos both have a tendency to be a little ridiculous and make no sense. For this comparison, the videos both come from English bands and neither makes a real attempt at telling a story, opting instead for the classic band-playing-music-in-a-room style.
First up: New Wave band with androgynous lead singer dance in a room at a well-disclosed location until a boy turns orange.
Observations: Man they look awkward, but at least they're enthusiastic about it.
Next: Diverse Indie band plays in aesthetically pleasing arrangements while seagulls learn the peril of bumper-cars.
Observations: White people have stopped attempting to dance in music videos. This is probably mostly a good thing, but it makes me a little sad.
The Human League video takes place at a location on a map / in a map (I'm not quite sure), while the Metronomy video takes place in an anonymous white room. Is this a reaction to the lack of privacy we feel today? Or is it just indicative of the fact that it was shot in a professional studio rather in a band member's basement?
P.S.: I'm thinking of turning this into a recurring feature, what d'ya think?
Recurring feature? Like a series? I vote yay. I like comparing things. And yea... The Human League look SO awkward.
ReplyDeleteWhen did the anonymous white room shot first appear? The earliest I can think of is The Matrix. It seems to be a recurrent theme in the digital age. Perhaps its a result of our ability to completely anonymize music- no record art, no packaging, just a file. And The Human League seemed more like an awful attempt at 80s era David Bowie. The Metronomy song is pretty catchy, but the female drummer and black bassist? Can they be any more cliche Indie?
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