As you probably know the internet access on Haida Gwaii is bum. In many ways this is a good thing, as it prevents the take over of ubiquitous youtube parties that are often the result of flawless access and unlimited bandwidth. The exceptions to this are time like when you are trying to get any work done involving the internet, or trying to show a truly deserving video you love to someone, but overall, it's a small price to pay to live in a place like this, and a good excuse to step away from the screen and get the hell outside.
All that to say that that I do not watch a ton of music videos and am decidedly behind the times on most things pop culture.
That's why there is only 1 videos on my list of top videos of 2013. Which makes it pretty easy.
212 by Azealia Banks. I think this probably didn't come out in 2013, but that's when I found out about it courtesy of my buddy Natalie when I was visiting her in Montreal. This video made my jaw drop. HOT!
Now for 2014. There are actually 15 separate videos (shattering my last years number in just the first few days of the new year!). These videos were brought to my attention by the decidedly media savvy Evil Patrick. One of my most listened to albums of 2013, and probably for the last 3 years is Girl Talk Feed the Animals, but then just one day before new years Mr. Shannon brought the latest album All Day to my attention. Another mind blowing, hip spasm inducing truckload of ear candy.
To top it all off, just after New Years I was introduced to the videos that accompany this opus. This genius 15 year old had made a video of herself dancing all over New York to one of the tracks from this album. When Greg Gillis, (the mix mastermind behind Girl Talk) saw the video he asked her to do the whole album, so she did. It's called Girl Walk All Day. I dare you to try not to smile, let alone just start dancing uncontrollably while watching this. It's beautiful. 2014 is looking good so far.
You should check out this amazing little documentary that just happens to feature a bunch of my favorite artists: Coco Rosie, Devandra Banhart, Vashti Bunyan and Anthony (of Anthony and the Johnstons). It is called the eternal children, and you can watch it for free on youtube. What I love about it is that it shows these audaciously hopeful musicians who to me, are the closest things there are to fairies, and I like to hear them sing and hear why they do. Hope you like it. The "movement" they are part of is sometimes called freak folk. I just think it's amazin and fun. What art and music should be all about.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Here's another Ted Talk, pretty inspiring. Evelyn Glennie is a musician, a percussionist to be more specific. She is also hearing impaired, but I would never of known that. She shows why we shouldn't judge books by covers, and why we should listen with our whole bodies.
