Music Tuesday: Black Keys, best videos of 2011 and more
Over the past week on youtube.com/music, we’ve paid homage to a few musicians who’ve recently seen their careers get a jumpstart thanks to their YouTube videos. Mona Moua was invited to sing on Yelawolf’s new album after he saw her “Ode to Yelawolf,” and Kevin Olusola earned himself a (winning!) spot on NBC’s show The Sing-Off because of this video. Congrats to both. And now on to this week’s news.
The Black Keys Rock...Hard
The Black Keys Rock...Hard
The garage rock duo out of Akron returns with another dose of the heavy today. The guitar-drums duo has been compared to the White Stripes, but their sound is even shaggier and harder. They also released an amazing video recently which features one pretty incredible dancer. (He was meant to be an extra but stole the show with his moves; he’s the video’s only star.) To celebrate their new album, they're bringing the rock with some incredible live videos from bands that define the word “raw”: the MC5, Black Sabbath, Iggy and the Stooges and others. Wondering where they got their don't-over-think-it vibe? Look no farther than this playlist.
There were so many great music videos this year -- there really were. But you must have had a favorite, so what was it: Lana Del Rey's sleeper hit "Video Games"? One of Beyonce’s overwhelming horde of music videos? Or perhaps something a little more under-the-radar? We’ve made a playlist to get you started -- but you can also head to youtube.com/musictuesday today and tomorrow to let us know what you consider to be the best music video of 2011.
Japanese Popstars: Shells of Silver
This song is its own particular masterpiece. The Irish house group turns a subtler cheek than usual, thanks to guest vocals from the Irish folk singer James Vincent McMorrow. And the video is, simply, a masterpiece. Shot in the UK and Poland, often at daybreak, it features a landscape denuded of people. The sense of decay is only heightened by the few dancers that edge uneasily into the frame.