Of Sound and Light

QUALITY MUSIC VIDEOS THAT ARE VISUALLY AND LYRICALLY APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN

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The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl (2002)

Coleman’s Comments LEGOS! They do a good job.  Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 10 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments Look at him like blah. How do they make stuff like that?  Music - 9 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Jared’s Comments This video was directed by Michel Gondry, one of the great music video directors of my youth. 

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Cat Power - Manhattan (2013)

Coleman’s Comments She is just riding on top of a big bus touching stuff.  Music - 8 out of 10 Video - 6 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments She is just walking around.  Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 3 out of 10

Jared’s Comments This video from Cat Power is nothing special but I thing the song is terribly simple and beautiful. She has had some great melodic songs including The Greatest and Cross Bone Style.  This song makes me think of my brother Forrest, who works in Manhattan. 

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Dawes - When My Time Comes ( 2010)

Coleman’s Comments I like the part when he is digging his grave at the end and pops up on top of the hill.  Music - 9 out of 10 Video - 7 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments I like the part when if drops into the hole like a big baby and when the gets the big belly when he eats the eggs Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Jared’s Comments Adam & Aaron Nee directed this video of Dawes “When My Time Comes”. I am not a huge fan of Dawes but this song is catchy and l like the message of the lyrics.  I am a huge fan of the movie Cool Hand Luke with this honors. It is such a good movie and I have quoted it many time; 50 eggs, night in the box, failure to communicate, boss kings ditch and plastic Jesus to name a few.  Usually by the end of the song they are both sing along. 

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Lord Huron - Ends of the Earth (2014)

Coleman’s Comments I like the silhouetted shadows. The train and the mountains are the only thing that look real. At the end it shows that all things end. Music - 8 out of 10 Video - 9 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments They loose the sparkle and then turn to skeletons.  Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 10 out of 10

There are a lot of great music videos form Lord Huron but this latest on from Director Kevin Donelan spins a silhouetted tale of an outlaw's lost love on the railroads.

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Flying Lotus - Putty Boy Strut (2012)

Coleman’s Comments the cow thingy is my favorite. it is like he is growing as he eats everything. It isn’t a worm it’t a caterpillar that turns into a chrysalis and then into a butterfly. Music - 7 out of 10 Video - 10 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments I like when he gets all crazy like a baby blah.  Squishy Robots! Oh’ no it’s a bad moeb. Music 10 out of 10 Video - 10 out of 10

Jared’s Comments Here is another great video produced by Cyriak (Bonobo’s Cirrus)  . Steven Ellison, known by his stage name as Flying Lotus, is an experimental multi-genre music producer, electronic musician and rapper from Los Angeles, California. This one has been a hit with the kids and they gave it 10 out of 10 which maybe a first. 

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Tweedy - Low Key (2014)

Coleman’s Comments Comment Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments Comment Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 9 out of 10

Jared’s Comments This video features actor Michael Shannon, John Hodgman, Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter, Chance The Rapper, Mavis Staples, and Wilco drummer Steve Albini. Nick Offerman, yes  that Nick Offerman, directed the video which tells the story of Jeff and Spencer Tweedy selling Sukierae door-to-door after their label loses its ability to do anything for them. 

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Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (1998)

Coleman’s Comments They are aliens that are dressed like humans and know earth words.  Music - 7 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments I think they come from Mars.  Music 6 out of 10 Video - 6 out of 10

Jared’s Comments Nathanial Hornblower (aka Yauch) was the director of this video, parodying cheesy Japanese sci fi films containing laughable special effects. I remember growing up watching these type of films on Sunday afternoons along with dubbed over kung fu movies. 

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The Chemical Brothers - GO (2015)

Coleman’s Comments They look like a choo-choo train. The part where they are spinning from above is my favorite part.  Music - 7 out of 10 Video - 7 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments Squishy plane when they cross bars! Squishy turn around! Turtle Plane! (not sure what that one means). Music 7 out of 10 Video - 9 out of 10

Jared’s Comments This Chemical Brothers video features a collaboration with Q-Tip of Tribe Called Quest.  Q-TIp is such a memorable voice from my youth.  I immediately recognize his voice and distance cadance.  This is going to be my poppy 2015 summer jam.  I am not sure if this is playing on pop radio but it should, it’s catchy and makes you want to dance. 

The Chemical Brothers teamed with Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind  director Michel Gondry, one of the true visionaries in the field of music videos (more of his work to come). it was filmed in Beaugrenelle, Paris, a renovated shopping district along the Seine.  Gondry’s contribution involves a team of women in strange uniforms performing a sycronized routine, mimicking the moments of a steam locomotive with a couple of metallic poles. See the behind the scenes video here.

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Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (2012)

Coleman’s Comments Music - 5 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments Music - 7 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Jared’s Comments Becky and Joe directed this Tame Impala's video.  The film is made up from over 1000 separate plasticine collages all individually made by hand. So much work and mind-blowing to think of the stageing. See the process here.

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Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks (2012)

Coleman’s Comments I like the giant two headed eagle.  Music - 8 out of 10 Video - 9 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments I like the angel girl who keeps them safe from bad moebs. That is her daddy at the end.  Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 9 out of 10

Jared’s Comments Of Monsters and Men, an Icelandic band, worked with We Were Monkeys on this video of five sky-sailors who discover a crystal meteor containing a lost mythical female creature. An epic journey through fantastical worlds ensues as the sailors struggle to return her to her people. Check out the process here.

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Chet Faker - 1998 (2014)

Coleman’s Comments I like the part when you are watching him from above and he is walking through the lines and breaking them. Music - 5 out of 10 Video - 9 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments Squishies are everywhere. I like the squishy worms that are flashing when they grow tall. Music 6 out of 10 Video - 9 out of 10

Jared’s Comments

Melbourne singer-producer Chet Faker blends melancholy singer-songwriter sounds with airy club music. 1998 was director Domenico Bartolo guides illustrations by Grace Lee through a synchronized landscape. Gold is another great song and the video features roller skaters, they are popular again. 

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Jungle - Platoon

The first video I came across from Jungle, the British based duo, was Platoon featuring 6-year-old B-girl Terra. Eliza said she could do that if she practiced and Coleman said yeah, 3 months of practicing.  Those of you who really know me know I love to see live music and dance. Seriously, it’s one of my favorite things. These are very mesmerizing and hold the kids attention.  Enjoy.

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Jungle - The Heat

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Jungle - Busy Earnin’

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Jungle - Time

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Broncho - Try Me Out Sometime

Coleman’s Comments Music - 7 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments Music - 5 out of 10 Video - 5 out of 10

Jared’s Comments I am not sure which videos the kids will like and it’s interesting to see which ones the kids keep requesting.  I am just looking for good music with clean lyrics and clean visuals, and then see what there reactions are. This one was a surprise.  I am really liking this new Broncho’s album, “Just Enough Hip To be a Woman”

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tUnE-yArDs - Water Fountain

Coleman’s Comments Music - 6 out of 10 Video - 7 out of 10

Eliza’s Comments Music 5 out of 10 Video - 8 out of 10

Jared’s Comments Two things come to mind when I see this video. Obviously if you are a kid of the 80′s you will be transported back to Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, such a transformative experience of my youth. To take you back here is the opening sequence. The second is less obvious, Iko iko by the Dixie Cups.  It is something about the cadence of the lyrics and the stick clicks.  Also if you have not seen Beauty is Embarrassing, a documentary about Wayne White, on of the creative arts of Pee Wee’s Playhouse you should.