Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. We've been counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This installment takes a look at 2011's best videos. Enjoy!
Quite a few bomb-ass videos have been released this year. Some of them were goofy or sarcastic while others were a little more serious. Either way, there are a handful of music videos that came out this year that are all kinds of awesome.
Check out ten of this year's greatest music videos after the jump...
10. "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)," Katy Perry
Katy Perry has got cameos like woah in this '80s/John Hughes-style video. Hanson, Kenny G, Debbie Gibson, Corey Feldman, Darren Criss and Kevin McHale of Glee, and my girl Rebecca Black all make appearances. And man, that party looks poppin'.
9. "Lonely Boy," The Black Keys
This dude knows what it means to dance like no one's watching. Hell, he's gettin' his groove on and boogieing all over the place like it ain't no thang.
8. "Cameras," Matt & Kim
Matt Johnson told me in an interview earlier this year that Kim got really into this video. Generally, there's just a lot of bad-assness going on: instruments get smashed, Matt and Kim beat each other up, and then they take on another band with bare fists.
7. "All Is Not Lost," OK Go
The kaleidoscope effect in this video was very well-executed, and the frog suit theme is somehow kind of cute too. But it was no surprise that OK Go produced another stellar video since people expect nothing less from them. Their songs are...meh, but their videos always aim to please.
6. "Bizness," tUnE-yArDs
That overhead shot where the dancers move around on their backs is gold. Those rebellious dancing school children are adorable as well.
5. "Make Some Noise," Beastie Boys
The short film "Fight For Your Right Revisited" was tight, and this music video is basically a shortened version of its glory.
4. "Lotus Flower," Radiohead
Oh, Thom Yorke, king of mainstream indie, he's such a goofball. Maybe he should get together with the guy in The Black Keys' video and have a dance-off.
3. "My Machines," Battles feat. Gary Numan
This video makes me feel for anyone who has helplessly tumbled down an escalator in public. It looks like it sucks to be this stunt man, but stuntin' is his job. The positioning of the band continuously passing by the falling man on the opposite elevator is clever.
2. "We Don't Want Your Body," Stars
There isn't a band that has illustrated a scenario of sexual tension between lip-synching, body-building juiceheads better than Stars.
1. "Mein Land," Rammstein
The juxtaposition of putting these German metalheads into a 1964 beach party setting is simply brilliant and definitely makes this video worth watching, even just for the laughs.
