Mutant Viral Video

August 19, 2010 2:52 AM

Yeasayer's first album was so deeply 'World Musicky' you'd be forgiven if you thought they were from Kathmandu or Uzbekistan rather than Brooklyn. Their second album is somewhat more accessible, but their videos...well, "Ambling Alp" is full of people without clothes (semi-blurred NSFWness!) or without faces or made of clay or liquid metal, and "O.N.E." is a visit to a sci-fi rave and a game of tetra-dimensional-backgammon with a CGI morphing dude. But their newest, "Madder Red" features Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell and her pet... uh... welll... WTF IS THAT THING?!?
posted by oneswellfoop (27 comments total)

It looks like a baby Mugwump, and that green stuff is quite obviously Mugwump jism. Also, just for fun, Wakey!Wakey! covering Ambling Alp.
posted by carsonb at 3:45 AM on August 19, 2010 [3 favorites]

A lot of rock videos (and by "a lot" I mean "Tightrope" and "Ambling Alp") seem to be riding on the Maya Deren groove (mirror-faced people), and I think I dig it.
posted by Mooseli at 4:25 AM on August 19, 2010

"WTF IS THAT THING?!? " Obviously a cross between and english bulldog and a carp.
posted by HuronBob at 5:00 AM on August 19, 2010

Creepily, Yeasayer totally just came up on my random queue on Rhapsody.

As for these videos...WTF Yeasayer? I feel like a lot of alt-ish bands out there are trying to out-weird each other in their videos. See MGMT's "Kids" video for a good example.

They do look like they're having a blast when they perform though...
posted by This Guy at 5:09 AM on August 19, 2010

(Also, Rhapsody's fun-facts states "The band once categorized their musics as Middle Eastern-Psych-Pop-Snap-Gospel.")
posted by This Guy at 5:20 AM on August 19, 2010

"Kristen Bell and her pet... uh... welll... WTF IS THAT THING?!?"

Man, BP is sure taking the rehabilitation of Gulf coast wildlife seriously.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 5:54 AM on August 19, 2010

Is it wrong to want to roll the little fella out, stud him with choc chips, and bake him?
posted by Ahab at 6:16 AM on August 19, 2010

"Great idea! A video with a a cute girl and her ugly dog! What great contrast!"

"Wait, wait, let's make her dog even UGLIER!!"
posted by Pants! at 6:43 AM on August 19, 2010

I don't like this, it's too affected. the singer looks like he's doing a bad Ian Curtis spasm thing...

Sorry if I offend, but that's what I got from that first video and I'm not willing to check the rest out.
posted by NiteMayr at 7:03 AM on August 19, 2010

Good to see Krang still getting work, as far as I'm concerned.
posted by penduluum at 7:27 AM on August 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

Hmm, Frankie Goes to Hollywood meets Tragically Hip? Nothing for me here.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:29 AM on August 19, 2010

that's what I got from that first video and I'm not willing to check the rest out

Mind, like parachute, only function when open. (tripod!)

I really go back and forth on Yeasayer. Sometimes it's like "I hate that 80s crap," and then sometimes it's like "hey, that sounds like Split Enz or XTC!"
posted by mrgrimm at 8:27 AM on August 19, 2010

I feel like a lot of alt-ish bands out there are trying to out-weird each other in their videos.

Welcome to MTV circa 1985.
posted by hippybear at 8:35 AM on August 19, 2010

Is it just me or do these guys seem awfully similar to Animal Collective?
posted by jnrussell at 8:37 AM on August 19, 2010

omg...that thing was at my house last week! my roommate got the gig of puppeteering it at the afterparty and got to bring it home to practice....small world...
posted by sexyrobot at 9:25 AM on August 19, 2010 [4 favorites]

What I've learned from this post is that my cats don't think much of Yeasayer. I like them, though, but wouldn't have tried them except for some of the hate. (FGtH + Tragically Hip? Sign me up!)
posted by immlass at 9:30 AM on August 19, 2010

The song is about losing one's gambling addiction. Is that maybe the manifestation?
posted by battlebison at 9:54 AM on August 19, 2010

Wow.. they're like Vampire Weekend, but somehow, they manage to be even worse!
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:01 AM on August 19, 2010

Is it just me or do these guys seem awfully similar to Animal Collective?

How so? Because they veer from convention in interesting (daring?) ways and still manage to keep things "pop"? Admittedly, I haven't heard much of their stuff (maybe half a dozen songs) but none of what I have heard has instantly shouted "Animal Collective". It's just good, weird, adventurous stuff that tends to grow on me. And unlike many vids, theirs actually help me understand and enjoy the complexity of the music more (its various motions and emotions), and have got me wanted to SEE these guys live.

Thanks for the post.
posted by philip-random at 10:15 AM on August 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

The song is about losing one's gambling addiction. Is that maybe the manifestation?

I read the lyrics similarly. Not necessarily gambling (though "never gave a thought to an honorable living" is interesting), but yeah, some sort of addiction. And yeah, I think that's the manifestation. Or something else that's ugly, oozes disgusting pus, offers nothing of real value to you, but you can't give it up.

Though, then, who are the medical staff? Addict enablers? And there's nothing really to indicate that the addiction shouldn't be strong enough to survive. What's so different about this day for Kristen Bell that leads to breaking her relationship with the ugly?

I'm more confused about the video now.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:46 AM on August 19, 2010

The lead singer has his hair cut just like my mom's.
posted by Pecinpah at 10:53 AM on August 19, 2010

(FGtH + Tragically Hip? Sign me up!)

Foxy Shazam?

OK, not really, I just wanted to post that video. (Foxy Shazam is more like Liza Minnelli covering John Cameron Mitchell covering Queen covering ELO.)
posted by mrgrimm at 10:58 AM on August 19, 2010 [2 favorites]

Remember Warrant's "Cherry Pie" video? This has none of that video's subtle nuances. Come back, Warrant!
posted by Skot at 11:11 AM on August 19, 2010

Thank you for that Foxy Shazam link, mrgrimm. You have helped make my day better!
posted by immlass at 11:14 AM on August 19, 2010

I like the O.N.E. video. It's like every middling 90s science fiction movie rolled into a music video. I go back and forth on Yeasayer (I really disliked All Hour Cymbals), but they have a few catchy singles.
posted by codacorolla at 12:05 PM on August 19, 2010

It's related to Little Otik.
posted by kenko at 12:51 PM on August 19, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Madder Red music video ruined it for me. Now I can't listen to the song without imagining a gross hairy tumor singing to me.
posted by hellomina at 5:41 PM on August 20, 2010