Like Neon

I’ve been on a huge Devlins kick this past month, and have been taking it upon myself to educate as many people as possible about their awesome. The Devlins are an indie band hailing from Dublin, Ireland. Chances are you haven’t heard of them even if you’ve heard their music, which is a huge shame, as they’re a fantastic band that has been releasing consistently good music since the mid-Nineties. The first time I heard them was back when I was still in high school and silly enough to pay to see Batman Forever—Dubious though the movie may have been, the soundtrack was incredible, and my favorite track was “Crossing the River” by this little Irish band I’d never heard of. Surprised the hell out of me, since the album also featured now-famous tunes by U2 and Seal, among others.

It’s difficult to choose a favorite amongst the Devlins’ songs, but “World Outside” from their 1997 album Waiting is definitely up there. You may recognize it from the movie version of Closer—It’s the languid, evocative tune that sees Clive Owen’s character down into the depths of Natalie Portman’s strip club. If you like it, please give the Devlins a try; they’re genuinely fantastic.

When I’m feeling like shit, there is a handful of artists I generally turn to to make me feel better, and Mika is at the top of the list. I was having a horrible day yesterday, but felt much better after watching the video for “We Are Golden” about five times, so it gets the nod today.

“We Are Golden” is the first single from Mika’s new album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, and was released in early September this year. It isn’t my favorite Mika song or even my current favorite from the new album, but the video has the unique effect of turning me on while making me laugh my ass off. It’s certainly a testament to Mika’s uncompromising and relentless charisma and naked chest: Not many people could carry off a cupcake scarf and lasers shooting from their crotch in the same video. At some point I’d like to do a whole post on the brilliance of Mika, as I feel he’s generally under-appreciated in the States, but for now this will have to do.

It’s probably pretty asshattish of me to make one of Lady Gaga’s BFFs my song of the day after I ragged on her video earlier, but apparently that’s just how I roll.

I’m sure this seems prematurely crotchety of me (I’m barely 32), but what the hell is with music videos these days? I’ve got what seems like a ton of friends totally enamored of Lady Gaga, and I’ll save my comments on her actual music for later, but her music videos perplex me. “Bad Romance” is the latest to make me wonder what people have been smoking. I want to give her credit for doing something innovative, but the truth is, it isn’t; it’s really just strange costuming over the same tepid song and dance and posturing that everyone else does. But really, “Bad Romance” is just the latest of a long progression of mediocre music videos that seem better than they are simply because the medium has become so commercialized. We’ve become inured to the sub-par, so anything above average seems spectacular.

Starting today, I’m going to feature what I consider to be a truly great music video once a week. You may or may not agree with my choices, but it should make for some thoughtful discussion, if nothing else.

I’ve been a fan of Spike Jonze for a long, long time, and since he’s suddenly become a serious force to be reckoned with in the wake of Where the Wild Things Are, I thought it would be nice to start with his video for Weezer’s 1994 hit, “Buddy Holly.”

What you have to realise about this video is that the seamless way the contemporary footage of Weezer was folded into vintage footage of Happy Days was pretty much mindblowing in 1994. We’d never seen anything like it before, and what truly elevates this video is that you don’t notice the technology. It’s peppy and fun, in keeping with the theme of the song; it draws you in with a big hit of nostalgia and keeps you interested with the mini-plot despite the subject matter being about as vanilla as they come. My favorite part is when Brian Bell mouths “I love you” to the precious girl in the glasses and blue cardigan, and I sure am glad that Richie decided he likes Rivers after all.

And really, come on: What video isn’t made more awesome with the addition of Fonzie?

If you’re still trusting my musical judgment after yesterday’s foray into questionable Eighties music, congratulations and thank you. Today’s song of the day is no less strange, but certainly more respected musically, and definitely one you should be ashamed of not knowing the words to: “Rock Lobster” by the B-52’s.

Originally released in 1978, “Rock Lobster” was the B-52’s very first single, and with the exception of possibly “Love Shack,” is probably the group’s most recognizable song. I love its peppy, surf-rock beat and the way it makes me want to jump up and immediately start doing the Twist.

“Rock Lobster” is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is #146 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. That’s enough to make me want to pass the tanning butter for sure.

According to an interview with MTV, JJ Abrams has finally confirmed that he won’t be taking on the undoubtedly daunting task of bringing Stephen King’s Dark Tower series to the big screen. Abrams cited his love of King and the series as his reason for declining: “I’m such a massive Stephen King fan that I’m terrified of screwing it up.” I feel you, JJ—It is indeed a huge undertaking.

Quips about wanting to see Blaine the Mono with epic lens flares not withstanding, I can’t help but wonder if bringing Dark Tower to the big screen (Or any screen at all, for that matter) is really what we need. Despite having a great love for the 1994 TV adaptation of King’s The Stand, I nonetheless know it was well and truly awful, and let’s be completely honest, here: When looking at the ratio of good King adaptations to painful ones, the odds don’t look good. Could Tower fans really stand to see Roland mishandled?

Much as I understand Abrams’ reluctance to sacrifice the better part of a decade to get the series made, I have to admit that he is the sort of director the series needs: A true and abiding fan. Like The Lord of the Rings, this is a project that will have to be handled with utmost care; is anyone in Hollywood actually up to the task? Better to have no movie than one not made with love.

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