WATCH IT: A Film By Harmony Korine - The Black Keys "Gold/Ceiling"

The Black Keys clearly have the good sense to realize that not everything has to make sense. Iconoclastic filmmaker Harmony Korine introduces Baby Twinz, a bizarro infantalized set of Black Key twins who star in a series of non-vignettes taped off some backwoods public access station. Even better? I think it was taped over competing bizarro twins ATL Twinz, who don't realize that they've been stunted on. --> watch A Film By Harmony Korine: "Gold On The Ceiling"

The Black Keys "Gold On The Ceiling" (Warner Bros.)
Harmony Korine, director/DP | Charles-Marie Anthonioz, producer | O’ Salvation, production co | Leo Scott, editor | Devin Sarno, commissioner

WATCH IT: Silversun Pickups "Bloody Mary" (James Frost, dir.)

From wide open vistas to enclosed spaces, with  just the right amount of supernatural tinges. --> watch "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)"

Silversun Pickups
"Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)" (Dangerbird)
James Frost, director | Sam Khazaeni, producer | Honey Badger, production co | Dermott Downs, DP 

WATCH IT: Andrew Bird "Eyeoneye" (Yu "Ewan" Morita, dir.)

"EyeonEye" plays almost like an animated version of The Powers of 10, except that in this case we zoom all the way into Andrew Bird's brain before zooming out to expose the massive cosmos. There's a homemade/craft vibe to the clip, kind of like something you might find on Etsy. --> watch "Eyeoneye"

Andrew Bird "Eyeoneye" (Mom+Pop)
Yu "Ewan" Morita, director | NAKED, production co 

WATCH IT: Jay-Z & Kanye West "No Church in the Wild" (Romain Gavras, dir.)

Hova and Ye are undeniably part of the top 1% economically, so who better to help them renew their 99% card (especially after trashing a Maybach in their last clip) than director Romain Gavras, son of the even more rabble rousing director Costa-Gavras. The street protests have a raw immediacy, while classic statues of watchful Greek gods add a sense that this battle is eternal, even if not strictly good against evil. Our heroes eventually gain the upper hand, but things seem to remain just as dangerous, especially when a very unexpected visitor shows up at the end. Don't get too comfortable, there is no safe place. -->watch "No Church in the Wild"

Jay-Z & Kanye West "No Church in the Wild" (Roc-a-fella)
Romain Gavras, director | Mourad Belkeddar, producer | Iconoclast, production co 

WATCH IT: Woodkid "Run Boy Run" (Yoann Lemoine, dir.)

Since Woodkid is the musical alias of director Yoann Lemoine, it's no surprise that the videos are the perfect playground for him to unleash some epically gorgous action. "Run Boy Run" expands upon the universe of previous clip "Iron," somehow reaching darker and more chaotic, yet glacial heights. --> watch "Run Boy Run" 

Woodkid "Run Boy Run"
Yoann Lemoine, director | Roman Pichon, producer | Iconoclast/Picseyes, production co | LARK CREATIVE, rep | Gregory Lanfranchy, vfx supervisor | Pierre Le Ny, commissioner

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WATCH IT: M83 "Reunion" (Fleur & Manu, dir.)

The gifed youngters from "Midnight City" are ready for telekinetic battle in this second sci-fi epic off M83's throwback double-disc gem, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. --> watch "Reunion" [h/t: Pitchfork]

M83 "Reunion" (Mute)
Fleur & Manu, director | Division Paris, production co 

WATCH IT: Chappo "Hell No" (Ghost+Cow, dir.)

Don't be scared by the practically (clearly?) NSFW screen image under the fold below — unless you have a fear of hairy nipples that bite back, in which case you should indeed be afraid — since it doesn't really represent the bulk of the video. Directing duo Ghost+Cow (aka Brandon LaGanke & John Carlucci) posted a somewhat bogus casting call on Craigslist and the resulting video is basically a series of screen tests that have been tweaked and prodded into gently/roughly surreal territory. PS: If you're into the idea of mouthy naughty bits, check out this toothsome Block Party clip from a few years ago. --> watch "Hell No" (kinda NSFW)

Chappo "Hell No"
Ghost+Cow, director | Hayden 5 Media, production co | Chris Coots, editor | Chris Kiser, cfx/exec producer 

WATCH IT: The Surfadelics "Bye Bye Bamboo" (Marco Vallini, dir.)

Seeing as how Quentin Tarantino's use of "Misirlou" in his 1994 breakthrough Pulp Fiction is still the most prominent mainstream blast for surf rock in the past two decades, it's only right for Italian revivalists The Surfadelics to pay homage to the filmmaker in this video. The opening title homage plays better than some of the scene recreations — surf rockers aren't known to be great actors, or even as good as John Travolta — but the best bits involve a paper Ninja toy that's as set on revenge as Beatrix "Black Mamba" Kiddo. --> watch "Bye Bye Bamboo"

The Surfadelics "Bye Bye Bamboo" 
Marco Vallini, director |  Sham Hinchey, DP 

WATCH IT: Dada Life "Kick Out The Epic Motherf..." (Mickey Finnegan, dir.)

Note to self: Do not invite Dada Life to my Memorial Day BBQ. --> watch "Kick Out The Epic Motherfu**er"

Dada Life
"Kick Out The Epic Motherf**ker" (Island/IDMJG)
Mickey Finnegan, director | Melissa Ciampa, producer | Spittn Image/Rockhard, production co | LaBuda Management, rep | Luis Perez, DP | Steven Escobar, editor| Mildred Delamota, Kamla Taylor, commissioner 

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WATCH IT: Gym Class Heroes "The Fighter" (Klasfeld + Sabenorio, dir.)

US Olympic gymnastics hopeful John Orozco stars as "The Fighter" not willing to give up on his dreams in this mix of docu-style clips with a Gym Class Heroes f/ Ryan Tedder performance. --> watch "The Fighter"

Gym Class Heroes f/ Ryan Tedder
"The Fighter" (Fueled By Ramen)
Marc Klasfeld & Nico Sabenorio , director | Rockhard, production co | LaBuda Management, rep | Nicole Acacio, exec. producer | David Saslow, commissioner

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WATCH IT: Primus "Lee Van Cleef" (Chris Lenox Smith, dir.)

Spaghetti Western star Lee Van Cleef comes back to life as a re-animated dead cowboy hellbent on revenge in this animated Primus video. --> watch "Lee Van Cleef"

Primus "Lee Van Cleef" (ATO)
Chris Lenox Smith, director | Bruce Moreau, producer | Mix Tape Club, production co | Randi Wilens, exec. producer 

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WATCH IT: Kwes "Bashful" (Ian Pons Jewell, dir.)

Maybe this Kwes video has you thinking about elevators, or lifts as they say across the pond. If so, then you will love set designer Rory Buckley's blog liftsinfilms, which started as a place for him to compile reference clips for the elevator he had to design and build for this video. Now, it's about as comprehensive a site as you could hope for if you have a fetish for lifts in films. --> watch "Bashful"

Kwes "Bashful" (Warp)
Ian Pons Jewell, Director | Serena Noorani & Tim Harrison, producers | Pulse, production co | Doug Walshe & Matthew King, DP | Gaia Borretti, editor | Morgan Beringer, compositor | Luke Morrison @ The Mill, colorist | Laura Tunstall, commissioner

WATCH IT: Liz Phair "And He Slayed Her" (Joey Boukadakis, dir.)

Liz Phair hits the road so she can dispose of a box full of memories and some other unwanted crap in her trunk. (And by unwanted crap, I mean the guy she's ready to forget). --> watch "And He Slayed Her"

Liz Phair "And He Slayed Her"
Joey Boukadakis & Paul Boukadakis, director | Chris Blankenship, producer | ProductionFor/Airloom Entertainment, production co | Shane Kelly, DP | James Staskauskas, editor

WATCH IT: Hot Chip "Night & Day" (Peter Serafinowicz, dir.)

"Many animals were harmed during the making of this video. Regrettably, none of them made the final edit." —  P. Serafinowicz

Comedian/Actor and occasional video director  Peter Serafinowicz delivers a sci-fi take on a dance-happy cult in a new Hot Chip clip that stars Reggie Watts, Terrence Stamp and model Lara Stone.  --> watch "Night & Day"

Hot Chip "Night & Day" (Domino)
Peter Serafinowicz, director 

WATCH IT: The Goddamn' Hustle "Dirty Little Pet Names" (BJ Golnick, dir.)

Florida rockers The Godamn' Hustle ain't the first band to get in trouble at a strip club, although usually things don't descend into a backwoods bloodbath like this. Director BJ Golnick takes some swampy True Blood occultism and mixes it with some doublecross twists, delivering it all in a deftly edited and shot video that goes far beyond what you might expect from what started as a low budget Kickstarter bid. --> watch "Dirty Little Pet Names"

The Goddamn' Hustle "Dirty Little Pet Names" 
BJ Golnick, director/editor | Bryan Rucker, producer | Stoked Entertainment, production co | Mark Lafleur, DP 

WATCH IT: Kreayshawn f/ 2 Chainz "Breakfast" (Kreayshawn, dir.)

How can you not like a song/video about pancakes and syrups, espeically when neither seems to a metaphor? Kreayshawn pays tribute to the most important meal, stacking flapjacks like dough (wait, maybe it is a metaphor?) with 2 Chainz and other early risers. --> watch "Breakfast"

Kreayshawn f/ 2 Chainz "Breakfast" (Columbia)
Kreayshawn, director | Giovani Hidalgo, producer | The Little Giant, production co | David Myrick, DP | Saul Levitz, commissioner

WATCH IT: Kero One f/ Esna "Fast Life" (Digipedia, dir.)

Korean-American hip-hop artist Kero One is no stranger to making videos much more creative than the standard indie rap fare, so no surprise that this latest clip has a vibe that's more visually akin to  what you'd expect from a twee indie rock group than a rapper reflecting on the "Fast Life." Korean production group Digipedia mixes animation, a cardboard cityscape and some clever compositing, allowing Kero to come across smoothly, content to follow his own lane. --> watch "Fast Life"

Kero One f/ Esna "Fast Life"
Digipedia, director |

WATCH IT: Maroon 5 f/ Wiz Khalifa "Payphone" (Sam Bayer, dir.)

The splashy new Maroon 5 video is muscularly packed with enough car chases, guns and logic leaps to shame the trailer for a summer tent-pole action movie. Director Sam Bayer really exploits the music video biz's new 'it's only on the internet' freedom with more pistols, AKs and shotguns than an early NWA clip, plus Adam Levine stepping away from the set of The Voice to ignore an explosion as only a true star can. --> watch "Payphone"

Maroon 5 f/ Wiz Khalifa "Payphone" (A&M/Octone)
Samuel Bayer, director | Serial Pictures, production co | Violaine Etienne, exec | Melinda Kelly, commissioner

WATCH IT: P.O.D. "Lost In Forever" (Spence Nicholson, dir.)

A space traveler haunted by memories of life on Earth makes a crucial mistake as he imagines reconnecting with his woman on a barren planet. P.O.D. are a bit more adaptive, thriving in a series of fish-eyed, space-matted performance set-ups. --> watch "Lost In Forever (Scream)" plus a Making-Of

P.O.D. "Lost In Forever (Space)" (Razor & Tie)
Spence Nicholson, director | Jamee Ranta, producer | London Alley Ent., production co | Samuel Brownfield, DP | Ethan Chancer, vfx | Luga Podesta, exec. producer | Brooks Jones, commissioner

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WATCH IT: Father John Misty "This Is Sally Hatchet" (Grant James, dir.)

Welcome to Purgatory Pizza, where the pies are cut like pentagrams and you best watch your fingers unless you'd like to keep them from becoming part of the Supreme special. You should also stay out of the backroom, unless you want to distract a very kickass woman from her riflery target practice. --> watch "This Is Sally Hatchet"

Father John Misty "This Is Sally Hatchet" (Sub Pop)
Grant James, director | Milkt Films, production co