We’ve had our Friday Mixtapes, and our Top 10 mp3s. We’ve listed our favorites carefully, and shown you what albums we think deserve to be in the top 100 of all time. Now though, it’s time to go the route of Carson Daly, and start counting down a new medium: Top 10 Videos. As some of you may, or may not, know, CoS has a video-counterpart, Cluster 1. Every week, Cluster 1 dishes out a number of original, interesting, and visually unique videos; whether it’s our original shows like Cluster 1 HANGOUT or No Cover, or the latest music videos from the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Titus Andronicus. Either way, Cluster 1 is devoted to delivering you the hottest (and most talented) video content on the web. Now, we bring you the Top 10 Videos of the week, so you can find everything you need to in just one place (and with several clicks, of course). -Ted Maider
Bon Iver – “Holocene”
Directed by: NABIL.com
Bon Iver’s new album has projected the indie outfit into rock stardom this year. With that being said, it’s rather interesting the video for “Holocene” is seen through the eyes of a small child. A young boy sets out on a hike from his hill-dwelling (think Bilbo Baggins type estate), and the shots of him in nature are breathtaking (primarily the one of him walking through the field). In this five-minute clip though, Bon Iver’s music and visuals capture the simplistic joy of being a kid out in the big, big world, which is probably how they feel about their success.
f e e d b a c k: Episode 12 – Rae Spoon
Directed by: Side B
Rae Spoon is one of the most famous transgender songwriters of our generation. You might say he is the transgender of our generation, which becomes apparent in this short documentary. Rae Spoon talks about how, as time has gone on, he has been able to freely express himself about his slightly taboo past. Now, Rae releases his sixth album, going in the direction of indie rock as opposed to the twangy country of his yesteryear.
Gringo Star – “Shadow”
Directed by: Bryan Bankovich
This song is pretty cool, and features the kind of high-pitched vocals that tend to be popular in modern music (plus the chorus sounds like that Morning Benders song). The video though, makes it very interesting. The whole video includes the band playing in the shadows (go figure), but the other plotline is quite unique. A girl in her pajamas follows a human-sized chipmunk through the woods (it should be noted the chipmunk is holding a lot of balloons). And this chipmunk certainly has some odd plans.
St Lucia – “We Are Water”
Directed by: St Lucia
Sometimes to make a good music video, all you need is some old footage and an editing tool. That’s exactly what St Lucia did for “All Eyes on You”. His assortment of clips tells the story of people living on a strange little island in the middle of nowhere. Off in the distant, a volcano violently erupts, putting their lives in danger. -Joe Marvilli
Krista Muir – “Concrete Love Song”
Directed by: Kara Blake
Krista Muir’s “Concrete Love Song” combines a basic rhythm with soft chords, but the video is what makes the song pop out. Combining stop animation, with extreme close-ups, the video depicts a dollhouse from a very in-depth angle. You, the viewer, are literally inside the dollhouse, watching furniture get placed, lights turn on, and see some things falling apart as well.
LCTRISC – “Sunbird”
Directed by: Johan Stolpe
“The dream would be to make a whole motion picture to this song,” LCTRISC has said about the track, “Sunbird”. While the synth cut is very dark, the images within the video are somewhat uplifting. The clip seems to take place in some sort of post-apocalyptic world (yet everybody still looks somewhat normal minus the meth-head lady with baby heads). But there’s a certain sense of freedom and lifted spirits as you watch the two protagonists ride around on their scooter, and take on the world at large.
MC Lars – “Lars Attacks!”
Directed by: Tim Thompson and Odin Wadleigh
MC Lars immediately informs us that this video does not support the paranormal and demonic. After a creepy basement with security monitors is shown, a video reveals a vampire-type hoodlum rapping with blood all over his face. It can only be assumed that this is MC Lars, and he does indeed support some kind of occult support group. Meanwhile, shots of UFOs, a mysterious man working and watching the monitors, and newspaper clippings are intercut to make you particularly uneasy.
Skrillex – “First of the Year (Equinox)”
Directed by: Tony T.
Skrillex is making things real creepy in this video. First of all, our protagonist is insanely weird looking. He comes off looking more like Martin Starr on Freaks and Geeks, but balding. He’s also following a young girl down a dark alley and lurking in the shadows. But, what happens when he goes to make a move? The beat drops and the girl turns out to be possessed by the demons of dub-step. And they said guitars could be used to summon the devil? Please….
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Little Blu House”
Directed by: ????
This video involves trippy lighting, and many silhouette shots of a pretty woman. Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s music does a good job backing up these visuals. Together, the song and video make everything look like a James Bond movie from the 70s…and that’s not a bad thing.
