2009 brought us some interesting videos from some interesting artists.  Lady Gaga taught us all about bad romances and pokerfaces.  MGMT gave us some videos reflecting their drug-induced parties.  Coldplay showed us that yes, even a band of puppets can put on quite the stage show.  Tons of websites have versions of these, so I figured I’d throw my hat in the ring and share my favorite videos from 2009 with you.  Get ready for a lot of Youtube embedding after the jump.  In no particular order, these are my 9 favorite music videos from 2009.

The Dead Weather – Treat Me Like Your Mother (dir. Jonathan Glazer)

Okay, so the first few minutes may be a bit…redundant.  It’s merely shots of band members Jack White and Alison Mosshart walking in what seems like a dry field you’d see in the Vegas suburbs.  But what caught my eye was that the two are carrying some serious weapons.  And then, they start shooting at each other!  Apparently, they’re both bulletproof due to their musical talents.  A simple video, but I found myself watching it more than once.  Maybe I enjoyed it a bit more than I should.  But, come on, there’s just a feeling of satisfaction you get when you see Jack White walk into the horizon with blood on his shirt.

Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks (dir. Patrick Daughters)

People have told them that this song makes them feel like they’re on acid.  And, okay, I can kind of see it.  (Granted, it is no MGMT music video)  But, to me, this video epitomizes Grizzly Bear’s way of making music and portraying it to their audience.  As the music swells, their faces start emitting this light.  As the song climaxes, their eyes start glowing.  As the song reaches its ultimate peak, sparks start flying.  Don’t get me wrong, some of their expressions are a bit creepy, but the video is great!  Who thought that four guys sitting on chairs with sparks flying out of their heads could be so awesome?  I didn’t, until I saw this video.

Gym Class Heroes – Live A Little (dir. Dan Dobi)

I’ve got a thing for Gym Class Heroes.  This video not only makes the list because its my favorite song off of their album, The Quilt, but because it captures the feeling at a Gym Class show.  Everyone’s just happy to be there, singing with the band, and hanging out with friends.

Matt and Kim – Lessons Learned (dir. Taylor Cohen and Otto Arsenault) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJkymylTNU4]

What’s better than streaking in New York during the winter?  A lot of things, I bet, but give Matt and Kim some credit for doing so.  If you can’t see by now, I’ve got a thing for simple videos and this video?  Extremely simple.  “Hey, Matt and Kim.  Just bundle up, and then we’ll let you out of a van so you can strip down, and then eventually the police will come along and tackle you a bit.”  Hm, okay!  I love it.

MSTRKRFT feat. John Legend – Heartbreaker (dir. Vincent Haycock)

A video is always better if there’s a bit of a love story.  The video looks like it was taken right from the day of some random kid in Los Angeles, and I love it.  And besides, don’t you love going into random corner stores in Downtown LA and flirting with the cashier while your friends shenanigate?  Ah, good times.  The fact that John Legend contributes his lovely vocals to this MSTRKRFT song only makes the video better.

OK Go – WTF? (dir. Tim Nackashi)

WTF is going on in this video?  Umbrellas?  Chairs?  Bright poles?  And everything just makes the background?  Boy, I’m confused and fascinated at the same time.  Let’s watch it again.

St. Vincent – Actor Out of Work (dir. Ian Kibbey and Corey Casey)

There’s a bit of crying in this video.  Surely, not because of the beauty of Annie Clark’s voice, but because she’s commanding these actors to cry on cue.  Her doe eyes and sweet smirk seem to contradict perfectly with the frustrated and teary faces of the “actors out of work.”  When I saw this video for the first time, I immediately began to loop it.  Amazing song, amazing video.  It all makes sense.

Tegan and Sara – Call It Off (dir. Angela Kendall)

In this video, twins Tegan and Sara sing while Tegan (Sara? They’re twins – I can’t tell them apart) is wrapped in a colorful bunch of telephone cords.  A perfect video for the mellow song off of their album The Con. Nothing flashy, just a plain way of saying they’re going to “call it off” with their partner.

Vampire Weekend – Cousins (dir. Garth Jennings)

This video makes me ridiculously happy.  Just a fun, energetic video for a fun, energetic song.  It may take a few times to watch, actually, since some things happen rather quickly, but its worth every watch and listen.  The confetti!  The masks!  The solos!  Way to make a fun video, Vampire Weekend.

HONORABLE MENTION: The Boy Least Likely To – When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade (dir. Jayne Vidheecharoen)

Okay, so I said nine, but I couldn’t exclude this video.  It is precious!  A cloth bird and an apple become friends, but their fun times are often ruined by those pesky, sour lemons.  What to do?  Make lemonade!  And then party in heaven!  But besides the overall cute concept of the video, there’s the adorable artistic part of it.  The sky is made from jeans!  The bird from cloth!  The apple has cute little button eyes!  This video has the power to melt my heart.

Well, 2009, that was fun.  What have ya got, 2010?  I’m ready for it.

-Aria

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