Written: a little tipsy...

Now, if you ask me, and you might as well...I don't know who comes up with these BEST OF lists....Best of who? Best of what? Who is in such a mighty position to decide what is the best? By what criteria? Who are you to judge? Who the fuck would put all the time and effort and judgement into deciding these things?

Well, if you ask me, and you might as well, I couldn't give a shit who's the best. In the end, it's all comes down to personal preference. Do you like General Kung Pow Chicken or do you like Sweet and Sour Pork? Guy A might say, "I like General Kung Pow Chicken," whereas Guy B might remark, "But Guy A, you've missed the point entirely, when, and as you will soon discover, it is Sweet and Sour Pork that is obviously the champ apparent in this case."

For example, let us say pop-super-diva-sludge-monster Miriah Carey sells 100000000000000 records, and wins countless awards. She may be the "best" by a certain extent or margin, but is by no means "THE BEST". For example, more people when asked who the greater popular culture influence is, I am certain more people will say The Beatles, or Elvis, or even F. Fucking Scott Fitzgerald over Miriah Carey. Now, I don't have the evidence for this phenom, but I am almost certain of it. Or is that the Miller High Life talking to me? NO! I am certain more people would say the Beatles are more widely accepted and cited as a greater influence than Miriah Carey. The only person Miriah Carey ever influenced is this one choreographer (a lady, her name escapes me, but i remember her being extremely athletic for her age which was definitely over 40...her son tap-danced) who attended the show choir camp i went to back in high school. She taught us chereography to Miriah Carey's then hit "Butterfly," choereography which she herself conceived of. (She also did choreography to the "Proud Mary" number that our showchoir "group" did...I remember being singled out by her, because I could not do this one difficult manuever (move) that involved placing your left hand on the ground, your right hand in the air, and moving your feet at the same time.... ((description defies this manuever, so just ask me to try to perform it someday if you see me. I'm sure i can manage))

Now, there may have been no choreography at all, but I am most certain that at the end we had to make "butterflies" using our two hands, and watch the "butterflies" soar off into the distant sky above us, within arm's reach. A perfect visual example of this is the Happy Hands Club from the film Napoleon Dynamite, which by now, I am beginning to accept as the cult classic that is. In fact, I am certain that if they made a Napoleon Dynamite 2, It would revolve around a classic "road trip" plot, of which Napoleon, Pedro, and that one girl, with the "nice sleeves" would embark on. The rest, I leave to your imagination, dear reader...


My point is this... And at this time, I must re-direct you to the following URL:

http://docopenhagen.blogspot.com/2005/12/top-50-music-videos-of-2005.html

Now this is an impressive BEST OF list. In fact, it is the "best" or "top" music videos of 2005. Who's best? Who's top? I don't know. And judging the list, I do not care, because this is a fine list of artists, and excellent videos, which you may play in your internet browser, provided you have all the appropriate plug-ins...

If you'll allow me, I'd like to share my commentary on a few of them...

If you thought Michel Gondry's latest video with the White Stripes was the best video of 2005, you are mistaken, and this gentleman's "top" list will prove you mistaken, of course.

1. "Rubber Johnny" - Aphex Twin.... This is bizarre. Truly distrubing, and utterly bizarre. David Lynch will never divulge how he created the Baby in Eraserhead, and I'm sure Aphex Twin (whoever the fuck they are) will have the same thing going for them here. It seems like Rubber Johnny lives alone in an abandoned asylum and is only visited on occassion by curious teenage boys and the prying film crew looking to make a new Aphex Twin music video. It is real? Or is it all digital devilery? You decide, dear reader....

4. "i need some fine Wine" - The Cardigans... Perhaps, and yes, another fine example of why Sweden's The Cardigans are totally underrated, and had far greater talent and appeal than their submissions to the Romeo + Juliet and Austin Power's soundtrack. This is a video with rich, dark colors, and it showcases their band well. First Band on the Moon ROCKS!

5. "Baby, C'mon." - Stephen Malkmus ... This video is surely a visual tip o' the hat to Michel Gondry. It has the sort of digital patchwork/stop-motion feel Gondry has exhibited in such works as White Strips "Fell in Love with a Girl", or "Walky Talky Man" by that one band from New Zealand, whose name has succumbed to this beer buzz I have now. Still, this is a nice video that fits the song well. And since it's a Stephen Malkmus song, the content of the song doesn't matter so much. It just sounds cool.

10. "Military Wives" - The Decemberists .... So I skipped out on their concert when they came through Omaha. Don't make me feel bad. This video makes up for my tinging disappointment in myself. A fitting tribute the "model United Nations" of the film Rushmore, the Decemberists have taken liberty here, and merely expanded on the idea, and also, offered up a biting political commentary of the zealous and scheming U.S. (played with suprising bravura by Colin Maloy, who is only a boy). Funny, touching, maybe both. Still, a video like this one is always a welcome eye treat. Now, who brought the barbeque!!

Now, I could go through all of these videos, and hell, one could probably spend a good afternooon viewing all of them, but I just wanted to pick out a few that stuck out ot me, though if I spend some more time with this website, there are probably many more I will have to say something about. However, I will reserve myself, and resign myself to making a few closing comments about other things, besides music videos....

RECENT SCREENING LOG_

What do you get when you cross Eraserhead with The Who's Tommy with Rocky Horror? Probably nothing...But in my opinion, you might get THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT, wherever fine Digital Video Discs are sold! Indulge yourself, and read more about it at www.imdb.com....A-E-I-O-U! Glasses on... :-) "Are you saying you're too good to kiss me!?!"

Saw Werner Herzog's GRIZZLY MAN... Timothy Treadwell was nuts. Let's get that out of the way. The man talked to bears who were capable of shreading the man within an inch of his life (and that's just what happened). Either they simply became accustomed to his presence or they did not care for him. Did he deserve to die at the paws, claws, and jaws of an animal he so desperately cared for? No, and niether did his girlfriend. But choas and fate played their parts, and exited as Timothy Treadwell was ripped to pieces, and died in the Grizzly Maze one late-summer day. Choas and fate...two things Treadwell seemed oblivious too. Shit, indeed, does happen. Yet for all this so-called righteous retrobution, Grizzly Man is in effect the story of a passionate man who yearned not for discovery, but self-discovery, in which not Mr. Chocolate benefitted or was redeemed by his presence, but instead, Treadwell found redemption for his being there, and that's all that mattered. His soul required it, and there is a certain closure to know that a portion of his ashes were scattered in the land, the Grizzly Sanctuary, which he called home.

Went to the Jeff Tweedy concert alone...It was brilliant. I shed a wee tear when he played "Heavy Metal Drummer". It reminded me was it was to be free. I'll say no more than that. It was a touching experience. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is one of those albums that will always be a sqaure in the patchwork quilt of my memory and spirit.

So, goodnight, and good luck.