From the album 'Dear Science.' www.youtube.com

         

wow, that had to have been one of the worst vids for one of the best bands. total garbage

         

yeah really quite disappointing after 'golden age'.

         

LOVE tvotr, detest their videos

         

Ugh. They need to get Tunde back into the director's chair.

         

My jaw dropped reading these other comments?!! I first heard about this video through NPR's program on Music Videos last month. They choose it as their pick of the year calling it a "video painting". I then saw it on the tube and I have to say it's def the most beautiful unconventional TVOTR video that they've done. I full of many combinations of visual techniques that anyone worth their salt on this site should be giving a round of applause to. As a filmmaker myself, I know good abstract visual when I see it and this to me is the direction that music videos should be moving in. We should be celebrating this kind of textural multilayered surrealism over the mundane commercial approach to most videos or even other music video's that claim to be creative but just steal the last technique from another music video . On my own accord (and along with other film maker friends) we've pointed this video out as masterful video art. So when I read the other comments I just couldn't hold my tongue. We'll done.

         

"We should be celebrating this kind of textural multilayered surrealism over the mundane commercial approach to most videos"

Interesting thoughts but,

1. Is this video really all that different from most other after effects style abstract indie videos? I'm not saying it's bad, but I don't know if I would give this video extra points for being some sort of alternative to "normal" music videos.

2. As for the critique of the "mundane commercial approach to videos", I would argue that this video is pretty effective at nailing a style that is popular with TVOR's demographic, and I think you could argue that it's just as much a "commercial approach" as a Beyonce video, just for another set of fans. Beyonce's fans expect glossy dance videos and TVOR fans want DIY-looking abstract videos. Is either somehow less commercial?

3. Not to take anything away from this video, but of course NPR is going to highlight it. It's a critically acclaimed song from a yipster-approved indie band. The video plays it pretty safe, and that's all it really needed. I only wish NPR would have gone out on a limb and highlighted the Golden Age video, which took bigger risks and was much more interesting in my opinion.

         

Clearly NPR highlighted this video over the care bears (Golden Age) one because the video for Golden Age looks like a toy commercial for kids. I'm just saying that with the eye of someone who's been a fan of progressive thinking visuals for years. I can't image that TVOTR or whoever directed the the Dancing Choose video we're thinking about selling anything when they made that video. I'd can image that they were more concerned with their visual techniques and how it related to the vibe of the song. Can't say. But the point is that there doesn't seem to have any commercial angle. No beauty shots or sales tactics. But what attracted me to it as an avid animation/live action fan was the innovative combination of animation techniques. If you have any experience trying to work that way ( I'm no pro) you'll know how advanced that video really is. The other videos that they have done are very basic After Effects videos and that's why this one stuck out. Just my observations. Really the band is great and they seem to be trying new things so best wishes- it's all good in my book.

         

I don't really have strong feelings about this video either way, but I want to explain my earlier comment about this video being "commercial".

There are no beauty shots or overt sales tactics in this video because that's not an effective way to reach TVOR's audience. This band's fanbase wants to see something that looks DIY, creative, and "artsy" and I think this video does all 3 pretty well, and therefore effectively "sells" the band's image. TVOR's demographic doesn't want to see beauty shots or glossy productions, and so this video seems like a pretty safe way to appease them. In my mind, a hip indie band making an artsy 'diy' aesthetic video is analogous to Lil' Wayne making a video with cars and money in it- it's what the audience wants to see, and it's a safe way to move units.

With the Golden Age video, I felt like the band/director were at least challenging their audience with a look that isn't usually associated with hip brooklyn indie bands (I think you're description is actually quite accurate). It goes against what the audience expects, unlike this video which seems like it could belong to just about any band that plays the Pitchfork festival.

         

I should add that I have nothing against this video, I think it's well done for the most part and has some nice moments.

         

RE: Artsy diy is the same as lili wayne making a video with cars and money.

I feel that your missing the point. Those who make what you call DIY, Artsy videos aren't consciously making them with hopes of them looking DIY where as with your typical hip hop cars n' money video they are consciously trying to portray themselves as something that they are not. See, - take Beck's new video for example (very similar aesthetic to the Dancing Choose video) is not trying to be anything more than what it is. It's actually what I would image the process is like for the artist who are making the music. They don't walk into the studio a think "lets make it Indie" they just make it. My guess is that it was the same approach with the Dancing Choose video or all of Beck's videos or all of Radiohead's videos and that's why they are artful. It sounds like your over-thinking it with the Golden Age video approach. It seems to me that the Director (don't know his name) had to go out of his way to be weird and didn't seem to have any real artistic style. i felt like the look of it was very contemporary Photoshop looking. There were old tricks, filters and concepts that have been beaten over the head and it wasn't evoking any engaging experience or craft. I'm not trying to pan it in any way. I just think that if the theory of operation for Golden Age video was to looks weird for weird sake then it was calculated and calculated video's should be saved for artists other than TVOTR who don't make calculated music Visual artist don't have to try and make it a certain way and the history of film and even commercial art have many examples of that. Anyway, nice to see that two videos can evoke such debate! :) I just really loved The Dancing Choose vid and I usually don't like TVOTR's videos but love the band so I was really into it. peas!

         

bigtime, i think you're making a lot of assumptions about the mindsets of musicians and directors.

"Those who make what you call DIY, Artsy videos aren't consciously making them with hopes of them looking DIY where as with your typical hip hop cars n' money video they are consciously trying to portray themselves as something that they are not."

This whole sentence strikes me as a little niave. Really, all DIY artsy looking videos are "real" art made from the soul and all hip hop videos are just outright lies? That seems like a bit of a stretch.

The DIY artsy look is an aesthetic that plenty of artists use to help brand themselves and sell themselves to a particular demographic. You only have to read the majority of record label briefs that go out to potential directors to get a peak at how it all works- I can't tell you how many labels and artists have asked this year for videos with a "folksy/indie vibe", a "handmade, DIY look", or even "a video in the same vein as Bjork or Feist". The labels and artists are smart- they realize that this "look" will help portray their music as "authentic", and thus sell records to the type of people who care about that sort of thing.

One of the reasons I like The Golden Age video is because it seems to challenge the viewer and not just fit inside an easy "indie videos are supposed to look like this" template.

         

"Those who make what you call DIY, Artsy videos aren't consciously making them with hopes of them looking DIY"

... oh boy. Quite the opposite!

         

RE: This whole sentence strikes me as a little niave. Really, all DIY artsy looking videos are "real" art made from the soul and all hip hop videos are just outright lies? That seems like a bit of a stretch.

Hey, lets keep it clean. Hopefully we're both fans of innovative video and TVOTR. Your over-thinking this..... Yes, there are biters and bandwagon jumpers and the labels are a mess especially creatively. I understand that as a filmmaker that's why Im on this site for these discussions.

There are some amazing hip hop videos, some very truthful artful videos for Pop, Rock, and Hip Hop. I just don't see things in terms of Indie or not indie. There's only good work and bad work. I just don't believe in reactionary creative decision made on what other people may perceive, categorize or label. I'm honestly more interested in this topic/thread over which tvotr video we each like and why. I just thought that the Golden Age video was outright bad. I expressed reasons in earlier post. Larger point is- The people who are making videos are directors that have developed visual styles and it's nice to see people do that in successful ways like with the Dancing Choose video. I looked up the Directors after this lengthy thread and sure enough- they've had that style for years. I'm sure that's why they did the video. Not because they were trying to be indie or different or anything and there are many examples of that in the past and currently . I like seeing that. More importantly the video just looked beautiful. Like I said in pervious post. I found the Golden Age video really bad and most places people and fans have had a completely adverse reaction to it. No need to over analyze.

I do think that it's an interesting discussion. Truce.