The Video Bin

So yes, here be the first post I’ve made in 2010, and I promise you that from here on in, now that we have rid ourselves of the chains of end-of-decade lists, there will be more album reviews, more musical discussion and less faffing about with numbers. That, I think, is my New Year resolution.

For now, however, I am dropping some all-new videos into The Video Bin for your consumption. After the excesses of Christmas and the New Year, consider this treat to be the wafer-thin mint that finally finishes you off. Enjoy.

Things I have managed to conclude this morning:

• Slightly undercooked sweet potato is surprisingly delicious.
• C++ is not for the faint-hearted.
• The Predator-Prey Model is actually quite interesting, given that it displays yet another way in which maths is intrinsically built into nature.
• Re: Stacks is the best song on “For Emma, Forever Ago”, and Moby’s seemingly crazy claim that it is the track of the decade is starting to look awfully prescient.
• I am in a playful mood.

Videos:

Was the Daytrotter session I posted a while back not good enough for you? Then after going to the doctor to fix your chronically high standards, check out this superb video where you can see Justin Vernon’s passion as well as hear it. Still waiting on news about the 2nd album, Mr. Vernon.

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Not the best quality recording for this one, but it does still show off Yeasayer at their best, seamlessly combining addictive pop with interesting, creative  sounds. The cry of “stick up for yourself, son” is still bouncing round my head, the sort of hook that multi-platinum pop super-producers wish they had. And I want that fretless bass. I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything else in my life.

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I love Matt Berninger’s voice, but I will admit he doesn’t get many opportunities to show it off. Generally he is required to be two-tone, switching between a flatline baritone and a screaming breakdown where the instrumentation demands. But here, on one of my favourite songs by The National, he is immense. Backed by a single guitar he carries every syllable effortlessly. He also looks like David Thewlis.

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Not sure why I love Neil Young. But I do. So here he is.

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A sign of things to come? We sure hope so. A lament for the unseen beauty of England, even with just an acoustic guitar for accompaniment, you can hear the rising mood, the snow becoming a snowstorm. A song for all seasons, but one that crystallises to perfection when listened to during the coldest one. Not sure about the hair though.