Heading into the Holiday season, I was making a list of all the things that I am really thankful for. After the health and happiness of my friends, I feel really fortunate that I get to receive, critique and talk about music with passionate fans and musicians. After discussing this with friends, we admitted that we’ve all heard tracks this year that deserved more credit than they received when initially released. Knowing that they won’t receive much support at commercial radio doesn’t make things better so if they’ve got a cool video with a great concept, they might gain some new fans online.

That’s where “8 Great Videos…” comes in. Basically, the following videos I like and either have featured or haven’t given just enough love to yet, but really wanted to give more credit to. In this piece, you’ll see new and established artists alongside a parody cover and some fun music. Either way, it’s all great and we hope that you hear of at least one new band for the first time.

Check out “8 Great Videos Worth Checking Out Now” “after the jump”

When it comes to cute animated videos about death and dying, Headlights [MySpace] really seem to have the market cornered with this clip. Here is a sweet vision of the hereafter directed/illustrated by Scott Marvel and edited by Matthew Han, for “Love Song for Buddy” from Wildlife. If there are shirts with these characters, I want one of these sad little kidney bean people.

Make a note, Headlights.

*WINK, WINK* (dudes, seriously, I will pay).

Simian Mobile Disco [MySpace] get the vote for the first clip in the feature as they found a way to get one of my LEAST favorite vocalists (Beth Ditto) onto a track without pissing me off. She sounds phenomenal here and I will not reveal too much about this awesome clip other than that two old chicks make-the-eff-out. Hot, right?

No?

Oh well.

[mp3] Simian Mobile Disco – “Cruel Intentions”

At first, I really didn’t like “Cousins”, Vampire Weekend’s first single from their upcoming sophomore release, Contra. Now, after having seen this incredibly clever clip, I love it. Contra is due in stores the week of January 11 and that means that you need to save those Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and FYE gift cards for this album. Now that “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and more relevant Vampire Weekend tracks are popping up again in commercials

[mp3] Vampire Weekend – “Cousins”

(edit: 11/30 @ 2:39 PM – Our apologies to our friends at XL Recordings for posting what we felt was a low quality mp3 “leaked” to promote the song and album.)

I covered The Muppets’ version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” last week but if you haven’t seen it, you should. Here’s what I said then:

“If you come to the site for serious, hard-hitting journalism: sorry. Lately, I have been having more fun posting about funny videos that feature music and where my sense of humor and my love of indie rock and pop intersect. As a child, I was a HUGE fan of the Muppets and a few years back when I was temping here in NYC, I worked with a girl who left the agency I was at to go to Jim Henson Studios full time. I wasn’t jealous as much as I really, really wished that I could have gone as well. “

Yes, the video for this track (Major Lazer ft. Nina Sky & Ricky Blaze – “Keep It Goin’ Louder”) might be a bit creepy, but dammit, this is a super rad, super amazing tune that you should hear.

It would be a lot less freaky without those weird ass faces, but you won’t be able to forget it, will you?

[mp3] Major Lazer ft. Nina Sky & Ricky Blaze – “Keep It Goin’ Louder”

The video is a bit NSFW (so if you’re there right now, I advise bookmarking it for later). I am a big Yeasayer fan and I already said that I really think that this new album is going to be amazing. Yeasayer is one of the acts that my now wife was completely annoyed with hearing in the rental car on our honeymoon. She doesn’t know them by name, but if I pull that particular track up, she’ll punch me, I am sure of it.

[mp3] Yeasayer – “Ampling Alp”

New Wave-loving Swedes, The Sounds, dropped a pretty bitching album earlier this year – Crossing the Rubicon. This clip, for “Beatbox”, is dark, weird, and features lead singer Maja Ivarsson rapping and singing underwater which is equal parts disconcerting and rad. It’s a hot bunch of gnarly (not sure if I can use that, I am obviously testing out new terms) and I am just happy to share more vids from the album [see "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake", my favorite tune from the album].

Last, but certainly not least, is Australian Jonathan Boulet [MySpace] whose “A Community Service Announcement” is fun. That’s enough to be said about any track, but you’ve got the evidence above and below, so listen and/or view and come to your own conclusions.

[mp3] Jonathan Boulet – “A Community Service Announcement”

Last 5 posts by Shawn M. Smith

• Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Reveal First 4AD Single - March 12th, 2010
• If You Want Free Music, You Can Go Masterbeat - March 11th, 2010
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• Video Hook-Up: She & Him - "In The Sun" - March 10th, 2010
• Video Hook-Up: Lil Wayne & Eminem - "Drop the World" - March 8th, 2010