Low Brow:
Nirvana
“Territorial Pissings”
At the end of the song, Krist Novoselic, Nirvana’s bassist, throws his bass up in the air while Kurt Cobain staggers into the amplifiers and drowns himself in feedback. It’s stuff like that you don’t really notice when you listen to their songs on the radio. But what makes this video exceptional is that it shows a darker, more complicated side to Nirvana. Pay attention to Kurt’s face, and you’ll see he looks awkwardly unexcited. He’s playing to a huge crowd, and yet, his face would make you think he was about to cry. This video not only shows Nirvana putting on a great show, but also flashes warning signs of Cobain’s psychological instability. It’s a fascinating but heartbreaking video.
Mid Brow:
Jay-Z
“On to the Next One”
Jay-Z’s latest music video, “On to the Next One,” is one of the best videos I’ve ever seen: it’s artsy, it’s sexy, it’s ridiculously cool. Shot completely in black and white, the video effortlessly sums up everything undeniably awesome about Jay-Z, from his suave fashion style to his effortless braggadocio. A nifty thing is the way the lyrics sync up to the imagery Hov uses in the video—for example, when Jay-Z says “Cojones,” notice how the video shows a shot of glass balls. It’s funny, but it holds that vein of style that has made him such an icon. Oh, and did I mention Beyonce dances in the video—solo? Folks, ignore the haters—Jigga brings it full force, and this is another winner in a long list of video classics.
High Brow
The XX
“VCR”
This music video is very hipster but very cute. Like “On to the Next One,” this video is also shot in black and white. However, it does have a vague plot: two scrawny, disheveled indie kids doing random stuff like ripping off wallpaper and throwing Molotov cocktails. Color finally fades into the music video right when they start making out, which looks pretty darn cool. This video reminds me of another fantastic video, M83’s “Graveyard Girl,” which also captures teen angst with honesty and artistry. While “Graveyard Girl” has a retro ’80’s feel, “VCR” feels like it’s set in a not-so-distant past. It’s as if the nostalgia of their relationship was solidified last week or yesterday—and made all the more special because of it.
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