When Bad Videos Happen to Good Songs: MGMT

PU. (but please see postscript)


I've been obsessed with this song for going on two days now.
It has almost everything I like in it: rip offs of r&b artists, a touch of something maybe a little bit 60s ish, and, well, its a pretty hot song. Ok, very hot song in my opinion.

Anyway, after hearing it (and adding my own Stendhal-esque "crystalization" to the band, record etc.) I decided to watch the video. BIG MISTAKE.

I have three very unrelated (but equally vexing) problems with the song, and now, the video.

1. What the hell is this? The Lord of the Flies?
What a mess. This is why artists should stick to making animated videos. B/c videos with plots & musician are, almost always, stupid. I cant count how many songs have been ruined by a shiteous video of the singer flailing around like an idiot while simultaneously trying to tell me a story. Or even worse, trying to tell me a story and getting me so confused and horrified that not only cant i understand the message, but i start to attack the messenger. Like now.

2. I could have REALLY done without seeing what these girls look like.
Everything about them is WRONG. Well, not wrong for them maybe, or maybe for you, if you are into that sort of thing; but completely 100% wrong for me. Its a trifecta of all sorts of terrible: the sleeveless shirt (EW) the headband (EEW) and those haircuts (EEEW). Its like I'm back in college again. And you know what? I left the slightly homosexual (read: british) looking but ultimately straight dudes who wants me to be their chick on the bearskin rug at the vintage clothing store many MANY years ago.

I haven't looked back since; decomposition is never attractive. Even when they are Columbian.

BUT!

3. I still do find the song sexy. In light of 1 and 2 you can see why I am so puzzled. I should be horrified. But I'm not.

Ok maybe a little horrified, but not as horrified as id be if they wore eyeliner. The curly hair is bad enough, but eyeliner is a deal breaker for me.

Note: I saw these kids on that Abbey Road show do this song live. And you know what? They were good. Like really good. And also, only one of them looks like a dipshit. The rest of the band looks moderately normal in real life. One is rockin a little Richie Tenenbaum thing, but the others are a'ight. Im back to liking them again. Wow, the power of a crap video- but out roshambeaud by a good live show.

I can live with that.