If video killed the radio star, who killed the video star?

When I was about 10, music video as an art form was in full swing. There was a famous show on in the afternoons called Video Hits and it highlighted all the newest music videos. Early on, in my childhood eyes, they seemed so naughty and modern. Dramatic stories steamed in sexy mystique, longing and rejection all set to catchy pop. The very first one I permitted myself to admit was catchy was "Sunglasses at Night." The once audio only radio hits were being animated right in front of our eyes and everything changed. Their creation spawned an entire perpetually visually-ravenous generation, that in turn replicated itself as digitally hardwired progeny.

Now, it is relatively rare for me to see an actual video. If I see them, I don't sit through a whole t.v. show anymore to watch them. I wait for them to spread like a virus on the internet. One at a time. Only the most spectacular filter through.

When I came across this recent video by Tegan and Sara, I held my breath all the way through. There is no running through streets or angling off cars careening towards the sunset. Just gorgeous simpatico between running, bubbling ink and Tegan and Sara's catchy brilliant lyrics. The song itself only tells half the story, the rivulets of ink and perfectly timed bursting bubbles tell the other.

For more great videos from their newest release "Heartthrob" go to http://www.teganandsara.com/.

Comments

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