Tag Archives: Placebo

Jul 16 2026

My Top 20 Songs of the 90’s

This list was SO HARD to make, you guys, and I’m still not sure I got it totally right. I was in my formative teen years in the 90’s, and the stuff that I listened to then would form the kind of music that I would love for the rest of my life, mainly rock-alternative and electronic. Like my 80’s list, a lot of these songs are interchangable depending on my mood. I also decided to keep it to one song per artist, which was ridiculously hard. But here it is, the best I could make it, my favourite songs of the 90’s!

20 – Hate Me by Le­æther Strip

I wish I could say I was cool enough to love this while I was in high school, but most of my gothy music I discovered when I started going out to goth clubs, and that would be when I was 22. But this list is year released, not year discovered, so here it is!

Released in 1997, from the album Self-Inflicted.

19 – Resurrection by Moist

This one might not be known to anyone outside of Canada, but Moist was one of the biggest artists here in the mid-to-late 90’s. I remember all us girlies absolutely swooning over singer David Usher. He lives in the same city as I do, Montreal (last I heard, anyways), but I’ve never crossed him. We’re almost 2 million, though, so that’s really not that surprising.

Released in 1996, from the album Creature.

18 – Temptation by The Tea Party

Another Canadian goodie. The singer is (or was, at least) a real douche, but this song is so good that I try to not think of that. The song is amazing, and the video tickled teen me in a way that was a teaser of things to come, mainly my goth aesthetic.

Released in 1997, from the album Transmission.

17 – Tomorrow by Silverchair

Rewatching the video for this list, I’d forgotten just how attractive singer Daniel Johns was in this Australian alt group. There were so many songs by Silverchair that could have been in this list, but I decided Tomorrow was the best of them. I might change my mind *ahem* tomorrow.

Released in 1995, from the album Frogstomp.

16 – Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers

This might look like a cheat to people from the US since it was released early 2000 there. But here in Canada, it was released in December 1999. Made it by the skin of its teeth! I’m not the hugest Peppers fan, but this song is so different from their usual stuff. The video is also pretty darn cool.

Released in 1999, from the album Californication.

15 – Jeremy by Pearl Jam

I was having a real hard time deciding between Black, Alive, and Jeremy for this list. But today I decided that Jeremy was the best one. The video, banned in many places for a long time, is haunting and poignant, and unfortunately still very relevant. I guess it was banned because people don’t like to look in the mirror.

Released in 1992, from the album Ten.

14 – Coma White by Marilyn Manson

There could have been so many of Manson’s songs in this spot, but I decided on this one. I know a lot of hardcore Manson fans weren’t huge fans of the album Mechanical Animals when it came out, but honestly, I think it might be his best one (along with Antichrist Superstar). As a bonus, Manson looks stunning in this video. Yum.

Released in 1999, from the album Mechanical Animals.

13 – Eye by The Smashing Pumpkins

Ava Adore almost took this spot in the list, but then I remembered this song and it had to be the one. It unfortunately doesn’t have a video, but I hope you enjoy the audio.

Released in 1997, from the soundtrack of Lost Highway.

12 – Burn by The Cure

This song, made for the film The Crow, was written and recorded in just 2 days. Sometimes you just get lightning in a bottle. Not only is this the best The Cure song of the 90’s, it might just be their best song, full stop. It also doesn’t have a video, but I found one that has clips from the movie.

Released in 1994, from the soundtrack of The Crow.

11 – Every You Every Me by Placebo

Placebo is one of my very favourite bands. In fact, it’s the second part of my handle. When I became VampirePlacebo way back in 2000, I simply put two of my favourite things together, and voila! So many songs could have been in this spot. I’m still not sure I picked the right one, but I was agonizing over it for far too long, so I just picked one and moved on. I also have to mention singer Brian Molko, who I thought was the most beautiful creature on the planet. Oh lord… *fans self*

Released in 1998, from the album Without You I’m Nothing (then again in 1999 from the soundtrack of Cruel Intentions).

10 – Zombie by The Cranberries

On top of being stunningly beautiful, singer Dolores O’Riordan had what I think are the best female vocals of all time. I’m very sad I never got to see them live. This song is beautiful and poignant and while I wish I could say things have changed since this song was released, it’s more relevant now than maybe ever. Bad Wolves made an absolutely amazing cover of it in 2018 that Dolores was supposed to sing in, but she tragically passed away on the day they were to record. Bad Wolves went ahead with the song, and gave all proceeds to Dolores’s children.

Released in 1994, from the album No Need to Argue.

9 – Creep by Radiohead

Singer Thom Yorke famously despises this song and refuses to play it anymore. He felt it was whiny, angsty, and hated the fact that it became such a massive hit that fans would show up to concerts only to hear that song and leave right after. He felt it completely overshadowed their more experimental works, which is what he was more into. I think he’s a bit of a blow-hard. Hating something because it got popular? Talk about whiny and angsty. “Oh, I have a massive hit that millions of people love and want to hear all the time!” Wah Wah…

Released in 1992, from the album Pablo Honey.

8 – Blue Monday by Orgy

Almost every song on Orgy’s debut album Candyass is amazing, so I hard time picking just one. But I decided to go with their very first song, the cover of New Order’s Blue Monday. It’s so much better than the original, too. If I ever make a list of best cover songs, this will be near or on the top, for sure. Plus, singer Jay Gordon is a stone cold fox.

Released in 1999, from the album Candyass.

7 – Engel by Rammstein

Had a hard time choosing just one Rammstein song as well, there are so many bangers to choose from. Rewatching the video, I just noticed the hommage they paid to From Dusk Till Dawn, although I do think that Salma Hayek did it better.

Release in 1997, from the album Sehnsucht.

6 – One Man Army by Our Lady Peace

I originally had In Repair in this spot, but looking it up I realized that it came out in 2000. So I went with One Man Army instead. But really, there are so many Our Lady Peace songs that could have been here. They were my favourite band in high school, and I’ve seen them live at least 8 times (the first time when I was 14!) Singer Raine Maida was my ultimate high school crush.

Released in 1999, from the album Happiness… Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch.

5 – Forgive Me by :Wumpscut:

Another one that I discovered once I started going to goth clubs, it’s definitely one of my favourites. There’s only one :Wumpscut: song I like more, and that’ll be very high on my favourite songs of the 2000’s list. There’s no video for this song. In fact, I don’t think :Wumpscut: ever made videos for his songs.

Released in 1999, from the album Eevil Young Flesh (that’s not a typo, the double E is actually there).

4 – Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode

I was really torn between having this song or Precious in this spot. But, for today at least, this is my pick. Simply one of the best songs ever written, and not just from the 90’s. Just close your eyes and listen. Words are very unnecessary…

Released in 1990, from the album Violator.

3 – Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day

Green Day has never been a favourite band of mine, but every so often they get it right. And this song is nearly perfect. The lyrics are haunting and hit right in the feels. This is also my favourite song to do at karaoke, the simple vocals are easier for me to sing.

Released in 1997, from the album Nimrod.

2 – Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

I know it’s the obvious choice, but it’s popular for a reason! I was debating on putting one of the lesser known songs in this spot, but I couldn’t justify it when this song is as good as it is. I’m still upset that I never got to see them live. Oh, and Kurt was murdered. Look at the details of the case. There’s no way he could have pulled that trigger.

Released in 1991, from the album Nevermind.

1 – Sober by Tool

Singer Maynard James Keenan has one hell of a set of pipes. This one might be another obvious choice, but it truly is an exceptional song. The video is weird as hell, but that’s Tool for you.

Released in 1993, from the album Undertow.

And in case you want to hear Maynard’s vocals live, here’s Tool performing Sober:

Don’t mind Maynard’s pajamas. Also, it’s ironic that he’s singing a song called Sober when he’s very clearly not…

And there it is! I hope you enjoyed the list and that I was able to turn you on to some new music, or bring back memories with songs you haven’t heard in a while. What are some of your favourite songs of the 90’s? Let me know!!

M.

Dec 22 2013

The Most Beautiful Men

It’s no secret: I like beautiful men. I have a pretty specific genre that I like, and if there’s anyone who I find beautiful that’s not in my usual criteria, you can imagine that he’s as damn near perfect as a person can get, hehe. There isn’t really much else to say, this post is pure visual candy. I’m oogling them, and unashamed. Care to join me? Here they are, in alphabetical order (since that’s how they’re ordered in my pictures file :-p ), the men in the entertainment industry that I find the best looking. (For those who prefer women, worry not! I shall do another post like this about the ladies!)

 

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I’ve known who Alexander is for a good while now, but I hadn’t seen anything that he’d done until True Blood. And really, they couldn’t have picked a better actor to portray the thousand year old Viking. He definitely looked his best in season 1, when they actually had him looking like a Viking. He hadn’t cut his hair for a thousand years, why on earth would he start now?? That’s just one of the (many) things that annoy me about the show. But I digress…

 

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Andy Biersack is the lead singer for the rock group Black Veil Brides. I don’t like all their music, but it’s mostly pretty good, and the band is talented. Andy’s vocals are quite amazing, surprisingly deep for someone that looks so… girly :-p If I were putting this list in order, Andy would be very near the top, maybe even number one. Let’s just pretend, for skeezyness’ sake, that he’s not only 21 years old, ok…?

 

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Dorian Gray. That’s really all I need to say here. A quite liberal take on the book, I nevertheless enjoyed the movie quite a bit. I’m sure seeing almost all of Ben’s skin had nothing to do with that… He’s got such a baby face that I was surprised (and rather relieved) that he’s the same age as me!

 

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Before Star Trek 2, I’d never heard of Benedict. My friends have been singing the praises of Sherlock since it came out, but I’d never gotten around to watching it until recently. Before I saw him on the big screen, I’d only seen pictures, and was unimpressed. I thought he was just weird looking, like a strange elf. And then I saw him in action on-screen. And oh. My. God. I had to take back every single thing I said about him. I was so smitten that the very next day after seeing ST2, I hooked myself up to Netflix and watched Sherlock. Watching him in action as the famous sleuth literally takes my breath away. And that voice… mm.

 

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Before Hemlock Grove, I didn’t even know Alexander had a brother (let alone the 3 other siblings he’s got besides Bill!), but after watching the show I have to ask myself, what the heck is in the water in Sweden?? I mean really.

 

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Lead singer for the alternative band Placebo, I’ve been in love with Brian Molko (and Placebo) since I graduated high school. He’s got such a unique voice, makes such amazing, powerful, meaningful music that it’s literally impossible to not love him. He’s 40 now, but he still looks freaking fabulous!

 

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Colin looks good in pretty much everything he’s been in. And if he happens to be in a role that allows him use of his real accent (Irish), the hotness doubles. But if I had to choose the one film he looked best in, I’d have to go with Fright Night, even though he doesn’t have the accent. Cause he plays a vampire, and that trumps everything :-p

 

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I’m sure any girl my age would agree with me, David was the ultimate heartthrob of the 90’s. I was in high school when Buffy the Vampire Slayer first aired, and, like every other teenaged girl with eyes, I was immediately smitten with the vampiric Angel. He plays in Bones now, which is in it’s 9th season, and he hasn’t lost any of his appeal. His few forays onto the big screen went mostly unnoticed (for good reason), but that’s ok. He doesn’t need to be in films to be awesome. TV is a good place to be.

 

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Ah, Doctor. My beautiful, lonely, messed-up Doctor. I’ve only recently discovered Doctor Who, but I’m so very glad I did. David could look good sitting in a burlap sack while reading a phone book. Thankfully though, his roles make him look much better than that. I’m going to say, in the looks department, it’ll be a tie between Doctor Who and Fright Night. If only for the shirtless, leather-pants-clad scene alone.

 

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Cellist in the alternative band Apocalytica, Eicca is as talented as he is beautiful. I saw them live a few years back, and I have to say it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. And I’ve been to a lot. Eicca’s weight fluctuates a lot, so sometimes he looks much rounder than usual. I guess that’s when he’s been off tour for a while. Cause the way they run around the stage with their huge instruments night after night, there’s no way he’d keep on any extra pounds! hehe

 

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I’ve loved Elijah since I was a kid. We’re almost the exact same age (he’s 7 months older) so we kinda grew up together. He was a cute kid, then he went through this horrible gawky stage in his teens, but thankfully he grew out of it, and now he’s gorgeous. He’s got the goofiest smile, I think it’s perfectly charming. And those eyes, my goodness. You could fall right into those pools. He’s a wonderful actor, too, which makes him even better!

 

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While he’s gotten too “manly” for me, the first film I saw him in floored me. His role as Dracula in Dracula 2000 was absolutely perfect. It’s still one of my favourite Dracula performances. Taken as what it’s meant to be, Dracula 2000 is awesome.

 

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I’d never heard of Harry before Game of Thrones, although I did just recently see him in a two-part episode of Doctor Who. And while he was cute in the episode, if I were picking favourites, it would definitely be his role as the snivelling ass-hat Prince Viserys. The character has absolutely no redeeming qualities, but my-oh-my was he beautiful. That scene with the girl in the bathtub…. *phew*

 

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I first saw Jackson in Twilight, and while his hair was weird, his face is absolutely stunning. I haven’t seen all his movies, but I think he probably looked his best in The Last Airbender. Mediocre movie at best, but boy, did he make it worthwhile! He really is a great actor, and you can actually see it when he picks good projects to be in (like that chilling episode of Criminal Minds…)

 

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This man seemingly has it all; looks, acting talent, and a hell of a set of pipes. I don’t know where he thinks he gets off being so  talented, I mean really, save some for the rest of us! I’ve seen his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, live twice. And last time I even waited around after the show so I could get his autograph. I’ve never done that before. He’s the first celebrity that I’ve ever touched (our fingers brushed while I took my CD back, ooh :-p ), and while I’m sure it didn’t do anything life-altering to me, it was cool to meet him nonetheless, hehe.

 

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Dean Winchester. Really, do I have to say anything more than that?? You have no idea how happy it makes me that a man this beautiful loves to do horror. It’s just a shame that, despite his looks and talent, he can’t seem to find a good film role. That’s ok, as long as he keeps doing Supernatural, it’s all good.

 

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Beautiful and talented, Johnny’s been one of my favourite actors since I first saw him, all those years ago, in Cry-Baby, which, by rights, should be a very bad movie, and yet somehow isn’t. Or, maybe it is, and I just don’t see it, hehe. Actually, technically it would be Nightmare on Elm Street that I first saw him in, but I was so young that I hardly remember at all, and I actually didn’t know it was Johnny in the role till I saw it again somewhere in my late teens. But my favourite film of his is probably still Sleepy Hollow. Man, I love that flick… Johnny owns a club called The Viper Room in LA (where River Phoenix tragically died), and I went there on my trip to LA a few years back. Sadly, he was not in attendance :-p

 

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I first saw Jonathan in Velvet Goldmine, and have been in love ever since. It seems unfair that someone so attractive should also be so talented, but there you have it. He’s looked amazing in almost all of his roles, but I’d have to pick Titus as the top. The combo of the long hair and tattoos just rocked me. I’m looking forward to see his portrayal of Dracula. As usual, I’m waiting till the end of the season so I can watch at my leisure. So hurry up, dammit! hehe

 

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Jon Snow. That is all. I haven’t seen Kit in anything but Game of Thrones, but with the talent and looks he’s got, I’m sure we’ll be seeing him pop up more in time.

 

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While Lee Pace looks good no matter what he’s doing, He was jaw-droppingly gorgeous (for all of 2 seconds) in The Hobbit. I was so happy to see that he was in this movie, and after spending the whole movie waiting to see him again, I was quite upset it never happened. Thank goodness there’s two other Hobbit films to come! I certainly hope I’ll get to see the second before it leaves cinemas!

 

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Matthew (of the ever-changing hair) is the lead singer for alternative rock band Muse, one of my very favourite bands. I *finally* got to see them live this year (last time they came round I found out on the day of. I was not amused), and it was fan-bloody-tastic. If I believed in angels, I’d say his voice was a gift straight from the angels. As it is, I’ll just say his voice is amazing. And he sounds just as good live as he does on the CD. You’d be surprised (or not) at how many singers don’t.

 

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I’ve just recently started watching Criminal Minds, and boy am I glad I did (and not only because of Matthew). It’s such a great show, awesome stories, solid acting all the way around, just generally a great show. Not a very realistic view of FBI procedures I’m sure, but really now, what show is? I’m at season 7 now, at the beginning, I’ve only watched the first episode. Matthew’s character, Dr Spencer Reid, is one of the best characters in the show. He’s a gorgeous geek, and a complete genius. I’ve only seen him in one film (How to be a Serial Killer), but it was pretty good, if a little weird. I don’t actually know what else he’s been in. I should probably check it out… And, yes, I just realized I spelled his name wrong in my picture, but I’m too lazy to change it. So there.

 

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Castiel. Nuff said. Oddly enough, when Castiel first showed himself in season 4 of Supernatural, I wasn’t all that impressed. He was good looking, yes, but nothing special. But through his interaction with Dean Winchester, and the force of his personality, he got more beautiful by the second. I’m so upset at the direction that Supernatural writers took the character, especially in season 7. He just doesn’t feel like the same person any more. I know character development is important in a show, but really, did he have to “develop” that far??

 

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My favourite Nicholas Hoult film is definitely Warm Bodies, but I can’t really say that’s the film he looks the best in. The goth/emo look is fine. Dead? Not so much. But he was absolutely breathtaking in A Single Man. And not because he was naked a whole lot near the end. Ok, not just because… :-p But holy crap, what a downer that film was, especially the ending. I was so emotionally wrung out after that, I needed to watch a cartoon afterwards, hehe.

 

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I first saw Orlando in Lord of the Rings and he literally took my breath away. Not the best of actors, but when you look like he does, I suppose it doesn’t matter too much. To choose whether he looked better in Lord of the Rings or Pirates of the Caribbean, though, that’s impossible. So I call a tie. Looking forward to seeing him in The Desolation of Smaug, even though, from what I saw in the trailers, his face seems to be very CGI’d. Did he age that badly in just over 10 years..?

 

Robert Downey Jr

I’ve loved Robert Downey Jr since I was a kid. He’s so talented, I just can’t believe he still doesn’t have an Oscar. He was nominated twice, but never won. What a shame. But like a fine wine, Robert seems to get better with age. He’s always been good looking, but he was positively gorgeous as Tony Stark. And he still makes my heart flutter in Only You, one of my all-time favourite chick flicks.

 

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Strangely enough, when I first saw Thor, I can’t say that I really noticed Tom. I’m not sure why, maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention. But then The Avengers came out, and my jaw literally hit the floor. That scene where Loki’s at the party, coming down the stairs, in that suit? The man couldn’t have looked more perfect than if he’d walked straight out of my dreams.

 

Honourable mentions for actors who have passed away

I feel a little gross including dead men in my list of beauties, so I’ll list a few off here, to remind you how good looking they were in life:

River Phoenix (The Thing Called Love, Stand By Me)
Heath Ledger (10 Things I Hate About You, The Dark Knight)
Brandon Lee (The Crow)
Brad Renfro (The Client, Apt Pupil)
Corey Haim (The Lost Boys, Just One of the Girls)
Kurt Cobain (singer of alternative band Nirvana)
Glenn Quinn (Angel)

And that’s it. What did you think? Which male celebrities make you weak in the knees? Let me know in the comments, and stay tuned for more!! 🙂

M.

Dec 9 2013

5 of the Most WTF Music Videos I’ve Ever Seen

So, I had started a longer post for today, but I really wasn’t into it. After every single line I’d just stop and stare blankly at the screen, and that’s never good. But I haven’t put a post up in a few days, and I’d set a goal for two posts a week, bare minimum. And with another week coming to a close with only one post up, I need to get my ass in gear. Writers always say that to be able to write freely and easier, you need to write often, even on days when nothing’s coming, so I figured I’d keep my long post for a day when I’m really into it (cause it’s a real good one, too) and just do a quickie post, to keep the goal I set for myself.

I enjoy music videos. Before switching to Bell’s Fibe cable, we had the channels Much More Retro and Much Loud (that Fibe doesn’t offer, makes me very upset. It’s seriously almost enough to send me back to Videotron, but anyways…) and I almost always had the TV on to one of those channels while I was doing other stuff. Videos are a good way to “get to know” the band you’re listening to, see what they look like, and what kind of message they’re trying to send with each song that has a video made for it. Some people think that music videos are “dated” and it’s ridiculous to keep making them, but I disagree. I find the visual enhances the auditory. But then, every so often, you come across a video that seems like whoever came up with the concept is not from this planet. Or, more likely, that they were on a very large quantity of drugs. For this little list, I’ve concentrated on music from more recent years. I could fill the whole Internet with a list of WTF music videos from the 80’s, for example, so I left them all out. My oldest song will be from 1995, when music videos, and the fashion and entertainment industry as a whole, actually, became a bit more “normal”. So, here we go, 5 of the most WTF music videos I’ve ever seen, in no particular order.

 

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

So, the set-up is this: the band is captured and caged by an evil man (played in great, sleazy glory by actor Lou Diamond Phillips) who runs a fighting pit where people bet on fights between… wait for it… stuffed animals. Oh yes. A beautiful girl makes her way to the gambling arena with her challenger in tow, a small, pink teddy bear. The champion, a big, ugly, fuzzy purple thing, is making minced-meat out of all the competition, so when the tiny bear is dropped into the ring, everyone laughs. After seemingly getting his ass kicked, the pink teddy, moments before being dropped into the loser’s pit by the evil man, decides he’s had enough. He charges his paw with pink light, and knocks big purple right out of the ring. It’s really got to be seen to truly appreciate the absurdity of it. The song, though, is amazing.

 

Kids by MGMT

If I were putting these in order, this one would definitely be number one. I have no idea what the creators of this video for this amazing song were on but, really, can I have some? How to even start explaining it… A toddler is seeing monsters everywhere while being brought around town by his mother, who seems more interested in her phone than her son. The poor lad cries as he looks all around to see the monsters. Escaping to a little park, our tiny hero runs into the band, who are dressed in skin tight silver clothing, I imagine they’re supposed to be woodland faeries? I dunno. Despite the ridiculous getup, the singer is still delicious. After our little man is returned to his mother, the “real world” goes away, and we’re treated to some of the most psychedelic animations I’ve ever seen. Really, whoever came up with this stuff was not thinking with earth logic. MGMT‘s videos are all pretty nuts, actually, but this one really takes the cake.

 

Panic Station by Muse

I love Muse, and their music videos are always pretty cool and different. Bliss has (gorgeous) lead singer Matthew Bellamy falling forever through a giant structure in space. Supremacy has a bunch of people in death metal makeup going surfing. Uprising has a giant teddy bear stomping through a town. But the weirdest video is definitely one of the newest ones, Panic Station, from their latest album The 2nd Law. It doesn’t really have a story to it like a lot of cool videos do, it’s just the band, and a bunch of other weird people, dressed outlandishly (Matthew wears a giant, fuzzy pink jacket with huge shades that flash words to the song) and they’re basically just walking around Tokyo being strange. Oh, and if you watch the video, stick around after the song ends for some funny bloopers.

 

Paranoid Android by Radiohead

I don’t even know how to start explaining this one. It’s animated (thank goodness, given some of the things we see later in the video). There’s two friends going around town, doing stuff. There’s a chick in a tree who’ll let you look at her naked body for cash, there’s a guy in a bar that’s got a face coming out of his belly. There’s a fat man in a leather and spike-studded g-string trying to chop down a street lamp with an axe. There’s an angel who helicopters the main character (I guess) around as the fat man swings himself into exhaustion and eventually cuts all his limbs off and falls off the bridge. There are mermaids with huge, naked breasts who wrap up the now limbless fat man into a small bundle and put him in the naked lady’s tree. And then our friends go home. If any of that made any sense to you… I want what you’re on :-p

 

Nancy Boy by Placebo

Placebo is another band that I love that has cool and different videos (and another gorgeous lead singer, hehe). I was hesitating between Bruise Pristine and this one for the list, and I finally decided to go with this one because, despite their similarities, Nancy Boy is just a little weirder. It’s got legs moving around with no torso, or a torso with no legs. There’s stuff impaled on spikes, heads merging together, a live boy who’s bottom half is a mannequin and loads of other weird imagery. Nancy Boy’s not one of my favorite Placebo songs, but it definitely hits a 10 on the strange-o-meter!

 

What do you think of my picks? Too strange? Not strange enough? Let me know in the comments, and stay tuned for more! 🙂

M.