Who framed Willy Moon

baby girl who's playing seek
all them things that you do to me

what I got to oh so near
things you do to send me there

"What the hell was that?" were my precise thoughts as I finished watching this video. For the performer, the song and the music video each appear other-wordly. Is it because the song, delivered on 21st century keyboards and urban beats, at the same time resonates with early 1950s Motown? Or is it due to the rockabilly singer who arrives onto the stage more a Toon than a man?
I'm referring here to the cartoon characters generally (and Jessica Rabbit specifically) starring alongside Bob Hoskins in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'. (If you are not familiar with the velvety stage performance by Jessica Rabbit, press here.)
Note how the performer comes up and departs as in a cartoon. Watch him being shot at by the instruments at 1:11. "Hit me now," he invites and the shooting ensues. "Enough," he commands moments later, and the shooting ceases.
Around this time, the song and the lyrics intensify, bringing before you the blue velvet stages of David Lynch. 'Dance music dark enough to block the sun at high noon", as some reviewers described it.

hey pretty baby it's me and you
I'll be your house and only you (...)

hey when the people comes around
just kick me down in a hole in the ground

The moonish 'toonish performer is Willy Moon (21), an indie songwriter and singer from New Zealand, who bought a one-way ticket to London when 18. Part in Berlin and part in London is where he wrote and recorded 'I Wanna Be Your Man', his debut single.
“It took a long time to record because I’m doing it all on my own and I had to work out how to use the recording software,” he explained.
Made on a budget of £150, this minimalistic music video stands out: it's simple, inventive, playful (if a bit eerie), surprising and completely blended with the style of the performer and the mood of the song.
And it's nice and short, just like they used to make 'em.
An unexpected pleasure, this find.

Gallows

Gallows, eerily sung by CocoRosie. CocoRosie is an indie 'freak folk' act by sisters Bianca and Sierra Casady. The name of the band, apparently, is an amalgam of their mother's nickname for each of them. Bianca is Coco. Sierra is Rosie.
Coco and Rosie like to play with the sound: they are known to have borrowed sounds from a snake charmer's flute, squeaky forgotten wind-up toys and kittens (mewling).
The song 'Gallows' is taken from the CocoRosie's forth album ('Grey Oceans', 2010). The video, all gothic, was directed by one Emma Freeman. Freeman also directed CocoRosie's video for 'Lemonade'.

Real Live Flesh

'Real Live Flesh', by tUnE-yArDs aka Merril Garbus (a bonus track from her debut album 'Bird Brains', 2009).
There is also an official video of this track (see here).

Silence is easy

'Silence Is Easy' by Starsailor, an indie band from Britain (this is the title track from their second album, 2003). This is one of the last songs produced by Phil Spector, before he was sentenced to 19 years to life.

Scenes from the suburban wars

I always get excited about the 'storytelling' songs. They are so rare.
The song is 'Suburbs' by Arcade Fire, an indie rock band from Quebec. This is the title song from Arcade Fire's third album (Suburbs, 2010). Press here for lyrics.
The video, directed by Spike Jonze, is but a preview of 'Scenes From The Suburbs' - a short film yet to be released by Arcade Fire before the end of this year.
The story line is intriguing and it may very well be a SF peep into (not so distant) future of suburban wars. I'll reserve my comments until the full film is released.
Another project of Arcade Fire not to be missed is their interactive music video for 'We used to Wait' (another track from their Suburbs album, this one directed by Chris Milk). This video will enable you to bring your own personal childhood into the visuals of the film. Provided that you have not, like I, crawled from the place far beyond the seven oceans (still to be explored to full lenghts by Google Map). While there are other similar interactive projects online (notably 'Cuckoo' by Lissie, where the visuals change with the concrete weather at your current location: it will snow if you are watching from Moscow, but not if you are watching from San Francisco), they are more a gag than a tool and they rarely reach you on a more personal, emotional level.
On a separate note, I wish the previews of full feature movies were more like this one: a project that feels complete, stirs your interest, yet doesn't reveal the plot. Then again, why DON'T they ever make previews of full feature movies in the form of a music video anyway? It certainly beats the commercials format that prompts us to go and get popcorn and coke.