BY MIKEY MIGO
Over the years, the art of a good music video has faded. You can blame MTV for not giving videos as much love anymore or you can blame the artists themselves for not making videos that change MTV's mind. Complaining about MTV not showing videos is as redundant as MTV not showing videos. Let it go. Things will never be the same and we will never have the luxury of turning on MTV to watch hour upon hour of a MIXED VARIETY of videos. It's gone. Accept it and move on. We, the music video fanatics, have a new home. The internet.
If you're a fan of music and you use the internet, then you probably like music videos. You might find them streaming on a MySpace page or the ever so popular YouTube. With a few clicks of a keyboard we have our favorite music videos at our disposal in an on-demand format.
With that great honor comes great responsibility.
MATCH ONE: Old Kanye vs. New Kanye
If you solely go by "Jesus Walks" vs. "Love Lockdown" then that's an easy win for Old Kanye. In general, I am in the minority in that I HATE the new Kanye album. In "Jesus Walks" he was edgy, innovative, and showcased his vocal talents. In "Love Lockdown" he's adapting to what's popular with the vocoder/computer voices and normal. Kanye West talks a lot of shit. A LOT OF SHIT. I've always been one to enjoy it's tongue-in-cheek nature of it. I love seeing people get all pissed off, cynical, and whiney about something the guy says. I've always put up with that because I felt that Kanye was innovative and this was all some avante garde media control. If he's going to go the same route as "whatever is popular" then I can't and won't stick up for him. I have to give the duke to old Kanye. Dude needs to get have a "Class Reunion".
MATCH TWO: Old Emo vs. New Emo
Old emo was just depressing music, new emo is a "scene". I feel it's a bit unfair to match up one of the best love songs of all time in The Cure against My Chemical Romance's first big hit. Nonetheless, I pick these videos as "generalizations" for each time period. In a battle of the "emo", I would say that the new emo is more artificial in nature but still more "slice my wrists" than the old. Old emo like "The Cure" wouldn't slice your wrist, but stab at your soul. In a physical battle, I'd probably have to take new emo. Old emo has sat around pondering the miseries of life for decades. New emo is four parts artificial depression and one part teenage rebellion. That little piece of rebellion makes it easier to believe the pseudo-depressed kids of today would shank a bitch if needed.
MATCH THREE: U2 vs. Coldplay
That's right, I went there. If you don't see that Coldplay is swagger-jacking U2's classic vibe then you're deaf, blind, and in denial. Even Chris Martin has went on record numerous times citing U2 and Radiohead as big influences. Still, I'm not saying that Coldplay doesn't have their own style and talents. It's just most unknowing modern fans don't admit it or just write the band off as "gay" because Seth Rogan made a joke about it in a movie five years ago. On the flipside, Bono and U2 are always trashed by the modern fan because "they don't make no any good music anymore and Bono is a jerk!" (insert Hot Pocket flavored tears) YOU can call both bands pretentious, but at least they're making an effort to change the world with their music. As commercial as both bands are, they do treat music as art and I have to respect that. I personally subscribe to the U2 Kool-Aid and will always go into their music with a positive attitude and open mind. Coldplay annoys me too much and too often. I give the win to U2 because Bono probably has a lot of anger bottled up inside and I think The Edge might be insane. Never trust the quiet ones.
MATCH FOUR: Old Plant vs. New Plant
C'mon. Do we really need to even discuss this one? Robert Plant is one of, if not THEE, best front men of all time. With Alison Krauss he's not so much of a frontman, but rather a selling point. I know he has creative input in their project, but it doesn't feel the same. It would have been like John Lennon making emo music if he were still alive. It just doesn't work for me. The old Zeppelin stuff felt like Plant was pouring his soul out through his words and vocals. The new stuff feels safe and something my mother would want to listen to while cooking dinner. In fact, that metaphor is actually true. I respect the mans decision to explore other musical genres, but it's time for Robert Plant to rock the fuck out once again.
MATCH FIVE: Saddest Display of Age
It's Aerosmith being hip with Kid Rock joining them against Rolling Stones with Christina Aguilera. Surely, both Christina and Rock are fans of these bands. We all are. Still, it's a bit obvious that the older bands need these performances just as much as the younger stars. They need and want to connect to a new generation and that's perfectly understandable. On the flipside, are these bands embarrassing themselves? The older Jager and Tyler get, the more they look like lesbian cougars. Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones are easily two of the most important and influential rock bands of all time, but when is enough, enough? I grew up a bigger fan so go with Aerosmith just out of personal preference, but it's pretty even. Maybe we should go with a DRAW on this one.
MATCH SIX: Dipping In The Retro Sauce
This one is a bit rougher. I am a big fan of both bands. The White Stripes bring that classic blues-rock back and The Strokes bring back that slacker garage rock. Both have had their varied degrees of success, but Jack White has just about cemented his place in rock history ALREADY. White Stripes is much catchier and bigger. The Strokes have their respect as well, but not nearly on the level as Jack. I have to give the win here to The White Stripes, but its close for me. I'll play The Stokes more as I chill out on the computer, but The White Stripes don't just make music, they're making moments in time. The Strokes make a more realistic soundtrack to our lives as The White Stripes make a soundtrack to a live we wish we could have. Does that make any sense at all? Not really.
MATCH SEVEN: Hip Hop Till Ya Don't Flop
To make this even remotely fair, I didn't go with one of Pac's BIGGEST hits. Just one of his best. "Keep Ya Head Up" is my favorite Pac track. It's from when hip hop's poetic side still had commercial relevance. Pac and Biggie were two of the biggest and best icons EVER in hip hop music. They brought the drama and realistic grime of the streets to America's television and ears. Both weren't completely innocent of the "money and hoes" formula music videos, but they at least had substance. Rappers like 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and whoever else your little sister "bumps in her Neon" would be destroyed by the pioneers they bring up when wanting to look respectful or intelligent. The biggest difference between Lil Wayne and Tupac is that Wayne is a rapper and Pac was an artist. Pac had his finger on the pulse and Wayne has his finger on a ring tone. Lil Wayne is to hip hop as Limp Bizkit was to rock; a disgrace hidden in a marketable package. The memory of Pac, Biggie, and socially relevant hip hop lives in the artists out there who probably aren't on the radio or television.
Who are you picks for the first ever VIDEOMANIA!!!?
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