Last week Interpol revealed a collaboration with David Lynch, brought about by their being Twin Peaks fan boys, among other things. Interpol were working with various visual artists on developing a stage show for this year's Coachella, and thought Lynch could be the perfect contributor.
We told him our ideas and what we were up to, and he volunteered he had a little character that perhaps we'd find interesting. “I Touch A Red Button Man,” was his name. He was literally just a sketch on a sheet of paper.
Interpol sent Lynch the song “Lights;” the result–not a music video, but an “animation of his character that Lynch allowed Interpol to show.
After the jump, a few more interesting collaborations by artists and directors.
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Band: Modest Mouse
Song: “King Rat”
Director: Heath Ledger, featuring animation by Terry Gilliam
Conceptualized on an actual boat and made before Ledger's untimely passing. the song and video go hand in hand. More actors should direct music
videos for bands featuring legendary guitarists, that include artwork
by movie directors. It's a brilliant concept, like John Mayer doing
stand-up. Kind of like that, but kind of not.
Artist: Bjork
Song: “Bachelorette”
Director: Michel Gondry
Some may say Michel Gondry was a video director before a filmmaker, but he's proven brilliance in both, so let's just call him a master visual artist. But this has to be my favorite. Bjork's lungs sprinkled on
top of this visual cinema nugget just takes the cake.
Artist: The Killers
Song: “Bones”
Director: Tim Burton
Before all the good indie lead singers were going on hiatus
to make sub-par solo records, this video was made. The Killers second
album Sam's Town was Brandon Flowers Pinkerton attempt, where he
tried digging deeper lyrically and making his voice sound more
vulnerable to emphasize the essence of his soul. Besides Tim Burton's
signature vision here, the video also features two hot points worth
mentioning and swooning over:
Hot Fuss #1: Devon Aoki
Hot Fuss #2: Brandon Flowers mustache ( such a damn handsome
stache! )
Artist: The White Stripes
Song: “I Just Don't Know What to do With Myself”
Director: Sophia Coppola
The video features Kate Moss trying to dance on a pole like a stripper.
But not a professional stripper. More like the veteran stripper who's
given up on stripping to pay her college debt, and just does it for the
complimentary bean and cheese burrito and sugar free Redbulls fully
stocked in the breakroom, and the local alcaloide blanco. It's brilliant
because Kate Moss doesn't try to perfect the pole, and Sophia Coppola
doesn't just try to pick her best valiant efforts. She pretty much just
captures Kate in all her frail, slightly drugged, blase awkward
glory. Filmed to capture the attention of a one young Pete Doherty's
eyes like an onion red parachute flare from a deserted island to a
passing helicopter. Or to simply connect to Jack White's ranting of a
girl who just doesn't know what to do with herself.
Artist: The Pharcyde
Song: “Drop”
Director: Spike Jonze
Before Coldplay did “The Scientist,” and all the other backwards videos
that “takes it back to the start” that followed, Spike Jonze made “Drop”
for The Pharcyde. It's quite random and its movements are sporadic, but this
video is utterly brilliant. The Pharcyde had to learn how to rap
backwards before the shoot as well. Imagine that. Look out for the cameo
from the king, Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys.
