Uh, so....

Do you use Spotify?

This is my Spotify playlist. My favorite music, constantly updating. 1 song per artist. Enjoy.

Hello?

Anyone listening?

Videoteque...... closed. For now.

Hi.

I'm Ben.

I hate to say this, I really do, but for now... we're closing up Videoteque. There isn't one reason for this - there's a few - mostly both Derek and I don't really have time to update two blogs, what with his relaunching of his site and my site suffering as a result of this one. I really do love music videos, and you never know, maybe I'll post a video from time to time. The idea of a music video blog isn't gone, though. There's a bunch of them out there that you can still go to, and I know that I'll continue to check them out. I want to thank all of you who supported Videoteque for the short time it was around.

For the time being, please check out our websites - benlovesmusic.com and goodweatherforairstrikes.com - we'll be updating them regularly. Hugs and handpounds.

Edit: You can still expect some music videos over on our sites - I'd be shocked if Derek didn't do his "Top XX Videos of 2006" at his site, and I'll certainly keep you guys up with some cool videos over on mine.

Edit 2: If you're looking for other music video sites, check out So Hot Right Now and Antville - probably the two best music video blog-types out there. Holla.

Panic! At The Disco: "But It's Better If You Do"

This video, "But It's Better If You Do", is a burlesque-themed clip directed by Shane Drake. It's a fun clip with a story to it (which I especially like), and while the singer annoys me from time to time (the hand claps are a bit much, frankly), it's an entertaining clip that's going to get plenty of airplay on the MTV/Fuse channels. The entire episode of "Panic! At The Disco Makes A Video" was actually entertaining, something that rarely happens.

Video: "But It's Better If You Do" - Panic! At The Disco [iPod Compatible]
{Director: Shane Drake}

Buck 65: "Wicked & Weird"

Another one from the speaksinglyricist, Buck 65, this one from 2003. It's a goofy road-movie-caper spoof type of video from director Sean Michael Turrell, featuring mannequins, puppets, dancing girls, dirt roads, and some pretty cool cinematography. If you haven't seen the other two videos of his that have been posted on this website, do so, because Micah Meisner's work on those two is as good as Turrell's work on this one.

Video: "Wicked & Weird" - Buck 65 [iPod Compatible]
{Director: Sean Michael Turrell}

Classic Video - Souls of Mischief: "93 'til Infinity"

It's funny, but hip-hop videos have dramatically changed in the last fifteen years. Now it's all about bling and Cristal - but then there are videos like these ones from back in the day (and like the "Scenario" video as well) that were just about the music. Can you imagine a hip-hop video these days where the group isn't on a fancy soundstage? Where instead, they were walking through the Humboldt forests and beaches? I can't see it.

It doesn't hurt that the song itself is fantastic, and one of the best hip-hop tracks from the 90s, but the video is such a throwback to the days when seemingly every hip-hop video wasn't the same. By the way, if anyone has a full version of the video for "Sometimes I Rhyme Quick" by Nice & Smooth, drop me a line. It's one of my favorite songs ever, and you can only find a clip of it on youtube.

Video: "93 'til Infinity" - Souls of Mischief [iPod Compatible]
{Director: Allan Smithee}

The Pipettes: "Pull Shapes"

Awesome. Anytime a band decides to market themselves with a video based on the Russ Meyer-directed "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", I've got an extra bit of love for them. And this video, a shot-for-shot remake of a scene from the film, just screams fun to me. I'm absolutely in love with the girls in the band (the one in the glasses, hoo-fah!), and the song is just a summer song beyond words.

The ultra-campy video mixed with the retro sound.... just fantastic.

Video: "Pull Shapes" - The Pipettes [iPod Compatible]
{Director: ???}