Music Video Monday is ringing in the new year with Memphis’ best music videos! A big thank you to all the artists who submitted work this year. In case you missed it, get caught up with #20-11 here.
Ready? Here we go:
10. Telisu – “Im A God”
Director Quinten Lamb won the Indie Memphis Hometowner Music Video award with this banger.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (10)
9. Six.oh.xiS – “Hiding Place”
Chillwaver Christopher Osborne’s low-fi synth wash gets visual soma to match.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (9)
8. Mono Neon & A Weirdo From Memphis – “America’s Perverted Gentlemen (Drawls)”
Two of Memphis’ weirdest almost got arrested filming this awesome guerilla video, directed by Unapologetic mastermind IMAKEMADBEATS.
"America's Perverted Gentlemen (Drawls)" – MonoNeon & AWFM (A Weirdo From Memphis) from Dywane MonoNeon Thomas Jr. on Vimeo.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (7)
7. Preauxx – “Terry Freestyle”
Sometimes the simplest setting is the best. 35 Miles lets Preauxx’s charisma do the talking in this stony workout.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (5)
6. Aaron James – “The Wile”
Taking a cue from one of the classics of the form, Aaron James and animator Shakeya Merriweather rotoscoped dancers Rachael Arnwine and Fannie Horton for this multimedia tone poem.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (6)
5 .Crown Vox – “Ruler of the Ball”
Director Mitch Martin pulls out all the stops for Memphis goth pop queen Crown Vox’s epic Guilded Gallows video cycle.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (8)
4. Don Lifted – “Take Control of Me”
Don Lifted’s paean to romantic surrender takes a sinister turn in the hands of director Kevin Brooks. Brooks and Don have had one of the most fruitful collaboration of any Memphis artists in recent memory.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (2)
3. Julien Baker – “Turn Out The Lights”
At the forefront of the flotilla of Memphis women making musical waves in 2017 was Julien Baker. For the title track of her smash album, she got this explosive video from director Sophia Peer.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (4)
2. IMAKEMADBEATS – “Mother Sang To Us”
In 2017, the most interesting music in Memphis was coming from a small studio in Bartlett, where Unapologetic Records founder IMAKEMADBEATS gathered a crew of likeminded weirdos to push the boundaries of hip hop. His Better Left Unsaid album is a kind of multimedia creative manifesto, and this Afro-samurai anime from Sky5 Productions is better than Justice League.
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1 (3)
1. Snowglobe – “We Were In Love”
Director Ben Siler worked for a year crafting this semi-autobiographical story of love, loss, and OCD. More than any other MVM video of 2017, it worked to solidify and expand the themes and mood of its song, while packing more plot than many feature films into just three minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, your best Memphis music video of 2017:
Music Video Monday: Top 10 Memphis Music Videos of 2017: 10-1
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com
