The 12 Best Videos Of The Week

4:56 PM EST on February 11, 2011

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This week we've got a lot of new videos-- clips from Wale, Toro Y Moi, the New Pornographers, Damian Marley and Nas, the Black Keys, and Modest Mouse, among others. The Tyler, The Creator video is the darkest and hardest to shake of this lot. But once that's out of the way, many of this week's other videos, like New Pornographers' cameo-filled video, the Black Keys grindhouse trailer, and Wale's relationship mini-tale should make you laugh.

Tyler, The Creator - "Yonkers" (Dir. Wolf Haley aka Tyler, The Creator) (NSFW)

It's a stark and mesmerizing performance video done right, with Floria Sigismondi-esque twitches and camera focus changes, and blood, vomit, and roaches.
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Wale - "The Break Up Song" (Dir. Walu & DJ Omega)

On a much more lighthearted rap note, Wale's clever and cute "Break Up Song" video depicts the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship with some Morgan Freeman-imitating narration. I really like the split-screen scenes that show Wale's reality vs. his expectations.
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The Black Keys - "Howlin' For You" (Dir. Chris Marrs Piliero)

Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" video almost ruined the whole fake movie trailer music video thing for anyone else, but the Black Keys' version -- which puts together a Tarantino plotline and Grindhouse style -- is entertaining. There are cameos here from the band, from their dinosaur mascot, and... Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges.
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Steed Lord - "123 If You Want Me" (Dir. Einar Egilsson)

Sonya Tayeh aggressive choreography and Svala "Kali" Bjorgvinsdottir aggressive styling make for a hypnotic video. In fact, it took me a few viewings to notice the goatee under one of the dancer's geisha makeup.
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Cloud Nothings - "Understand At All" (Dir. Allen Cordell)

This is the third Cloud Nothing's video I've written about since we started doing Best Video roundups in the fall, and it's the second I've written about from Allen Cordell, who directed the band's "Hey Cool Kid" video as well. This clip also has a bit of video game influence to its pixelated, neon graphics. I also see a Ray Tintori touch to the melting keyframes and jagged green screen.
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