2016: Buzz Bands LA’s Favorite Videos of the Year

Daiana Feuer on December 20th, 2016

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Photos, clockwise from top middle: Two Sheds; Alice Bag (by Carl Pocket); Frankie & the Witch Fingers (by Mitch Livingston); the Dead Ships (by Samantha Saturday); Cherry Glazerr (by Monique Hernandez)

We post a lot of videos here at Buzz Bands LA, around 240 per year in fact. So for this list of our favorites from 2016, the main criteria was “Does it stir something in you?” Tears, an overwhelming feeling of romance, revulsion, confusion, and/or does it alter reality in such a way that its force cannot be denied? Each of these videos hits one or more of those marks.

Alice Bag “He’s So Sorry”
Alice Bag delivers a strong message about domestic abuse as we follow a woman’s story from her living room to the grave. It’s not light stuff.

Frankie And The Witch Fingers “Merry Go Round”
This video strikes a sweet balance between pretty and strange, with plenty of blood and glitter to go around.

IAMEVE “Starman”
Soulmates unite in an alternate dimension made up of their bodies in this love song to an alien.

The Garden “California Here We Go”
Just a good dose of wacky fun from the Shears brothers, who use all the tricks they can muster to defeat each other at baseball.

Mondo Cozmo “Hold On To Me”
Anna Faris stars in this tender video staged at an assisted living home. Can’t get through it without crying.

Cherry Glazerr “I Told You I’d Be With The Guys”
All these regular guys in their red shirts, it’s like waking up in a nightmare of mediocrity from which there is no escape.

Two Sheds “Come Home”
Electronic bits come to life, wiggling and slithering into patterns in this stop-motion creation.

SWIMM “Man’s Man
Croissants will never be the same.

Tim Presley “Long Bow”
Adorable old men jamming to Tim Presley’s song in the park. They had us at the fuzzy dog on a swing.

Ty Segall “California Hills”
Because sometimes cartoons paint a more realistic picture of how life will eat, beat and poop you out.

Send Medicine “Baby’s Coast”
Getting dragged through the sand seems fun, but also torture. Notice how red his back is at the end? Worth it.

The Dead Ships “Seance”
Frontman Devlin McClusky sings while suspended upside-down by ropes. The blood rushes to his head making the veins pop out in his forehead at just the right pacing for the song.

Lord Huron “The World Ender”
An evil corporation and a gang of avengers led by a zombie hunk do battle in a cinematic video adaptation from Lord Huron’s own comic book.

Cosmonauts “Party At Sunday”
The fumbling sensuality of the interactions in this slow-moving, deep purple and blue tinted video is awkwardly titillating.

MoondreamzzZ “Porcelain Skin”
Everyone on the street has mouths for eyes, and then two people peel each other’s faces off.

Weyes Blood “Seven Words”
She’s a mermaid and just wants to get back to the sea but she’s sold into selfie-slavery! Luckily her true love comes to the rescue and sets her free.

Lauren Ruth Ward “Make Love To Myself”
It starts off steamy enough, but things take a dark turn in this cautionary tale.

Blondfire “Domino”
Erica Driscoll made the whole thing on her phone.

T.O.L.D. “Master Of Species”
“Learn to be alone” or clone yourself and follow your selves around.

Jake Troth “Double Black Diamond”
Going a few steps beyond a music video, here’s a 14-minute film about being a “star” and falling in love.

Mynabirds “Velveteen”
A good deed is punished but then rewarded in this story. As long as we’re in agreement that getting turned into a vampire is an appropriate gesture of thanks.