Best Band Gone Wild Video:
Bogan Via “Kanye”
We love the video for “Kanye” by Bogan Via (directed by Freddie Paull) but it does offer a disturbing look at the band’s career should the whole music thing not work out.
Best Debut Video:
Sara Robinson & the Midnight Special “Down by the Water”
Sara Robinson & the Midnight Special launched their music video career with this stellar number just back in December. Directed by Matty Steinkamp of Sundawg Media, “Down by the Water” delivers a powerful performance.
Best HipHop Video:
Hexs & Miranda “Down”
Directed by Michael Cardoza of Glasswork Media, “Down” has some of that style and pizzazz that you want to see in a HipHop video… minus the nearly naked honeys (good job, boys). We’re about it.
Best Collaborative Project:
Future Loves Past “Grow Up Tall”
Eric Palmer worked on illustrations and production design, Tristan Dede added animation and editing, and even some photographs of clouds by Bill Goodman and S. Cole Kiburz got thrown into the mix. Together, it became “Grow Up Tall” from Future Loves Past.
Trippiest Video:
Mergence “The Nerve”
We’re not even entirely sure what’s taking place here; something occult, maybe involving the consumption of devil drugs. Whatever it is, we’re about this video made entirely by the band.
Best Transplant Video:
Michelle Blades “Lava Boy”
Gone but not forgotten, we like to keep tabs on the folks that have passed our way here in Arizona. Directed by Chloé Bourgès, the video for “Lava Boy” enchanted us from across the big blue.
Best Party Video:
Wolvves “Live Forever”
Wolvves makes for a great house party and the spirit of which can be found in their video for “Live Forever”. Directed by frontman Aydin the Immortal. Good times had by all.
Happiest Sad Song:
Human Behavior “Crag”
We’re totally enamored with this video from Human Behavior. The problem with repeated listenings is that we began to really hear how truly depressing this upbeat number really is. Beautiful but depressing. “Crag” was directed by MJ Watz.
Best Continuing Saga:
decker. “Killing Me” / “Weight in Gold Pt. 2”
decker. has put out some stellar videos this year including this two-parter we can’t seem to get enough of. Another masterful undertaking from Matty Steinkamp with the aid of six cameramen. We love all the appearances from local rockstars like PC and Melody.
“Weight in Gold Pt. 2” video removed by artist.
Best Animation:
Brian Lopez “Montjuic”
This was a surprisingly contentious category this year, but the video created by Gary Dumbill for Brian Lopez’s “Montjuic” came out ahead as our pick for Best Animation. Eerie and imaginative.
Strangest Video:
Emby Alexander “Drag the Long Way Home”
From its Lynchian opening to its sudden submersion in water, “Drag the Long Way Home” directed by Trevvor Riley is definitely one of the strangest videos we’ve seen in a long time. Definitely the Strangest Video of 2013.
Hi! I am MJ Watz the director of Crag, the music video for the Happiest Sad Song. Thanks so much for including us, your support means a lot to me as an aspiring professional female filmmaker and director! I have made 12 music videos and it is always a pleasure to have one featured on your website! https://www.youtube.com/mjwatz KIT!