By Joel Hanek
I know that many of you reading this blog are thinking, "Hey, I'm in a critically-acclaimed indie rock band that released a pretty good album earlier this year, but now I've got a new single and I need a music video. What am I to do?" Well look no further, my friends, because we've got your answer: Puppets.
This month, Yeasayer and MGMT both released music videos featuring melancholic puppet/human misadventures with themes of love and loss (think "Mac & Me," but with more death). Yeasayer released "Madder Red," a more subdued track from the psychedelic-splashed Odd Blood as their third single from the record, while MGMT released the acoustic "Congratulations," their latest LP's title track and probably the most conventionally structured song on the unexpected sounding album. These two down-tempo tracks respectively provide the score to two tear-jerking tragedies that (spoiler alert!) ultimately end in puppet demise.
So taking a page from the experts, here's the breakdown of what you need to release your very own puppet-centric music video this year.
Choosing Your Puppet
This may seem simple, but really there's a different puppet for every job. Both Yeasayer and MGMT's videos feature creature companions that are slightly macabre and grisly at first glance but actually pretty adorable (even if they are sans fur). Yeasayer chose an amorphous mass of viscera as their puppet protagonist, while MGMT chose a vaguely human, vaguely avian quadruped. When it comes to choosing your puppet, be creative! Remember: The best puppets are always the ones that can be anthropomorphized into great sidekicks or best friends.
Casting Your Human
At the center of every tragedy there's the universal idea that everybody experiences loss. The vessel to carry this to your audience is your human. MGMT went the DIY route and cast themselves in their own story, traversing across the desert with their decrepit poultry. Yeasayer went for the star appeal and brought in the always charming Kristen Bell to frolic with the anatomical tuber.
Being Adventurous
While the origins remain murky, the videos suggest that the humans and puppets are BFFs. In "Madder Red," Bell treats Lumpy (I just made that name up that name) as a pet, or even as her own child. The two do everything together, including eat, sleep and attend acting class. It's the day in the life of a girl and her bleeding puppet. MGMT sets the mood more ominously as the three heroes appear disheveled and distraught from the aftermath of an unknown catastrophic event. When it comes to your video, draw from real life and think about what you do on a daily basis with your puppet!
Saying Goodbye
Alas, every good puppet story must come to and that end is usually a death scene. The puppets in these tales slowly fall apart, withering away over time in death scenes that rival Sonny Corleone's in length. No, these puppets aren't the victims of murder, but rather they succumb to some kind of mysteriously debilitating puppet plague. Killing your puppet off won't be easy, but do it with dignity and style.