Throwback Thursday Videos - Yeasayer

Today's #TBTV selections are a pair of videos from experimental rockers Yeasayer. After putting together yesterday's WIFL, I was struck by the similarities between Godley and Creme and today's pick - polyrhythms, unusual instrumentation, and soaring soul-tinged vocals.

Both of our videos are from the band's sophomore effort, Odd Blood, released on Secretly Canadian in February 2010. The first, "Ambling Alp", is the band's ode to standing up to those who would seek to knock us down. The syncopated drumming and warbling synths are perfectly emblematic of that end of the century's first decade, a sound not unfamiliar to fans of MGMT or Animal Collective. A word of warning to those taking a break from their spreadsheets to surf the web - "Ambling Alp" is probably NOT safe for work (NSFW). 

Our second selection, "O.N.E.", draws inspiration from the over-the-top music videos of the early 90s. The song treats addiction almost anthropomorphically, equating it to that awful person who has a hold on us that we can't quite break. One lyric in particular resonated with me, "The room's still now when I'm lying / Cause the well of the night has gone dry". We've all been in that situation, haven't we, pulling the covers over our head even as the sun makes its incursion into our darkness?