Awesome Music

(NSFW: Language) Ah, Gotham. If you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere. Or get lambasted by a random stranger while practicing your musical instrument. This is why we love New York. (Thanks Disco Chicken!)

Robin Thicke’s song is still rattling around in our brains, so we’re enjoying this minute long Sesame Street/Muppet video version. Also Grover as Pharrell is pleasing us.

The music video for dance DJ Duke Dumont’s Need U (100%) is about a man who somehow ends up with a cassette tape player inside his belly. It doesn’t bother with the how or why; and neither should we.

Directed by CANADA, this energetic video for the new song from Phoenix was shot live with two separate camera crews who kept having to run and set up for the next shot before the visible countdown timers ran out.

The Collective Cadenza is working on a series of videos that are conceived of, rehearsed, and performed in less than one hour with songs currently hot in pop culture. We especially enjoy the festive horn section and Pharrell substitute.

We thought this was pretty great, but then we saw Todd Edwards’ spectacular homage to 80’s movies and music in Story of the Running Wolf’s latest video. Limahl, Laura Branigan and A-Ha would be so proud. (Thanks Ben!)

Jesse and Adam Blockton of Failures have spliced together an amusing video of John Lennon auditioning on The Voice, which makes us wonder who else might bomb on that show.

When their flight is delayed, members of the Philadelphia Orchestra decide to break the boredom with a impromptu rendition of the last movement of Dvořák’s American Quartet. This stuff never happens to us. (Thanks Aetherion!)

Barcelona-based art direction collaborative Dvein have used their talents to create a surreal and stunning animated liquid landscape for Magma, the new single from The Vein.

The equivalent of drum practice pads for guitarists. PocketStrings are small bars with real guitar strings and real frets that you can use to practice anywhere. Available in 4- and 6-fret variants. Also on ThinkGeek.

A cut from The Red Wing, a single from the upcoming album Slow Focus by electronic noise duo F**k Buttons. It’s more structured than the band’s earlier work but still carries their trademark thick distortion.

Using only mouth sounds, YouTuber Oliver Age 24 has put together a sprightly version of Daft Punk’s hit single (called Get Neefy, in this case). Sing along! Boots, cats, boots, cats, etc.

(NSFW) The music video for Planet Online, an upcoming single from German electronic duo neosignal. Made by Dent De Cuir, the video looks like one of those cheesy toy commercials in the 90s, except it’s promoting the Web.

We know the new record is out, but take a trip down memory lane and remember why you still love Daft Punk when you hear the Seven Handle Circus perform their string-laden bluegrass rendition of One More Time. (Thanks Brandon!)

The music video for Young Galaxy’s song Blown Minded, from their album Shapeshifting. The video was made by Carine Khalife, who painted each frame of the animation by hand using oil paint on a glass surface.

Because Rhett and Link enjoy local late-night commercials, they created this one for Arlen Transmission in Burbank. It features Goorgen, the singing mechanic. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Guitar builder Jimmy DiResta made this custom electric guitar for musician Wyclef Jean, turning what was once an axe into an assault rifle. Jump to 6:35 to see the finished instrument.

Presented with the challenge of performing a completely improvised serenade from a misogynist’s point of view on the comedic improv show Set List, musical funny man Reggie Watts knocks it out of the park.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Lie Witness News heads to Coachella, where a reporter asks concertgoers their opinions about bands… that don’t exist. Ever known anyone like that? (Thanks Jay!)

Birthday, a sparsely layered, experimental tune from Alphabets Heaven reminds us that Spring is coming; Renata GÄ…siorowska’s dreamlike animation is the perfect complement to it.

(NSFW: Language) A great way to enjoy the afternoon: after viewing this playful (and literal) stick figure re-imagining of Macklemore’s Thrift Shop, how can you not laugh? (Thanks Daniel!)

AraabMuzik garnered hype for his insanely fast fingers, but at the end of the day he keeps our admiration by making good tracks. Here’s one from his new, free mixtape, For Professional Use Only.

Camille and Kennerly, better known as “The Harp Twins,” take on the creepy theme to The Walking Dead with exactly the right instruments for the job – though we did wish for at least one zombie/harp kill.