‘Look Ma, No Mike!’ N°13 – Vintage 2000s Music Videos

Dumdums, Freefaller, Halo, The Blueskins, The Little Ones, Beth Orton, Sam & Mark, Hugh Cornwell, Oasis, U2, JJ72, Bon Jovi

They are the performers of twelve “lip sync” music videos that were ranked in various charts, this week (07/52) BUT … in the Noughties 2000s.

Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!

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For TWELVE “We are Live” – Vintage 2000s Music Videos – week 07/52 – click here

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Tracklist

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1 . Dumdums – Army Of Two

“Army of Two,” the final single from Dumdums’ 2001 debut album “It Goes Without Saying,” feels like a snapshot of turn-of-the-century British guitar pop trying to punch above its weight.

Produced by Steve Power, whose crisp touch is evident throughout, the track leans heavily on the band’s signature blend of buoyant melodies and rhythmic precision. Josh Doyle’s smooth yet plaintive vocals serve as the centerpiece, while the tight interplay of Steve Clarke’s bass and Stuart ‘Baxter’ Wilkinson’s drums provides a resolute backbone. The song undeniably possesses a polished allure, but its chart position at number 27—the same as its predecessors—implies a ceiling the band struggled to break through.

Placing “Army of Two” in the broader context of Dumdums’ career amplifies its bittersweet resonance. With prior singles like “You Do Something to Me” and “Everything,” the band had carved a niche among listeners, yet their momentum stalled just as quickly as it began. It’s telling that their 22-date stint with Robbie Williams in late 2000, or their sharing stages with names like Bon Jovi and Elton John, did little to extend their shelf life.

Even the earnestness of the promotional effort—acoustic sets at Tower Records in major UK cities—seems poignant in hindsight, more like a gentle exit wave than a launch toward stardom. Dumdums disbanded just months later, casting “Army of Two” as both a defining moment and an ending note.

Like the album it hails from, “Army of Two” neither offends nor astonishes. It’s well-crafted, yet ultimately unremarkable—a pleasant whisper in a crowded room during a time when British guitar pop was often shouting to be heard.


Featured on the 2000 album “It Goes Without Saying “.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Facebook

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2 . Freefaller – Do This! Do That!

“Do This! Do That!” by Freefaller sits firmly in the pop/rock tradition, balancing catchy hooks with a straightforward, crowd-pleasing energy.

Hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne in the 2000s, Freefaller sticks to a formula that feels purpose-built for the era’s radio airwaves. While it’s impossible to unpack nuances like key collaborators or its placement on any specific album, the song represents a peak in the band’s public presence. Whether intentional or not, the title’s imperative phrasing mirrors the taut directness of mainstream pop sensibilities, reducing any pretense of complexity in favor of immediate accessibility.

The pop/rock genre, as embodied by Freefaller here, often walks a tightrope between authenticity and formula. The absence of further context about the band’s production choices or recording environment makes it harder to situate the song historically within their oeuvre. But what’s certain is that “Do This! Do That!” serves as shorthand for a period-specific sound—an unembellished reflection of early 2000s British pop/rock aesthetics.

If Freefaller’s catalog were a photograph, this track feels like the focus point, vivid but locked in predictable framing. There’s satisfaction in its clarity, though it rarely strays outside familiar borders. For better or worse, it’s a song stripped of excess, aiming squarely at its intended target: simple, unvarnished pop appeal.


Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

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3 . Halo – Cold Light Of Day

“Cold Light of Day” by Halo occupies a curious niche in early-2000s British rock, channeling the drama of its era with a sheen reflective of Sony Music’s polish and Al Clay’s production finesse. This single, plucked from the band’s debut album ‘Lunatic Ride’ (2002), carries with it the weight of a band on the cusp of fleeting notoriety, making its brevity in Halo’s discography all the more poignant.

The song’s structure leans heavily on a familiar formula, with Graeme and Iain Moncrieff’s interplay driving its emotional core. Over a backbone provided by Jim Davey’s percussion and Steve Yeomans’ bass lines, the track struggles between anthemic aspiration and unadventurous safety. It’s not so much a failure of ambition as a case of a band sticking too closely to the lanes carved out by their contemporaries.

The official music video, still available on YouTube, captures Halo in a moment of performance-centric focus, emphasizing the music over narrative flair. It’s a testament to their early days performing at venues like the Louisiana Bar in Bristol—raw talent buoyed by polished visuals.

Touring with names like Serafin, Wheatus, and Rachel Stamp was a double-edged sword, cementing their place in the post-Britpop mosaic while simultaneously reminding listeners of what they weren’t. By the time Jim Davey exited in 2003, replaced by Blake, the band’s trajectory was already losing altitude, culminating in their disbandment by 2004. “Cold Light of Day” thus remains a bittersweet flash of what Halo offered: precise but rarely profound, competent but never captivating.


Featured on the 2002 album “Lunatic Ride”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Facebook

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4 . The Blueskins – Change My Mind

“Change My Mind” by The Blueskins oscillates between gritty energy and restrained rhythmic precision, a characteristic emblematic of the band’s sound during their tenure with Domino Records.

Released as half of a double A-side single alongside “I Wanna Know” in 2004, its modest climb to number 56 on the UK Singles Chart hints at its standing—more cult artifact than mainstream juggernaut.

The track saw a resurgence two years later, riding the coattails of a Lynx shower gel advertisement. Yet, despite such prime commercial placement, the song’s potential momentum stagnated after its re-release, tethered to a lack of amplified promotion from their label.

The Blueskins, hailing from Gawthorpe, near Wakefield, displayed a knack for hybridizing raw vocals with punchy instrumentation, an approach that resonated well in live settings, where tracks like this one reliably stirred energy.

The 2005 addition of Andrei Nosov and Tom Bailey to the lineup brought a subtle shift, drawing influences from native Siberian sounds and indie stylings that flirted with the danceable without fully committing.

“Change My Mind” captures a band in transition, its taut production and hook-laden structure standing out while simultaneously shouldering the weight of a milieu that didn’t fully recognize its punch.

The band disbanded in 2008, with co-founder Ryan Spendlove taking a left turn into the acoustic realm, culminating in his 2011 Candyrat Records release “Fable.”

Today, “Change My Mind” persists less as a commercial triumph and more as a testament to a group that balanced traditional roots rock with a restive, boundary-nudging ethos.


Featured on the 2004 album “Word of Mouth “.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

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5 . The Little Ones – Oh MJ

“Oh MJ” arrives like a glittering snapshot of indie pop’s mid-2000s renaissance, carrying both the buoyancy and repetition that defined its era.

Anchored by jangly guitars and a melody that seems tailor-made for tambourines and handclaps, the track fits comfortably into The Little Ones’ vibrant catalog, as heard on their 2007 EP “Sing Song.”

It’s hard not to admire the track’s straightforwardness: the melding of 1960s pop sensibilities with the quirks of bands like The Shins or Vampire Weekend creates an undeniably listenable experience. Still, the sunny enthusiasm feels more structural than emotional—a polished veneer that sometimes prioritizes form over resonance.

Despite peaking modestly at number 100 on the UK Singles Chart through physical sales, “Oh MJ” demonstrates enough gleam to justify its additional recognition within the subset, whizzing up to number 29.

For a project that produced 12-inch promo remixes courtesy of Stereolab, Zongamin, and Crystal Castles, the track’s premise remains surprisingly insular—a pleasant tune that neither challenges nor surprises.

Performed live on Seattle’s KEXP, “Oh MJ” enjoyed moments of vitality, gaining radio favor as their “song of the day” before October 2007. Yet, for all its sprightly confidence, it edges toward being well-crafted wallpaper, especially when stacked against the stakes of more daring contemporaries.

Within their dynamic performances supporting Kaiser Chiefs or appearances at SXSW in 2008 and 2013, The Little Ones prove capable messengers of cheery guitar pop. As a standalone, though—”Oh MJ” dances in predictable patterns.


Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

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6 . Beth Orton – Conceived

“Conceived,” a single from Beth Orton’s 2006 album “Comfort of Strangers,” operates as a measured display of her typically understated fusion of folk and pop with faint electronic touches.

Perched at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart, the track achieves modest visibility yet remains firmly within Orton’s niche—more artful than broadly appealing.

The production, like much of “Comfort of Strangers,” is clean without ever feeling overworked, which suits Orton’s raspy vocal delivery and minimalistic tendencies.

Oddly enough, the song feels simultaneously intimate and distanced, as if its emotional center lies just out of reach.

Orton’s career, stretching back to 1993 with the William Orbit collaboration Spill, often finds itself labeled “genre-bending,” though “Conceived” is less of a bold experiment and more of a quiet reiteration of her established sound.

The absence of notable collaborations here leans into the album’s careful restraint, yet it occasionally falters on the edge of being too skeletal, lacking the richer textures of prior works like “Trailer Park.”

Much like its accompanying album, which peaked at number 24 in the UK Album Charts, “Conceived” thrives in its careful avoidance of bombast but leaves one wondering if more ambition might have nudged it beyond its own limits.

Still, in a catalogue boasting releases such as “Central Reservation” and “Daybreaker,” it’s neither Orton’s dullest moment nor her crowning one.


Featured on the 2006 album “Comfort of Strangers”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Sam & Mark – With A Little Help From My Friends

Sam & Mark’s “With a Little Help from My Friends,” a 2004 cover of The Beatles’ classic, serves as a post-*Pop Idol* victory lap rather than a bold reinvention.

Released as their debut single under Simon Fuller’s S Records, the track dutifully replicates the joy and camaraderie of the original without veering far from its well-trodden path.

The duo—Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes, fresh off second- and third-place finishes in *Pop Idol’s* second series—delivered a rendition polished enough to capture the UK’s sentimental streak, landing them a number-one spot on the UK Singles Chart and a more modest number-22 peak in Ireland.

While undeniably competent, the song sticks so firmly to The Beatles’ blueprint that it feels more like an exercise in mimicry than personal expression.

Their vocals, though harmoniously intertwined, lack the distinct grit and depth that might elevate the track beyond mere facsimile territory.

Unmoored from any album, this one-off success doubled as a career pivot toward the realm of children’s television and light entertainment, where they’ve arguably found their proper stage.

The lack of notable collaborations or innovative choices here underscores why it remains their sole chart-topping single, a high-water mark of commercial achievement rather than artistic breakout.

Sam & Mark’s subsequent career in programs such as *TMi*, *Copycats*, and *Junior Bake Off* seems almost to retroactively soften the calculated earnestness of this release.

In hindsight, the cover works less as a standalone accomplishment and more as a transitional artifact from reality competition TV hopefuls to safe, family-friendly faces.


Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

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8 . Hugh Cornwell – Under Her Spell

“Under Her Spell” captures Hugh Cornwell at a transitional and exploratory juncture, navigating the waters of his post-Stranglers career with a blend of lyrical intrigue and melodic restraint.

Lyrically, the song leans heavily on vivid imagery, sketching the portrait of a beguiling, almost mythic woman. Lines like “She’s surfed along the moonlit mile” and “She is from heaven and I am from hell” oscillate between enchantment and menace, crafting a narrative that is both alluring and inscrutable. Cornwell’s penchant for wordplay is evident, though the verses risk tipping into indulgence, relying on impression over substance.

Musically, the track reflects Cornwell’s solo ambitions—more polished than the raw edge of his work with The Stranglers but less immediately gripping. The arrangement, while technically sound, lacks the visceral tension that defined his former band’s output, leaving the listener with a tune that is pleasant but not particularly memorable.

Commercially, “Under Her Spell” made a modest impact, peaking at number 62 on the Official UK Singles Chart and disappearing within two weeks—a reflection, perhaps, of its limited mainstream resonance. Its absence from notable performances or awards further underscores its relatively muted legacy within Cornwell’s discography.

As part of his broader solo portfolio, which includes albums like “Wired” and “Guilty,” the song signals Cornwell’s commitment to reinvention, albeit with varying levels of success. While the lyrics demonstrate his knack for crafting enigmatic characters, the track as a whole struggles to match the dynamism of his earlier work.


Featured on the 2004 album “Beyond Elysian Fields”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

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9 . Oasis – Songbird

“Songbird,” released on 3 February 2003 as part of Oasis’s fifth studio venture, “Heathen Chemistry,” offers a curious pivot in the band’s history.

Notably, it stands out as the first single penned by lead vocalist Liam Gallagher rather than his brother Noel, signaling a shift in creative voice. With its simplicity, the song is set in G major and paced at a moderate 132 beats per minute, a tempo that mirrors its stripped-down approach. Dedicated to Gallagher’s then-fiancée, Nicole Appleton, “Songbird” projects intimacy but veers toward predictability, relying heavily on its sentimentality rather than structural innovation.

The music video, featuring Liam strumming an acoustic guitar under a tree in Hyde Park with Appleton making a brief cameo, reinforces the song’s raw and unpretentious nature. This visual, while charmingly straightforward, borders on overly literal, reflecting little of the band’s prior audacity.

Critically, “Songbird” garners mixed reactions. Doug Levy of *CMJ New Music Report* points to Liam’s “surprising talent for songwriting,” an assessment Noel Gallagher echoed, describing the track’s simplicity as head-turning. However, simplicity is a double-edged sword; while it works to make the song memorable, it risks diminishing replay value, particularly when contrasted against richer compositions in Oasis’s catalog.

Commercially, “Songbird” achieved commendable success, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and securing strong placements in Canada, Ireland, and Italy. It remains the sole entry from “Heathen Chemistry” on Oasis’s greatest hits album, “Stop the Clocks,” a nod perhaps more to its symbolic importance than its musical depth.

Live renditions, such as Liam’s performance for UK Radio Aid in 2005, offer insight into the song’s enduring simplicity but also highlight its limitations when pulled from its studio context. A demo version, featuring an overdriven guitar and solo, hints at unrealized potential, suggesting that “Songbird” might have benefited from bolder production choices.

Despite its Gold certification by the BPI and cultural placement within Oasis’s oeuvre, “Songbird” oscillates between heartfelt tribute and underwhelming execution, reflective of the evolving yet uneven dynamics within the band during this period.


Featured on the 2002 album “Heathen Chemistry”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

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10 . U2 – Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own

“Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own” emerges as one of U2’s most introspective moments, shedding the stadium-filling bombast for a more intimate exploration of vulnerability.

Initially titled “Tough,” the song signals a deliberate focus on fraught familial ties—specifically Bono’s relationship with his late father, Bob Hewson, who succumbed to cancer in 2001.

In its lyrical framework, the track wades through the often-unspoken tensions of masculinity, challenging stoic archetypes with lines that vacillate between defiance and tenderness.

Bono’s vocals, both fragile and resolute, act as the emotional axis, navigating a melody that’s deceptively straightforward but ripe with understated mournfulness.

Clocking in at 4:51 for the radio edit and slightly extending to 5:05 on the album version, the track resists sprawling musical theatrics, instead opting for a controlled introspection reflective of its subject matter.

Commercially, it barely rippled the charts, peaking at an unremarkable #97 on Billboard in 2005, suggesting that its appeal lies outside metrics of mainstream accessibility.

A notable live performance, preserved in the “Live from HQ” video on November 16, 2004, captures the song’s unpolished earnestness, though it never veers toward the revelatory dimensions the band achieves in larger, crowd-driven settings.

Musically, U2 plays it safe, offering arrangements free of distractions but also devoid of any surprising turns.

What carries the weight here, then, isn’t the band’s instrumentation or even the composition but the rawness of Bono’s songwriting—a process described as organic, with emotions bubbling to the surface rather than meticulously shaped.

As part of *How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb*, it encapsulates U2’s ability to pivot toward self-reflection, though perhaps without fully dismantling their instinct for grandiosity.

Poised between sentimentality and restraint, the song proves emotionally resonant but lacks the musical ambition to elevate it beyond its deeply personal narrative.


Featured on the 2004 album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

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11 . JJ72 – Snow

“Snow,” a single from JJ72’s self-titled debut album, presents itself as a brooding slice of early-2000s alternative rock, produced under Ian Caple’s meticulous guidance.

Released initially on August 28, 2000, the track struggled on its first foray into the UK Singles Chart, peaking at an unremarkable number 80. Yet, following its January 2001 re-release, the song dramatically jumped to number 21, a delayed surge that could be attributed less to ubiquity and more to the slow-burning allure of its melancholic energy.

Frontman Mark Greaney’s vocals, supported by Hilary Woods on bass and Fergal Matthews on drums, hover somewhere between fragile and theatrical, never fully committing to one mode but creating a compelling tension nonetheless. The band’s sound—spacious yet intimate—proved fit for the festival circuit, where they performed at Glastonbury, Reading, and Leeds, alongside European and US tours of varying visibility. Their support slots with Coldplay and Embrace during this era provided a stark contrast, JJ72’s minor-key melancholy cutting through the then-emerging stadium polish of their peers.

That the debut album, which included “Snow,” went on to sell over 500,000 copies in Ireland and the UK, suggests a resonance that extended beyond mere momentary chart positions. Appearances on mainstream platforms like *Top of the Pops* cemented their brief but vivid presence in a crowded turn-of-the-millennium alt-rock scene.

“Snow” encapsulates the story of the band itself—melancholic, steeped in texture, and fluctuating between obscurity and breakthrough. It is a song in conflict, its modest chart achievements belying a cult aura, buoyed by JJ72’s ability to turn fragility into a quietly defiant force.


Featured on the 2000 album “JJ72”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

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12 . Bon Jovi – Welcome To Wherever You Are

“Welcome to Wherever You Are” opts for sentiment over spectacle, a measured pivot in Bon Jovi’s catalog that prefers reassurance to the arena-rock pomp often associated with the band.

Released in 2005 from their ninth studio album “Have a Nice Day,” the track carries the fingerprints of Jon Bon Jovi’s socio-political engagement, itself influenced by the charged atmosphere of the 2004 Presidential Election.

Its lyrical gesture towards self-acceptance and unity might feel earnest to the point of saccharine, but this sincerity is arguably the song’s backbone, avoiding the grandiosity of earlier anthems like “Livin’ on a Prayer.”

Noticeably absent is the guitar solo—a structural decision that strips back any lingering flamboyance, though cynics might perceive this omission as a lack of ambition.

The song achieved moderate chart mileage, peaking at number 19 in the UK Singles Chart and an even more modest 36 in Austria, a reflection that its thematic intentions translated inconsistently across regions.

Its fleeting synergy with pop culture arrives via “The West Wing” tie-in, where Jon Bon Jovi’s endorsement of Matt Santos injects the song into the fictional political arena, though this connection feels tangential rather than emblematic of the band’s impact.

With no notable awards or standout collaborations to bolster its legacy, “Welcome to Wherever You Are” remains a competent, if unremarkable, entry in Bon Jovi’s extensive discography.


Featured on the 2005 album “Have a Nice Day”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

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This week Top 20 New Music on RVM *

(*) According to our own statistics, upadted on February 2, 2025

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