‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°542 – Vintage 2000s Music Videos

1 . Mull Historical Society – Watching Xanadu

“Watching Xanadu” emerges from Mull Historical Society’s debut album, *Loss,* which hit shelves in October 2001.

The track presents a contemplative narrative steeped in nostalgia, weaving its way through themes inspired by Colin MacIntyre’s personal history, including his formative years on the Isle of Mull and the grief following his father’s untimely passing.

Built on indie-pop sensibilities, the song leans into a wistful yet strangely uplifting character, with Brian MacNeil’s additional keyboard work fleshing out its sonic texture.

*Loss* earned critical kudos from tastemakers like *NME* and *Drowned in Sound,* although its number 43 spot on the UK album chart suggests it resonated more intimately than broadly.

Without the pomp of a dedicated music video, “Watching Xanadu” instead burrows into the listener’s consciousness through layers of poignant lyricism and subdued instrumental arrangements.

If MacIntyre intended for his music to chart emotional landscapes over commercial ones, this track fulfills the brief decisively, existing less as a single and more as a moment.

Featured on the 2001 album “Loss “.

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

2 . Arab Strap – Love Detective

“Love Detective” by Arab Strap, released in 2001 as part of their album “The Red Thread,” presents an unsettling yet captivating vignette of love and betrayal.

The track stands out for its spoken-word narrative, delivered over a melancholic indie backdrop steeped in soft piano and sparse keyboard arrangements.

Aidan Moffat’s lyrics recount a deeply personal unraveling, as a man’s world shatters upon uncovering his girlfriend’s secret diary—an intimate intrusion that lays bare the decay of trust.

Arab Strap’s characteristic storytelling thrives here, weaving discomfort and voyeurism into an atmospheric soundscape.

While not their most commercially successful song, peaking at number 66 on the UK Singles Chart, the single resonates within the broader context of the band’s discography, tracing their evolution into rich, meditative compositions.

The song refrains from dramatic climaxes, relying instead on its candid lyricism and stripped-back instrumentation to evoke unease and introspection.

Featured on the 2001 album “The Red Thread”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . El Presidente – Rocket

Blending theatrical flair with a nostalgic glam rock touch, “Rocket” by El Presidente hits as both a throwback and a statement of bold intent.

Originally launched on an eye-catching red 10″ vinyl in January 2005, the track cemented itself in a moment of limited-edition charm, later doubling down on its audacious energy with a re-release in October, adding a touch of purple vinyl panache.

Co-written by brothers Dante and Giuliano Gizzi, the song revels in its 3:37 of strutting guitar riffs, soaring vocals, and glitzy production, later extending to 3:46 with a re-recorded re-release that flexed its refreshed confidence.

The track winks at its genre’s heyday while refusing to tiptoe—its DNA is unabashed, loud, and slightly indulgent, like good glam should be.

The inclusion of synths by Ross Galloway and backing vocals from Liam Nugent adds layers that keep the mix from sagging into monotony.

The music video, helmed by Jonas Odell, is a visual feast, backed by a price tag that screams mid-2000s optimism—£20,000 sunk into a kaleidoscope of imagery, quick cuts, and animated whimsy, later honored by appearing on Sony’s PlayStation Portable demo disc, because nothing says “cutting-edge tech” like a backing glitz track.

Its circulation in background slots for Sky Sports football programs tethers its anthemic vibe firmly to the kinetic energy of sport, though its placement at tournaments seems almost ironic given its chart performance—peaking at 37 on the UK Singles Chart upon its first outing, only to slide to 48 during the re-release.

The revised offering brought not only a sonic update but new B-sides like “Hold On,” “Alone As I Am,” and “Say Goodbye,” which expand the world of El Presidente without ever quite outshining the central rocket-fueled spectacle.

For all its brashness and confidence, “Rocket” occupies a strange middle ground—an act born of glitter-streaked ambition but not entirely freed from the gravity of its orbit.

It’s a song that calls for swagger, but by its second release, risks sounding like a wink turned into a polite nod.

Featured on the 2005 album “El Presidente”.

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

4 . Oceansize – Catalyst

Oceansize’s “Catalyst” teeters between chaos and precision, crafting a sprawling, progressive rock anthem that epitomizes the soundscapes of their debut album, *Effloresce*.

Released in 2003, the track stands as a cornerstone of the band’s identity, where the intricate layering of guitars and a relentless rhythm section converge, producing both a cinematic largeness and a tightly controlled energy.

Rather than aiming for a single genre allegiance, the song dips into post-rock ambiance and math rock intricacies, threaded with psychedelic undertones that suggest a fondness for boundless experimentation.

The production, shaped by the then-novel use of computer demos, feels deliberate yet organic, with every sonic element given room to breathe while still serving the track’s tidal momentum.

Oceansize’s influences aren’t coyly hidden but rather worn as a badge—strains of space rock grandeur meet the muscular eccentricity inspired by Jane’s Addiction, with nods to Cardiacs’ avant-garde spirit.

“Catalyst” doesn’t just stir; it confronts, pulling listeners through crescendos that feel less like resolutions and more like a perpetual climbing, never retreating into comfort or predictability.

Its title isn’t arbitrary, either—the track embodies a trigger, both unraveling and constructing with a raw precision that strikes an intriguing, if sometimes daunting, balance.

In a musical landscape often defined by hedged bets and adherence to formula, Oceansize’s unwillingness to dilute their eclectic ambitions is itself a commendable form of rebellion.

Featured on the 2003 album “Effloresce”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . The Mooney Suzuki – Alive & Amplified

“Alive & Amplified” by The Mooney Suzuki doesn’t hold back, roaring in with unrelenting garage rock energy and catchy hooks that have no qualms about planting themselves in your brain.

The title track is an unashamed blast of fuzzed-out riffs and anthemic chants that aim straight for the jugular, unapologetically built for stadium sing-alongs and video game reverbs.

Its presence in the soundtracks of “Madden NFL 2005” and “Shaun White Snowboarding” speaks volumes about the kind of adrenaline it injects, as if the song was genetically engineered for motion and impact.

Peeling back the haze of distortion, “Shake That Bush Again” doubles down on aggressive rhythm and swagger—its inclusion in the “Burnout 3” soundtrack feels less like a coincidence and more like a mission statement.

The album, polished by The Matrix, packs a punch but is tinged with a certain gloss that may feel at odds with the raw headiness of garage rock purists.

The tracks beg for a beer-soaked crowd in a grimy venue but instead find themselves shining under TV cameras on shows like “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” a juxtaposition that leaves some grit lost in translation.

The Mooney Suzuki’s ability to straddle commercial appeal while keeping one foot in the rock revival sounds ambitious but occasionally feels like it’s straining under its own weight.

Still, the sheer force of tracks like “Alive & Amplified” ensures the album leaves a mark, even if it occasionally trips over its own polished ambitions.

Featured on the 2004 album “Alive & Amplified”.

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

6 . The Stranglers – Big Thing Coming

“Big Thing Coming” by The Stranglers crashes into 2004 with a punk rock vigor, pulled from their “Norfolk Coast” album.

The track punctuates a transitional phase for the band, as it charts at #34 in the UK—unexpectedly, yet decisively restoring their claim to relevance post-Hugh Cornwell.

Its energy is rooted in a raw reflection on change and the electric tension of anticipation, a theme the band tackles without apology.

The accompanying video, a staple on YouTube, blends a touch of nostalgia with a determination to push forward, underscoring The Stranglers’ knack for bridging past and present.

Recorded during a period fraught with challenges—including Jet Black’s deteriorating health—the song serves as both a rallying cry and a survival statement.

Its live renditions maintain the same gritty authenticity, a testament to the band’s instinct for connection amidst shifting music landscapes.

The production balances anthemic hooks with rugged edges, a fitting nod to their punk roots without looking over their collective shoulder too often.

At its core, “Big Thing Coming” revitalizes the tension between nostalgia and progression, wrapping it in a three-minute burst that unapologetically stakes its ground.

Featured on the 2004 album “Norfolk Coast”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Ed Harcourt – All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed

“All of Your Days Will Be Blessed” lands as an earnest piano-driven indie pop confession draped in quiet optimism and restraint.

Anchored by Ed Harcourt’s delicate touch on the keys, the song navigates an emotional terrain that manages to feel intimate without straying into saccharine sentimentality.

The collaboration with Jimi Goodwin of Doves, limited here to tambourine contributions, may not redefine the track, but it adds a kinetic undercurrent to its otherwise tender arrangement.

The lyrics hold a contemplative edge, balancing wistfulness with an almost defiant sense of hope, as if Harcourt is striving to shrug off cynicism and let light in through the cracks.

Released in 2003, this track marked a commercial anomaly in Harcourt’s discography, shelving itself briefly in the UK Top 40—a rare flirtation with mainstream visibility for the artist.

The music video adheres to simplicity, trading visual bombast for a straightforward performance aesthetic that mirrors the track’s unpretentious approach.

Pulled from the album *From Every Sphere*, the song encapsulates Harcourt’s knack for creating emotionally evocative moments that linger just long enough to make their mark.

Heavenly Records frames this release in a broader oeuvre that grapples with existential fragility, but “All of Your Days Will Be Blessed” stands out for its quiet resolve rather than melodrama.

Whether the song rides its piano line too predictably or achieves an elegant economy may depend on your patience for understatement—Harcourt trades narrative peaks for steady emotional resonance, neither ambitious nor negligently plain.

In a musical era preoccupied with excess, Harcourt’s constrained touch might feel refreshing or, for the impatient, risk being a slow burn that never quite catches fire.

Featured on the 2003 album “From Every Sphere”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Mansun – Fool

“Fool” by Mansun is an ironic Britpop track from their third album, *Little Kix*, carrying the baggage of commercial compromise and internal friction.

Despite its polished production by Hugh Padgham and co-producer Mike Hunter, the song radiates a strained attempt at accessibility that alienates rather than captivates.

Paul Draper’s vague discontent with the track is no mystery, as he’s openly referred to it as his least favorite Mansun song, marking it as a creative low point within the band’s otherwise ambitious discography.

The track sees Mansun adopting a surprisingly conventional structure, almost wilfully retreating from the experimental flavor that punctuated their earlier work like the *Six* album—a descent into safety rather than a celebration of individuality.

If anything, “Fool” reflects the industry tug-of-war that often leaves art gasping for identity, with Parlophone’s insistence on its release as a single sharpening the wedge between Draper and the label.

Despite its crisp production and chart performance (peaking at a respectable 28 in the UK), the song remains an awkward fit in the Mansun catalog, neither fully at home in their experimental pedigree nor firm enough to claim universal appeal within pop-rock aesthetics.

The accompanying video, directed by Phil Harder, only lightly colors the song with visual flair, failing to invigorate the track’s self-imposed mediocrity.

As Draper himself revealed, “Fool” owes its existence, at least partially, to Jimmy Webb’s songwriting philosophies, yet whatever intended irony in its composition feels shackled, too burdened by unclear intent and label ambitions.

The result? A track that simultaneously tries too hard and not hard enough, straddling the line between radio-friendliness and artistic reluctance while never confidently embodying either.

Featured on the 2000 album “Little Kix”.

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

9 . Funeral For A Friend – Escape Artists Never Die

“Escape Artists Never Die” by Funeral for a Friend might feel like a quintessential post-hardcore anthem, but it’s laced with a complexity that elevates it beyond the genre’s usual offerings.

As the final single from their 2003 album *Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation*, the track pulls from the emotional wellspring that defined early 2000s rock without drowning in melodrama.

Originally appearing on their EP *Four Ways to Scream Your Name,* the song underwent a remix to sharpen its sonic edges for its album debut and eventual single release.

The arrangement leans heavily on soaring guitar riffs and dramatic dynamics, seamlessly blending catharsis with raw aggression.

Lyrically, it’s a study in existential angst, but the band sidesteps cliché by layering the words with palpable urgency, the kind that’s rare but essential to the genre’s high points.

The accompanying music video leans into an understated theatricality, pairing fluid choreography with the band’s performance in what feels like a visual echo of the song’s duality—poise meeting chaos.

As for the B-sides, “You Want Romance?” and “10 Scene Points To The Winner” stand as glimpses into the band’s heavier and more experimental inclinations.

The former is particularly unrelenting, its weighty distortion and harsher tones contrasting elegantly with the polished anxiety of the single itself.

It’s worth mentioning the song’s success in charting at number 19 in the UK, matching their earlier hit “Juneau.”

The impact isn’t necessarily in its chart position but in how it reflects the band’s knack for balancing intensity with accessibility.

Featured on the 2003 album “Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation”.

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

10 . Goldfrapp – A&E

“A&E” by Goldfrapp walks the line between fragility and euphoria, its synth-pop production wrapped in a pastoral mood that feels like staring out of a rain-dappled window after emerging from an anesthesia-induced haze.

Written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, the track shuffles into your ears with an unassuming acoustic intro, only for layered harmonies and delicate electronics to transform it into an otherworldly meditation on shattered moments and muted recoveries.

Goldfrapp’s inspiration—a surreal visit to a hospital emergency department—grounds the song in an odd blend of everyday distress and numbed introspection, though her ethereal delivery keeps you at arm’s length, as if sharing a secret she’s not ready to fully explain.

On release, the single’s modest UK chart trajectory—debuting at 18 and peaking at 10—didn’t quite match its emotional punch, though its reception in niche spaces, such as dominating the Billboard Hot Dance Single Sales chart in the U.S., points to its quiet resonance with a devoted audience rather than a mainstream free-for-all.

The Dougal Wilson-directed video, with its forest of creature-esque leaf-men, is as wonderfully bizarre as you’d expect, underlining the song’s ability to transport while spinning a dreamy narrative detached from Goldfrapp’s singular crisis point.

Critics leaned in, pegging it as a highlight of the duo’s “Seventh Tree” album era, and Pitchfork’s choice to slot it into their “The 100 Best Tracks of 2008” list feels predictable but not unwarranted, though one wonders if its longevity balances more on its charm than its craftsmanship.

Between writing collaborators like Nick Batt and Justin Meldal-Johnsen lending subtle depth on the fringes of its arrangement, “A&E” seems to trade bombast for an internal ache, where neither truth nor performance takes full precedence.

Whether it’s a hospital ward or a woodland hallucination, the track captures that peculiar moment of emotional stasis where time folds and clarity dances with delusion, its muted magic more understated than revolutionary.

Featured on the 2008 album “Seventh Tree”.

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

11 . Patrick Wolf – The Libertine

Patrick Wolf’s “The Libertine,” released in 2005 as part of *Wind in the Wires*, exemplifies a dramatic blend of baroque pop and introspective lyricism crafted with a theatrical flair.

Drawing inspiration from his Cornish and Irish heritage, the track channels a sense of windswept landscapes and emotional intensity while sidestepping overindulgence in nostalgia.

The instrumentation, marked by cinematic swells of strings and dynamic pacing, serves as a backdrop to Wolf’s raw, impassioned vocal delivery, which teeters between defiance and vulnerability without slipping into melodrama.

The lyrics skirt the line between abstract poetry and grounded storytelling, exploring themes of individuality, rebellion, and self-determination with a dramatic touch that feels both personal and universal.

Released under Fat Cat Records, *Wind in the Wires* found its place in a niche corner of early-2000s indie pop, carving a space that flirted with the avant-garde without alienating listeners hungry for tangible emotion.

While the single didn’t ignite commercial charts, it garnered a dedicated following among fans of brooding yet ornate songwriting, proving that Wolf’s appeal lay more in his ability to evoke an atmospheric experience than in mainstream recognition.

Whether reverberating through small venues or echoing in quiet corners of listeners’ minds, “The Libertine” remains a testament to Wolf’s commitment to crafting sonic worlds that intertwine the ethereal and the grounded, with a dash of dramatic flourish to boot.

Featured on the 2005 album “Wind in the Wires”.

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

12 . Bloc Party – So Here We Are

“Bloc Party – So Here We Are” stands as a quietly powerful anchor in the flood of indie rock’s early 2000s revival.

Emerging from the band’s debut album, *Silent Alarm*, this track threads together reflective lyrics and layered instrumentals, leaning into both atmospheric soundscapes and the raw introspection the genre flirts with but rarely commits to.

The song pulses with shimmering guitars that evoke a restrained urgency, while Kele Okereke’s vocal delivery feels both intimate and distant, as if he’s recounting a story he’s not quite ready to claim as his own.

The double A-side release paired this with the tenser, sharper-edged “Positive Tension,” but the contrast serves to highlight the contemplative nature of “So Here We Are.”

It also comes adorned with multiple versions and B-sides depending on the format—arguably more a snapshot of early millennium distribution quirks than a unified artistic vision.

Chart positions aside, this isn’t a track vying for grandiosity but one that lingers longer than expected, quietly reframing the moment as more important than its narrative implies.

Featured on the 2005 album “Silent Alarm”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site