Lighter Side, On The

Because sometimes you just want to feel a little better.

I've discovered a bunch of Pizzicato Five videos on YouTube (who knew?). By and large I find them disappointing: as over-the-top and eclectic and ecstatic as their music is, I was hoping the videos would evince that same aesthetic. Instead, they seem almost boring, with Maki Nomiya lip-synching and occasionally dancing, and not much else. Surely they were successful enough in Japan to warrant bigger budgets for their videos? A cast of thousands? A choreographer? State-of-the-art computer imagery?



That said, I did like the video for "It's a Beautiful Day", with its 60s "American Bandstand" aesthetic. It isn't particularly novel -- hell, Nirvana did it for "In Bloom" -- but it fits the song, and it fits the aesthetic of the band. Besides, Maki Nomiya looks fabulous, as always, and very convincing as the 60s chanteuse, and Yasuharu Konishi (or at least I think that's him) is going loony as one of the guitarists. And those dancers in the background?? It's all so fabulous!

Continuing with the 60s theme: Belle & Sebastian's "Legal Man":



Lovely song, lovely band, lovely video.

BeaucoupKevin pointed us in the general direction of pictures of the Peanuts characters dressed up as Marvel superheroes. It features this picture, which, while not necessarily the best in terms of quality, is the one that made me laugh out loud:



And finally, a puppy named Zoe:



Have a beautiful day!