YOU GOTTA SEE THIS: “The Shakedown” by Yellow Ostrich

Yellow Ostrich’s self-produced video for “The Shakedown” (from this year’s Strange Land) mirrors their “build it up/tear it up” songwriting philosophy. Tight close-ups and a clean monochromatic pallet rule the musicians’ punchy minimalism for about one minute. Before you can say “deceptively simple,” the Ostriches flick a switch that causes sound and image to alternately explode and implode. This may be the first video to simultaneously reference The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and that scene in Batman Forever when Robin took on the glo-war paint-wearing gang.