Feel good hits: satellite music channel special

Over the past week or so, I've been spending far more time than is healthy for me in front of the TV watching music videos. If nothing else, it's at least validated a belief that there is plenty of good music out there, if you look for it, and that it can and does make it onto the major music channels. Here's what's been catching my eye and ear, in proper Top 40 rundown stylee:

40. ‘You Drove Me To It’ – Hell Is For Heroes
Ah, I remember back when vocalist Justin Schlosberg used to play with Wide Angle, his band at university, in front of a handful of interested students. And now here he is, on MTV2, the object of adoration for thousands of teeny Kerrang! fans. The boy done good.

39. ‘Vampire Racecourse’ – The Sleepy Jackson
Luke Steele is clearly deranged, and, fittingly enough, this is like a slightly deranged Grandaddy. Alternately pleasant and odd.

38. ‘In A Young Man’s Mind’ – The Mooney Suzuki
Impeccable black-clad Noo Yawk garage rock thrills, guaranteeing at least short-term excitement before you forget all about it. So, I hear you ask, what, according to The Mooney Suzuki, is in a young man’s mind? Well, there’s a little room for music and the rest is girls. Apparently.

37. ‘Over & Over’ – Young Heart Attack
More grubbily exuberant rock action from the US of A. The video appears to have been filmed in Emo’s in Austin, Texas, during this year’s South By Southwest music shebang.

36. ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’ – Bjork
Grand, showy, choreographed to perfection, and sung by a mentally unstable nymph with perhaps the most distinctive voice in pop today.

35. ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ – Deftones
Performing a song while standing on platforms which are bobbing around in shark-infested water is not my idea of fun, but hey…

34. ‘Eternal Flame’ – The Bangles
OK, so, blotting from my mind the criminally limp Atomic Kitten cover, I can honestly say that this is the best power ballad ever written. So sue me.

33. ‘Let’s Kill Music’ – The Cooper Temple Clause
Intense, insistent, bilious, confrontational. “We dare you to mean a single word you say”, they cry, presumably while sticking their fingers in sockets to achieve the desired ‘explosion in a hairdresser’s’ look.

32. ‘The Irony Of It All’ – The Streets
Mike Skinner is on a one-man crusade to inspire a musical revolution – songs like this breathe wit, imagination and playfulness into a genre which is for the most part tediously obsessed with booty, guns, cash and braggadocio.

31. ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ – Basement Jaxx
Thumping shouty lager-swilling dance music to get a headache to, but – let’s be honest here – they were on to a winner as soon as they decided to feature monkeys heavily in the video.

30. ‘Juneau’ – Funeral For A Friend
And they call this ‘screamo’? The vocalist only screams about ten words in the whole song! Pah! And what is it with cheerleaders in videos?! Anyway, it’s kinda like a cross between Hundred Reasons and The Promise Ring pre Wood / Water, only wearing Misfits T-shirts.

29. ‘Judge Yrself’ – Manic Street Preachers
The last ever song written before Richie James went AWOL to live as a hermit in the Welsh valleys / work in a chippy in Southend-on-Sea – and it shows. A welcome return for all the spikiness, spite and sloganeering of their early releases. By putting this out it seems they are indeed judging themselves, and harshly so – their recent recorded output pales in comparison, and they must know it.

28. ‘Low’ – Foo Fighters
Solid, dependable and consistent – that’s the Foos these days. They can also always be depended on for enjoyable videos – this time we find Dave Grohl and pal Jack Black playing hairy truck-driving rednecks who rendezvous in a motel room to indulge in an illicit passion for dressing up in ladies’ clothes. Surely it’s only a matter of time before Grohl gets a role in a Jack Black comedy?

27. ‘Into The Groove’ – Madonna
An absolute pop classic – and a timely reminder of former greatness, when Madge is busy trying to fob us off with the haplessly clichéd tripe that is ‘Hollywood’.

26. ‘Fallen Angel’ – Elbow
The sort of song that stealthily creeps up on you unawares, until you suddenly decide it’s really quite good. The video revolves around paranoia, vocalist Guy Garvey attempting to maim his bandmates only to get his comeuppance at the end.

25. ‘Now It’s On’ – Grandaddy
Another stealthy grower. Distinctively Grandaddy – chugging riffs, sweet vocals and acres of beardage.

24. ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ – The Hives
The track which fired the Swedish Kinks-gone-punk to stardom. The sight of bassist Dr Matt Destruction’s pornotache never fails to amuse.

23. ‘Space Oddity’ – David Bowie
His finest hour? I think so. But for someone who’s such an icon and idol, he’s had some fucking terrible looks over the years (as well as releasing some terrible records), hasn’t he? Here he looks like the sort of scrawny gawky nerd that attends Star Trek conferences.

22. ‘Soldier Girl’ – The Polyphonic Spree
Yes, yes, yes, I’ve been bitten by the happy bug (damn it, but even part of ‘Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far)’ by The Thrills is starting to sound like Pavement). Must book myself in for the inoculation – I hope it’s not too late.

21. ‘Can’t Get It Back’ – Mis-Teeq
One word: feisty. The British Destiny’s Child strut around a courtroom sayin they ain’t standin for no more lyin an cheatin, while a discarded brassiere is surreptitiously pocketed by a bemused-looking judge.