The 32 Best Local Music Videos of 2015

With the final hours of 2015 ticking away as we speak, what better way to celebrate than with a massive collection of the year's finest local music videos? We at the Cream shared with you dozens and dozens of clips over the course of 2015, and you can look back at all of those right here. They couldn't all make the cut, however, so after the jump, you'll find a collection — curated by yours truly and listed roughly chronologically — of the best of the best. Did it scream "Nashville"? Did it feature psychedelic imagery, or a compelling plot? Was it fun? Did it make you cry?

Follow along as we count down the 32 best local videos of the year.

Mouth Reader, “Melt”

Local garage-punk duo Mouth Reader started the year off on a psychedelic note with their Cameron Chiles-directed video for "Melt." Watch the dudes' domes expand and contract in fits of lysergic madness. Far-out stuff.

Andrew Combs, “Nothing to Lose”

Like most of the material on Andrew Combs' All These Dreams, the Tim Duggan-directed video for Combs' "Nothing to Lose" has a sad grace to it. It's a beautiful, old-fashioned snapshot, and a great argument for the less-is-more-when-done-well approach to music-video production.

Natalie Prass, “Why Don’t You Believe in Me?”

Do we claim her, or don't we? Onetime Nashvillian Natalie Prass has of course left Music City, but her Tiona McClodden-directed, face-shifty video for "Why Don't You Believe in Me" — one of the best songs on her self-titled full-length debut — is just too good to overlook. Also good:

Turbo Fruits, “The Way I Want You”

Longtime local rock 'n' rollers Turbo Fruits released a slew of good videos this year — see "Don't Let Me Break Your Heart Again" and "No Reason to Stay," while we're at it. But nothing tops this Stewart Copeland-directed clip, wherein frontman Jonas Stein gets his ass repeatedly kicked by MMA fighter Molly Dupertuis. Fucking ouch.

PUJOL, “Sleepy Doni”

This one was a tough call, as

was also particularly excellent. But if we're going to pick just one dose of PUJIE, it'd have to be "Sleepy Doni," the single from this year's KISSES EP with a video directed by Commodore Gilgamesh of Everything Is Terrible. Gettem, Doni! I believe in you!

Self, “Looks and Money”

It's not every day a local music video features performances from comedians who have worked on legendary sketch programs Kids in the Hall and Mr. Show. But that's what we got with Self's "Looks and Money," which debuted on Funny or Die and was directed by Dave Foley. The video features hilarious appearances by both Foley and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

Thelma and the Sleaze, “Maria”

We can always count on a dose of the dirty from local rockers Thelma and the Sleaze. Their clip for "Maria" — directed by the band and edited by sometime Cream contributor Seth Graves — is about as NSFW as this list is gonna get. Gotta have some skin on the list, am I right?

Jessie Baylin, “Creepers (Young Love)”

The Michael Carter-directed vid for Jessie Baylin's "Creepers (Young Love)" is an appropriately noirish visual treatment for one of the slinkier songs from Baylin's Dark Place. Keep your eyes peeled for cameos from some familiar locals.

Cory Branan, “You Make Me”

Country songster Cory Branan's "You Make Me" takes us inside everyone's favorite see-the-world-on-a-budget toy of yesteryear, a stereoscope, where we find Branan hanging in London, Easter Island, China and beyond. The neatest thing about the video? It's shot in 3D. Grab your glasses!

Ttotals, “Let the Light In”

The Craig Hill-directed video for Ttotals' "Let the Light In" follows a pair of investigators as they look into a mysterious disappearance. There's even a cameo from Ttotals themselves in there, playing a pair of slack-jawed local yokels. The truth is out there.

Alabama Shakes, "Sound & Color"

As with the aforementioned Natalie Prass video, I struggled with whether or not to include Alabama Shakes here — as their moniker indicates, they're of course Alabama natives, even though they often record, reside and socialize in Nashville. Nevertheless, shot by noted English music video director James Frost, the clip is stunningly shot and based on a concept by Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard. Very exceptional stuff.

Penicillin Baby, “Stick It Out”

Speaking of the truth being out there and paranormal activity, Penicillin Baby's "Stick It Out" has those things in spades, though presented a little more playfully than in Ttotals' aforementioned vid.

JEFF the Brotherhood, “Melting Place”

Plenty of fresh vids from the JEFF the Brotherhood bros this year —

and

among them. But thanks primarily to a very cinematic performance at Nashville landmark Bicentennial Mall, the Lina Plioplyte-directed video for "Melting Place" makes the cut. 

Kansas Bible Company, “Stone in the Water”

There's something altogether biblical about Kansas Bible Company's psychedelic treatment for "Stone in the Water," from its baptism imagery to the waters of the Harpeth River being transformed blood-red. 

Joy Williams, “Woman (Oh Mama)”

Joy Williams proves herself to be nothing if not fearless in her video for "Woman (Oh Mama)," which was co-directed by Sanji and Ben Redmond. Watch as an in-the-altogether Williams rolls and rocks and gestures amid breath-taking imagery of our very universe.

Hammock, “In the Middle of This Nowhere” and “My Mind Was a Fog, My Heart Became a Bomb”

Local post-rock duo Hammock has graced the Cream's digital pages on many occasions thanks to their characteristically beautiful music videos. The two-part combo of "In the Middle of This Nowhere" and "My Mind Was a Fog, My Heart Became a Bomb" is no exception, thanks to the videos' stark and stunning post-apocalyptic imagery. Gorgeous stuff.

William Tyler, “The Sleeping Prophet”

Here's a big-time personal favorite: Directed by his sister Elise Tyler, William Tyler's video for "The Sleeping Prophet" is simple and straightforward enough — just steady, patient shots of Tyler as he makes his way through a typical Nashville day. 

Forest of Tygers, “Pay of Pigs”

Appropriately enough, metal duo Forest of Tygers' "Pay of Pigs" — written and edited by Jim Valosik and filmed by Paul Cain — is as savage and brutal as we're going to get on this list. Watch the sad state of affairs that leads to one lonesome man's demise. Shudder. 

Pony Boy, “Metal Dreams”

Directed by local filmmaker Travis Nicholson and featuring comedian/Cream columnist Chris Crofton, Pony Boy's video for "Metal Dreams" is a slow-moving Los Angeles dreamscape, full of seedy, noirish characters. Also worth a watch is

— Pony Boy's Marchelle Bradanini has a flair for visually arresting imagery.

Magnolia Sons, “Run Baby Run”

If any local video has homaged '70s blaxploitation flicks more than Magnolia Sons' Colin Noel-directed "Run Baby Run," I certainly haven't seen it. Watch as vocalists Alexis Saski (aka "Foxxy Fox") and Keshia Bailey (aka "Dynamite Jackson") take on a crew of overtly misogynistic shitheels in a flurry of high kicks reminiscent of Charlie's Angels or Foxy Brown.

The Arcs, “Put a Flower in Your Pocket”

The first animated entry in our round-up is The Arcs' El Oms-directed video for "Put a Flower in Your Pocket." Rather than leaning on the recognizability of Arcs frontman Dan Auerbach for a performance-based video, the band opted to construct a clip that is compelling both in terms of story and visual presentation. Also good from The Arcs this year:

The Dead Weather, “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)”

Good production value and a solid performance from frontwoman Alison Mosshart make The Dead Weather's "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)" one of the year's best. Who says a band needs to feature its most famous member in order to construct a memorable video? Not these guys.

Mike Floss, "Dopeboy Dreaming"

To quote contributor Stephen Trageser, Mike Floss' Daniel Henry-directed video for "Dopeboy Dreaming" "depicts the tipping point where Floss once found himself, deciding whether to trade the frustration and boredom suburban teenage life for the instant gratification and glamor the dealers at school showed off." The result is a phenomenally watchable clip.

Bully, “Too Tough”

Bully seems to have barely spent any time at all at home in 2015, but they took a break from tour long enough to put together this fun and candid clip for "Too Tough."

, "When they go on location at a construction site and a junkyard, they hang out and goof off rather than straining to make a grand statement about consumer culture, relationships or Nashville's changing urban landscape."

Los Colognes, “Baby, You Can’t Have Both”

What's a list of great videos without some wackadoo hijinx! Watch as local breezy, jammy, Dead-loving jam-pop ensemble Los Colognes skew sit-coms of yesteryear with "Baby, You Can't Have Both."

Kopecky, “Talk to Me”

Let's not allow Los Colognes to hog all the laughs, and let's not assume Self was the only local outfit with cameos from noteworthy comedians. Kopecky's "Talk to Me" features plenty of both, thanks to a starring roll from Stella/Wet Hot American Summer/The State dude Michael Ian Black, plus a cult-centric plot. Good stuff.

All Them Witches, “Dirt Preachers”

, "Ever wonder what it would look like if Dr. Seuss and Ralph Bakshi were charged with animating a version of Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain?" Thanks to the second and final animated vid on this here list — All Them Witches' "Dirt Preachers" — now we know. 

Patrick Sweany, “First of the Week”

Perhaps no other video on this list more simply says "strong filmmaking" than Patrick Sweany's "First of the Week." Good storytelling, beautiful imagery — let it hit you like an emotional suplex.

Margo Price, “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle)”

It's been a breakout year for Margo Price, thanks in large part to her Third Man Records single "Hurtin' (On the Bottle)." Price's video for the tune is a perfect fit, thanks primarily to its late-night tour of Old Nashville's finest (read: seediest) drinking establishments. The whole thing feels to me like the hazy memory of an all-too-familiar night out in Music City.

Idle Bloom, “Mind Reader”

And speaking of Old Nashville, what is Old Nashville without a New Nashville against which to juxtaposition the thing? Idle Bloom went on a tour of Nashville's ever-rising condos and new developments for their "Mind Reader" video (directed by drummer Weston Sparks), and it's a dizzying experience. 

Electric Hearts, “Soundtrack”

As if, given its title, the song were created for the video rather than the other way around, Electric Hearts' Bobby Kuhn-directed "Soundtrack" is a dark, transfixing tale, complete with some haunting Southern-religious imagery that ought to ring a bell for anyone brought up in the Bible Belt.