TOP 10 NSFW Music Videos
Words by Zoe Sainsbury
Just today we discovered awesome Perth duo, The Voltaire Twins had their new video for “Solaris” banned from youtube due to the provocative nature of its content. Rebecca Black provoked me to torch pictures of cute kittens in the street screaming “it’s Monday bitch, MONDAAAAY!” but you don’t see it being banned!
The video may indeed depict a simulated greased up orgy - one I’m sure we all wish we were a part of – invites next time Voltaire Twins! But, jokes aside, the video is such an incredibly well directed piece of art (by Ben Young – an independent WA director – check out his Tumblr to see the other music video’s he’s produced) and “Solaris” yet another gorgeous piece of indie-dance - I hope the controversy gets them the press they deserve. Voltaire Twins featured in our Top 20 Aussie Indie Bands to Watch in 2012 and with videos like this, I'm sure more people will be watching.
It got us to thinking, what other videos have been stripped from online viewing platforms or simply made you quickly click back to studying an excel spread-sheet as your boss saunters past…
Here are our top 10 NSFW (not safe for work) videos.
WARNING: many/all contain scenes of a sexual or violent nature.
Voltaire Twins – Solaris
Voltaire Twins - Solaris from Voltaire Twins on Vimeo.
Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Do It With A Rockstar
There's some hot lesbian action in this video between Amanda Palmer and porn star Stoya... and a little bit of sausage eating (literally). It was co-directed by Wayne Coyne so you would expect to see some kind of nudity wouldn't you!
Bleeding Knees Club - Girls Can Do Anything
Watch out... there's a small out of male genitalia on show in this video (by amount I mean, for a short time)
Bleeding Knees Club - Girls Can Do Anything from Toby Cregan on Vimeo.
Frank Ocean – Pyramid
Love this track... almost as much as Frank Ocean loves naked women (or men).
Sigur Ross - Fjögur píanó
Featuring a very real and very naked Shia La Boef.This video is one of the most strangely beautiful and well edited music videos I've ever seen.
Sigur Ros - Fjögur Píanó from Alma Har'el on Vimeo.
Rhye – Open
Still my favourite video of the year! So sensual and intimate... this is the sex we should all be having. I recommend re-watching without the video too just to appreciate how aurally tantalizing the track is on it's own. Rhye are on facebook if you want more info.
Duck Sauce – Big Bad Wolf
Erections in the form of... well you'll have to see. You'll be laughing through the cringes.
A$AP Rocky – Wassup
A$AP is one of my favourite new hip hop artists, mostly due to the fact he works a lot with Clams Casino in production as you'll hear in this track "Wassup". This video got a lot of people up in arms... not because of the 2 girls going for it in the background - because a lot of people misinterpreted the video and thought he was being serious. You'll see what I mean...
Bjorke – Cocoon
Who would Bjork be if everyone understood her - some boring fluffy pop artist I imagine. This video for "Cocoon" from her 2001 release Vespertine (my favourite of hers - it was so different to her earlier work) was originally banned from youtube. Someone with taste has re-uploaded it thankfully...
Deep Sea Arcade – Steam
What an awesome piece of ass-slapping pop! It did ruffle a few bum cheeks the wrong way though... we did have a video of Nick & Nick from the band explaining how they made the video & commissioned the beautifully cheeked participants... but we were asked to take it down. The video is still live though, which is the main thing.
Marilyn Manson – (s)aint
What would a controversial video list be without Marilyn Mason on it. This video was also banned from youtube upon it's release, taken from his 2003 release The Golden Age of Grotesque. How this is on youtube and The Voltaire twins isn't I'll never know.
Justice – Stress
This video was originally banned for encouraging gang violence... but like everything Justice do, there is an artistic element to it that was misconstrued by the masses. "Stress" is directed by Romain Gavras ("Born Free" M.I.A. & - which I just included in my TOP 10 Protest Songs of the 21st Century story, and "No Church in the Wild" Jay Z & Kanye West) and is hat tip toward a French cult classic film La Haine.
Broken Social Scene – Texico Bitches
This video gets a mention as it also features writhing bodies in chocolaty oil - two male ones - ooooh controversial (that was sarcasm if you didn't get the tone). I love Broken Social Scene, not only do they make amazing complex and catchy music, they don't give a crap what people think. You'll note there are lots of homophobic comments below it on youtube... most likely by people who've never left the house.