Ok Go - Do What You Want (Olivier Gondry vs. Damian Kulash & James Frost) at Shots Ring Out

Well, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that we all know of the previous Ok Go video for Here It Goes Again. Well, here’s the impossible follow up to that - but wait! There are two versions? And one is directed by the little brother that could Olivier Gondry?! Ho-ly Shit. Let’s get this party started shall we.

It seems that a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Olivier Gondry was tapped to do his matrix-like camera style version for DWYW as the lead single off of barely known Ok Go’s 2nd LP. Putting the band in a tiny room/studio with hippies straight outta an Austin Powers flick, Gondry did what he could to elevate the performance video by using multiple cameras to achieve that side-to-side swiping effect.

Unfortunately, it came and went without so much as blip on the radar. Although, on the brightside, it showed us that Michel’s little bro wasn’t half bad, and that Ok Go was doing what they could to bring some quirky entertainment to their not-quite-present audience at the time. It isn’t much (and i’d almost advise those prone to motion-sickness to down some Dimenhydrinate prior to viewing) but it is a start to something that would blow up in our faces in the months to come.

Ok Go - Do What You Want
Directed by Olivier Gondry

So, we’ve had the before shot and now the aftermath shot. Singer Damian Kulash would take some inspiration from good ol’ Zach Braff a la Garden State, grab some friends, and let the camera roll throughout their zany hijinks. There isn’t much to it, but damn if I don’t hate it. The band seem to have a knack for making videos that seem almost too easy to which I say, if it works for you, don’t stop ’til you get enough.

Though I doubt this will be as big as that “other” video, its good enough to keep ‘em riding drrty on that flowery popularity wave of theirs. You may not dig their schtick much longer (if at all anymore) but you can’t slight them for some saavy promotion. However, for what it’s worth, at least we get a break from that whole Geek Rock crap, they call “style”, for this shot. I mean c’mon, I can’t be the only one who scratches his head at the sight of their wardrobe?