I had a music-related first last week. I discovered a band via Tumblr, and that band is Mystery Skulls. Just search for Mystery Skulls on Tumblr, if you have one. Otherwise do an image search for Mystery Skulls Lewis and you’ll find what I started seeing on my dash – Dozens of cartoon images of a pink-haired, sharp-dressed skeleton-man.
At first I though that maybe this was from some new indie cartoon. So I was a little confused and frustrated when a band kept popping up. Then I finally made the connection and I realized that the skeleton was a cartoon in a fan-made music video for “Ghost,” a single from the album Forever by the band Mystery Skulls. And so I finally watched it!
I love this music video so much. I love how bright and colorful it is, I love the animation style, and I love the way everyone’s heads bob in time to the music. (And I want to bob my head in time with the music when I listen to this song.)
The first thing that should be obvious is that the music video is an homage to Scooby-Doo. First, we’ve got a couple of teenage or college age kids and a dog driving through the spooky woods and winding up at a haunted house. Then there’s the animated style of their running, which is very posed and distinct – anyone who watched Scooby-Doo growing up would recognize it. And finally, there’s the classic hallway doors scene, wherein the character chase each other in and out of various doors, the connections between which don’t really make sense.
But setting aside the Scooby-Doo parallels, the music video tells a really sad story – one that doesn’t get a happy ending! Gosh, I didn’t think a little cartoon music video could break my heart. I just didn’t want it to end where it did! I was hoping Lewis (the skeleton) and Vivi (the girl) could somehow wind up together happily ever after. (By the way, don’t ask me where these names came from – Tumblr has somehow decreed that these are the names of the characters, so I’m just going along with it.) Ah, well. There’s oodles of fan art to be enjoyed.
What about the music? Well, I love that too! It’s energetic and fun and makes me want to dance – that last one is always a good thing for me! It reminds me of some of Daft Punk’s earlier works, with more of a pop sensibility. I actually bought the entire album after hearing “Ghost” – and if you love this single, you’ll love the rest of it too! It’s totally the kind of album you would throw on if you wanted to have a dance party with your friends.
I just can’t believe this song isn’t on the radio! Or maybe it is. I’ve kind of been in and out (mostly out these days) with my radio listening. So give “Ghost” a try and buy the album if you like it. Support this band!
Here’s a bonus: The original music video! I don’t like it as much – which isn’t to say I don’t like it. It’s a fun and silly nod to The Exorcist (watch out for a little jump-scare in the last 10 seconds when the music starts to fade). I feel like there’s a bit of Michael Jackson posturing going on here too. Still, I’m just too attached to the bright colors of the animated music video and the star-crossed story of Lewis and Vivi.