Video Collecton: Midlake. Seriously, when both Simon Raymonde and Jason Lee love you, you've got some serious universal appeal -- as well as a label head who knows the power of a gorgeous video and an actor who has some serious directing chops of his own (see "Ballon Maker" below). So, it's not surprising that Midlake is shooting a video for every song off their breakthrough record The Trials of Van Occupanther and posting them over 10 weeks on -- where else? -- YouTube. Some are stronger than others; below are the cream of the group so far...

We know that these darling Dentonites get gobs of blog love, but it's seriously justified -- they make 70's folk rock for the present day, without being insipid or flaccid or derivative. We don't know what's in the water up there in Denton, but it's sure great to add Midlake to the already grand collection of bands from that sleepy college burg in north Texas.


Young Bride, directed by Terri Timely


Ballon Maker, directed by Jason Lee


Bandits, directed by Jon Collins


We Gathered In Spring, directed by Make and Do Creative