The Best Interactive Music Videos..so far

Last year’s “The Wilderness Downtown” music video/Google mash-up from Arcade Fire changed conceptions about what music videos could be.  “Wilderness” wasn’t just a one-off.  Arcade Fire has already come back with a new way to make their musical experiences interactive, and they’re not the only ones. 

Here are my picks for the best interactive music videos to-date.

Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible http://www.beonlineb.com/ You’re left looking into a face and two hands and must explore the countless interactions possible all in-sync with the song.
Cold War Kids http://coldwarkids.toolprototype.com/ The beat-mixing rhythm machine has certainly been done before… but not like this. A single song runs throughout, but you control each individual member of the band, dictating when it’s time for one person to switch to marimba, and when a jazz groove would complete your remix.
The Johnny Cash Project http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com Tens of thousands of frames were individually sketched, painted, and submitted by fans to create a truly unique collaborative experience. As you watch the music video, you can choose from what types/themes of art you would like to compose your individualized Johnny Cash video.
Arcade Fire’s The Wilderness Downtown http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com This revolutionary Chrome-only website begins by allowing you to wander down the streets of your youth via Google Street View, and eventually claims your entire screen as its canvas.
Broken Bells’ October http://www.brokenbells.com/october/ The Windows Media Player Visualizer has come full circle. Admittedly slow to start, the video brings you through a user-unique laser light show complete with astronauts, mountains, and arithmetic.
Au Revoir Simone’s Knight of Wands http://www.theknightofwands.com/ Part music video, part coloring book.  This fairy tale style treatment is less interactive than some of the aforementioned pieces, but it’s enthralling nonetheless.