Friday on My Mind: Biking!

It’s time again for Friday on My Mind, our weekly blog post where we look at videos centered around one common theme. This is a collaborative effort between KEXP and King 5 News.

May is officially National Bike to Work Month. There have been events taking place all month that have been designed to help motivate people to get on their bikes. Bike to Work Day originated in 1956 and was started by the League of American Bicyclists, which still remains a national sponsor of the month. Part of the goal is to increase the amount of cycles on the road as a means of generating political momentum and making a statement to transportation planners and politicians that networks of bicycle trails, lanes, boulevards, signage, and new innovative facilities need to be created and maintained. Today is the official F5 Bike to Work Day. There will be dozens of commuter stations around the city today, including in our very own parking lot. So in honor of this day and month, we’re looking at videos with artists biking!

Lily Allen – LDN

“LDN” from Lilly Allen is our next song choice. “LDN”, which is shorthand for London, was originally released on a limited 7” vinyl and only 500 copies were made. The song was re-released after the success of her single “Smile”. Allen said she found inspiration for this song from a 1802 poem written by William Wordsworth called “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge”. Here is the official video for “LDN” from Lilly Allen’s 2006 debut album, Alright, Still. This video shows Lilly during a sunny bike ride through London.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mvXeDJ_V38

Nada Surf – Whose Authority

New York’s Nada Surf have been making music together for 20 years now. “Whose Authority” is taken from the band’s 2008 and 7th album, Lucky, which was released on Seattle label Barsuk. Here is the official video for “Whose Authority”, where we see a day in the life of a bike messenger cycling through New York City. During his day, he even encounters the fine fellows of Nada Surf. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoLKvWf4Fd0

Supergrass – Alright When it was originally released, Supergrass' 1995 album, I Should Coco, became Parlophone’s biggest selling debut album since the Beatles’ Please Please Me. After seeing the video, Steven Spielberg asked the band to do a television series in the same vein as The Monkees. The band declined. It’s easy to see where Spielberg would make the Monkees connection. Check out the official video for “Alright” in which we see the the Supergrass boys in wacky situations, including taking a bike ride where they cross paths with a very English looking man on an old timey bicycle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUE4oDunYkc

Honorable Mentions:

The Smiths – Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before

It’s Morrissey. Being Morrissey. On a bike. With a basket. Wearing a Smiths T-Shirt. Leading a group of Morrissey wannabes on bikes down the streets of England. From the 1987 album, Strangeways, Here We Come, here is “Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One Before”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naos7it_bl0

Flight of The Conchords – Foux De Fa Fa

Gerard Depardieu, baguettes, and bikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hrUGFhsXo