#thestashbox

With the VMAs just around the corner, we asked everyone at the office to nominate their favorite music videos this year:

Melinda

"Hopeless Wanderer" by Mumford & Sons

Kudos to Mumford & Sons for bringing in a great cast (showcasing the comedic power of truly amazing facial expressions) and for also being cool enough to make fun of themselves.

  Jill

"Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities

I have seen zero videos this year so a quick search of songs I've been listening found this one with the band presenting the history of dance in an old LA theater.

Angela

"Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men

I adore this band and this song. This video is what dreams look like. Props to WeWereMonkeys who did the special effects.

    Steph

"Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" by Tame Impala

Trippy man.

    Colin

"My Recurring Dream" by Cold Mailman | Directed by André Chocron

A wildly ambitious series of nested tracking shots that takes the viewer through a surreal landscape both forwards and backwards beginning and ending at the exact same spot. In terms of sheer planning and execution, one of the most elaborate undertakings I've seen since OK GO's "This Too Shall Pass".

    Sherif

"Fatty Boom Boom" by Die Antwoord

    Liz

"Safe" by Hard Youth

My friend Ron Winter directed this video, and it's close to my heart because he tried to convince me to play the "love interest" by telling me I MIGHT be able to keep the blow up air mattress (THANKS, but no thanks). The vid actually came out last August, but I'm a little behind the times and I think it's still a pretty good summer in the city jam, and is just the right mix of silly/weird.

    Jacq

Khaki Pants by The NSJ Crew | Directed by @BHughesStudios

With all of the excitement for this Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards building up, we've been eagerly adding to the view counts on our favorite music videos of the year. Almost all of the votes are in, but we want to know which videos you're rooting for. Share your VMA predictions in this week's Versus for the chance to win a vinyl record collection jigsaw puzzle.

Vinyl Collection Puzzles If you're a purist or just reminiscent of the good old days spending hours flipping through racks of LPs at your local record store, this quirky 550 piece jigsaw puzzle lets you display all your favorites in just one frame. We'll be giving away 5 Vinyl Collection Puzzles, featuring iconic punk, post-punk and New Wave Britrock, with artists like The Beatles, Bob Marley, and Prince, as well as a few unexpected surprises.

We're big music fans here at The Stashbox, and this summer has been full of hits. Scroll down to see what we've deemed our summer anthems!

Melinda "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk Because it's fast-paced, fun, and French - a pretty apt description of summer, no?

Jill "Trojans" by Atlas Genius I discovered this song on Alt Nation on Sirius and saw the band perform last month in NY. They're really fun and the song is catchy.

Colin "This is What it Feels Like" by Armin Van Buuren It encapsulates the perfect summer day. It starts off soft and fluffy. Sucks you in and makes you feel relaxed, and the gets you all excited for a night out with friends. It's like 6 minutes of freedom. Amazeballs. 

Steph "Creep in a T-Shirt" by Portugal. The Man This band is one of my favorites at the moment. This song is totally my summer anthem because the chorus requires me to sing "I'm just a creep in a t-shirt, jeans, I don't fucking care." Enough said.

Angela "Alive" by Empire of the Sun It makes me wanna dance. I imagine being in the car on a road trip to somewhere far far away.

Alison "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake I didn't originally love this song, but now every time I hear it on the radio I get super giddy and have to sing along at the top of my lungs.

To plug a lesser known song though, I've been obsessed with "I'll Sing You a Song" by Tyler Lyle! Or "Welcome Home, Son" by Radical Face. I'm good at these "pick one" lists...

Jacq "Treasure" by Bruno Mars

Even though we're past the days of school being out for summer, we can't help but embrace the sense of freedom and adventure from our summer breaks of yore. We may have outgrown our nights away at sleepaway camp and replaced the Kool-Aid with cocktails and bonfires for rooftop lounges, but our summer nights out still make us happy campers. As we enter the last stretch of summer, tell us how you're spending your summer nights in this week's Versus.

DRINK LIKE DON DRAPER

Or not. We certainly don't want to condone excessive drinking. But if you're inspired by the great drinks of film and literature, this cocktail chart print is a must have for your home bar: featuring 49 famous drinks favored by our favorite literary and cinematic characters, this lithographic print depicts recipes of everything from Jay Gatsby's Gin Rickey to Carrie Bradshaw's Cosmopolitan. We're giving away 5 of these prints, so make sure you play to win!

Just because we can't be at Anaheim for VidCon 2013, doesn't mean we can't celebrate in our own way...  To pay tribute to all that is viral, we've listed our favorite online videos for your viewing pleasure.

Melinda

I've seen this video countless times, and will share it with anybody and everybody. Despite the multiple views, it still manages to move me: the messaging, the cinematography, the flawed, fragile humanity. I love the character arch of this man and his path to finding "understanding." It also shows what can happen if advertisers could just use their power for good. 

Jill

I don't really spend too much time on youtube, nor do I subscribe to any channels so I'm just going to go with something I've seen before which is Jenna Marbles' Halloween costume video. I admire her hardcore dedication to getting the perfect costume.

Colin

My favorite is Mac Lethal…here's his most popular track. He's an inspiration to every slightly overweight pasty kid who has haters always trying to drown out their voice. He has close to 100M views when you combine all his videos. Assuming normal rates at $2/CPM for the first 200K views ($400,000) and then $4/CPM for the next 400K ($1.6M) views, and then $8-$10 for all views after that…you're looking at close to 10 million dollars. 

Not too shabby for a dude recording videos in his house in Kansas City. 

  Jacq

    Angela

  I saw this video a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I followed the Cheerios commercial controversy, and these kids' reactions give me hope about the youth of America. The YouTubers responsible, the Fine Brothers, are known for filming the reactions of kids, teens, and elders. Most of them are hilarious, and all are insightful.

    Alison

There's something about this season's heat that brings out the hottest in film entertainment. Whether it's an epic blockbuster or an upcoming indie darling, there's something for everyone in this summer's movie line-up. So, feel free to take a quick retreat and head into a comfortably air-conditioned theater to tell us what movies you're watching this summer.

BRING MOVIE THEATER STYLE TO YOUR HOME

Because we can't think of a better movie companion than popcorn, we're giving away five blockbuster worthy popcorn bowls to brighten up your home theater experience.