... even though this isn't technically a music video. It's a recording of a session by The Band Perry, that (relatively) new sibling clan that struck the mother lode with "If I Die Young."
Here, in a performance recorded in late 2010, they play it acoustic, with guitar, mandolin and electric bass guitar (which means it really isn't acoustic, but so many bands say they're unplugged yet have their bass player plugged in -- I don't get that). And like many songs, this sounds better. Don't get me wrong; the official version is great (and there's something about the video that goes with it; it evokes a maturity and long-term perspective that belies the fact this trio is so young), but its theme of living life every second doesn't need electrification.
This brings up a big bugaboo of mine; crossover hits that feel the need to warp the original version of the song in order to bring in fans of other music genres. I heard "If I Die Young" when it blew up several months ago, blew up so big that it crossed over from country to the local Top 40 station. Goddamn, that fucking added drum was so loud it basically ruined the song.
But I digress. Here, it is treated with the delicacy it deserves. I'm not crazy about the video part of this, specifically its fast cuts to the beats at the end of the first chorus and the unnecessary close-ups. But it's still awesome:
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