1. Die Antwoord “Zef Side” (director: Seem Metelerkamp)

Call it a meme, a gimmick or what you will, but South African “zef-rap” crew Die Antwoord grabbed 2010 by the cojones and didn’t let go until it’d played Coachella, shared a stage with Aphex Twin and signed with Interscope. Speaking of cojones, this video’s indelible image of frontman Ninja waggling in his Dark Side of the Moon boxers is what started the whole phenomenon, leading to equally bizarre clips for “Enter the Ninja,” “Wat Pomp” and most recently, “Evil Boy.”

2. CFCF “It Was Never Meant To Be This Way” (director: Video Nasties)

Splicing and manipulating memory-blurred visions from the 1980s and 1990s, Garfield and Friends cartoon, Montreal’s Video Nasties (a.k.a. Rob Feulner, founder of cassette label They Live We Sleep) gave electronic dream-weaver CFCF the perfect visual accompaniment for this cut from The River EP and his self-titled c28. For more, scope the second video for the song’s “piano version,” featuring footage from David Cronenberg’s early black-and-white creeper, Stereo.

3. El Guincho “Bombay” (director: Nicolas Mendez)

Part surrealism, part softcore (and all incredibly stylish), this NSFW ADD whirlwind from Barcelona’s El Guincho juxtaposes everything from pissed-off furries to a black metal fan on roller skates, plus enough topless girls to make Russ Meyer blush. Best of all, it’s washed over in vintage pastel Technicolor, reminiscent of the Beastie Boys’ “Body Movin’ (Fatboy Slim remix).” Yet while that MuchMusic classic parodied cheesy ’60s spy flicks, the “Bombay” intro nods to none other than Carl Sagan.

4. Rib Cages “Ripped Out” (director: Moduli TV)

At this point, Portland thrash punk duo Rib Cages and prolific Montreal video artist Moduli TV (a.k.a. Frank Ouellette) remain relatively obscure. However, these woozy, kaleidoscopic images of B-horror gore and an over-the-top teen flick rock band are a marriage made in hell for the song’s unending barrage of riffs. Look in the right places, and you’ll see loads more from both of these weirdos in 2011.

5. HEALTH “We Are Water” (director: Eric Wareheim)

Stepping out of his comfort zone of awkward, bizarre-o humour for Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and Check it Out! with Dr. Steve Brule (plus equally infamous vids for Flying Lotus, MGMT, Major Lazer and even Depeche Mode), Eric Wareheim’s sole musical effort of 2010 is impossible to forget. Against a wintry backdrop, a girl in excessive makeup is pursued by a House of 1,000 Corpses-style baddie before an insanely bloody (but surprising) conclusion. No spoilers allowed.