Sound Tracks: “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman” by k-os

Believe it or not, music videos still exist. Sound Tracks trolls the internet to find the best and the worst of local artists' new singles and the good, bad, or otherwise noteworthy visuals that accompany them.

Who doesn't wish they knew Natalie Portman?

Disappointingly, the video for k-os's latest single has no sign of her. The song and its title have to do with hip-hop pioneer KRS-One's theory of magic, and that...oh, who are we kidding. Let's just let k-os explain, because this is sort of whack. As told to Culture Bully back in March (when the single was an exclusive pre-album MySpace track), "KRS-One said that verbal magic has the ability to allow its user to ‘rap’ their way into a new reality. So I’m trying to make things happen. I happen to love what that woman represents, and Star Wars of course." So basically this song is a Natalie Portman Ouija Board. Cool.

Naturally, then, the video should be a buddy-film version of No Country for Old Men that shoots k-os and Saukrates (who has also released this song as a single under the name "On the Run." Thrifty!) into outer space and features former Muchmusic mumbler VJ/current CP24 Breakfast co-host Matte Babel as a gas station attendant that gets offed. It was directed by super high-roller Toronto director X, who consistently delivers—gasp!—concepts, high-quality visuals, and personality, when most people don't even try in this format anymore (though not without some good reason). If that's not already a recipe for a hit, the hook features Nelly Furtado (Fartaco!) singing a sample from "California," the opening track from the sadly underrated Phantom Planet album The Guest and, uh, some TV show or something. And if that face-smackingly obvious sample eluded you at first too, don't worry: Jason Schwartzman and Adam Brody forgave us. They might forgive you.