Sunday, June 1, 2008
Pure Brilliance
What else can you say about The Shins? So complex, melodic, and intelligent. This video for the song "Phantom Limb" is fantastic. As one commentator on YouTube said, this video is like the coolest school play ever made. It really is. And if you notice, there are three basic stories being told: 1) The Spanish conquest of Central America, 2) Joan of Arc, and 3) U.S. colonization of the West. I think the third theme may actually also be a reference to the Alferd Packer cannibal incident in Colorado from the 1870s, because in one scene it looks like a human hand sticking out of a pot over the fire. I'm not sure what these three themes have to do with each other. This video kind of reminds of that episode of the Brady Bunch where Greg films a play in the backyard about the pilgrims' first Thanksgiving for his history class. (Come on, admit it! You know you've seen every episode of the Brady Bunch, just like I have!!) It also reminds me of one of the ridiculously detailed plays put on by Max Fischer in the movie "Rushmore". This song has really been stuck in my head, lately, so hope you enjoy it as much as I do. (To watch it, turn off my playlist below so they don't overlap).
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Aren't I glamorous?
2 comments:
The Shins are awesome! :)
I love this song, also. I went through a phase of playing it over and over nearly wearing out it's welcome in my head. I stopped myself just in time. Funny thing the handshaking scene. I've been reading a book all about the real history of America and how the "settlers" brought all sorts of diseases here and nearly wiped out the Indians completely.
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