Pitchfork

The Arcade Fire, doing it for the kids. Fan of the band Jay Cheel made this video for a film school project a few months after the release of some record called Funeral, with the Montreal-based indie rockers' permission. Shot on 16mm film, the clip swaps out the actual Arcade Fire for a likeable cast of school children. Wearing ties, the kids rock out "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" in preparation for the big talent show. One dude sits in class, looking bored behind a copy of Macbeth; a girl passes him a terse missive: "Come on Alex you can do it." It's really a classic work, dude.

But the surprising star of the video is the mustached, bespectacled gym coach, whose subtle humor could make you forget that "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" probably has something to do with a Russian space dog (unless you already did?). With the offbeat presence of a Napoleon Dynamite character, the coach stands out even though he's only a minor character. He eventually shows up to see the kid band perform on the talent show stage, nodding his head to the urgent beat. At last, he and three other judges render their verdict: 9.7.

[from Funeral; out now on Merge]