If Sam Anderson’s terrific “Boom Town” taught us anything, it is that Oklahoman musicians love living in their home state, musician eccentricities be damned. The book weaves in and out of various storylines, telling the history of Oklahoma City, including the day-to-day life of Oklahoman and Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne.
Wayne has carved an art compound/urban acre of sorts through the years, the book suggests, leaving his mark in little ways on a city he seems to love dearly.
We mention “Boom Town” here for two reasons: one, it’s terrific, and two, the Coyne story came to mind this week while discussing a late-career music video from another Oklahoman group.
I’m sure anyone reading this is well aware that “Gives You Hell” by The All-American Rejects is certified four-times platinum, having shipped 4 million copies. (I’m kidding, but isn’t that fucking incredible?) Perhaps more importantly, and perhaps a better signifier of aughts fame, the song was covered in an episode of Glee.
The music video portrays a Coyne-like figure and his bandmates struggling to fit in with suburban life, feuding with a seemingly straight-laced neighbor (with both leads played by AAR lead singer Tyson Ritter).
Who wins when Ritter faces off against himself? Who loses? Let’s get into it.
WINNER: Sleeping in separate beds when sleep needs to get got
Early on in the video, we’re led to believe the square neighbors have a dull life when they blow kisses to each other from separate beds. They are smiling from ear-to-ear when doing so, probably because they know they’re both about to get much better nights of sleep than if they’d shared a bed.
Now I’m not suggesting couples should always sleep separately, but sometimes early doctor’s appointments and work shifts come up. If sleep needs to get got, the guest bed might be the legitimately healthier option in certain scenarios.
LOSER: Drinking out of the milk jug at a crowded breakfast table
Let’s say you’re awake. It’s the middle of the night. You wander helplessly to the fridge looking for solace. No one is around, and you consider swigging from the orange juice or milk without grabbing a cup. To me, this is fair game.
In the video, the band household gathers for their breakfast of — checks notes — milk and several nuts, consumed individually. One of the band members takes a swig from the milk jug in the faces of his roommates. Not exactly grounds to kick him out of the house, but, this just came off a bit reckless is all.
WINNER: Group claps at the breakfast table
Fun. Love it.
WINNER: Painting the house and riding mower the same colorful, striped pattern
Also fun. Into it. Why waste the extra paint?
LOSER: Wait, were they eating milk and individual nuts for one of their meals?
I hate to dwell on this, but it’s honestly kind of a shocking visual. I just want to make sure you’re getting your nutrients, buds.
WINNER: Turning the hose on, pretending it is your penis, and making it look like you’re peeing in the direction of your neighbor’s house
Creative. Wildly inappropriate. We’re learning, slowly, that the straight-laced neighbor is actually kind of hardcore. Let’s see where this goes.
WINNER: Game night
Game nights are dope.
LOSER: When your only prank is being loud while your neighbor is trying to do stuff
Band Tyson’s main game here is disrupting his neighbor’s life with noise, be it waking him from his sleep or disrupting his game night. For the artist in this suburban Spy Vs. Spy game, his lack of creativity is troubling. Also, there’s no need to ruin game night. It’s game night, man.
WINNER: Playing a guitar solo while standing on a moving riding mower that, as we’ve mentioned, has been painted in a fun way
I just really like this part.
LOSER: Intricately positioned series of mirrors directing sunlight into your neighbor’s eyes, potentially blinding him
Holy shit. Is this some kind of witness relocation thing? Straight-laced neighbor feels like the kind of guy who would do a lot more for a lot less.
UNDECIDED: The wife swap
At the end of the video, band Tyson goes back to his bag of tricks and tries to be loud once more, inviting friends over to help him be loud. They set up amps and pass out those little megaphone cones — they’re really going for it.
Straight-laced neighbor comes out to address his adversary, and amid the tension, the wives make a gut decision to just switch places.
This seems to come out of nowhere but seems to please everyone involved. Band Tyson crawls into his neighbor’s wife’s twin bed, content with the normalcy provided by this suburb. Why would a rocker even move into this neighborhood? Perhaps for a sense of calm impossible to find on the road while touring.
As for the straight-laced neighbor, he jumps right into the front of the band and appears to be right at home. I don’t know what the hell has happened to this man throughout his life, but he seems to have seen some shit.
All is well that ends well, I suppose. No need to call the HOA.
Subscribe at
Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Overcast | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts | Podbean