The Presidents of the United States of America - Mach 5

What this video is

Released in November 1996 as a single from The Presidents of the United States of America's second album II on Columbia Records, 'Mach 5' arrived at a pivotal moment when the post-grunge alt-rock commercial wave was cresting. The Seattle band occupied a unique comedic-absurdist niche within the mid-90s alternative landscape, following their self-titled debut's surprise mainstream breakthrough. The song's Speed…

Why it matters

A key artifact of mid-90s comedic alternative rock, 'Mach 5' exemplifies the post-grunge diversification of the Seattle sound into lighter, hook-driven, lyrically absurdist territory. As a Columbia Records major-label MTV clip, it represents the commercial mainstreaming of Pacific Northwest…

The director

Award-winning writer and director originally from Detroit. Peterson built his career producing, directing, shooting, and editing over 100 music videos for Detroit and Los Angeles record labels, working with acts including Alice in Chains and The Melvins. His…