The Shins - Kissing the Lipless

What this video is

Released as a single from 'Chutes Too Narrow' (Sub Pop, October 2003) and promoted via music video in May 2004, 'Kissing the Lipless' arrived at a pivotal inflection point for indie rock's mainstream visibility — the same year The Shins appeared on the Garden State soundtrack, dramatically expanding their audience. The video's deliberate anti-spectacle aesthetic (home studio, t-shirts, no performance theatrics)…

Why it matters

Emblematic of early-2000s indie rock's visual language of anti-spectacle and sincerity. The video codified an aesthetic grammar — home studio, natural light, unhurried editing, absence of narrative conceit — that became a touchstone for indie music video production in the mid-2000s. Its mixed…

The director

Born in Vietnam, Fitzgerald moved to the United States at age three. He studied fine arts at the University of North Texas before graduating from the Vancouver Film School in British Columbia, Canada, where he majored in Film Production. He subsequently…