Fountains Of Wayne - Sink to the Bottom

What this video is

Released in early 1997 as the second single from Fountains of Wayne's self-titled Atlantic Records debut, 'Sink to the Bottom' arrived at the apex of the 1990s power-pop revival — a moment when bands channeling Big Star, The Byrds, and Cheap Trick found a commercial pathway through MTV and college radio. Fountains of Wayne, formed in 1995 in New York/New Jersey, were critical darlings who helped spearhead this…

Why it matters

A textbook artifact of 1990s American power pop's mainstream moment, 'Sink to the Bottom' documents how hook-driven, melodically sophisticated guitar-pop operated within the major-label alternative ecosystem post-Nirvana. The video's fast-edited, warm-toned realism by a then-emerging Chris…

The director

Born 1970 in Los Angeles, CA; studied film at Hampshire College, Amherst, MA. Began directing videos for indie rock bands while still in college; first video released in 1992 for Material Issue. Became the youngest director signed to Satellite Films (a…