Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation

What this video is

Released in 2007 amid a wave of critical enthusiasm for lo-fi Pacific Northwest indie rock, 'Wild Mountain Nation' arrived the same year Blitzen Trapper signed to Sub Pop Records and received Pitchfork's 'Best New Music' designation with an 8.5 rating. Rolling Stone ranked the title track No. 98 on its Best Songs of 2007 list, calling it 'the best Grateful Dead knockoff in forever.' The video — the band's first…

Why it matters

Represents the mid-2000s indie folk-rock moment when acts like Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes, and Band of Horses repositioned Americana and psychedelic country-rock as critically serious underground forms. The video's mixed-media format — a first for the band — signals the era's DIY visual…

The director

Orie Weeks III directed the official music video for Blitzen Trapper's 'Wild Mountain Nation' (2007/2008). This video marked Blitzen Trapper's first-ever official music video release. No additional verified career details for Orie Weeks III were recoverable…