Gumball - Accelerator

What this video is

Released in 1993, 'Accelerator' arrived at the apex of the alternative rock major-label gold rush triggered by Nirvana's Nevermind (1991). Gumball — a New York City band fronted by indie veteran and producer Don Fleming — represented the scene's insider class: deeply embedded in the underground (Sub Pop, Sonic Youth orbit, Dinosaur Jr. connections), now signed to Columbia Records and produced by Butch Vig. The…

Why it matters

As the lead single from Super Tasty, 'Accelerator' functioned as Gumball's major-label calling card during the most commercially competitive period in alternative rock history. The song and video synthesize the band's eclectic influences — 1960s power pop, 1970s punk, noise rock — into a…

The director

David Markey (born December 3, 1963, Burbank, California) is an American self-taught filmmaker, photographer, and musician. He documented the Los Angeles hardcore punk scene from the early 1980s, directed the landmark concert film 1991: The Year Punk Broke…