Soul Asylum - Can't Even Tell

What this video is

Released in 1994 as part of the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's debut feature Clerks, 'Can't Even Tell' sits at the precise intersection of the indie film boom and the mainstream breakthrough of alternative rock. The Clerks soundtrack served as a cultural document of Gen X disaffection, pairing Soul Asylum — already Grammy winners for 'Runaway Train' (1994) — with a micro-budget film that captured the ennui of…

Why it matters

Soul Asylum occupied a transitional space between hardcore punk roots and post-Nirvana mainstream alternative rock. By 1994, following the Grammy-winning success of 'Runaway Train,' the band represented the commercial viability of alternative rock. 'Can't Even Tell' — grittier and more sardonic…

The director

Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970, Highlands, NJ) is an American writer, director, producer, actor, and film editor. He rose to prominence with the low-budget black-and-white comedy Clerks (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted in,…