When it comes to making a video, you don’t always have to have some crazy idea to get people talking about your shot. Sometimes all you need are some almost famous friends to pop in for a second and lip sync your song. Throw in a little bit of a shout out to Wes Anderson, set that sucker in the Pacific Northwest, and well, you’ve got yourself a much talked about video. Which is good, no matter what people say, because ultimately that means people are watching.

That’s all Chris Walla did for his new single “Sing Again” off of his just released solo rant Field Manual. For those of you who don’t know this Walla character, he’s the guitarist for Death Cab For Cutie, which means, when he gets his ‘friends’ to drop in on his video, it isn’t the normal crop of douchebags other acts utilize. This video features a cavalcade of indie artists that are all interconnected in a way that gives the in-bred Coppola’s a run for their money.

If you’re playing the guess who game, we’ll give you a head start. So far we’ve caught 3 Decemberists, an ex-Decemberist, Kevin Smith doppleganger David Terry (aka Aqueduct), John Roderick, Brent from Menomena, and shit, even Hank Meloy (son of Colin) showed up to make everyone feel bad for not having a baby as cute as he. After that, things get a bit hazy for us, so if you got all the answers, throw ‘em up in the comments.

The connective links don’t stop there, as for those with a good eye might recognize director Stewart-Ahn’s previous work for bands such as the Album Leaf’s “Always for You,” The Decemberists “16 Military Wives,” and (you guessed it) DCFC’s “Stable Song”. I won’t say this shot is middle of the road, or that he’s done better. But I suppose this fits the song.

Chris Walla – Sing Again
Directed by Aaron Stewart-Ahn

Via Barsuk Music