Milwaukee’s own alt indie rockers VANITY PLATES just unleashed a fresh music video for their latest track, “Murphy Bunkbed.”
It’s the second single from their new album, Good Grief, and let me tell you, this video is like a quirky time capsule that’ll have you feeling all kinds of nostalgic.
Frontman Alex Shah took the DIY route on this one, piecing together a collage of found footage that’s got serious lo-fi vibes.
The video’s all about dogs, but not just any dogs—these are the stars of some charmingly amateur dog shows from the ’90s. Think floppy ears, questionable haircuts (both human and canine), and the kind of fashion that only the pre-internet era could produce.
Shah, who also edits the band’s videos, stumbled upon this footage through J’s Archive on YouTube.
“I already knew I wanted to use footage from an old dog show for this music video and found like 5-6 hours of amazing video from these seemingly amateur outdoor dog shows from 1992 and 1996. While the dogs are clearly the stars, I was drawn to the uniquely 90’s fashion and hair of the human contestants and the camcorder aesthetic that transported me back to my pre-dial-up-internet childhood,” Shah shared. It’s the perfect visual match for a track that’s kind of a garage-y ode to being chill in a relationship—less “I Wanna Be Your Dog” thirsty, more zen vibes.
Musically, VANITY PLATES keeps it earnest with their lo-fi indie rock style that’s as emotive as it is raw. You know that feeling when you hear a band that sounds like they’re still jamming out in somebody’s garage? Yeah, they’ve got that, but with a sincerity that’s hard to fake.
Good Grief is filled with surfy riffs, doo-wop touches, and just the right amount of jam breaks to keep you grounded when Shah’s lyrics hit a little too close to home.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by the one and only Josh Evert at Silver City Studios, Good Grief is the band’s first album in six years, and it shows just how much they’ve grown.
New bassist Pete Ciolino brings some fresh grooves, and the whole thing’s got a more refined feel without losing that raw edge that makes VANITY PLATES who they are.
