Synopsis

Sebadoh's "Skull" video unfolds as a deadpan black-and-white sketch built around a practice session that never quite gets underway. The band gathers in an attic, handles instruments, and drifts through distracted attempts to play. Lou Barlow then hauls an oversized amplifier into a car and takes it on an aimless journey, with the equipment eventually left precariously close to a river. The loose narrative, awkward humor, and homemade atmosphere match the song's uneasy, understated mood.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video grew from a loose idea about Sebadoh trying to rehearse, with the rehearsal repeatedly derailed instead of becoming a conventional performance clip.

• Its black-and-white look and soft transitions give the footage a hazy, informal quality associated with early 1990s alternative videos.

• The amp cabinet is deliberately absurdly large, turning Barlow's attempt to transport it into the video's central piece of slapstick.

• Small visual details reward repeat viewing, including a stuffed rabbit used as an improvised drum target and a Dinosaur Jr. image attached to Barlow's guitar.

• "Skull" appeared on Sebadoh's 1994 album "Bakesale" and was written by Lou Barlow.

• Sub Pop later circulated the video online in connection with the 2011 "Bakesale: Deluxe Edition" reissue.