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See Liars’ Weed-Fueled Hoop Dreams Come to Life in ‘WIXIW’ Video

Liars WIXIW Video Hoop Dreams Alex/2Tone

In the brand new video for “WIXIW” by Liars, the Los Angeles art-rock experimentalists work with director Alex/2Tone to paint a sometimes disturbing portrait of dedication to a fleeting goal. Or, as the man behind the camera explains, it’s “the legend of Sisyphus as told by a young ballplayer lost in a haze of codeine and prescription weed.” Either way, when the cascading synths and tom rolls kick in, we witness a long-haired youth, rising, adjusting his shoes and stretching before eying a basketball hoop in the distance with serious intent. But as Angus Andrew sings of a “hollow life” (and watches from the sidelines in weeded awe and horror), our would-be star simply can’t get the ball through the hole no matter how much rim he grips. As the kid works to score, he summons a tribal spirit guide, family members and the rest of Liars to egg him on, but nothing seems to work. The frustration is palpable. The song, of course, is the title track from the band’s fantastic 2012 album WIXIW, and it follows their super creepy Looney Toons-skewing “Brats” clip.

For more music and basketball, check out SPIN’s NBA Jam: 40 Players and Their Pop Music Alter-Egos. For more on WIXIW, revisit our trip to the hidden bunker where Liars’ dance-addled sixth album was recorded.