Eels Fight Back Against Child Bullies in ‘New Alphabet’ – Premiere
California indie-rockers Eels will release their new album Wonderful, Glorious, on February 5th onVagrant Records and E-Works. Now the band has a hilarious video for album cut “New Alphabet,” which picks up where previous video “Peach Blossom” left off.
The video finds frontman Mark Oliver Everett waking up with his mysterious, tambourine-playing crush nowhere in site – and it’s all downhill from there. The second Everett leaves his apartment, a baseball bat wielding kid chases him down the hall, while outside more youths harass him – one even ambushes him with a bow and arrow (he’s saved when an unseen samaritan throws a snake on the kid).
“Adult male abuse is a widespread but little acknowledged problem in today’s society,” Everett joked about the video’s theme. “Many grown men are victims of children’s senseless bullying. I have made the brave choice to speak up as a victim of these pint-sized terrorists. I am so tired of children picking on me. It is my hope that this video will serve as the first step in opening a dialogue between victims and community leaders that will one day lead to the end of this awful abuse.”