I'm not sure why it's worked out this way, but I've always had a hard time warming to the Walkman. Maybe it's because I preferred their original incarnation as Jonathan Fire*Eater. Maybe it's because I think their name is stupid (it is). Maybe it's because their lead singer's name is Hamilton Leithauser. Maybe it stems from the time when they shared a bill with Firewater at the Bowery Ballroom back in the early 2000's, there was a palpable vibe of antagonism between the two camps (mess with Firewater, and you're dead to me forever). Maybe I just thought they were pretentious.
In the ensuing years, my ire for the band has relaxed a bit, and I must admit they've cranked out the odd great single (notably "We've Been Had" and "Canadian Girl"). While I doubt I'll ever count myself as one of their ardent supporters (and you'll never see me sporting one of their t-shirts --- they're crushed, I'm sure), when I spotted the below video for "Heartbreaker" (mercifully not a Zeppelin cover), I felt my defenses against them dissipate all the more. As has been well documented on this blog, make a video that's a visual love-letter to NYC, and I'll be a sucker for it every time.
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