A The Shins egy Új-mexikói gyökerekkel rendelkező, portlandi zenekar. A késő 90-es években alakult banda, már az "Oh, Inverted World" című debütáló albumán bizonyította, hogy van keresnivalójuk az indie műfajban. A lágy, néhol melankolikus dallamokat intelligens, gyakran cinikus szövegek teszik teljessé, és a zenekarral jól azonosíthatóvá.

A Shins zenéjét számos filmben, tv-sorozatban használták már fel, számomra ezek közül a legemlékezetesebb a Garden State maradt, ahol Natalie Portman az alábbi szavakkal ajánlja Zach Braff figyelmébe a New Slang című dalt:

"You gotta hear this one song, it'll change your life I swear."

Bár az eredeti videóklip sem rossz, találtam egy animációs verziót, amit egy Samuel Fast nevű svéd srác készített. (Érdemes megnézni a többi munkáját is!)

Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.
Only, i don't know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet that i was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree
And i'd a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and i'm lonely.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree
And i'd a danced like the kind of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns 'till they melt away.

I'm looking in on the good life i might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
Well i'd a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.