The Recipe for Seattle’s Best Music Video of the Year? Dogs, Peanut Butter, Mannequin Hands

Heatwarmer’s “American Dog” is an indisputable visual masterpiece.

Historians believe the creation of peanut butter dates back to the Aztecs and the Incas. That chunky dawn in time set an irrevocable course through the ages that has, finally, lead us to this fated moment: Heatwarmer’s new music video, “American Dog.”

Officially Seattle Weekly’s frontrunner for best local music video of the year, the clip for the local dad/yacht/jazz rock band’s new single is a stunning visual achievement. Unlike many of the medium’s most famous works, this music video is incredibly simple. The band found some very nice dogs, put peanut butter on some mannequin hands, and pushed record. The result will take your breath away.

The song—a slinky little number featuring the band’s impeccable UW-trained composition skills—is an ode to falling in love with the eponymous American Dog. Full of dog barks, game show theme chintz, and funky farfisa stabs, you’ll probably fall in love by song’s end too.

If you like what you see and hear, look out for the band’s new LP Here Comes the Band, due out Sept. 12. The band’s release show is slated for the night before, Sept. 11 at Neumos, which Heatwarmer frontman Luke Bergman sullenly notes was “the only date they had available.”