Music for the Over-and-Under Achiever

Some of you have seen the Wes Anderson film "Rushmore"; a few of you actually live it.

In the movie, 15-year-old protagonist Max Fischer brags to his much older Harvard-educated love interest that Oxford and the Sorbonne are his top two school choices, but “Harvard’s my safety.”

The joke of course is that Max is so obsessed with extracurricular activities (Debate Team, French Club, Trap and Skeet Club, Astronomy Society, the Rushmore Beekeepers) and writing “hit plays” for his school that his grades are terrible.

We’re all familiar with this type of simultaneously over- and under-achieving student. And if you think you don’t know any “Max Fischers” in your school, that’s because it’s probably you. (In fact, aren’t you late right now for Calligraphy Club?)

I don’t know if the three members of Chicago’s Company of Thieves were “Max Fischers” in high school, but they sure play the part well. The indie pop group’s debut video for “Oscar Wilde” features note-perfect recreations of shots from Rushmore, with singer Genevieve Schatz making the most convincing Max of all.

“Oscar Wilde” not only announces a great new band, it’s also so faithfully executed that it kinda makes you want to throw Rushmore back in your Netflix queue.

And maybe drop Fencing Club.

Have you ever overloaded on too many extracurricular activities? What are some of your worst Max Fischer moments?