Arcade Fire has taken the music video genre to a brand new level with their latest achievement: an interactive video/film by Chris Milk, entitled The Wilderness Downtown featuring "We Used to Wait." This Arcade Fire video also features something you might not have expectd: the street where you grew up.

Milk, Arcade Fire and Google have teamed up to create something far more personal than say, Elf Yourself. By prompting you to enter the address of the house where you grew up, they are able to generate a music video which takes place on your street and features shots of your own house (if it's still standing there -- mine's had a third garage added, I noticed).

We love this. We think it could do without all the random windows popping up, but understand the utility of that, as well. The song is perfect for a stroll down Memory Lane and the concept uses Google Maps in a way we had never imagined. For fun, why not enter in the address of a hotel where you've stayed and watch the video as it takes place somewhere across the world?

To experience this awesome internet collaboration, which debuted at the end of the summer but seems somehow more poignant around the holidays, visit TheWildernessDowntown.com. The site is best viewed with Google Chrome.

[Photo via TheWildernessDowntown.com.]

Filed under: Video, Internet Tools