Bad News for People Who Love Good News

Let's face it, a lot of indie rock bands are starting to appeal to the masses. Thanks to Spin Magazine and other media, a handful of bands that have stayed relatively unknown have released albums that have veered from their traditional sound and gained favor among an unlikely crowd. Take Good News for People Who Love Bad News, the latest from Modest Mouse. This album caught me off gaurd a little bit. It was really strange seeing the foursome release a music video on MTV, especially since the loyal Modest Mouse crowd saw the devistation to come. 'Float On' would make Modest Mouse a one-hit wonder. Its sad to see a band labeled that for a song that sounds nothing like past Modest Mouse music. Ben Gibbard also pulled some media magic in his release of Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism, as well as Give Up by the Postal Service. Gibbard has been pouring his heart out for years with his sharp words and complete sentences in Death Cab's past releases, incuding We've Got the Facts and We're Voting Yes and the Photo Album, to name a couple. These Barsuk Records releases have been adored by fans for years, while the band was able to avoid publicly exploding. Now-a-days, a Death Cab for Cutie Transatlanticism T-shirt can be purchased at the local Hot Topic for the great price of $19.99. At least Gibbard and the boys are making a little more income.
There are some indie musicians who have rised in popularity but have avoided selling out completely. Take Saddle Creek's Bright Eyes. With the release of LIFTED, or The Story's in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, the longest record title ever, many people were turned on to the band. I'll be the first to admit that I heard Bright Eyes after the 2002 release of LIFTED. But the Bright Eyes crowd has remained relatively indie. There hasn't been to much selling out, and the music video for "Lover I Don't Have to Love" didn't cause a big "Float On" style riot. Bright Eyes is, however, gaining a rise in popularity. And sadly enough, I must say that some are soley turned on by singer/songwriter Conor Oberst's looks. I've seen it myself when I was told to turn off "the worst band ever" only to have the girl say three months later that she loved Bright Eyes because of Conor Oberst.
But why can't the indie scene stay indie? It seems we're dropping the indie, which commonly means 'independent', from indie rock bands quite often now. As an indie rock fan, my wish would be that the bands could stay underground, make money, and not appeal to everyone. I would be perfectly happy if groups could stick to the Built to Spill pattern. Built to Spill, who is signed by Warner Brother Records, has stayed under wraps for years now, but makes enough money to constantly tour and keep singer Doug Marst from getting a day job. The same proves true for Pedro the Lion, Jets to Brazil, the entire Jade Tree line up, and countless others in the indie scene. So next time you're looking for a good CD, stick to your own tastes and not what Spin tells you.