Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion

Stereogum managing editor DeVille debuts with a comprehensive and colorful account of the rise, fall, corporatization, and partial revival of indie rock. He traces the genre’s roots to 1990s grunge, and charts a rise fueled by internet fan communities and music sites like Pitchfork that catapulted unknown bands to fame. Soon artists like the Killers were riding that wave to success, while such shows as The O.C. popularized artists including Death Cab for Cutie, incentivizing bands to adopt a “softer, friendlier” sound. As indie rock expanded, diversified, and crept further into the mainstream, it forfeited a “coherent sense of identity”; by the 2010s, DeVille writes, indie had come to signify “so many things” that it effectively meant nothing. He also highlights the internet’s complex effects on the indie ecosystem—while the shift to Spotify and other streaming services crushed many bands’ revenue streams, the late 2010s also saw such artists as boygenius use their own platforms to bypass industry gatekeepers. Though excessive references to Pitchfork can sometimes make this feel more like a history of indie music journalism, the breadth of DeVille’s knowledge is impressive, and his analysis of what subcultures both lose and gain when they enter the mainstream is astute. Readers nostalgic for the days of the Postal Service and Passion Pit should take a look. (Aug.)