indie rock eating it’s tail

* FYI, this stuff is old. The current TRMW is here.

Here's everything I wrote tagged indie rock eating it’s tail.

July 19, 2005

Film as Ad for Music as Ad for Target

Lifestyle marketing is weird. I found this on Pitchfork today, nestled down in a flashy sidebar ad namedropping the Hold Steady, cute indie girl and almost imperceptible Target logo in tow. I clicked it, entering a cushy flash portal complete with fake desk and fake desk items. The eye candy settled and confusion set in: what is it? film trailer? tv show? …target? It seemed to want me to play these web videos (the podcast interview with the director calls them “webisodes”), so I did, and woah. It’s way creepy, like one of those super product placement heavy teen movies, but reversed. This time it’s more like “film placement” or something: the mock-casually arrayed back-to-school catalog and Bloc Party cell phone (it turns into a Target logo if you mouse over it!!!!) are the real stars here.

As for the story itself, it seems to revolve around our Seth-Cohen-lite indie rock hero and PCU-lite wacky friends trying to find a band to play some show at their college or something. I didn’t watch far enough but it’s looking like members of the bands Bloc Party, 22-20s (who is this?), British Sea Power, and the Hold Steady (again!) will be making appearances.

So here it is, indie rock in 2005: a culture placement in a Target movie. Damn.

View Comments • indie rock eating it's tail • lifestyle marketing • target • the hold steady • the OC

December 7, 2004

Last night I saw some crazy shit, shit I want to write down before I forget it really happened and start thinking I dreamt it (which will happen in about two hours). What I saw was Stephen Malkmus (of Pavement fame) and the Jicks (of Malkmus fame), concluding what I’m guessing was a high-paying gig that they didn’t seem too excited about (the Lucky Strike cigarettes service industry appreciation party) with 3 priceless covers:

1. Violent Femmes – Blister in the Sun. I thought this was a joke, and it was, but they meant it too. Never thought I’d see Mr. Pavement mouthing those immortal words, kicking up memories of adolescent nicotine fiends, 13 year old rebels swirling around at the 8th grade dance, back when this song somehow seemed dangerous, like those 60′s documentaries on VH1. It was like junior high, but more ironic, which is to say: AWESOME.

2. The Ronettes – Be My Baby. For this one the drummer and Malkmus switched places. Totally cute.

3. The OC Theme Song. Didn’t recognize this one at first, then the girlfriend clued me in. Like, woah. The godfather of indie rock tips his hat to the poster-show of the nu radio-friendly indie revolution. Half expected Doc (from Back to the Future) to show up and cut this short due to serious space-time continuum rupture type shit. The only reason I can think of for his non-appearance (besides that one about movies being fake) is that Malkmus didn’t really know the words. I don’t either but I’m pretty sure they’re nothing like, “The ocean, it sure smells likes fish.” Funny, funny shit.

View Comments • indie rock eating it's tail • stephen malkmus • the OC • the ronettes • violent femmes