They Call That a Job?
Around y2k time I discovered this random little band called Death Cab for Cutie. No big whoop, just another random little band playing random little songs that were pretty good. Until a few minutes ago I figured they were still a random little band, but I just read an article in today’s Wall Street Journal that learned me otherwise. It seems that Death Cab for Cutie’s music was featured on a television program and their career was jump-started. Now they are a World Famous Band.
My initial reaction was simply that of surprise. Death Cab for Cutie was merely one of a hundred or more random little bands that share rotation-time in the soundtrack of my life. How had they, of all bands, found mainstream success? I felt the same as when I’d discovered that Nick Drake’s records were selling like hotcakes. As he didn’t even need a television program to launch him to post-humous stardom (a car commercial sufficed), imagine the heights to which my Death Cab boys will soar. They will be selling out arenas within a month!
Some people revel in the fact that the bands they like are unknown to the masses, and relish every chance to extol the virtues of an obscure act. When one of their random little bands hits the big time, they are quick to parade around bragging “I’ve been listening to them for years,” while simultaneously lamenting the fact that “everyone is listening to MY band now.” While that is comical in its own right, that isn’t the point of this post. If anything, I’m actually kind of glad they have become famous, as I think their music is better than most of what is popular right now, and I’m hoping they’ll get a foot in the door for other bands I like. I for one would be ecstatic if the music I listen to supplants the currently popular genres.
Speaking of other bands I like, here is a song from another of my random little bands. Maybe their presence here in my blog will bring them great fame and platinum records. Have I the same pull as The O.C.? Does a shout out on Divisione di Gioia equate to a massive spike in record sales? I hope so! Are you ready for the big time, boys?
Currently Playing: Wilco – Far, Far Away
The same article that told me that one of my random littles are now World Famouses mentioned that many television shows now have a person whose job is to seek out random little bands to include in programs in order to up the cool quotient of the show. That seems kind of lame to me. No, not the job– that actually sounds like an easy, and fun, occupation, and if anything, it’s probably my ideal line of work. The lameness is in the fact that a television show can purposely select obscure music from random little bands and not only will viewers become fans of the bands for no other reason then that they saw the band on their favorite show, but the show will take on a reputation for being somehow cool or cutting edge simply because they chose bands based entirely on the fact that they’re obscure. That is wrong on more levels then I could ever touch upon in a blog, and plus it is like 7:00 am and I haven’t slept yet.
Today’s Question: What is your favorite random little band?
Music
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Indie Rock, Music
Hot Hot Heat
ic…it really got you thinking…
you’re too funny… i’m sure you’re a great dj who’s on top of it. =p
Roman Candle, from Chapel Hill, NC (introduced to me by the same girl who made me listen to DCFC, of whom I’m not a huge fan)
Have you been to http://www.garageband.com?
@muppetluv, I have not heard of Roman Candle, or garageband.com.
@Peasprout, You should definitely check out garageband.com for some new, independent music. You can hear entire songs and even rate them. Pretty cool! Maybe you can discover some new music and have it be your own for a while – before “everybody” discovers them. ;)