NY Times Profiles Brooklyn's Experimental (And Stylish) Indie Rockers
Stereogum's tag cloud hovers above The Paper Of Record today, with profiles on Brooklyn alt-rockers in Arts & Leisure and an indie rock dress-up cheat sheet in the Men Styles Magazine. Consider it a print version of the story run by MTV in January. "All Hail Brooklyn: Alt Rock Thrives In Alt-Borough" opens on the eve of Yeasayer's Late Night triumph (where they'd perform "2080," Conan's "favorite song in a long time") and highlights many of the notable musicians from our hood who are thriving on indie labels while the majors scramble. Battles are branded convoluted (but playful!) and Animal Collective claustrophobic (in a good way!) by writer Ben Sisaro; the "knotty technical complexity" he ascribes to arty acts like Battles/Grizzly Bear/Yeasayer make the prospect of listening to these New Bohemians seem like homework. The scene is so dense, even NME is sick of it ("It's gotten to the point where I had to stop constantly writing about Brooklyn," says editor Alex Miller). Yeasayer guitarist Anand Wilder sums it up in a silly sentence.
"You have these frat guys in Atlanta who are too sophisticated to listen to Creed and Nickelback, so they're like, 'Maybe I'll read this site Pitchfork and find out about this band Yeasayer or Dirty Projectors.'"If you won't be able to catch the new buzz bin at SXSW next week, the Times' Men Styles Magazine shows how you can at least dress the part: "Designers searching for indie cred need look no further than a Pitchfork review. Here, a few rising alt-rockers whose style is as distinctive as their sound."
French intellectual meets Bulgarian farmer! And, how apropos: Beirut #1 fan Natalie Portman is on the cover of the Times Magazine.
The weather is miserable in Brooklyn today, so why not stay inside and check out all the indie rock props at NYTimes.com. You've got a few hours to kill before Vampire Weekend hit SNL.
Your Sounds Of Brooklyn soundtrack...
Battles - "Leyendecker" (MP3)
Beirut - "A Sunday Smile" (MP3)
Dirty Projectors - "No More" (MP3)
Grizzly Bear (Feat. Dirty Projectors & Beirut) - "Alligator (Choir Version)" (MP3)
High Places - "Shared Islands" (MP3)
MGMT - "Time To Pretend" (MP3)
Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (MP3)
Yesayer - "2080" (MP3)
Posted at 2:44 PM in MP3
Tags: Animal Collective | Battles | Beirut | Deerhunter | Dirty Projectors | Dragons Of Zynth | Gang Gang Dance | Grizzly Bear | High Places | MGMT | Vampire Weekend | Yeasayer
Ahhhh...how fucking depressing.....and while I have your ear, I can't stand that fucking Deerhunter douchebag, please get out of the music business.
Posted by: qtr at March 8, 2008 3:32 PM | ReplyScore = -2
Bradford Cox is a really nice guy. Fuck you.
Posted by: EmanuelV in reply to qtr's comment at April 10, 2008 12:35 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Bradford Cox is a really nice guy. Fuck you.
Posted by: EmanuelV in reply to qtr's comment at April 10, 2008 12:35 PM | ReplyScore = 0
file under "depressing yet inevitable".
Posted by: Liam at March 8, 2008 3:51 PM | ReplyScore = 1
also, do you speak english?
Posted by: no link? at March 8, 2008 3:51 PM | ReplyScore = -1
i think this is hilarious and awesome!! fashion has and always will be a part of music...we all take fashion cues from our favorite artists, and its cool that NYT highlighted it!
Posted by: elvin at March 8, 2008 3:58 PM | ReplyScore = -1
ugh. i go to school with those frat boys (in new orleans, not atlanta) that Anand Wilder cited. worse, though, are the sorority girls who think that, by listening to rilo kiley and regina spektor, they have transcended some kind of stereotype and made themselves unique.
Posted by: sb at March 8, 2008 4:07 PM | Replyalso, Vampire Weekend is playing a free show at my school on Tuesday...the only other artist we've brought this year was Lil' Wayne. Comparisons? Demographically compatible? ...as if i weren't already embarassed to attend Tulane.
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I'd like to know what is so depressing about bands that sell 15K records, getting recognized as doing something different and new by the NY times
it's nice, and truth be told none of these bands (except vampire weekend) will ever have commercial success, so let them have critical success at least
Posted by: bajeezus at March 8, 2008 4:38 PM | ReplyScore = 1
Since when is Vampire Weekend from Brooklyn? Like one guy from the band moved there last month.
Posted by: Pupster at March 8, 2008 4:47 PM | ReplyScore = -1
LOL@ pupster
so true
upper west side does not = brooklyn
Posted by: bajeezus at March 8, 2008 4:52 PM | ReplyScore = -1
Deerhunter from Brooklyn. Nope. Looks like another times reporter wasn't doing his homework.
Posted by: McG at March 8, 2008 5:54 PM | ReplyScore = 1
Three of the four Vampire Weekenders live in Brooklyn so that makes them Brooklynites as much as anyone else.
Posted by: Collin at March 8, 2008 5:55 PM | ReplyScore = -1
McG
the Times style piece makes no mention of brooklyn, better check yo' self before you wreck yourself.
I commend the pieces, I like pretty much all the bands mentioned, particularly grizzly bear, deerhunter and beirut
Posted by: mothermary at March 8, 2008 6:06 PM | ReplyScore = 1
Wait... they make music in Brooklyn now?
Posted by: hoppergrass at March 8, 2008 6:37 PM | ReplyScore = 1
Excuse me, but I was, like, PERHAPS I'll read this site Pitchfork and find out about this band Yeasayer. You see, I'm sophisticated.
Posted by: spencer at March 8, 2008 8:00 PM | ReplyScore = 1
3 Great bands... and deerhunter. Anything that gives Beirut more much needed press is good in my books. Rock on NY Times.
Posted by: Brian at March 8, 2008 8:32 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I like how a person from Atlanta cannot legitimately enjoy the same band as a "true" hipster from brooklyn. I didn't realize you had to live within the same community in order to enjoy a band.
NY hipsters get over yourself.
Posted by: chris at March 8, 2008 10:33 PM | ReplyScore = 2
sb
i would love it if lil wayne played a free show here at LSU
Posted by: brody at March 8, 2008 10:35 PM | Replywe only get chevelle and nonpoint
how awful.
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Count me as one less clueless fan from Atlanta Yeasayer has to worry about.
Posted by: matt at March 9, 2008 12:31 AM | ReplyScore = 2
Once again- both the national music press and NY Times write about what's in front of them-Part of the special deals bands get for living in the area- Bands could fart, tape it and the local jet set would buy into it-
Posted by: Lazy at March 9, 2008 12:52 AM | ReplyScore = 2
Fuck Brooklyn. Seriously.
Posted by: Mrs. Sippi at March 9, 2008 2:18 AM | ReplyScore = 1
lazy, you are lazy for using the fart , tape it , line.
can't you come up with something else?
In fact, why don't you fart, tape it and see if people are interested???
I'd watch that on youtube
Posted by: senorita lazy at March 9, 2008 4:04 AM | ReplyScore = 1
weak
Posted by: mike at March 9, 2008 4:43 AM | ReplyScore = 1
This is like 1993 all over again
Anyone remember grudge?
Posted by: Les at March 9, 2008 7:57 AM | ReplyScore = 0
Grudge?!
Hilarious! I assure you madame/sir, that my computer screen was sufficiently covered in this morning's beer after that one!
Posted by: Huph at March 9, 2008 10:59 AM | ReplyScore = 3
who says that yeasayer is any more sophisticated than creed? i'm sure creed is more technically proficient.
Posted by: nick at March 9, 2008 11:49 AM | ReplyScore = 1
amen to nick. any artist that knocks creed (yeasayer here) can lick nuts.
Posted by: bluntacious at March 9, 2008 2:29 PM | ReplyScore = 1
too bad the NYT didn't see grizzly bear's ironic mustaches this past week. that's fashion at its best.
Posted by: ben at March 9, 2008 2:56 PM | ReplyScore = 1
Oh noes!
I made a mistake over the internets,my face is so red right now....
Posted by: Les at March 9, 2008 3:46 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Hey, man, shush! I thought that was a *brilliant* joke! Now I'm so disillusioned.
Posted by: huph in reply to Les's comment at March 11, 2008 5:51 PM | ReplyScore = 1
people should like music
Posted by: a guy at March 9, 2008 5:41 PM | ReplyScore = 1
haha brody the lil wayne show wasn't free at all; it was like $30 i think.
Posted by: sb at March 9, 2008 6:29 PM | Replyi love that there are other louisianans on this blog though!
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"the only other artist we've brought this year was Lil' Wayne. Comparisons? Demographically compatible? ...as if i weren't already embarassed to attend Tulane."
Posted by: YO YO YO MONEY at March 9, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply-sb
HAHAHAHAHAHA THAT SUCKS HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Score = 1
I'm I the only one who remembers when the Times did a story much like this on grunge back in '93?? And some chick who was interviewed for the article who worked at Sub Pop made up some really stupid slang as a joke and the Times printed it.
Posted by: Grimmone at March 10, 2008 11:21 AM | ReplyScore = 1
I'm so interested in the fact? that Natalie Portman is the arbiter of musical taste for a generation. And this happened even before she did the nude scene. Or even before the SNL skit Milk and Cookies.
Posted by: stellasplice at March 10, 2008 11:32 AM | ReplyScore = 1
i was surprised to see the term "technical complexity" used for a few of these bands. maybe complex to the indie crowd, but indie rock's bar for technical proficiency has been lowered to the point where almost anybody can stumble over it.
Posted by: Glenn at March 10, 2008 12:05 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I don't get why it matters that any band is from Brooklyn... isn't it because of this kind of labeling that the Seattle scene took a hit...?
Posted by: Ben at March 10, 2008 4:10 PM | ReplyI mean the band is either good or not. Commercial or not. Real or not.
We live in Brooklyn, I don't think we sound like "it". What does that make us? Strange "business"...
Score = 1
@glenn, I dunno I think dirty projectors and grizzly bear are rather technical if you listen to their recordings and/or see them live.
Posted by: keebler at March 10, 2008 4:29 PM | ReplyScore = 2
why can't we just listen to the goddam music?
Posted by: cj at March 10, 2008 5:48 PM | Replyi could give a shit if it's lil wayne or my downstairs neighbours band.
it has a beat.
i can dance.
get over your ironic mustached selves and do something constructive with your internets.
Score = 2
I believe the term you're looking for is "mustachioed'.
Posted by: HuphScore = 1
no thx.
Posted by: adrienne at March 10, 2008 8:47 PM | ReplyScore = 1
are they really vampires?
Posted by: Horatio at March 11, 2008 10:28 AM | ReplyScore = 1
yes to all but vampire weekend please
Posted by: poopster at March 11, 2008 1:58 PM | ReplyScore = 1
NYTimes, seriously, that's just kinda disturbing that nytimes has to tell us what's indie, when i see alll suits reading it on the subway. kinda sad.
Posted by: Karen at March 13, 2008 9:52 AM | ReplyScore = 0
"Suits reading it on the subway"?
Try the random 20 something male, all decked out in the latest hip attire (see VICE's 'Dos' section for details) feeling vindicated for having Beirut and Deerhunter on their iPod. And while the former band reminds him of a Broadway production of 'Pirates of Penzance' he saw in middle school and the latter really is just kinda noisy, it's OK because the most respected paper in the world (and mandartory reading material for Sunday brunch with the fam) has now deemed it 'cool'.
This satisfaction will be shared with the other Jr. Analysts at his dad's equity firm shortly before the big meeting on how the company will move forward with dividing the assets of their newest aquisition....EMI
THAT is kinda sad.
Posted by: spud at March 13, 2008 12:50 PM | ReplyScore = 2
"And while the former band reminds him of a Broadway production of 'Pirates of Penzance' he saw in middle school..."
Classic Zing!
Posted by: HuphScore = 0
hahah nicely said. :)
i meant business guys, i only see them reading it. not a handsome 20 something guy reading about how to dress :] it would be ok if he were reading the art section ( i really would't mind that ) haha
Posted by: Karen at March 13, 2008 1:30 PM | ReplyScore = -1