there IS on new MBV record on the way...

#1 through 5 all involve mostly major label (ie. non-indie) bands...

just sayin'......

yikes..

#5 is fantastic.

I assume perfect from now on is a refernce to the great Built to Spill album. Wasn't that a Warner Bros release? whats so indie about that?

^^needs a Bahamavention^^

Radiohead doesn't listen to Pink Floyd. I think there are some OK Computer era interviews in which Thom and Jonny comment on how they dislike their music.

What a shitty shitty book. His footnote fetish destroys any semblence of flow and enjoyment.

yeah, and resurrection is impossible. what an asshole.

6. people stop writing books on how indie music 'saved' their live.

7. Indie rock becomes a cottage industry in which every blowhard that ever listened to Pavement or Guided By Voices thinks it's a compelling enough experience to turn it into a book and then a publishing house agrees.

Seriously dude, I liked those bands too but NO ONE CARES.

I read this book and thought it was very smart and funny--I kind of doubt many of these posters have read it if they are splitting hairs about what constitutes "indie." Early in the book, Sellers lays out that he is talking about an overall aesthetic, rather than what kind of label the band is on, and it is clear that he is a fan of now-major label bands that pioneered the scene and genre, like Sonic Youth. At the same time, the bands that receive the most attention in the book are Guided By Voices and Pavement. And all along he is very clear about the fact that the book is his particular take on music, not intended to be gospel. I may not agree with all of his opinions, but I could definitely relate to his experience as a music fan.

If you only listen to music in order to fit in with your neighbors in Williamsburg, this book is not for you. If you've ever been to a show that you'll remember for the rest of your life, obsessively followed a great band, or would call the first time you listened to your favorite album a transformative experience, then it is for you.

exactly. i read it too and I couldn’t care less if ian curtis is resurrected (although thanks to the person who pointed out the impossibility of such an occurrence). but that’s what makes it fun. i laughed with and at sellers. good stuff. is music so precious you can't read other peoples' take on it? get over it and read the book that you probably wish you could write.

i did read this book and aside from the crushing blow dealt to depeche mode...i thought it was really fun...if you truly love a band it is amazing to see that same passion through the eyes of a total stranger...or so says i...

also, i didn't think the footnotes were at all distracting, rather they provided parallel story lines that added to the overall experience...

reading is for nerds!

Love all those positive anonymous posters!! I did read the book and it is indeed a slog. What a bore.

well, "eggshells" is pretty anonymous too - snap. it's curious that a book about indie rock is published by a huge corporation.

Somebody please tell me how crap like this gets published. I'm waiting....

Resurrecting Ian Curtis is probably easier than getting Morrissey to let go of his hatred of Mike Joyce.

okay, so some of you didn't connect with the book. maybe you didn't really listen to Guided By Voices that much. Maybe, like me, you were too young to know those bands in their prime and are just coming into understanding them now. but let's be honest. this book is an at times hilarious, postmodern-lite memoir of a time and a life that, given the commercial state of "indie rock" now, doesn't really even seem possible anymore. and besides, is writing a book about this kind of stuff even that different from blogging? maybe some people are just a little jealous that Mr. Sellers embraced a more traditional (and lucrative) means to publish his thoughts than on the web. bummer, for you. the rest ought to read it.

Actually, I find the book to be quite funny and self deprecating to the point of my own self reflection. Furthermore, being a product of the Midwest gives me great joy in rediscovering so much of the music that I grew up with. People also forget that some of the artists mentioned on the inside sleeve actually began their recording careers as indie artists; Joy Division (Factory), My Bloody Valentine (Creation), Pixies (4AD), Nirvana(Sub Pop), Dino Jr. (SST). Do your research and actually read the book before you question the motives and musical tastes of the author. Plus, the GBV stories are insightful and earnest.

and that's one to grow on.

*cue NBC shooting star and chimes*

Funny on Radiohead, BV, but not unlike The Edge and U2, there's a lot of (unheralded) Floyd in the guitar sound, production, and overall ambiance.

What makes it these matters all-the-more humourous, is, it was once cool to diss Sabbath and praise Radiohead, and now much is in such a retro-state of mind.

On that note: Billy Joel or Barry Manilow? ;-)