Discovering the Indie Wave: My Journey Through Such Great Heights
When I stumbled across Chris DeVille’s Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion, I felt a rush of nostalgia wash over me. As someone who spent many a late-night discovering new bands, flipping through the pages of zines, and curating mixtapes, this book promised to take me on a journey back to that exuberant, exhilarating time in music history. Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me the chance to dive into this comprehensive chronicle.
DeVille’s exploration of indie rock’s last 25 years is as multifaceted as the genre itself. While I didn’t always agree with his takes—especially on what should or shouldn’t sit in the indie rock bins—I was captivated by his insight into how technology, particularly the evolution of the internet and social media, shaped the indie landscape. Much like Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life, which I hold dear, DeVille thoughtfully traces the rise of college music to DIY cultures, while presenting indie rock as “a vast network of bands, labels, concert venues, record stores, radio stations, and homemade zines.” It’s less a genre than a culture, marking it as an exhilarating tapestry of shared experiences among outsiders and innovators.
A highlight for me was the juxtaposition of how artists like The Strokes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose music lit up my post-college life, were propelled forward by this newfound interactivity. I vividly remember my excitement witnessing The Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform at the Unitarian Church in 2002—a moment that shaped my understanding of live music and the raw energy indie rock could deliver. DeVille’s descriptions transported me back to that intimate venue where Karen O’s magnetic presence transformed the night into something unforgettable.
However, the middle chapters, while rich with details about the evolution of genres like Chillwave and the fascinating intersections with hip-hop, felt slightly detached from my personal experience. By the early 2010s, as life became busier with family commitments, I found myself not as engaged with the newer scenes. Yet, DeVille has a knack for capturing joy and excitement in discovering music, making me reflect fondly on the eras that shaped me. His anecdotes about Odd Future and Tyler, the Creator forced me to consider how indie and hip-hop blurred lines, evolving into something new and dynamic.
There were moments of humor and insight sprinkled throughout that truly resonated with me, particularly DeVille’s juxtaposition of indie movements with major-label influences. It was intriguing to read how even the giants in the music industry recognized indie rock’s potential, which, admittedly, felt a bit bittersweet. My only constructive critique was that at times, the focus on major-label artists diluted the underdog spirit that indie music embodies.
Overall, I found Such Great Heights both enlightening and nostalgic, a detailed trip down memory lane that urged me to rediscover music I had forgotten. For anyone who savored the thrill of indie rock’s rise—from the days flipping through records at local stores to the digital age’s myriad streaming possibilities—this book is a treasure. It’s a fantastic reminder of a time when discovering a new band felt like uncovering a hidden gem and perfectly captures the spirit of an era that many of us still cherish.
If you’re a music lover or a curious explorer of cultural shifts, Such Great Heights is an essential read that will immerse you in the dazzling world of indie rock. Just remember, while some of the luster may have faded over the years, the brilliance of those early sounds is always worth revisiting.
P.S. A shout-out to Pavement and Sebadoh gets a thumbs up from me, though I can’t help but feel a tinge of sadness that Archers of Loaf’s "Plumb Line" didn’t make the cut—one of the key tracks that epitomized indie rock’s genesis for me!
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