Such Great Heights

Chapter 9 Soundtrack: Terminally Chill The playlist accompanying this chapter from my book features vibey psychedelia for fashion, fests, ads, and algorithms

Here is the soundtrack for Chapter 9 of my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS.

The chapter is called "Terminally Chill" and is about the evolution of indie synth-pop, blog bands at music festivals, chillwave (and related beachy garage bands), streaming-era psych, Urban Outfitters, Hipster Runoff, etc.

YouTube video by Side Burns Why Was 2000's Indie Rock So Good?

full convo with @chrisdeville.bsky.social from last week about his book, Such Great Heights.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bh4...

YouTube video by fantano THIS VIDEO IS ABOUT INDIE ROCK TF ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT??

Was very glad to talk to @fantano.bsky.social about indie rock and my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS

The Kyle Sowashes Are Indie Rock Personified The latest B-side from my book Such Great Heights is a tribute to a friendly fixture of my local music scene

In the Such Great Heights newsletter, I wrote about my friend Kyle Sowash, one of those essential characters who keep a local music scene going, and his great band the Kyle Sowashes, who personify indie rock to me

Chicago! I’ll be at @gmantavern.com tonight discussing indie rock and my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS with @jackriedy.com. The book will be on sale too! 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. chat.

Playlists for Peak Fall 2025 🍂 + mixes from Chris DeVille // Rex Orange County // Grace Spelman // Lindsay Zoladz

For @aoffitzer.bsky.social's newsletter Hear Hear, I made a playlist of great 2020s songs from indie artists who popped off in the 2000s

I had the privilege of talking indie rock and hawking my book with one of the funniest people/most genuine music fans around, @scottaukerman.bsky.social

Doing an r/indieheads AMA today tied to the release of my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion.

Tap in here at 3 p.m. ET: www.reddit.com/r/indieheads...

Excited and honored to be the guest on today's @soundopinions.bsky.social discussing my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS and 21st century indie rock with living legends
@gregkot.bsky.social and @jimderogatis.bsky.social.

Check it out at the link / wherever you get your pods: www.soundopinions.org/show/1034

Excerpt from Chris DeVille's indie rock history "Such Great Heights". "For me, indie wasn't about DIY ethics, avant-garde disruption, or any kind of radical worldview. It was about albums I could spin incessantly and organise into lists in place of a personality, songs I could burn onto mix CDs for my friends and family to show off my good taste, and bands that doubled as a secret handshake with people cooler than me. As someone with average-or-worse charisma, looks, and athletic ability, who never had much to brag about besides my grades, I bought into the snobbery that often seemed inextricable from indie-rock fandom. 'Hipster' was an aspirational status for me, albeit one I always felt too sheepish and basic to fully achieve."

The copy of Such Great Heights by Chris DeVille (@suchgreatheights.bsky.social) gifted by my wife arrived today and I couldn't be happier! Even when it calls out the pretentiousness of my teenage years with quantum precision.

Highly recommend the read if indie rock ever meant anything to you.

Louisville! Tonight I'll be at @carmichaels.bsky.social (Frankfort Ave. location) discussing indie rock and my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS with the good folks from @guestroomrecordsky.bsky.social. Getting started at 7 p.m. Come through! www.carmichaelsbookstore.com/event/chris-...

Chapter 8 Soundtrack: Prestige Indie Rock's Moment of Ubiquity The playlist accompanying my SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS chapter "Fake Empire" sees the fancier side of indie embraced in the halls of power, then replaced by more radio-friendly imitations

Here is the soundtrack for Chapter 8 from SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS. The chapter is called "Fake Empire." It's about when the fancier side of indie (think: anyone on the Dark Was The Night comp) was embraced within the halls of power, then replaced by more radio-friendly imitations.

In the middle of the audiobook right now, I'm really enjoying it.

If you're a millennial indie kid, this is your history. Highly recommend.

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

I'm pleased to report that my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion is a USA Today bestseller. Thanks to all who've bought the book and come out to the (very fun) events so far. More to come!

This is today! 6 p.m. See you there, KC people.

Such Great Heights 9781250363381 - Macmillan The definitive history of 21st century indie rock—from Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent—and how the genre shift...

My debut book is OUT TODAY!

'Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion' is about how indie rock changed the mainstream and the mainstream changed indie rock in the 21st century.

Buy it and let me know what you think:

Such Great Heights 9781250363381 - Macmillan The definitive history of 21st century indie rock—from Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent—and how the genre shift...

Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion is OUT TODAY!

Author and Stereogum editor @chrisdeville.bsky.social's debut book is about how indie rock changed the mainstream and the mainstream changed indie rock in the 21st century.

Buy it here:

The 'Such Great Heights' Book Tour Is About To Commence Brooklyn, Columbus, Kansas City, Perrysburg, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Chicago, I'll be seeing you soon. Also: I went on my favorite podcast!

'SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion' is out next week, and author @chrisdeville.bsky.social has announced book events in New York and across the Midwest

Chapter 2 Soundtrack: The Indie Kids Learn To Dance The playlist accompanying SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS's second chapter, "Take Me Out," explores the New Rock Revolution and the rise of dance-punk.

They were on the Chapter 2 soundtrack

Chapter 6 Soundtrack: The Ballad of Bloghouse and Indie Sleaze The playlist from my Such Great Heights chapter "D.A.N.C.E." explores indie bands dipping into electronics and pre-EDM Hype Machine bombast

The soundtrack for Chapter 6 from @chrisdeville.bsky.social's 'SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS' is live. This chapter covers bloghouse, indie bands going electronic, and the fashion movement now known as "indie sleaze."

Chapter 6 Soundtrack: The Ballad of Bloghouse and Indie Sleaze The playlist from my Such Great Heights chapter "D.A.N.C.E." explores indie bands dipping into electronics and pre-EDM Hype Machine bombast

SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS Chapter 6 soundtrack is live. This chapter is called "D.A.N.C.E." It's about bloghouse, indie bands going electronic, and the fashion movement now known as "indie sleaze."

Happy birthday Ben, thanks for writing "Such Great Heights" so I could use it to title my book about the evolution of 21st century indie rock out Aug. 26 via @stmartinspress.bsky.social

Such Great Heights 9781250363381 - Macmillan The definitive history of 21st century indie rock—from Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent—and how the genre shift...

Today is my birthday, and I'm not above leveraging that for book sales. As a gift to me, if you're interested in indie music 2000-2020 (and its gradual metamorphosis into pop), pre-order SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion and recirculate this post.

Listen to Santigold..... DO IT

I called it Epic Sad Guy Music in my review but I prefer "These Fucking Guys"

shout out to the episode of @lifeoftherecord.bsky.social on @titusandronicus.bsky.social (that used our song “The Anniversaries” as intro music 😉)

These F&#%ing Guys The latest B-side from Such Great Heights looks at Alex Warren, Benson Boone, and the power of negative polarization

The new B-side from my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS is about Alex Warren, Benson Boone, and the power of negative polarization (with bonus cameos from the Radiohead bear logo and @titus-andronicus.bsky.social on @lifeoftherecord.bsky.social)

They really just don’t do it like this anymore.

Columbus Writer Chris DeVille Explores Indie Rock in Debut Book 'Such Great Heights' The locally based music journalist and Stereogum managing editor's debut book tackles indie music's complex history.

Grateful to Columbus Monthly for featuring my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS and my Columbus launch event w/ @harvilla.bsky.social Aug. 27 at Used Kids Records

Chairlift's "Bruises" soundtracks iPod Nano ad (2008)