Really comprehensive analysis of such a loaded word. The shifting musical, cultural and technological landscape has altered the meaning of 'indie" and this book does a great job breaking down a term that's had infinite permutations over the last 30 years. As someone who was entrenched in the scene I appreciated the thoughtful insights this book had to offer.

As someone who came of age in the mid-2000s, and cut their teeth on a steady diet of Blalok's Indie Rock Playlist torrents, Tumblr reblogs and Alex Patsavas's extensive oevre of soundtracking teen media, I am 3000% the target audience for this book!

That being said, it's a tough one to review. It's a steady wave of nostalgia, from the barrage of deep cut references to the surprising reminders of songs long gone, to the writing which is at once both earnest and self-aggrandizing. It is truly like reading a 250-page pitchfork article, in the best and worst way.

I appreciate the thematic approach that DeVille took, especially considering the huge amount of genre-shifting he had to cover in such a short space of time (wow, we really did it all!). However it did lead to inadvertent repetition and generally dense prose that I often felt like I was wading through in search of the thesis. I'm a linear guy, so I would've loved it more if it was a year-by-year approach. There are some absolutely VICIOUS reads that I cackled at with glee, and then some inevitable hot takes that I staunchly disagree with. The final few chapters turn to the grey area between the indie scene and top 40 hits, but as a reformed indie kid I have to say there was too much Kanye and Taylor Swift talk for my taste. My eyes were rolling, but it's all in the spirit of the game.

To summarise in one sentence (from DeVille himself, no less) "Indie meant so many things that it came to mean nothing."

Buy this for the 30-something record collector in your life. They'll thank you for it, and then chew your ear off about how wrong it is about X, Y and Z.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for the advance read.

This is a tough one. I have often enjoyed Mr DeVille's byline in stories/news features on Stereogum and have admired his writing. This book is somewhat frustrating, but also extremely well thought out and researched, as well as written and organized creatively. The "problem" is I love the sections on microgenres that I like, but absolutely resent all the pop-skewing music that is covered in the back 1/3 of the book.

I honestly suspect that only voracious pop culture obsessives can possibly enjoy this entire book. By embracing and TELLING the stories of artists I couldn't care less about, DeVille alienated me and made me question his witty placement of Pavement references. Who is this book for? I wish the fringe "indie-qualifying" sections were lopped out and the book solely focused on the traditional Pitchfork aesthetic. I wanted to love this book more, but it's bringing me down.

Whether you’re an Arcade Fire loyalist or someone who just found Phoebe Bridgers on a Spotify playlist, this is a must-read. It’s a love letter to the scene, the sound, and the stubborn belief that music will always matter.