Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion

by Chris DeVille

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

The definitive history of twenty-first-century indie rock—from Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent—and how the genre shifted the musical landscape and shaped a generation

Maybe you caught a few exhilarating seconds of “Teen Age Riot” on a nearby college radio station while scanning the FM dial in your parents’ car. Maybe your friend invited you to a shabby local rock club and you ended up having a religious experience with Neutral Milk Hotel. Perhaps you were scandalized and tantalized upon sneaking Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville from an older sibling’s CD collection, or you vowed to download every Radiohead song you could find on LimeWire because they were the favorite band of the guy you had a major crush on.

However you found your way into indie rock, once you were a listener, it felt like being part of a secret club of people who had discovered something special, something secret, something superior. In Such Great Heights, music journalist Chris DeVille brilliantly captures this cultural moment, from the early aughts and the height of indie rock, until the 2010s as streaming upends the industry and changes music forever. DeVille covers the gamut of bands—like Arcade Fire, TV On The Radio, LCD Soundsystem, Haim, Pavement, and Bon Iver—and in the vein of Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties, touches on staggering pop culture moments, like finding your new favorite band on MySpace and the life-changing O.C. soundtrack.

Nerdy, fun, and a time machine for millennials, Such Great Heights is about how subculture becomes pop culture, how capitalism consumes what's “cool,” who gets to define what's hip and why, and how an “underground” genre shaped our lives.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Pop Culture, Cultural, Art

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 26, 2025

About the author

CHRIS DEVILLE is the author of SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS, a book about how indie rock changed the mainstream and the mainstream changed indie rock. He works as the managing editor at Stereogum, where he has written extensively about the full spectrum of indie music for over a decade. In 2014, he launched The Week In Pop, a column exploring mainstream music from an indie fan’s perspective, and he has profiled bands like Tame Impala and Run The Jewels. Chris has also been featured in outlets like The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and The Ringer. He lives with his family in Columbus, Ohio.

Reviews

[Lottie from book club]

had me at "the life-changing OC soundtrack" lmao

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately impressed with Such Great Heights when I saw each chapter began with a playlist. As I started each chapter, I went to Spotify and saved each song. I loved listening to old favorites and discovering bands I wasn’t familiar with. Take your time reading and listening to enhance this experience!

Chris Deville documents how indie music changed and grew through 12 distinct chapters. He starts with the late 80s stretching to 2023, dissecting each evolution. Deville has a genuine love of indie music and so much of his experience discovering different bands was reminiscent of mine. He brought back so much nostalgia and a longing to get back to the days of waiting for a new CMJ magazine to come out. To discover new indie music would cause you to feel special and superior because it wasn’t what was being played on TRL. The joy of finding someone who enjoyed it as much as you is found within these pages. The late 90s/early 2000s was such a pocket in time and this book takes me right back to listening to Boston’s WFNX.

Such Great Heights unpacks how the genre found its way to popularity through The OC, details the beginning of Vampire Weekend, unpacks The Postal Service’s only album, reminds us of a time when file sharing opened doors to finding new music for free and documents the genre’s evolution through dance, hiphop, pop and even Taylor Swift. It’s a journey! But Deville makes it all make sense. He does such an incredible job with the details. It’s not just about the music, it’s about the scene, the blogs, MP3 sharing, and the culture. I wasn’t familiar with his music reviews but I’ll be searching for them going forward.

If you attended The Postal Service/Death Cab 20th anniversary tour, this book’s for you. What’s so great about Indie is it spans so many genres, there is something for everyone and no need to gatekeep. Such Great Heights will bring you back to a time when you heard Rilo Kiley for the first time and knew it was something special. I loved this book so much, my review just won’t do it justice.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an indie rock fan, I devoured Such Great Heights. What is Indie Rock? That question is answered in a well rounded, entertaining way. Being a young adult in Seattle, the music scene was popping. The beginning of this subculture started with Nirvana as a jumping off point then touched on pop culture which tickled me at the mention of OC, Grey's, and actors during that time and the indie music they inspired.

The extensive history was interesting, detailed and how it defined a generation. The early 2000's undisputably has its spot in music. The best part were the playlists at the beginning of each chapter. Although, it took me longer to read because I had to check out those bands I was unfamiliar with, and it was so fun.

I write this review wearing my new Death Cab for Cutie concert T (Plans 20th anniversary). I highly recommend Such Great Heights for Indie music fans, music in general fans, or to those for the historical aspect.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy.

[Tim Witek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun nostalgia trip, but this book also reminds me of the time I tried to write a 5 page essay on the history of rock and roll. It can't be done in a manner that makes much sense. You can't sum up the history of indie rock in 335 pages.

DeVille attempts to do so by obsessing over categorizing every band into movements and subgenres that I doubt exist outside of their appearance in this book

Also, this guy painstakingly researched and dug up all sorts of articles and reviews from the past 30 years then completely wiffed on the fact that Death Cab for Cutie's "Soul Meets Body" is actually a song on their album Plans and not Transatlanticism. If even I know that, how am I supposed to trust that anything else I'm reading is based in fact?

Perhaps I'm being a tad harsh, a la early Pitchfork. I'd say this book serves as a decent Indie Rock 101 course but not much beyond that. It even comes with some nifty playlists to start each chapter so you can become well versed with the material before being bombarded with references. Indie Rock is a genre that is near and dear to my heart. So it hurts to see it painted in such broad strokes. Something more focused would've been better, but I'm not mad if more people get to discover these bands

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

I never got into Indie Rock, but wanted to read this purely based on the historical aspect. Always interested in learning about new things, and that definitely happened while reading this book. There were only a few song names and artists that I recognized, but I really enjoyed reading about them all the same.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves indie rock or even people who just are history buffs like me. Definitely would recommend!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that we're 25 years out from the turn of the millennium, it seems like we are getting all sorts of books critiquing the pop culture of the aughts . . . and I'm totally here for it. In the past year I've read the oral history of emo, Where Are Your Boys Tonight?, the oral history of 2000s NYC indie rock scene, Meet Me in the Bathroom; Mark Hoppus' (of Blink-182) memoir, Fahrenheit-182; Serj Tankian's (of System of a Down) memoir, Down with the System, Laura Jane Grace's memoir, Tranny, and Dan Ozzi's account of major labels poaching punk, emo, and hardcore bands in the 90s-00s, Sellout.

Each one of these books has been a pure nostalgia trip . . . with a bit of cringe at some of the trends and fads.

Such Great Heights tells the story of indie music. It started out as bands who sound like R.E.M. or bands who sound like Pavement. Throughout the first three decades of the 21st century, the indie aesthetic has exploded and morphed into something totally different. It is no longer confined to just rock music but has touched practically every genre of music (even the current biggest pop star in the world has recorded an indie record).

Chris DeVille, a music critic from Stereogum, does an excellent job with the structure and pacing of this book. He does not merely tell band biographies. He begins each chapter with a playlist (I highly recommend finding one of the premade ones on Spotify and listening while reading). Then he comments on one particular aspect of the indie aesthetic as he moves through the timeline. Topics include: indie rock as dance music, Hollywood goes indie (now I want to rewatch Garden State, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Juno, Scott Pilgrim, and 500 Days of Summer!), the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, Pitchfork and mp3 blogs, Vice, iTunes, the iPod, MySpace, bloghouse, indie sleaze, the indie folk bubble, pop culture at large embracing indie rock, chillwave, American Outfitters, hip-hop hipsters, indie pop, Spotify, Jack Antonoff taking over the world of pop music, and Taylor Swift embracing indie pop.

I was a bit less enthused about the indie hip-hop and pop stuff at the end, because that music hasn't impacted me as much. There were times in the book where I did want a little more band/artist biography and a little less culture critique, but I think it was the right move to avoid that. Overall, a really fun read.

Next on the 2000s nostalgia binge? The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman by Niko Stratis.

[Stephanie ✨]

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press for the complimentary copy of this book!

This book is out now!

When I saw that there was a book coming out discussing the history of 2000s indie, I knew I had to read it!!! I was at the perfect age at the heart of this book, graduating high school and heading to college in the mid 2000s. I was one of those kids who desperately was trying to find a style. I was such a teenie bopper but I also was starting to listen to emo (more pop punk) but I just didn't have that scene kid look. And then here comes this new genre of music and guess what? I did not fit into this scene either as I did not have that hipster aesthetic. But man oh man did I love the music!

I had texted a friend shortly after I started listening to this whom I knew already read it and said how it would be a jumpscare hearing some of the acts that DeVille would mention. I couldn't even tell you why it gave me a startle when the acts he mentioned surely needed to be mentioned. But come on when was the last time you heard the name Rooney?!

I love that each section had a different playlist. I paired my reading with the audiobook but it quickly made me want to ditch the audiobook just so I could listen to the songs within each chapter. I also loved how DeVille not only talked about indie music but also the music & movies of the time that helped shaped the indie culture. I should not have been surprised but was surprised when the book in the beginning heavily discussed the importance of the teen drama "The OC" was on this music (thank you Seth Cohen) as well as movies incorporating indie music not only on the soundtrack but on screen. Love the little section on Michael Cera because he really was the moment in 2007. I also love how the internet played a role in the growth of indie music (also jumpscare at a Xanga mentioned which I often feel gets left out when talking about early internet culture).

There were things within the book that were new to me, there were items that I had forgotten and things I still remembered. I thought the pacing of the book was great and just amazed at how indie music had such a moment (and continues to do so) that musicians from all genres wanted a piece of it. It really goes to show how interconnected music can be and as Linda Martell says on Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album, "Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they?, In theory, they have a simple definition that's easy to understand, But in practice, well, some may feel confined." Musicians are constantly vibing off one another and always want to elevate their sound. DeVille's history really proved how indie music has always been on the radar even if it was not on the forefront. Also I loved how it all leads to Ms. Taylor Swift who used her platform to introduce her fans to Jack Antonoff and The National. Which also leads me to say I was surprised to see how Kanye West played a role to indie music (prior to all his unspeakable and outrageous antics).

I really enjoyed this book and love how it took me down memory lane. I highly recommend if you are lover of music, love of indie music and also a lover of pop culture.

**I do not rate NF books.**

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s happened. My music scene has reached its classic rock phase. Which means it’s time to be studied and time for some books about it.

This is a very fun read and excellent documentation of something I didn’t even realize needed documenting.

The soundtracks at the beginning of each chapter are a nice touch.

[Ryan Ebling · Rating 5 out of 5]

obviously an extra star for nostalgia. but man, DeVille does a great job tracing the various paths that indie rock took, and never gets tedious or pedantic in his search for a definition of "indie."

[Rameez Sultan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been an article in Stereogum.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read and I feel like anyone who grew up listening or relating to indie music in the early 2000s would enjoy reading this. It’s hilarious and nostalgic to revisit that time of my life and I’m so glad someone chronicled what it was like because of how much music meant to me then and still means to me now. The author also does a great job at providing a thorough history of the rise of indie music and how it influences music today. Great chronicling, so much fun to read. And great playlists for each chapter! 1000% recommend

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you don’t know these bands, I imagine this is a good introduction. But if you do, this is just a long boring pile of stuff you already know. Outside of the constant mentions of Pitchfork, which are pretty lame and referenced by other reviews, the rest of this speed run through 20+ years of indie rock feels like it was written by AI. This is a long list of answers from ChatGPT, as if someone just kept typing “Tell me about cool bands since 2000”. There is just nothing here that you can’t get from Google searches. I happen to prefer writing that includes crazy things like real interviews, independent research, and unique perspectives. You won’t find a shred of that here.

Would not recommend to anyone.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot emphasize how much the music featured in this book has impacted my life and personality. As a kid, my dad exposed me to niche 90s bluegrass/rock/folk alternative and Christian bands along with Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, and other classics, notably expanding into Mumford and Sons, Fall Out Boy and more as I got older. I will never forget when he deemed me old enough to listen to “Little Lion Man” despite the prominent use of the F word, inspiring in me a love for music of all kinds that was pretty counter-culture to the experiences of my fellow private Christian school kids. Being involved in dance also exposed me to genres of all kinds - hearing “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Terrible Things” by Mayday Parade, and “Cath” by Death Cab for Cutie for the first time in the studio stand out to me as particularly life changing. It only took me a few years to realize that I didn’t really like dancing itself that much, I just wanted to listen to music really loud and react to with my whole self.

I started exploring my own music taste in around 2012, when I was able to access Pandora’s “Indie” and “Alternative” radio stations. From the years of 2012-2015, this defined my music experience, with Passion Pit, M83, Phoenix, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Florence and the Machine, along with Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, Fleet Foxes, and Passenger.

When I moved to Spotify in early high school, I found an obsessive bent for playlist making amidst what was probably an era of mild depression. I would spend the hours of 8pm-10pm every night curating and exploring music on my laptop in a haze of needing to feel something new. I only got a taste of the rich internet music culture referenced often in this book, but it certainly made its mark. I explore emo adjacent, heavier rock from high school friends, bands like Flatsound who were far more dreamy and depressive than I actually was but represented more of what I was feeling than I could find anywhere else. These bands led me into the realm of Frightened Rabbit, Daughter, Bright Eyes, The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am Not Afraid to Die, Nathaniel Rateliff’s solo work, and (very significantly) Julien Baker.

At the same time, I was obsessively searching for Christian music that made me feel the same way these bands did. That articulated the emotional truths of life on earth alongside the truths that earth is not all there is. I found the truths of the Gospel in music from artists like John Mark McMillan, Strahan, Jon Guerra, Kings Kaleidoscope, Citizens, and Gable Price and Friends. But when I didn’t find as much of the emotional truth I wanted, I found myself drawn to many “Christian adjacent artists”, who were greatly influenced by a religious upbringing but had walked away from it for whatever reason. While I have never truly wavered in my faith, I found this honesty incredibly appealing. Julien Baker’s intermingling of hymns with raw honesty about her emotional health and deconstruction spoke to my soul in a way I didn’t know how to explain, and couldn’t to this day considering my life experiences could not be further from hers. Pedro the Lion, Corey Kilganon, and Tyson Motsenbocker all furthered my understanding that doubt was a part of life people were permitted to explore and that faith journeys weren’t linear. That beauty could and should be found in all aspects and phases of relationship with God, and that there are things to be gained from people you disagree with or can’t fully relate to.

Things got a little cheerier further into high school, as more friends started to dabble in mainstream but still faith friendly music. We all enjoyed Judah and the Lion, twenty one pilots, Jon Bellion (all notably also “Christian adjacent”), and AJR.
Certainly a poppier era for me, but my indie/emotional roots remained as boygenius furthered my love for Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, and introduced me more to Phoebe Bridgers. Even in this pop-y era, I could hold onto my sense of superiority for listening to artists my friends didn’t know or appreciate. My concert era blossomed once I could drive, and I saw as much as I could live.

As I entered college, I leaned a little more folksy, music suitable for studying but still touching my soul. Matt Maeson, Noah and the Whale, Father John Misty, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and especially my favorite band, Penny and Sparrow, who harmonies make me want to levitate.

The general vibe of my chosen community in college influenced me to move even further into the “granola” territory of Caamp, Noah Kahan, Hozier, Mt Joy, and more, while still relishing in the fact that my playlists crossed many many genres and eras.

Indie is where this codependent relationship with music started, and listening to this book about how so much of my personality came to be (along with its accompanying playlist) meant a lot to me. In maybe less direct ways, my love for indie music and music of all kinds gave me the strength and confidence in my personality to explore my love for films, books, pop culture, art of all kinds, vintage clothes, and the wide range of other hobbies I enjoy.

I wish I could eat music. I wish I could breathe it. I wish I could inject it into my veins. I wish I could soundtrack my life 24/7 with it.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves indie music deeply, this is a great book, one that chronicles the rise and institutionalization as "indie" by a journalist who was there, who also loves the music, and who gets the contradictions inherent in the scene. DeVille also mentions a lot of good music with a playlist at the start of each chapter. I'm not just saying that because we share the same taste. Playlists for chapters 1-8 are on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/user/315judd...), and I'm assembling 9-12.

First, what even is indie? The most objective answer is that it's a band not signed to one of the Big Three music labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, or Warner Music Group. Of course, lots of bands with indie cred and style were signed to these labels. Another way might be a particular sonic aesthetic; for the early 2000s, DeVille describes indie as "a band that sounds like Pavement", though that sound would change a whole damn lot, as the book explores. Or it's social, coming from a particular local scene, and later celebrated by Pitchfork rather than the traditional gatekeepers. But perhaps the best definition is that indie is an attitude towards what's cool: intellectual, eclectic, cutting edge, ironic, kinda sad, kinda dancy, respecting unconventionality while not afraid of mainstream success.

DeVille is a few years older than I am, and he describes that rapturous moment in the early 2000s when he broke out of the binary of Nu Metal and Pop Divas that defined the cool options and started finding his own music. The internet was key to this, with Napster and iTunes making any song accessible, not just what was in the local record store or on the air, and mp3 blogs lead by Pitchfork driving a frenzy of discovery over the next big thing. And over the next decade or so, indie conquered the world.

The 12 chapters in this book take us through a variety of scenes, from what would retrospectively be named "indie sleaze" in hipster New York, to the TV-ready ballads of The OC, to electronic indie dance, fuzzed out neo-psych, "Ho Hey"ing indie folk, the synthesis of conscious backpack rap and indie tunes in Kanye West's transformative albums through Yeezus, and eventually the subsummation of indie in mainstream pop.

The scene grew, transformed, splintered, and was coopted. In some ways, this was for the better. Indie of the early 2000s was often elitist and mean in ways that were racially and sexually problematic. While the genre is still a lot of white dudes with guitars, it has become more diverse. The Rockist vs Poptimism debate was decided in favor of the poptimists, with the logic that if it sounds good it is good and fuck authenticity.

The downside was that with the losing of boundaries, a lot of things did get blurred. If indie was supposed to be provocative, why were rising artists drawing from the safe sounds of adult contemporary and cheesy yacht rock? Is this about artistic skill and statements, or a frictionless backing sound for a coffee shop or pool party?

The book is titled after The Postal Service's breakout hit "Such Great Heights", but DeVille notes that an alternative and better title could be drawn from LCD Soundsystem's "Losing My Edge", where James Murphy semi-autobiographical aging hipster discusses how he's still cool, still cutting edge, and how music is cyclical as bands sell their guitars for turntables and then synthesizers for guitars. Every revolution either fails or becomes The Institution, and an army of millennials (myself among them) singing along to Ben Gibbard at a The Postal Service/Death Cab for Cutie 20th anniversary tour demonstrates. The kids are off doing something cooler.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this. It was cool to read about the evolution of indie throughout the years. I especially appreciated it because I have always loved indie music, but I am too young to have experienced most of the big indie music moments in real time. So, I liked reading about how my favorite bands and albums came to be and how the connect to other artists and bands.

I really liked listening to the accompanying playlists for each chapter. I would highly recommend doing that as you read. It provides a lot of great context for what you're reading about, and it reminded me of some really good music that I haven't listened to for a while, and also introduced me to some new-to-me music which I will likely return to.

I had two primary complaints about the book: 1. It got a little bit boring/repetitive at times and 2. There were at least a couple of glaring errors that could have easily been fixed before publication.

Addressing these complaints:
1. Because of the structure of the book, there were certain groups or trends that were mentioned multiple times and in multiple chapters. In most instances, that made perfect sense, but towards the end of the book, it got to be a bit annoying to keep returning to the same groups and stories that had been mentioned throughout. It got a little bit boring, but also I understand that's probably inherent in this type of book.
2. I noticed at least two factual errors in the book, just based on my own knowledge, which was quite annoying, and could have easily been fixed by a better editor and fact checker. The first error was on page 53, when DeVille is writing about Death Cab for Cutie and the O.C. for the first time. He writes, "Coincidentally, three weeks after Seth Cohen first name-checked Death Cab, the band released Transatlanticism, the most vivid and dynamic album of their career ... songs like 'The New Year,' 'Soul Meets Body,' and the eight-minute power ballad 'Transatlanticism' made indie rock hit like arena rock." As someone who's been listening to Death Cab for almost as long as I can remember, I instantly made note of the error: the song "Soul Meets Body" is not on the album Transatlanticism, but rather the later record Plans.
Unfortunately, this was not the only glaring factual error I noticed. In the last chapter, when writing about Phoebe Bridgers, DeVille writes about a track that he calls "This Is the End." As a Phoebe Bridgers listener, I knew he was talking about "I Know the End", but it was still a grating and irritating error, that can easily be fixed by simply looking up the Punisher tracklist on Spotify.
These errors didn't ruin the book for me, but they did make me wonder how many other mistakes there may be that I didn't notice, because I'm not familiar with all the artists and bands discussed in the book. I hope there will be a revised/updated edition of this in a little while, so that any mistakes can be corrected.

Overall, I still really enjoyed Such Great Heights, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to relive the evolution of the indie genre, or anyone who wonders how Taylor Swift could possibly have an album that is considered indie. If that's something you're interested in, I think this is a worthwhile read.

[Tara Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely and gave some good context for music in my favorite genre.

I am not a person who follows music blogs or likes bands before they were cool. But I am a person who likes music AND a person who loves indie music in particular. I do enjoy discovering new sounds, songs, and bands, and indie music is basically the soundtrack to my life. But I don't really pay attention to the history of what I'm listening to -- I don't know the names of the band members, the albums, or the record labels.

Because of that, I am probably the ideal audience for this book. Folks who are deeply ingrained in indie music may find that this just covers the surface of multiple decades of highly varied music. For me, though, it gave me an overview of the background and context I'd be missing and was happy to have all in one place.

I took History of Rock and Roll and History of Jazz in college, and also listened to the Great Courses CDs for the History of Classical Music. I found myself wishing that the content of this book could be presented in that type of format -- with the narrative being supported by musical clips and examples. I did listen to the playlists provided in the book (they are all on Spotify!) but it would have been so helpful to hear the music alongside the information. I know that is not how nonfiction books work, plus the licensing for that wouldn't have been possible, but man this book would make a fun college course that I would absolutely want to get in on.

I'm not downgrading the book for that, just putting that wish out into the universe.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great overview of how “indie rock” lost the “rock” and became much more ecumenical and diverse. Which I think for the most part has been a good thing. My only complaint is that DeVille doesn’t seem to acknowledge one reason why I think most people who are fans of old school “indie rock” are unhappy with sites like Pitchfork these days: There are a million sites out there that cover pop music and pop artists. I like Taylor Swift plenty, and I think she’s a great artist, but Taylor Swift, for example, is everywhere—including the final chapter of this book! “Indie rock” media outlets that used to cover DIY punk influenced music have turned away from covering the more abrasive and weird parts of “indie” and turned towards celebrating pop stars. Which is fine, but I can find information and criticism about pop stars anywhere. It’s a lot harder to find new underground acts, and a lot of this is because Pitchfork et al stopped devoting as much space to music that is actually underground. Which I think is a tragedy and legitimately is one of the reasons why it’s so hard for small bands to actually make money in the music industry. (Not the only reason, but that’s probably a whole other book.)
Anyway, other than this I think it’s a great read and a great trip down memory lane. I listened to all of this music, and all the bands you think are in here are in here!

[Adam M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to St. Martin Press for an ARC - This was a fascinating, surprising and fun read. Firstly, Chris DeVille clearly loves the music and his personal connection to it makes this book all the better. There is a layer of authenticity here that goes beyond just his years of experience writing about music in real time. From how the tv show "The OC" influenced the genre and public perception of it, the rise of social media and it's effect on how people share and interact with music through to the state of Indie today, this book covers so much ground. I love so many of the bands included in this book and I thought I knew a little something, but I kept learning more in each chapter. That kept me as glued to this as did the hope of hearing more about how bands I loved had over come the challenges of their eras.

This well researched and supported. It is a labor of love. It is critical and self aware. It is very much worth your time.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

This felt like reading an autobiography at the beginning. Best discussion of the evolution of indie rock and the branches of indie rock I have read. After reading Chapter 7 on indie folk, I told my daughter "If you want to understand what Provo was like in the 00s, you have to read this chapter."

But the most amazing thing about this book is that it was able to coherently depict the trend toward pop and hip hop that took place in the 10s. At the time, I was baffled. All the sounds that I had purposefully rejected in my listening choices were now suddenly the cool thing on Pitchfork and the other music sites. The pitchfork top 100 list suddenly was full of rap, electronica, and pop. DeVille actually explains why this was happening as the prevailing music ideology of poptimism took root. Great stuff.

ADDENDUM: Two days later, still thinking about the book. First, in the early 00s, people were still sharing music through mix CDs. On Study Abroad to London, two guys introduced me to indie music via mix CDs. But how did my knowledge explode about indie music the next three years?

(1) There wasn't any free streaming (no Spotify with ads, no YouTube) yet BUT this is when online radio stations like Yahoo Launch and Pandora started up. Suddenly you could rate music you liked and the algorithms would just feed you similar songs. Launch is where I heard Death Cab, the Standard, Neutral Milk Hotel, Idlewild, Brand New, the Shins, Delorean, and so many others.

(2) ITunes allowed you to share your iTunes on your network and let other people listen. At BYU, that meant everyone on BYU Wifi. You would go to the library and there would be 30 people sharing their libraries and you could listen to all sorts of stuff. And then there were programs that would allow you to download from those shared networks. So, while Napster wasn't around, people were sharing and downloading music from each other easily and often. I remember my cousin-in-law gave me tons of stuff he collected from others such as British Sea Power, ambulance ltd, Autolux, the Thrills, etc.

(3) There were emerging streamers: Napster 2.0 started and allowed you to listen to a limited number of songs for free a month. And there was Rhapsody, which was essentially Spotify but with less selection (but was mainly indie). Again, for free, you had a limited number of listens. This is where you went obscure: Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control, Marshmallow Coast, Mirah, Of Montreal.

Those three combined exploded my music consumption and also killed the radio. I became so immersed in internet radio and streaming that I didn't know anything popular released from 2005-2013. I was supposed to sing Love Story by T Swift at my brother-in-laws wedding with my other brother-in-laws...AND I HAD NEVER HEARD IT! I spent the night before the wedding listening to it over and over. (Never had to perform because my kids all got strep.)

No one's going to read this. But for my own sanity, I had to put this all down.

[Ava Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

the oc, pitchfork, arcade fire, freak folk, napster, twee, gentrification, poptimism, pavement, bon iver, diplo, jack antonoff, etc. Very “cool” discussion of the alternative underground’s emergence into the mainstream, major figures that played a role in getting it there, and (in my opinion) the obliteration of “indie” as we’ve come to know it.

[Wesley Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a senior in high school in 1997. At some point during that year, while randomly flipping channels, I first encountered MTV’s 120 Minutes. That was when I transitioned from listening to obnoxious pop country to indie rock. Pavement was my first indie obsession, but I’d find many others making that discovery. A few years later I’d join the staff of one of the first music blogs, Buzzgrinder. I say all that to let those reading this review know that I fit perfectly in the demographic for Chris Deville’s Such Great Heights: The Complete Culture History of the Indie Rock Explosion.

DeVille, the current managing editor of Stereogum, a blog that started one year after Buzzgrinder (sorry, had to brag), has crafted an extensive history on a subject that is much vaster that it might seem at first glance. He uses his own discovery of left-of-center tunes as a framing device (don’t worry, he doesn’t inject himself THAT much) for the greater story. You’ll learn about the beginnings of the genre, how shows like the O.C. helped the masses find new bands, how it evolved (or devolved, depending on who you ask) to include more radio friendly pop, and lots more. Each chapter begins with a playlist that perfectly sets the mood for the topic it will cover.

Reading this book was like taking a look back at my own life. Though DeVille was more successful than I in the field of music journalism, the two of us went through many of the same “scene” phases. My readthrough was surprisingly emotional. I adored this book and heartily recommend it to indie rock fans both young and old. The OGs will be nostalgic; the young heads will learn a thing or two about music and discover some new favorites.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author lives up to the subtitle of the book; it’s a cultural history of indie music. And for a couple chapters it was fun to remember my own discovery of the bands he mentions. But the writing is a flurry of bands and references that feels like binge eating a bag of chips; starts entertaining but quickly leaves you wondering what’s the point. There’s several potential interesting books in here should someone want to spend more time doing actual research and thesis-building. It could cover the impact of shifting means of distribution on indie music, explore the commercialization of indie music and contrast to hip hop (something Jay Z himself alludes to in a quote midway through the book), or simply discuss the actual construction of different indie sounds. Instead everything is covered at arms length with short references to more interesting topics. The result is a pointless book that’s fun for a while but mostly a waste of time.

[Stephanie Lackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is some top tier nerd stuff. And I’m totally into it.

[Ann Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’ALL.

I cannot resist dancing when I hear MGMT.
I’ll sing any of the 4-part harmonies in a Fleet Foxes song (but I’m always going to pick the high one).
I forget what year it actually is when listening to Postal Service.
I’ve wept to Sufjan Stevens singing about John Wayne Gacy.
I think the Garden State soundtrack might have actually changed my life, as promised.
I walked down the aisle on our wedding day to Iron and Wine.

So yeah, I think it’s safe to say indie rock/pop is my genre of choice. And let me tell you, if it’s your genre too, you must pick this book up!

Chris DeVille does an absolute bang up job of taking us through the background and history of indie rock. I’ve never seen this time period in music talked about so methodically and he’s got me over here like the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia meme just linking everything up with red string.

This book delves into fantastic bands like Arcade Fire, Haim, Postal Service, Neutral Milk Hotel, Death Cab for Cutie, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, Jenny Lewis, The Strokes, boygenius, and soooo many more.

And y’all need to pray for my husband, Will. I can’t stop listening to all my favorite indie records and he is entirely too precious to listen to the songs and my ramblings. Gems such as: “Now see, THIS is the Grizzly Bear album that they toured on where Beyonce and Jay-Z famously came to the concert!” and “This is the album that Arcade Fire won the Grammy for and we all died!”

This book made me feel so seen and viscerally took me back to such a sweet time in my life. Finding this music meant so much to me, especially as a country bumpkin from a small town. It felt like finding a treasure trove, and honestly so did reading this book. DeVille loves this music and you can really see it in the work he put in on every page.

[Anthony Ratcliffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many errors, too slobbering and fawning, and one of the worst audiobook performances I’ve encountered in some time. A professional writer should be able to pronounce words more reliably. There’s an audio producer credited; what the hell was he up to?

[James Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who came of age with mixtapes, college radio, and the slow-loading MP3s of Napster’s wild west, this book manages to write not just a history of 21st-century indie rock, but a cultural memoir that feels like paging through my own CD wallet. For any readers who lived through the analog-to-digital shift, this book is a reminder of how music shaped us.

[Jeff Matlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5 / 10

To understand my review you need to understand me.
I graduated college in 1989, drove out to Los Angeles to be in the music business and started my own record label in 1994.

The music I put out was indie rock, most of which can be categorized as emo in today’s day and age.

I not only know most of the bands mentioned in this book, I know a lot of them personally and have released records in my label by a handful of them.

Reading this book was like a time warp back to my 1990s life. It kept my attention. It was great to hear all the names again. More than a few times I had a “oh damn I completely forgot about them!” moment - and then went to Spotify to listen again to the music I used to live on.

If you grew up an indie or emo kid in the 80s and 90s, the first half of this book will be nostalgia.

The second half is basically how indie rock went mainstream. Without ruining the journey, its inevitable climax is former indie-ish hero Jack Antinoff becoming the mass market producer extraordinaire that he is now.

So, I’m sure you’re wondering why I gave it a 6.5.
Let me tell you.

This isn’t a story as much as it is written kinda like a nonstop, machine gun barrage of album review after album review - like a thousand of them - and a few sentences in between that tries to tie them together into an arc of a story.

It’s also like a Pitchfork advertisement. Nary a page goes by without some mention of Pitchfork, the online zine.

The book is long too. It’s like 360 pages long. So after awhile it just gets tiring to read. There are so many band names that get thrown out so rapidly, at some point your brain just gets numb to it.

Granted, this book was written by a guy who’s made his living writing album reviews, so I’m not sure if I should be surprised.

But if the book were half as long, my 6.5 rating may have been a 7.5.

Anyway, I did send info about the book to my indie rock friends and told them they need to read the first 125 pages if they want a trip back in time.

I appreciate the attempt. And I appreciate the memories. I just wish there was a compelling story to be had.

#netgalley #suchgreatheights

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This is both a history of the evolution of indie music and a study of how the meaning of “indie” changed over time. As someone who hit their twenties just as indie rock was really popping off, this was a very nostalgic read for me, especially the chapters detailing the earlier years. It was also super informative, since when you’re busy living through a cultural movement, you don’t always see the bigger picture.

I was fascinated by the outsized influence Pitchfork had on music and what that meant for the artists they praised and/or criticized. I read Pitchfork back then, but didn’t realize the impact it had. I also had no idea how important The OC was to indie music, as I never watched it.

I will admit that I wasn’t as excited about the few chapters detailing genres I find less appealing, but really, that is a “me” problem, as they are still an important part of the overall history. I did learn from them and gained context I didn’t previously have.

I absolutely loved that each chapter began with its own suggested soundtrack! I noticed that the first four of them are on Spotify, and I hope they are all up by the time this book is published in August 2025. (Just in case, I saved the lists for myself, so my next roadtrip playlist is going to be pretty sweet!)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

[Aaron West · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I got word of this book coming out I immediately put it on hold from the library. The author, Chris DeVille, is a fellow Ohioan--now in Columbus writing for Stereogum--whose background, according to his somewhat veiled allusions, may have overlapped with mine in certain ways. There's a certain quality to existing and having a coming-of-age discovery of art that changes you in the Midwest that struck me while reading his work in this book. I love indie rock (and, for that matter, indie pop, indie folk, indie what-have-you), so I went for this book as soon as I could. I hadn't heard of much being published on it, and now that we're approaching 30 or so years (!) since its inception as a burgeoning genre, we've reached *the* time to have actual 'scholarship' on it. Wow, I was hooked.

The book is great, especially for the connoisseurs--the original 'actual' hipsters who found this music in basements and underground dives and so on as it was actually being created for the first time. I was surprised to find as I read that this genre had its roots in the last vestiges of grunge and punk basically around the time that I was *born,* which makes me feel young. But as I read, I also began to feel old--something that for a teacher of 8th graders is not hard to do (one student asked me, disbelief in her voice, if I was, in fact, born in the 1900s).

It dawned on me very early on in this book that I was a latecomer to this genre--which by the time I actually go into it around 2010 and beyond my sophomore and junior years of high school--was late in its stages of development. DeVille takes a more critical tone of later indie and its transformations: not as something bad, per se, but vastly different than actual indie rock. This book is primarily about indie rock as a genre itself, though it includes the other iterations, which I came to learn, are mostly shaped and delivered to customers in coffee shops, TJ Maxxes (another student once told me as I played music in class that I listened to "TJ Maxx music"), and through commercials. My jaw dropped when DeVille specifically mentioned a car commercial that featured Phoenix's "1901," the very commercial I remember seeing as a high schooler and running to YouTube to search up. It's hard to separate indie pop and the other branches from the commercialism and capitalistic ventures that eventually took over the direction of the genre. That made me bittersweet in a sense.

I was surprised to learn that indie rock's ball began rolling as I was a mere elementary school student. In a sense, it laid the foundation and shaped the ground that I would eventually build my music tastes on. But there's something moving and powerful about the experience DeVille writes about in this book: Discovery. Feeling like you're a part of something big and new and not-so-well-known at the same time. For him, it was the advent of Myspace, Napster, MP3 sharing (things that I remember from my childhood), but also following the juggernaut and kingmaker publication Pitchfork and its early-on critical reviews that brought so many bands to listeners' attentions. But also, in later years, *my* years, Tumblr, Mix CDs (if you're my age or a millennial in general, you know this oh so well), the concerts that eventually took off or solidified bands as one-hit wonders. My first concert was M83 at the House of Blues in Cleveland in 2014: this book made me appreciate it ever more.

This Discovery is what made so many of us who were tired of the over-produced, hip-hoppy, auto-tuned slop that was passed (really, force-fed to so many of us) off as the "popular hits" by major labels and radio feel seen and heard. Indie was a place to feel belonging with people who had "different" aesthetic eyes and ears. It was a way of thinking as much as genre of music. It was a home for those of us who didn't fit into the boxes, boxes which indie artists and the advent of music apps and eventually the likes of TikTok and so on wrested from the hands of the major studios. It was a place for the "freaks" or "intellectuals" or "arty" types--the kinds of friends I had and the person I was becoming in high school. It's weird of me to say so, but this genre helped shape me and the kind of person I needed to become. My friends introduced me to so much of indie music, and I am forever grateful for that--because it also came along with basement "shindigs" and mix CDs and nights around the fire and stargazing that helped me question what I knew. It made me less lonely while also letting me indulge in the solitude I felt as a teenager--the typical melodrama of "no one understands like *I* do). This Discovery is what fascinates me so much and makes this book so impressive.

DeVille doesn't seem to miss anything in the different veins of indie rock. He talks about the platforms that made it or changed it (or watered it down in his opinion--he's no real fan of Mumford and Sons or Spotify, and I sort of get it after reading this book). He explored nuances and movements that I wasn't even aware of yet have impacted the kid and young man I've become. It was discovery all over again reading this. As a kid who grew up in the suburbs of the Cleveland area and now live in Cincinnati--this Columbusite reached out to me here. I would love to sit down and chat with him in general.

There are moments where the book is more technical than I care for. I think the moments that shine best are his analyses of what the meaning behind all these sounds and bands, etc. mean for the world and listeners as a whole. But this doesn't detract from the book overall. One of the best things about this book is that DeVille starts each chapter with a recommended playlist to display the point of the chapter. I've already followed the playlist someone made of every song he recommends in the book. I'll continue listening for a long time.

Here's to the genre that helped make me who I am.

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me Chris DeVille’s new, comprehensive history detailing indie rock’s influence and evolution over the past 25 years, Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion. While I enjoyed reading this book, I didn’t always agree with DeVille’s takes about indie rock, especially regarding how and what to include in the indie rock bins. Nevertheless, DeVille makes some good arguments about how indie rock was propelled forward by the evolving nature of the internet and social media, among other events, which continued to expand the types of music that was made, as well as how people listened to and interacted with music. If anything, I found that this book continued in the tradition of some other great books about musical genres that traced their evolution and development by examining the historical context as well as the audience growth and appeal. Such Great Heights reminded me of books like Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life, which examined the rise of college music or what others might classify as “alternative” music, and Stephen Blush’s American Hardcore, which traces the punk and specifically hardcore music that resulted through the networking of van touring, DIY shows, zines and tape trading. Similarly, Such Great Heights posits the role of technology, and specifically the development of web 2.0 and its interactivity with promoting more independent music, that is, music that wasn’t necessarily reliant on major label production and promotion. In addition, DeVille notes how mp3s, free and eventually those available for .99 cents, shifted the nature of the music business, since record labels no longer had to put up money for packaging and distribution. This enabled smaller, independent record labels like Merge Records to save money on costs and develop better revenue sharing with their bands. This also made independent labels more appealing to artists looking to maintain their artistic vision and integrity. Thus, like other shifts in musical genres, the indie movement benefited from this changes to the industry and technology. I appreciated that DeVille works to define indie music not necessarily by the style, but rather as “a vast network of bands, labels, concert venues, record stores, radio stations, and homemade zines, which largely existed apart from the major-label system…. It was less a genre than a culture: a loose coalition of outsiders, idealists, elitists, critics, creatives, college students, and so forth.” It’s sometimes hard to define a type of music that encompasses so many different styles, and is really more reflective of the other elements related to the music. As a result, DeVille’s book chronicles many of the bands and artists, but also spends a lot of time examining the blogs, magazines, journalists, and platforms that helped to propel indie music to such great heights.
Such Great Heights was a fun read for me because, to quote the frequently referenced James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, I was there when many of the bands in the early chapters started. It was completely fun to remember about the hype that The Strokes received in that summer before September 11th. Especially as a recent college graduate who struggled to find work and then struggled with working full-time, music from new bands like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Rapture and established bands like Radiohead and The Dismemberment Plan really brought a lot of joy to my life at a particularly joyless time in America. I actually remember going to Spaceboy records in Philly right before Labor Day 2001 and picking up an EP by The Rapture (Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks) because I heard it on WPRB, and thought it was so fun and different sounding that a lot of the music available. I don’t think I had regular internet access at the time, so a lot of new music came from listening to college stations. I also remember seeing The Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Unitarian Church in February of 2002, after they released debut EP, but before they signed to a major label, and just being blown away by the sounds the three band members could make. In particular, Karen O was just so much fun to watch perform. Strangely enough, my son has gotten into the song “Maps”, and sometimes we watch older performances from the band. Regardless, it was fun to reminisce with DeVille in these sections of the book, since I remember how exciting this time was in discovering these bands, even though some of them, like Interpol and Radiohead, were signed to major labels, and weren’t necessarily “indie”. However, for DeVille, the genre was more about the style and not necessarily their status and affiliation. Also, I loved revisiting Dismemberment Plan and reading more about them. I only discovered this band through friends and a roommate in college, and they became a favorite of mine, especially for running. I still love when any of the songs from The Dismemberment Plan is Scared comes on during a run. As DeVille notes, the band has a kind of danceable, kinetic quality that wasn’t always a part of rock music in the 90s. Plus, they referenced Young MC and Rob Bass in their music, which was both funny and fun.
The next few chapters were also pretty fun and relevant, taking me back to a time when I had more disposable income and time to spare, when I could easily spend a few hours at the record store or splurge to go see a show on a weeknight. Although I had been a fan of Modest Mouse since my cousin made a mix with some songs in 2000, it was fun to recall how ubiquitous “Float On” was in the spring of 2004, remembering too how that song was a part of so many car trips in the early aughts; or how much the Franz Ferdinand debut was played on my walks to work or taking the subway home from night classes around that time; or how I somehow stumbled on the DFA sampler on iTunes after hearing LCD Soundsystem on WPRB. DeVille not only provides a detailed history of these bands and how they came about, but he also channels it through his own experience as a college student, musician, and music lover, sharing the joy and excitement in discovering “an alluring secret world”. Again, I loved this, since the music from this time has that kind of personal connection. There was so much in the early chapters that took me back to hanging out with friends, listening to music, and spending nights trying to find these songs on different file sharing sites or in later times, blogs.
I found the middle and later chapters enlightening, but also not as relatable since I was kind of losing my edge around the early 2010s, settling down and starting a family, my time for musical exploration was becoming contracting and in some ways fossilizing. It was actually funny to read about Odd Future and Tyler the Creator in Chapter 10 “Late Registration” since I was teaching an intro college course that year, and was seeing so many donut OF shirts. I was shocked, but also intrigued by this band and in particular by Tyler. I remember, too, getting into debates with a friend about the band. After reflecting a little more on my initial, visceral response to the band and wondering why so many white college students were interested in the band, it reminded me a lot of NWA, and how their kind of street knowledge scared so much of white, middle class America. Tyler’s Goblin album was both challenging and exciting, and I could tell that he was not only a creative force, but also seemed to be going through a lot of the kinds of struggles with identity that most adolescents experience. As DeVille notes, the themes and topics from OF were relevant to many kids, and was possibly one of the elements that made them so appealing to a larger demographic. This chapter also touched on how hip-hop and indie music formed a kind of creative bridge, expanding genres and opportunities to create new and unique sounds that wouldn’t have really happened in a pre-Judgement Night world. I also enjoyed Chapter 9’s focus on Chillwave and other kinds of psych-indie music that was evolving from the economic malaise of the early 2010s. I’m not sure if I completely agree that this music evolved from a desire to revert back to happier, analog nostalgia, but it was interesting to learn more about this style of music and see how it has led to the development of a kind of new ambient lo-fi genre. In fact, I was actually surprised to read about how much the worlds of hip-hop and indie rock cross pollinated around this time. Again, being on the outer edges of this book’s time period, I wasn’t as invested in some of these scenes and genres, so I learned a lot and was surprised about a lot.
DeVille’s writing is exciting and easy to follow; as he relates his own experiences to the music and shares his own accounts of shows and discovering the music for the first time, readers can also share in this joy and excitement. It’s one of the pleasures of this fun book. I didn’t realize how much music blogs and myspace helped to propel the popularity of indie music (along with films like Garden State and shows like The O.C.). Although the book focuses on music that was independent of major labels’ influence, DeVille explores how major labels, corporations, and tech companies all recognized the consumer potential for indie rock, and eventually sought to take advantage of its popularity, and how other artists that are on major labels were able to leverage indie artists to expand their popularity and audiences. That was the only disappointment in the book—that there was a lot of focus on major label artists, and how the attention from Pitchfork, Vice and other publications and platforms eventually moved the needle from indie to major labels. I guess that this kind of shift is also part of the story of indie music, and it was interesting to see how progressive major label artists were, sometimes, using their fame and influence to leverage more independent artists and possibly challenge their own audiences with new sounds and voices. Nevertheless, it does also seem like there’s another cynical and economic aspect to it. One thing that I also wondered about with this book was the continued explosion of different genres that have been subsumed by indie rock. In particular, the section on Chillwave was kind of funny to read about all the different variants. This also seems more like a way that algorithms and dedicated niche groups are involved, and that platforms can find a way to market to smaller, dedicated groups that allow them to feel a stronger connection to these genres. That is, I wonder whether some of the explosion of different genres is not necessarily the work of artistic vision, but rather savvy and targeted marketing by social media and streaming platforms. Maybe I’m getting too cynical as I’m losing my edge. Nevertheless, that’s what is so much fun about DeVille’s book—revisiting some of the most exciting and inventive times in recent music history. It’s a detailed trip down memory lane with some newer avenues to explore and learn about other bands and artists, at least for me. Highly recommended!
P.S. Glad to see Pavement and Sebadoh mentioned in the book, but sad that Archers of Loaf’s “Plumb Line” was not mentioned—one of the earlier and best mentions of Indie Rock.