9 music acts that are no longer alternative

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:20 PM EDT

Article Source: msnbc.com

"The O.C." may be a distant memory by now, a whopping 18 months after it left the air, but its legacy lives on in the career of Death Cab For Cutie. Against all odds, the show helped transform the indie stalwarts from catchphrase to shibboleth of cool to genuine mainstream stars.

For proof, you need only look as far as their latest album "Narrow Stairs," which in its first week not only outsold its predecessor by half but beat out Frank Sinatra for the top of the charts.

A handful of other alternative acts have navigated a similar transition to the mainstream since the turn of the century. That doesn't mean that they've softened, necessarily, just that their music is no longer exclusively the province of hip record store employees who know more than you do. Joining Death Cab in that club are:

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{"commentId":2195436,"authorDomain":"saraz411"}

Sara-378258

I don't agree with this author's argument. I love most of these bands but they are difficult to find on mainstream radio stations in most places in the country. Just because they were featured in commercials doesn't make them as mainstream as U2. When U2 did the iPOD commercials everyone said "Oh! Bono!" When Wilco's song was in the VW commercials people said... nothing because no one knew who it was except previous fans.

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#1 - Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:49 AM EDT

{"commentId":2195839,"authorDomain":"dan090682"}

Dan-378357

I have always had a problem with the term "selling out" when bands get their music to the masses through various outlets...I don't view doing an Apple commercial or a VW commercial as a negative. These bands have a right to get their music heard however they can...and in this age of new technology where radio is less and less important bands and labels have to be more forward-thinking in finding ways to do that. Contrary to what some may think, most bands don't want to be a niche act that has a hardcore, small following for their entire career and never branches out...they want their art to be heard and appreciated.

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#2 - Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:12 AM EDT

{"commentId":2202858,"authorDomain":"justcallmejoe247"}

J.C. Reaves

Eisley!! Eisley!! Eisley!! They are like the little train that can!! An "indie" on a "major" (WB). Man, with two albums and a slew of EP's--this group should be getting the recognition they deserve. But selling out is definitely not in the cards for this group. Well managed---very selective in touring and endorsements, they could be the next big thing, right up there with Wilco or the White Stripes. A part of me wants it for them--that way EVERYONE will see/hear how good this band is, but then another part of me wants it to stay exactly like it is---a very good band with a fan base that is as devoted as a any. A band I can call my own, a band that belongs to me and not the huddled masses.

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#3 - Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:03 AM EDT

{"commentId":2376791,"authorDomain":"paulshrug"}

paulshrug

The problem with this article is that the phrase "alternative" has been virtually useless for about 15 years. In fact, the very question "Can this band still be considered 'alternative'?" has been meaningless for almost the same amount of time. I cringe when I see a serious journalistic enterprise use "alternative". I don't really know why someone at MSNBC thinks we need this article now. (And it would have only been slightly more relevant if it had been "9 Bands That Aren't Indie Anymore," because that no longer matters either.)

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#4 - Wed Aug 6, 2008 1:23 AM EDT

{"commentId":2376816,"authorDomain":"paulshrug"}

paulshrug

The problem with this article is that the phrase "alternative" as it relates to music has been perfectly meaningless for about a decade and a half. So has the term "indie," to only a slightly lesser extent. I cringe whenever I see a major journalistic institution talk about "alternative music" (that's probably my problem, I guess). But an article that discusses "9 Bands that Aren't Alternative Anymore" in 2008? I don't see who that was written for. Certainly not the fans of most of the bands you mention, because they weren't popular until after "alternative" was out of circulation.

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#5 - Wed Aug 6, 2008 1:30 AM EDT

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DENNIS P. MCCANN

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9 music acts that are no longer alternative

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