Comments on: Class of 2007: Simon Raymonde (Bella Union)

By: Rich Thane

Rich Thane — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:46:28 +0000

yeah the whole argument towards bands “selling out” is ridiculous. if they want to make money, then why the hell not. sure, if i saw jeff tweedy singing “im lovin’ it” on a mcdonalds advert then i think there would be something wrong about that (even though he does like a good chesseburger). bands need to make money like all of us – and as piracy rises etc, they’ve got to do these kinds of things to bring in the $$$$$.

By: Bridget Helgoth

Bridget Helgoth — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:33:49 +0000

There is nothing wrong with an indie band trying to make a buck, imo. Kevin Barnes is still a genius, and to say that Hissing Fauna is awful… bah. It’s a stellar album.

There is an undeniable trend of indie bands being used in commercials for major corporations – Bishop Allen, The Shins, Band Of Horses… But whatever. While certain aspects of my indie sensibilities want to reject these bands for “selling out”, I have to remember that their corporate paychecks just may be reposonsible for their continued existence, and in turn, my happiness.

By: Bryan McNeely

Bryan McNeely — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:41:08 +0000

Oh no, not Of Montreal.

Once they hit it big with “Satanic Panic in the Attic,” (a very GOOD album) their egos went through the roof. “Sunlandic Twins” was awful and so is “Hissing Fauna…” When you begin hearing a band’s music being used in commercials for popular restaurants, you have to suspect something’s wrong. They turned up the disco dial too much, almost straying into Scissor Sisters territory. The cleverness of their pop sound is gone, it sounds way, way, way too much like a blatant attempt to be more mainstream. Blah, this band is no longer viable.