omfgg.

I make no secret of my distaste for teen dramas. By middle school I was already watching The Daily Show (my favorite bit was "Even Stevphen" -- you guessed it -- pre-Office Carell debating pre-Report Colbert). Most of the people I know who watch Gossip Girl are old O.C. fans who soon realized that Manhattan is the only place on earth more pretentious than Orange County. In fact, a very good friend of mine recently accompanied me to Brooklyn solely to see where Dan lived. I just couldn't sympathize with their ridiculous problems... unless there were a plot twist in which Blair were somehow airlifted into Bosnia.

But I digress. My point is, I begrudgingly admit that these shows have some of the best soundtracks ever assembled. It confuses me additionally since I am sure that the majority of viewers are probably not familiar with the artists themselves. The Walkmen, Jeff Buckley, The Kills, Kasabian, LCD Soundsystem, Kaiser Chiefs, Of Montreal, Stars, The Virgins, The Kooks, Imogen Heap, Franz Ferdinand -- musicians from the indie mainstream, yes, but not necessarily aligned with the audience demographic. This has always puzzled me. Also, shows like Grey's Anatomy have catapulted plenty of artists from obscurity to stardom in seconds flat. This is mostly because Shonda Rhimes, who hand-picks the soundtrack, has a fantastic taste in music. Still, the actual events take precedence over the background music, and sometimes viewers aren't really listening, but economics-obsessed as I am, I have to wonder what the marketing gains are behind these choices.

An NME reviewer of Coldplay mentioned their uncanny ability to sneak commercially nonpalatable influences into mainstream music. Maybe these shows do something similar (not that I would EVER compare Chuck Bass to Chris Martin; and may I add, who names their kid "Chuck Bass" outside of the Appalachians?). Some very underrated early B-sides and EP songs pop up on these shows, like "Walnut Tree": Keane back when they didn't go all 80s, and "Specialist": Interpol at their very best and required listening for anyone who knows me. So props to whoever plans the soundtracks for this stuff -- you have stolen my indie heart.

omfgg.

side note: I would be remiss in my journalistic duties if I didn't issue a correction to my first post: Paul Banks has actually worn argyle for quite some time. As have I. And occasionally he will have lapses in fashion judgment but I will let it go, not just because he can quote Zoolander, and is the only person on earth who could pull off this haircut, but also because he is amazing. (Think about the line "if time is my vessel, then learning to love might be my way back to sea" for more than 30 seconds and you will have an aneurysm guaranteed or your money back.) Also, I have decided to make him a running joke throughout this blog, so I may continue my hero worship unabated beneath a thin veil of irony. Though the best part of this video is the guy in the gas mask: