Attention washed millennials: A second book from SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS author @chrisdeville.bsky.social (the guy typing this) is in the works. This update contains a little tease about that, plus news about my podcast interviewing musicians about football, and a rundown of my recent Stereogum work:

My New Football Blog, My New Book, And Other Updates

It’s been way too busy at Such Great Heights HQ

suchgreatheights.substack.com

I was interviewed for this along with a bunch of your favorite 2000s indie bands. No idea if I made the cut, but if you liked my book, this will probably be essential listening for you.

2004: The Year Indie Rock Broke@2004pod.bsky.social · 3w ago

Get ready to go back in time to the year 2004, when Seth Cohen is on The O.C., saying Death Cab for Cutie is his favorite band, while Natalie Portman is in Garden State, exclaiming that a Shins song will change your life.

Absolutely chuffed to be back on 60 Songs That Explain The '90s: The 2000s discussing "Young Folks" and all things Peter Bjorn And John

"Young Folks": The History of Indie Twee's Big Hit

YouTube video by 60 Songs That Explain the '90s

youtu.be

My book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion came out one year ago today. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a smashing success. To mark the anniversary, here is Part 1 in a series on the state of indie music today:

Indie After ‘Such Great Heights’ (Part 1)

A multi-part look at the state of indie music today, on the first anniversary of my book’s release

suchgreatheights.substack.com

Listening to a local band of 20 somethinga do a cover of Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet made me worried for our future

@bloodbuzzedsky.bsky.social cierra la semana hablando de ‘La música indie. Una historia cultural’, de @chrisdeville.bsky.social. Una atractiva crónica del auge y caída del indie-rock en la primera década del siglo XXI. @suchgreatheights.bsky.social

La música indie. Una historia cultural, Chris DeVille (Península, 2026) - Indienauta

Península publica La música indie. Una historia cultural, de Chris DeVille. Crónica del auge y caída del indie-rock en el siglo XXI.

indienauta.com

There was much discourse on X last week regarding the false, persistent idea that hipsters listened to stomp-clap bands like the Lumineers and Mumford & Sons, which spiraled into a discussion about what hipsters even were. It was all very relevant to my book, so I tried to provide some context...

Hey! Hipsters Did Not Listen To Stomp-Clap

My latest SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS B-side debunks a persistent falsehood

suchgreatheights.substack.com

SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion on sale now read.macmillan.com/lp/such-grea...

Stone Cold Jane Austen@abbyhiggs.bsky.social · 5mo ago

When I hear Death Cab on the classic rock station

I’m listening to @chrisdeville.bsky.social’s Such Great Heights audiobook now and it is just nostalgia central - and all of these songs feature prominently!

the babahuck@tylerhuckabee.bsky.social · 5mo ago

had a debate last night about the definitive millennial song. some contenders: mgmt’s “kids,” yeah yeah yeah’s “maps,” kanye’s “all of the lights,” arcade fire’s “wake up,” postal service’s “such great heights,” animal collective’s “my girls,” lcd soundsystem’s “all my friends,” stroke’s “last nite”

After discussing 'Drive' on @soundtrackyourlife.net, I made a 40-song playlist. Chromatics, Kavinsky, forebears like Vangelis, peers like M83, synthwave, etc. I also wrote about the movie's influence on 2010s music and our neverending nostalgia for an imagined 1980s. Behold the 'Drive' diaspora.

'Drive' Diaspora: The Dream of An Imagined '80s

My recent podcast appearance inspired further thoughts and a new playlist

suchgreatheights.substack.com

Newsletter update on my Modest Mouse cruise feature, my involvement in a cool event you can livestream, new and upcoming podcast appearances, the Spanish translation of my book(!), other recent writing for Stereogum I'm proud of, and more

The Ship Didn't Sink

My weekend on the Modest Mouse cruise and other updates

suchgreatheights.substack.com

Thrilled to announce that my book 'SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion' has been translated into Spanish under the new title 'LA MÚSICA INDIE.' It's available now via Ediciones Península: www.planetadelibros.com/libro-la-mus...

Just got my copy of Such Great Heights by @chrisdeville.bsky.social and can’t wait to start reading it!

I wrote a gazillion words about my long history with Times New Viking, backing my way into local music from the internet, indie vs. Big Indie, and a reunion show that cast TNV as a link in a long chain of Columbus weirdo greats

The Times They Are New Viking

One show, three generations of indie rock, and a whole lotta memories.

suchgreatheights.substack.com

Bill Callahan's "One Fine Morning" appears in HBO's Station Eleven (2021)

The soundtrack for SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS Chapter 12, “Love It If We Made It,” is live

Chapter 12 Soundtrack: The End Is Here

The playlist accompanying my SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS chapter "Love It If We Made It" examines the 2010s aftermath of indie's mainstream moment.

suchgreatheights.substack.com

Jacob Tierney writing Wolf Parade into the DNA of Heated Rivalry struck me as a nostalgic return to Hollywood's post-O.C. era

Best Old Music: Does 'Heated Rivalry' Herald A Hollywood Wave Of 2000s Indie Rock Nostalgia?

The film and TV industry may be running back the O.C. era through a retro lens.

suchgreatheights.substack.com

I'm about the same age as the writer and I also liked death cab before they were on the OC lol: Playlist of all of the chapter's playlists: music.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Chris DeVille - Such Great Heights Playlist

YouTube video by jackie harris

music.youtube.com

Chris DeVille@chrisdeville.bsky.social · last yr.

My debut book is OUT TODAY! 'Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion' is about how indie rock changed the mainstream and the mainstream changed indie rock in the 21st century. Buy it and let me know what you think:

The Dalai Lama won this category but I was ROBBED

Chris DeVille@chrisdeville.bsky.social · last yr.

Did you know I narrated the audiobook of my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS? And did you know it's eligible to be nominated for a Grammy? If you are a voter, check it out. (Also check it out if you're not a Grammy voter.) read.macmillan.com/lp/such-grea...

The soundtrack to Chapter 11 of SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS is live. This is a document of the early 2010s moment when "indie" started to truly detach from "rock" — the time of PBR&B, Tumblr-minted pop stars, and guitar bands trying to be anything but guitar bands.

Chapter 11 Soundtrack: Indie-Rock Poptimism Reaches Its Peak

The playlist accompanying my SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS chapter "Art Angels" revisits the prime of Grimes and Haim, of Lana and Lorde, of Chvrches and Charli. Plus: PBR&B!

suchgreatheights.substack.com

I spent the weeks leading up to Christmas revisiting the Deerhunter catalog. Here's why I think they were the greatest of their era, why I barely touched on them in my book about indie's mainstream glow-up, and why I sure wish they'd come back...

Deerhunter Hated "Indie Rock" And Were The Greatest Indie Rock Band Of Their Generation

The latest B-side from my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS examines Bradford Cox and friends' formidable legacy against a backdrop of indie rock gentrification

suchgreatheights.substack.com

"Such Great Heights" was a great read! Thank you @chrisdeville.bsky.social! You wove the music and social and commercial changes together deftly. I am now on a listening journey.

Chris DeVille@chrisdeville.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Thanks to everyone who read my writing, bought/read/listened to my book, or otherwise supported my work this year! Merry Christmas!

I missed this yesterday in the holiday hubbub. It's great writing on a great band, one whose catalog is worth dipping into at any point in their chronology, and one whose absence truly makes the heart grow fonder. Never stop being you, Bradford Cox (and please come back).

Chris DeVille@chrisdeville.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Happy Boxing Day! I wrote about why Deerhunter were the greatest indie rock band of their generation (despite Bradford Cox hating “indie rock”), why I barely covered them in my book about indie’s mainstream glow-up, and how badly I want them to come back:

Hey, @rollingstone.com named my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS one of the best music books of 2025! Thanks @simonwilliam.bsky.social!

The Best Music Books of 2025

Rolling Stone editors review the best music books of 2025, including books about Cameron Crowe, Ozzy Osbourne, Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Tupac Shakur, and Bruce Springsteen.

rollingstone.com

am friends with josh fauver’s sister and got to meet him at a show once before they went on lovely talented guy gone too soon incredible band, plz come back

Chris DeVille@chrisdeville.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Happy Boxing Day! I wrote about why Deerhunter were the greatest indie rock band of their generation (despite Bradford Cox hating “indie rock”), why I barely covered them in my book about indie’s mainstream glow-up, and how badly I want them to come back:

This is damn excellent. I absolutely loved Fading Frontier and Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared and felt like Deerhunter was entering their most interesting phase and then....silence. Please come back!

Chris DeVille@chrisdeville.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Happy Boxing Day! I wrote about why Deerhunter were the greatest indie rock band of their generation (despite Bradford Cox hating “indie rock”), why I barely covered them in my book about indie’s mainstream glow-up, and how badly I want them to come back:

I've long wondered why Deerhunter never really made the jump to revered legacy band status. Chris' excellent essay here makes the undoubtedly correct point that this was feature-not-bug stuff in the band's pointed lack of self-mythologizing or interest in becoming part of the larger pop firmament.

Chris DeVille@chrisdeville.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Happy Boxing Day! I wrote about why Deerhunter were the greatest indie rock band of their generation (despite Bradford Cox hating “indie rock”), why I barely covered them in my book about indie’s mainstream glow-up, and how badly I want them to come back:

Happy Boxing Day! I wrote about why Deerhunter were the greatest indie rock band of their generation (despite Bradford Cox hating “indie rock”), why I barely covered them in my book about indie’s mainstream glow-up, and how badly I want them to come back:

Deerhunter Hated "Indie Rock" And Were The Greatest Indie Rock Band Of Their Generation

The latest B-side from my book SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS examines Bradford Cox and friends' formidable legacy against a backdrop of indie rock gentrification

suchgreatheights.substack.com

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll" (2009)