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I recently read an article on the “Death of Indie Cred”. It got me to thinking about my reactions to commercialized Indie Rock.

Growing up, commercials had jingles for audio. I am sure super brands may have licensed popular tracks here and there, but in my mind, all I heard was “Where’s the Beef?”. The first instance of a song I remember in a commercial was “Summer Song” by Joe Satriani blasting over a Sony Walkman ad in the early nineties. Coincidentally, this was around the same time I was discovering what I would come to know as Indie Rock.

I entered high school in the fall of 1994. The alternative movement was still in full force in my little southern VA town. It was a good time. Baseball players went to local shows. The popular crowd was embracing the Flaming Lips. I might have been exploring tunes that were considered left of the dial, but I could take comfort in the fact that I was no longer going to be laughed at for my Sonic Youth t-shirt.

And then we entered the fall of 1995. Some held on a little longer than others, but copies of “Monster” and “Last Splash” couldn’t fill up used bins fast enough. No one seemed to care about Nirvana much like they did during their angsty jr high years. There was social status to obtain and that was by way of Garth Brooks and Dave Matthews in your tape deck.

My relationship with bands and music only became stronger. Me and my friends became protective about our discoveries and treated every piece of music like valuable art (not to say that it isn’t, but a 3 dollar 7” doesn’t quite hold up to a Basquiat painting in monetary value. You get the drift). In an effort not to see some ridiculous explosion and exploitation of our lifestyle again, we opted to treat our music tastes as a secret society. Only through our dress and mix tapes for crushes not to be had would these secret band names be let out into the open.

So when “pink moon” made it onto that VW commercial I recall being shocked and not exactly thrilled that An Introduction to Nick Drake would be gracing a new found audience of case logic books. It wasn’t that I didn’t want people listening to Nick Drake. I didn’t want an artist I loved to be played to the point where the song no longer is enjoyable. I think we had an idea that this was going to keep happening and weren’t sure where it would end.

I want bands to succeed. Bands that deserve it at least. I love that I don’t have to wait 5 years between Yo la Tengo records because the are musicians for a living. What I have never wanted is to attend shows with jerks. This is exactly what begins to happen when little indie bands grow into stars. Joe Q Football discovers Modest Mouse and the next thing you know a drunk 250 pound jock is standing in front of me yapping during the show. What was once an intimate experience with a great band becomes a waste of money and a crappy evening. Songs in commercials do just this. If the song is attached to the correct media buy, all the sudden millions of people are going to hear “Jerk it out”.

So…when my favorite little bands license out songs I sometimes still cringe. I get it. I do. And I understand. I just might not be at the show this time around.

So yeah, I guess I do still care.