Follow-up to that Blender post from a while ago

First and foremost, on behalf of both of us here at Never Leared to Swim - Happy Thanksgiving.

A while back, I posted a link to Blender's list of the top 100 indie rock albums of all time. I think enough time has elapsed now that I can offer my two cents on that article. Let me offer the following caveat to dedicated Blender readers: don't read this post; it'll rub you the wrong way. Moreover, it's possible that this post is an exercise in music snobbery. Maybe it is. Indulge me.

So, I wasn't aware that a magazine that has allowed the Black Eyed Peas to grace its cover was in any way fit to arbitrate quality in indie rock. I think Blender is just about as qualified as my mother to make a list like this. And it shows. This list conflates the terms "unheard-of" and "indie", probably intentionally so as to mask the fact that they really don't know what the hell they're talking about. I looked at that list, where the safe, predictable picks (Pavement at #1?? SHOCKING.) were tastefully nestled between bands who nobody ever cared about and who ultimately contributed nothing to indie music. Just because a band sounds like they were ahead of their time certainly doesn't mean they were, and the writers at Blender should know that.

Sad thing is, Blender's got a good thing going. They probably fooled the hell out of their readership, to whom names like Animal Collective and Wolf Parade are vaguely familiar at best. They pulled a fast one. But I want anyone on the Blender staff who ever reads this to know that we here at Never Learned to Swim were not fooled. Not one bit. For shame, Blender Magazine; for shame. We're on to you.


-PTC