When Indie Goes Network

I thought I might have heard wrong when Seth, on last week’s episode of “The O.C.” — which I happened upon while flipping through the channels, I swear — said something about Death Cab for Cutie playing on stage. I didn’t recognize the band (I’ve only seen them once in concert), but the music sounded familiar.

The next day, an article titled “Death Shows for Cuties: Why can’t indie bands stay on the soundtrack — and off the stage — of trendy TV teen shows?” appeared on Salon.

When I realized it had been them on the show, I was really bothered. It’s not even that I think the band sold out with their appearance, or that I begrudge them more fans and further success (though the tiniest part of me does feel that way). But seeing this great indie band on this slick, superficial TV show was like seeing spilled blood. I felt this sense of revulsion at seeing something that shouldn’t be, whether blood outside skin or indie band on FOX. At the very least, it’s distasteful.

In her article, writer Hillary Frey makes the following point: “On the stage, there’s no drama. A band is nothing more than a prop, a song is never loud enough, the very cute guitar player is never visible. The setup takes all the joy out of a live performance, and all the excitement out of a truly dramatic moment. It’s a waste.”

Gotta love those mutants: