Chris DeVille is the managing editor of Stereogum and the author of a new book called Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion. He joins us to talk about his book, aptly billed as “the definitive history of 21st century indie rock—from Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie to Phoebe Bridgers and St. Vincent—and how the genre shifted the musical landscape and shaped a generation.”

We discuss what “indie” means, the effect of easier access to music via streaming, how Stereogum is a kindred spirit of 97X, why the book title works on multiple levels, and the ongoing need for music curation. 

Here’s Chris’ own description of the book from his article in Stereogum:

Photo credit: Tim Johnson/Columbus Monthly. Check out the Columbus Monthly interview with Chris here.

I read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Each chapter includes a recommended soundtrack of songs that are mentioned in that chapter. The Chapter 1 soundtrack will be quite recognizable to 97X listeners:

This book page has links to purchase the book at multiple retailers.

And of course our post wouldn’t be complete without The Postal Service: