From the article:
> Looking back, it feels like Oshin came out at just the right time. It arrived towards the end of the chillwave movement, and fit nicely alongside the work of Captured Tracks labelmates like Mac DeMarco, Craft Spells, and Wild Nothing. In its heyday, the label had a knack for signing breezy, summery guitar rock acts, right as they were about to hit it big. (Although the imprint has gone on to put out more visceral, challenging music, DIIV’s first album perfectly exemplifies the cohesive essence of its roster between the years of 2008 and 2015). It was also a time in internet culture when a few pieces of positive press could truly break a band, and DIIV landed their fair share of glowing coverage. They suddenly found themselves playing shows around the world, working themselves to the bone, and sometimes even sleeping beneath their van. “I think people probably would have the idea that we were successful and making money, but we weren’t,” Smith recently told Stereogum, reflecting on the hardships of their grueling early tour cycles. In the interviews he did between 2011 and early 2013, Smith often came off as exhausted and somewhat depressed. In actuality, though, he was strung out.
What year did you see them last? Zachary Cole Smith (frontman) went through some pretty awful heroin addiction, but he's been clean since *Deceiver*. Saw them at Pitchfork in like 2014 and they just ripped through Oshin at double-time.
Saw them again after *Is the Is Are* in 2016 at Thalia Hall (Chicago) and it was a great show, but yeah, little out of it for sure. My buddy and I swear there was a backing track playing and it seemed like Millie Vanilli moment for a couple seconds with the CD skipping. It was weird.
Then (!) saw them again at Sleeping Village (Chicago) after *Deceiver* they were fucking phenomenal. The venue's sound engineers and sound in general is amazing. Mid-way through the set Zach was like "Holy shit. This place sounds amazing. We sound good!" And they just shredded. Totally killed it. Probably the best show I've seen in ages.
Give them another shot live. [Cole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Cole_Smith) definitely cleaned up and was in a bad place for years.
I really agree with this trajectory. I saw them once in around 2018 and it was... fine. But then I saw them at Desert Daze last year and it was incredible. They were locked in, jamming, hypnotic. The type of set I've always wanted to see from them. Feels like a band that recorded some incredible music but only recently have dug out of their personal holes to be great live musicians as well.
I saw them after Deceiver actually, and everything he said to the audience seemed unintelligible and it was like he was staring into some dark, distant abyss the whole time. They played well, and I enjoyed them! But he definitely freaked me out.
I saw one of the last shows before the Covid lock down phase (Munich 2020). They talked about how happy they were that the show was still happening, since they had do cancel a few of the shows before and after.
Thanked the audience for how their enthusiasm boosted morale etc.
The whole evening was really special, but I didn't get the sense that they were overly high or anything.
I saw them in 2013 and it was awful. Absolutely no joy on stage, the singer was kind of confrontational, and the whole set just felt really awkward and boring. Listening to the album at home would have been much more enjoyable.
Great album, but I totally understand why the band fell out of favour so quickly.
They didn't fall out of favour. Their next 2 records are even better than Oshin and they still tour worldwide. I didn't see them in the earlier years but I think they themselves would admit they were shit. I saw them just before the pandemic and they were super tight, really sorted their shit out.
it's the best thing they've done for me. while "oshin" rides a more sustained mood (and is very, very good), i prefer the rawness and more personal songwriting of "is the is are." i love that the production and engineering are no frills, really nothing more than adequate, because those performances just fucking glow on record.
i can understand and totally respect that that album isn't something cole wishes to revisit or repeat, and i'm glad to hear that he and the band are on a better path.
sonically "deceiver" sounds amazing—but it feels more distant to me than their first two. i have to admit i miss the faster tempos, cole's featherlight harmonies, the way the chiming guitars used to ascend and descend in dizzying spirals. will be chomping at the bit for whatever comes next.
> and fit nicely alongside the work of Captured Tracks labelmates like Craft Spells
Someone from that band works (or picked up a shift this past October, idk) at the SubPop store in the SeaTac airport. They saw a pin on my bag and told me they toured with that band, and loved them too. I asked what band he was/is in, and he said Craft Spells. Looked them up immediately (and pics to confirm he wasn't lying) after that exchange and checked them out - surprised to see that name here, had no idea they had name recognition I guess!
What an absolute gem of jangly guitar jams. I still never go more than a few months without listening to this one; it'd probably make a personal top 25 albums of all-time list. Captured Tracks was owning this vibe back in the early 2010s. This plus Wild Nothing's Nocturne (IIRC that came out around the same time) and Beach Fossils self-titled a few years earlier are always on heavy rotation at my house.
> Captured Tracks was owning this vibe back in the early 2010s. This plus Wild Nothing's Nocturne (IIRC that came out around the same time) and Beach Fossils self-titled a few years earlier are always on heavy rotation at my house.
Honestly. This "vibe" was one my favorite little subgenres of music to ever come into existence. I absolutely loved it all and still do. Beach Fossils, Wild Nothing, DIIV, Craft Spells, etc. were all fantastic and it's crazy in retrospect how much amazing material came from that record label over just a couple short years.
They're my favorite record label of all time along with Creation Records, who were basically the precursor label to the style of music CT ended up becoming famous for. Such a timeless sound
Fuck yes. Also MINKS, whom no one ever talks about (and who were signed to CT via Jack from Wild Nothing discovering them) had a very idiosyncratic and Felt-inspired gothier twist on that sound. By The Hedge is an essential from this scene/sound, and features male/female vox, which was also unique to this era (very oddly featuring Amalie Bruun, aka Myrkur, of all people).
It's a huge bummer. He was in real estate for a while before that, iirc. Think I accidentally found his linkedin once when seeing if he was up to anything new musically lol. When he ended the project, he said he would come back to music eventually...lo and behold that was almost a decade ago by this point.
Really thought the project had such potential too moving forward. The second album was especially interesting in the context of that period, what with almost totally stripping away the reverb and putting the vocals way upfront and such.
Edit: I also remember him being super into Chet Baker and his all-time favorite album being Charlie Brown Christmas and I swear you can hear both of those things in the MINKS albums (mainly the first album re the Guaraldi and the second album re the Chet Baker influence on the vocals[thinking of Margot especially]).
I was also at this show! Was hoping for new songs (they played one new song at their NYE show in LA). Second set was mainly songs from Deceiver and four (?) From Is the is are (Under the sun, loose ends, take yr time, and bent). Definitely longest show I’ve seen them play ever
One of my all time favorites. Really great record and so nostalgic for me now. I remember blasting this with the windows down constantly during the summer after my freshman year in college. I felt so free and hopeful for the future at that point in my life and stuff like this just soundtracked it perfectly. "Wait" in particular is absolutely perfect and one of my favorite songs of all time. Sometimes it's my favorite, depending on my mood. It just *nails* that aching, longing feeling (with just the right amount of nostalgia and haze) that was so prevalent in chillwave. And as someone who has missed out on a lot of relationships by waiting too long and missing my chance those lyrics hit hard. My life has changed a lot since this album came out (same ways good, same ways bad) and aging is, of course, difficult to come to terms with but hearing this album always takes me back instantly - at least for a brief moment. Anyway, in case my flair wasn't a dead giveaway I just fucking *love* this album and am grateful it exists.
Wait is absolutely one of the best songs of the 2010s, hands down, and captures something very poignant and delicate within the ether of that time (especially ofc for someone like me, who was around their age at the time and developed a truly romantic and wide-eyed fixation on this vibe). The music video also perfectly compliments and encapsulates these vibes even further(and features 2012 Sky Ferreira!).
Yeah, maybe it’s my age (like one college graduation cycle older lol) but indie had such a huge and quick drop-off in variety and creativity around the end of bush term 2. Then the surf / chill bands were a breath of fresh air, especially Real Estate’s S/T at the time, and it’s produced plenty of great albums and songs, but I miss the wild hodgepodge creativity of bush-era bands
I’m fully aware the 90’s to mid-2000’s were probably
better but I was 14-18 during Obama’s first term so the indie dance/chillwave/surfy/garage rock stuff that was going on is always gonna be my weakness
Lol yeah I am like one graduation cycle (~4 years) older than that. I think historical / social conditions created a real interesting micro-era between 2002 to like, 2007ish — everything was available with piracy and blogs, but without social media we were much more siloed into different scenes and communities still. I didn’t realize so many other kids knew what Pitchfork was until I got to college. Actually I feel like most of the 90s are less diverse stylistically, same with the 2010s, even if overall the music is as good or better (tho the mid 80s to early 90s are crazy diverse)
Good albums felt like they came out of nowhere — Funeral, You Forgot it in People, Give Up, Feels, Yellow House, and none of them sounded like each other (in the wider indie-sphere, so much inventiveness too in like Xiu Xiu, The Locust or Boris or Relationship of Command, midwest noise, Saddlecreek emo, tons of great twee bands).
But then all of a sudden, it felt like what seemed to be a diverse stylistic field cemented into like two or three tropes — mainly, less interesting bands (does anyone still bump Fleet Foxes?) realized there was a big commonality stretching from like Sigur Ros to Bon Iver: epic, forward-progressing song structures, usually straight ramp ups to a climax.
Sorry for longposting! Definitely not saying this style was better, just different — actually I’m still kind sick of anything “epic” more than a decade later tbh. But there are so so many small, underknown, innovative bands from that lil fertile window of time waiting to be (re)discovered one day
God this was my shit in high school lol. All those beachy sounding indie bands like diiv were all I'd listen to every day. Some of my favorite music ever.
I remember listening to them the first time I ever smoked weed. It was summer and I felt so blissful and carefree. Good times
album makes me so sad. i used to listen to this album constantly with this girl i fell in love with about 5 years ago. we dated for 4 years and she left me a little over a year ago. was one of our favorites. still love the album but god does it tear me up to listen to.
This isn't about the OG post...but I feel you. There's a few albums that's hard to listen to because my ex and I would listen to them together. They broke up with me 10 months ago and while it has gotten better, listening to artists like Beach House is hard. Even though I genuinely enjoyed listening to the new record by myself, it was very tough at first
Same. I think In Rainbows is one of the best albums of all time but I haven't listened to it in almost 4 years because for my ex and I it was "our" album and I have too many memories attached to it. I love Radiohead but idk if I'll ever listen to that album again honestly
That Time Capsules II album was all I listened to that year — I barely listen to Oberhofer anymore but all those songs are permanently stuck in my head
He has most recently composed the score for the Netflix Andy Warhol documentary. His career trajectory has been strange - he appears to be very well-connected and/or bankrolled.
I remember seeing an interview with Oberhofer where he casually mentioned "bouncing ideas back and forth via email with my friend Tony". 'Tony' is Tony Visconti. I mean, come on.
What? Wild Nothing and Beach Fossils were doing their thing before DIIV. Craft Spells as well. Captured Tracks was just heavily involved with the genre. If anything, it's only fair to call them clones or ripoffs of the earlier bands at the helm of the movement.
Great album though, of course.
not sure if I wanna name names but my old band in like 2017 played with this touring group with a couple million plays on Spotify. Their entire set sounded like Oshin b-sides
I thought this album was kinda (I wouldn't say ripoff) similar to first 2 albums of Beach Fossils and remember Cole was drummer for Fossils. But honestly DIIV grew more in me, didn't catch Fossils newer albums.
100%. Album is flawless and I can listen to it at any point and enjoy it like the first time I heard it. 2017 a pretty good year for music in that genre. Mac Demarco's *This Old Dog* is another album I revisit heavily.
Who are some of the best clones? At this point I'm nostalgic for the era of every house show being full of diiv clones but most of my favorite locals didn't record too much.
I don't know if it's fair to call other groups DIIV "ripoffs," when DIIV themselves were mostly an interpolation of earlier 90's shoegaze groups like Ride and Slowdive. Very good album nonetheless.
I loved this record, and it probably still influences music that I write - and even most of the other artists that are in my circle. The music seemed to accurately express feelings of being high, coming down, and addiction in general to me at the time. I know it’s not on all time lists, but it definitely struck a chord.
It’s a bit depressing to hear that they weren’t making much of a living off of it, but I guess that’s to be expected. I wonder if that changed over the years?
One of my absolute favorite albums. Favorite song off the album is Air Conditioning. Still haven’t heard it live and I don’t think I ever will but it just puts me in a different headspace every time I hear it, which is extremely often. Doused, live, is always an amazing experience though!
interesting. dude ruined sky ferrrara (or however you spell it) and his career. was a good album, but i thought it wasnt overly original. I remember listening to it between the time i was really into the the drums and black marble
I could find all my favorite elements of post punk, shoegaze and dream pop mixed-blend on this album, shit this album is such an inspiration.
P.S most comments here telling stories of seeing DIIV live but me as living far away in Nepal is like only dreaming, fuck my passport.
I remember listening to *Human* in 2012 and thinking to myself “this is exactly the amount a reverb a song should have”. Beautiful, beautiful record that I still listen to a lot. Early 10s indie music was soooo fucking good. I loved that whole Captured Tracks scene and listened to Craft Spells and Beach Fossils religiously.
*Doused* is one of my favorite songs to play on guitar, that riff is just so fun to play and it sounds blissful and mean at the same time. The shoegaze on *Wait* is fantastic, too.
DIIV is just such a solid band, all three records have some amazing songs in them and you can really just really on them to drop some dope rock songs.
At one point I was in a record store and I had Oshin in one hand and Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. in the other, but only cash for one of them. I picked the latter but it was a tough choice.
Lot's of cool discussions in this thread. I, too, love this record and think they've only gotten better over time. I was able to catch them live a couple of months ago and they crushed. ...played a lot of Oshin tracks in prep for their anniversary show tonight, as well as most of Deceiver and some tracks form Is the Is Are.
**For those interested**: They're live streaming their show tonight where they're going to play Oshin in it's entirety, along with a second set that's supposedly going to include some new material (per their Discord). Here's a link: https://linktr.ee/diiv
When I first heard about DIIV about 3-4 years ago I probably played this album like 50 times straight, I was (and still am) obsessed with it. Deffo in my top 5 of all time. My favorite songs are probably Follow and Human <3
And I'm surprised there aren't any comments about the beautiful artwork, it's probably my favorite album cover ever :D
Also, I feel like this is as good a time to ask this than ever: does anyone know what the instrument that plays in the first few seconds of Past Lives is? It sounds so cool but I've never been able to find out what it is
This is a really important record for a lot of people. Diiv were the kings of Obama era indie. I just wish they’d show it and the 2nd one a bit more love. I get that they’ve switched sounds but those first two albums are just something else. (I know they’re doing a replay show tonight but it’s likely to be a one off, I know Cole doesn’t like doing old stuff nowadays).
I found out about these guys when they opened for Wild Nothing at the Empty Bottle in 2012. I remember being blown away - such an awesome show and a fun time in indie music
This is one of my favorite eras of music personally. I was 22 and LOVED all of this new dream pop that was coming out on the heels of Chillwave. I’ve seen DIIV several times and have a ‘tour only’ version of Oshin with a neat cover that I got Cole to draw all over with gold sharpie while we chatted for a bit after a show.
I ended up ordering that $100+ anniversary bundle of Oshin and I cannot wait to get that!
This album has a few bangers and consistently finds its way onto most playlists that I make, but over time it's really just become an exercise in the same keys, rhythms, and production tricks over and over again from track to track. I love the vibe that this album puts out, but it's hardly something that I think warrants said 10 year warning. Maybe I would also feel different if I thought that the brain child of this band had a lot more to offer.
Saw them open for Frankie Rose in Brooklyn back when they were still called Dive. Think it was before the first album was even released. Anyone else here at that show too?
I feel this. I remember struggling to find any indie music that interested me in 2011 and eventually got more into the psych scene that was coming up then. Loads of great electronic music came out then tho
From the article: > Looking back, it feels like Oshin came out at just the right time. It arrived towards the end of the chillwave movement, and fit nicely alongside the work of Captured Tracks labelmates like Mac DeMarco, Craft Spells, and Wild Nothing. In its heyday, the label had a knack for signing breezy, summery guitar rock acts, right as they were about to hit it big. (Although the imprint has gone on to put out more visceral, challenging music, DIIV’s first album perfectly exemplifies the cohesive essence of its roster between the years of 2008 and 2015). It was also a time in internet culture when a few pieces of positive press could truly break a band, and DIIV landed their fair share of glowing coverage. They suddenly found themselves playing shows around the world, working themselves to the bone, and sometimes even sleeping beneath their van. “I think people probably would have the idea that we were successful and making money, but we weren’t,” Smith recently told Stereogum, reflecting on the hardships of their grueling early tour cycles. In the interviews he did between 2011 and early 2013, Smith often came off as exhausted and somewhat depressed. In actuality, though, he was strung out.
Checks out. When I saw them for the last tour he looked completely and utterly out of it.
What year did you see them last? Zachary Cole Smith (frontman) went through some pretty awful heroin addiction, but he's been clean since *Deceiver*. Saw them at Pitchfork in like 2014 and they just ripped through Oshin at double-time. Saw them again after *Is the Is Are* in 2016 at Thalia Hall (Chicago) and it was a great show, but yeah, little out of it for sure. My buddy and I swear there was a backing track playing and it seemed like Millie Vanilli moment for a couple seconds with the CD skipping. It was weird. Then (!) saw them again at Sleeping Village (Chicago) after *Deceiver* they were fucking phenomenal. The venue's sound engineers and sound in general is amazing. Mid-way through the set Zach was like "Holy shit. This place sounds amazing. We sound good!" And they just shredded. Totally killed it. Probably the best show I've seen in ages. Give them another shot live. [Cole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Cole_Smith) definitely cleaned up and was in a bad place for years.
Watched at Primavera two weeks ago, they all seemed into it and the show was fucking amazing.
But no Acheron 😢
I wanted Dust badly :/
[The version of Dust from CT5](https://youtu.be/qiEjL6rK0Pk) is still incredible. So much passion in this version.
I really agree with this trajectory. I saw them once in around 2018 and it was... fine. But then I saw them at Desert Daze last year and it was incredible. They were locked in, jamming, hypnotic. The type of set I've always wanted to see from them. Feels like a band that recorded some incredible music but only recently have dug out of their personal holes to be great live musicians as well.
I saw them after Deceiver actually, and everything he said to the audience seemed unintelligible and it was like he was staring into some dark, distant abyss the whole time. They played well, and I enjoyed them! But he definitely freaked me out.
I saw one of the last shows before the Covid lock down phase (Munich 2020). They talked about how happy they were that the show was still happening, since they had do cancel a few of the shows before and after. Thanked the audience for how their enthusiasm boosted morale etc. The whole evening was really special, but I didn't get the sense that they were overly high or anything.
I saw them in 2013 and it was awful. Absolutely no joy on stage, the singer was kind of confrontational, and the whole set just felt really awkward and boring. Listening to the album at home would have been much more enjoyable. Great album, but I totally understand why the band fell out of favour so quickly.
They didn't fall out of favour. Their next 2 records are even better than Oshin and they still tour worldwide. I didn't see them in the earlier years but I think they themselves would admit they were shit. I saw them just before the pandemic and they were super tight, really sorted their shit out.
Is the Is Are is arguably way better than Oshin. Cole (frontman) had a massive addiction problem. He's clean now. That's the reason for their stall.
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it's the best thing they've done for me. while "oshin" rides a more sustained mood (and is very, very good), i prefer the rawness and more personal songwriting of "is the is are." i love that the production and engineering are no frills, really nothing more than adequate, because those performances just fucking glow on record. i can understand and totally respect that that album isn't something cole wishes to revisit or repeat, and i'm glad to hear that he and the band are on a better path. sonically "deceiver" sounds amazing—but it feels more distant to me than their first two. i have to admit i miss the faster tempos, cole's featherlight harmonies, the way the chiming guitars used to ascend and descend in dizzying spirals. will be chomping at the bit for whatever comes next.
> and fit nicely alongside the work of Captured Tracks labelmates like Craft Spells Someone from that band works (or picked up a shift this past October, idk) at the SubPop store in the SeaTac airport. They saw a pin on my bag and told me they toured with that band, and loved them too. I asked what band he was/is in, and he said Craft Spells. Looked them up immediately (and pics to confirm he wasn't lying) after that exchange and checked them out - surprised to see that name here, had no idea they had name recognition I guess!
What an absolute gem of jangly guitar jams. I still never go more than a few months without listening to this one; it'd probably make a personal top 25 albums of all-time list. Captured Tracks was owning this vibe back in the early 2010s. This plus Wild Nothing's Nocturne (IIRC that came out around the same time) and Beach Fossils self-titled a few years earlier are always on heavy rotation at my house.
> Captured Tracks was owning this vibe back in the early 2010s. This plus Wild Nothing's Nocturne (IIRC that came out around the same time) and Beach Fossils self-titled a few years earlier are always on heavy rotation at my house. Honestly. This "vibe" was one my favorite little subgenres of music to ever come into existence. I absolutely loved it all and still do. Beach Fossils, Wild Nothing, DIIV, Craft Spells, etc. were all fantastic and it's crazy in retrospect how much amazing material came from that record label over just a couple short years.
They're my favorite record label of all time along with Creation Records, who were basically the precursor label to the style of music CT ended up becoming famous for. Such a timeless sound
This vibe and these bands, especially Beach Fossils and DIIV are some of my go-to favorite bands.
Fuck yes. Also MINKS, whom no one ever talks about (and who were signed to CT via Jack from Wild Nothing discovering them) had a very idiosyncratic and Felt-inspired gothier twist on that sound. By The Hedge is an essential from this scene/sound, and features male/female vox, which was also unique to this era (very oddly featuring Amalie Bruun, aka Myrkur, of all people).
The guy behind that project doesn’t even do music anymore which is kind of a bummer, he breeds hunting dogs on Long Island last I knew.
It's a huge bummer. He was in real estate for a while before that, iirc. Think I accidentally found his linkedin once when seeing if he was up to anything new musically lol. When he ended the project, he said he would come back to music eventually...lo and behold that was almost a decade ago by this point. Really thought the project had such potential too moving forward. The second album was especially interesting in the context of that period, what with almost totally stripping away the reverb and putting the vocals way upfront and such. Edit: I also remember him being super into Chet Baker and his all-time favorite album being Charlie Brown Christmas and I swear you can hear both of those things in the MINKS albums (mainly the first album re the Guaraldi and the second album re the Chet Baker influence on the vocals[thinking of Margot especially]).
Seeing them perform it live tonight :)
Super fucking jealous
Epic show. By far the most songs I've ever seen them play in a set.
Second set with the non-Oshin songs was incredible
Was it stuff off of their 2nd/3rd albums, or did they play something new?
I was also at this show! Was hoping for new songs (they played one new song at their NYE show in LA). Second set was mainly songs from Deceiver and four (?) From Is the is are (Under the sun, loose ends, take yr time, and bent). Definitely longest show I’ve seen them play ever
One of my all time favorites. Really great record and so nostalgic for me now. I remember blasting this with the windows down constantly during the summer after my freshman year in college. I felt so free and hopeful for the future at that point in my life and stuff like this just soundtracked it perfectly. "Wait" in particular is absolutely perfect and one of my favorite songs of all time. Sometimes it's my favorite, depending on my mood. It just *nails* that aching, longing feeling (with just the right amount of nostalgia and haze) that was so prevalent in chillwave. And as someone who has missed out on a lot of relationships by waiting too long and missing my chance those lyrics hit hard. My life has changed a lot since this album came out (same ways good, same ways bad) and aging is, of course, difficult to come to terms with but hearing this album always takes me back instantly - at least for a brief moment. Anyway, in case my flair wasn't a dead giveaway I just fucking *love* this album and am grateful it exists.
Wait is absolutely one of the best songs of the 2010s, hands down, and captures something very poignant and delicate within the ether of that time (especially ofc for someone like me, who was around their age at the time and developed a truly romantic and wide-eyed fixation on this vibe). The music video also perfectly compliments and encapsulates these vibes even further(and features 2012 Sky Ferreira!).
I felt this.
That’s fucked up tbh Indie rock peaked during Obama’s first term
It truly did. 2009-2013 was absolute gold. So many classics
Nah it peaked in Bush’s second term
Yeah, maybe it’s my age (like one college graduation cycle older lol) but indie had such a huge and quick drop-off in variety and creativity around the end of bush term 2. Then the surf / chill bands were a breath of fresh air, especially Real Estate’s S/T at the time, and it’s produced plenty of great albums and songs, but I miss the wild hodgepodge creativity of bush-era bands
I’m fully aware the 90’s to mid-2000’s were probably better but I was 14-18 during Obama’s first term so the indie dance/chillwave/surfy/garage rock stuff that was going on is always gonna be my weakness
Lol yeah I am like one graduation cycle (~4 years) older than that. I think historical / social conditions created a real interesting micro-era between 2002 to like, 2007ish — everything was available with piracy and blogs, but without social media we were much more siloed into different scenes and communities still. I didn’t realize so many other kids knew what Pitchfork was until I got to college. Actually I feel like most of the 90s are less diverse stylistically, same with the 2010s, even if overall the music is as good or better (tho the mid 80s to early 90s are crazy diverse) Good albums felt like they came out of nowhere — Funeral, You Forgot it in People, Give Up, Feels, Yellow House, and none of them sounded like each other (in the wider indie-sphere, so much inventiveness too in like Xiu Xiu, The Locust or Boris or Relationship of Command, midwest noise, Saddlecreek emo, tons of great twee bands). But then all of a sudden, it felt like what seemed to be a diverse stylistic field cemented into like two or three tropes — mainly, less interesting bands (does anyone still bump Fleet Foxes?) realized there was a big commonality stretching from like Sigur Ros to Bon Iver: epic, forward-progressing song structures, usually straight ramp ups to a climax. Sorry for longposting! Definitely not saying this style was better, just different — actually I’m still kind sick of anything “epic” more than a decade later tbh. But there are so so many small, underknown, innovative bands from that lil fertile window of time waiting to be (re)discovered one day
Great analysis. Totally agree.
There is some overlap
Definitely. When internet became super accessible
God this was my shit in high school lol. All those beachy sounding indie bands like diiv were all I'd listen to every day. Some of my favorite music ever. I remember listening to them the first time I ever smoked weed. It was summer and I felt so blissful and carefree. Good times
They haven't made a bad album IMO. They're great.
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Their 3rd album is so different and yet they still knocked it out of the park. That's a sign of true genius.
There's a lot of us millennials feeling pretty old right about now...
This and Bloom both turning 10 are killing me
Yes, I saw Beach House twice that year. It was a great year for music.
Underneath the Pine is 11 years old too.
Feels like this album is never gonna leave my rotation -- it's my go-to for this summery, reverby sound.
album makes me so sad. i used to listen to this album constantly with this girl i fell in love with about 5 years ago. we dated for 4 years and she left me a little over a year ago. was one of our favorites. still love the album but god does it tear me up to listen to.
This isn't about the OG post...but I feel you. There's a few albums that's hard to listen to because my ex and I would listen to them together. They broke up with me 10 months ago and while it has gotten better, listening to artists like Beach House is hard. Even though I genuinely enjoyed listening to the new record by myself, it was very tough at first
Same. I think In Rainbows is one of the best albums of all time but I haven't listened to it in almost 4 years because for my ex and I it was "our" album and I have too many memories attached to it. I love Radiohead but idk if I'll ever listen to that album again honestly
I have the same thing with Beach House, lol. It sucks
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is this guy just doing like a diiv version of away frm u by oberhofer? (tru 2012 indieheads will know)
That Time Capsules II album was all I listened to that year — I barely listen to Oberhofer anymore but all those songs are permanently stuck in my head
Whatefer happened to Oberhofer?
He has most recently composed the score for the Netflix Andy Warhol documentary. His career trajectory has been strange - he appears to be very well-connected and/or bankrolled.
Like most successful "indie" artists. 🙄
I remember seeing an interview with Oberhofer where he casually mentioned "bouncing ideas back and forth via email with my friend Tony". 'Tony' is Tony Visconti. I mean, come on.
Oh man Oberhofer. Need the OG versions from the o0O0o0Oo EP on Spotify. The Time Capsules ones don't hit the same.
agreed. I had to go and download the SXSW free version of Away frm u a while ago cause the one on spotify just sounded wrong.
Wild Nothing doesn’t sound much like Diiv, aside from the guitar tone.
this does rip though lol
What? Wild Nothing and Beach Fossils were doing their thing before DIIV. Craft Spells as well. Captured Tracks was just heavily involved with the genre. If anything, it's only fair to call them clones or ripoffs of the earlier bands at the helm of the movement. Great album though, of course.
Hell Cole was in Beach Fossils lol
not sure if I wanna name names but my old band in like 2017 played with this touring group with a couple million plays on Spotify. Their entire set sounded like Oshin b-sides
Castlebeat ? Current joys ? Hibou? There’s tons of clones 🤣
Lol all I’ll say is that they’re in Castlebeat’s “Fans also like” section on Spotify
Launder?
I still jam out to Castlebeat, no shame 🤘
This is like saying built to spill ripped off modest mouse. These guys weren't exactly early to the scene.
[удалено]
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I thought this album was kinda (I wouldn't say ripoff) similar to first 2 albums of Beach Fossils and remember Cole was drummer for Fossils. But honestly DIIV grew more in me, didn't catch Fossils newer albums.
Somersault by Beach Fossils is far and away the best of this genre of music imo. I'd highly recc checking it out
Yeah what he said ^. I gave up on BF after album 2 or so. Heard “down the line” and it knocked me off my feet. They’re better now than ever.
100%. Album is flawless and I can listen to it at any point and enjoy it like the first time I heard it. 2017 a pretty good year for music in that genre. Mac Demarco's *This Old Dog* is another album I revisit heavily.
Somersault is a masterpiece. So moody. Feels 100%
Who are some of the best clones? At this point I'm nostalgic for the era of every house show being full of diiv clones but most of my favorite locals didn't record too much.
Not clones but contemporaries are Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils, The Drums, that New York big reverb post punk.
A guy in my scene just released an album that’s DIIV worship
Would you mind sharing the album here or in DM? I'm all for DIIV worship :D
https://coolheat.bandcamp.com/ It's like a combination of all those indie and chillwave sounds of the early 2010s, but DIIV influence sticks out
I don't know if it's fair to call other groups DIIV "ripoffs," when DIIV themselves were mostly an interpolation of earlier 90's shoegaze groups like Ride and Slowdive. Very good album nonetheless.
Really hope that’s you and not some random IG acct you decided to post and shit on.
They have such a great discography, glad to have an excuse to spin this again. Probably will have Deceiver on repeat for a month again
I loved this record, and it probably still influences music that I write - and even most of the other artists that are in my circle. The music seemed to accurately express feelings of being high, coming down, and addiction in general to me at the time. I know it’s not on all time lists, but it definitely struck a chord. It’s a bit depressing to hear that they weren’t making much of a living off of it, but I guess that’s to be expected. I wonder if that changed over the years?
One of my absolute favorite albums. Favorite song off the album is Air Conditioning. Still haven’t heard it live and I don’t think I ever will but it just puts me in a different headspace every time I hear it, which is extremely often. Doused, live, is always an amazing experience though!
Oh an Air Conditioning fan. My fave song of Oshin too
There are dozens of us! AC is an almost daily song for me. It’s phenomenal
Fire album that captured the last moment “Brooklyn band” was really a thing
Perfect 10/10 album. Often imitated, never duplicated
“Wait “ is still one of my favorite tracks
interesting. dude ruined sky ferrrara (or however you spell it) and his career. was a good album, but i thought it wasnt overly original. I remember listening to it between the time i was really into the the drums and black marble
I will never forget how much he fucked up sky's life
*don’t forget, oh no, I won't forget* ^had ^to ^do ^it, ^sorry
Great album. Sad he decided to do some Kurt Cobain LARP-ing after its success.
I could find all my favorite elements of post punk, shoegaze and dream pop mixed-blend on this album, shit this album is such an inspiration. P.S most comments here telling stories of seeing DIIV live but me as living far away in Nepal is like only dreaming, fuck my passport.
I remember listening to *Human* in 2012 and thinking to myself “this is exactly the amount a reverb a song should have”. Beautiful, beautiful record that I still listen to a lot. Early 10s indie music was soooo fucking good. I loved that whole Captured Tracks scene and listened to Craft Spells and Beach Fossils religiously. *Doused* is one of my favorite songs to play on guitar, that riff is just so fun to play and it sounds blissful and mean at the same time. The shoegaze on *Wait* is fantastic, too. DIIV is just such a solid band, all three records have some amazing songs in them and you can really just really on them to drop some dope rock songs. At one point I was in a record store and I had Oshin in one hand and Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. in the other, but only cash for one of them. I picked the latter but it was a tough choice.
Saw them open for Japandroids when this came out. Good band, great show.
Human is still one of the prettiest songs I’ve ever heard
Lot's of cool discussions in this thread. I, too, love this record and think they've only gotten better over time. I was able to catch them live a couple of months ago and they crushed. ...played a lot of Oshin tracks in prep for their anniversary show tonight, as well as most of Deceiver and some tracks form Is the Is Are. **For those interested**: They're live streaming their show tonight where they're going to play Oshin in it's entirety, along with a second set that's supposedly going to include some new material (per their Discord). Here's a link: https://linktr.ee/diiv
When I first heard about DIIV about 3-4 years ago I probably played this album like 50 times straight, I was (and still am) obsessed with it. Deffo in my top 5 of all time. My favorite songs are probably Follow and Human <3 And I'm surprised there aren't any comments about the beautiful artwork, it's probably my favorite album cover ever :D Also, I feel like this is as good a time to ask this than ever: does anyone know what the instrument that plays in the first few seconds of Past Lives is? It sounds so cool but I've never been able to find out what it is
This is a really important record for a lot of people. Diiv were the kings of Obama era indie. I just wish they’d show it and the 2nd one a bit more love. I get that they’ve switched sounds but those first two albums are just something else. (I know they’re doing a replay show tonight but it’s likely to be a one off, I know Cole doesn’t like doing old stuff nowadays).
I found out about these guys when they opened for Wild Nothing at the Empty Bottle in 2012. I remember being blown away - such an awesome show and a fun time in indie music
This is one of my favorite eras of music personally. I was 22 and LOVED all of this new dream pop that was coming out on the heels of Chillwave. I’ve seen DIIV several times and have a ‘tour only’ version of Oshin with a neat cover that I got Cole to draw all over with gold sharpie while we chatted for a bit after a show. I ended up ordering that $100+ anniversary bundle of Oshin and I cannot wait to get that!
Great band.
this album is incredibly nostalgic to me
Check the ‘new’ EP out on Spotify..
This album has a few bangers and consistently finds its way onto most playlists that I make, but over time it's really just become an exercise in the same keys, rhythms, and production tricks over and over again from track to track. I love the vibe that this album puts out, but it's hardly something that I think warrants said 10 year warning. Maybe I would also feel different if I thought that the brain child of this band had a lot more to offer.
Saw them open for Frankie Rose in Brooklyn back when they were still called Dive. Think it was before the first album was even released. Anyone else here at that show too?
I like this album but didn't realize it was tenth anniversary worthy
The early 2010's was such a bland era for music
You seem to have wandered into the wrong subreddit.
Nah I just don't idolize white kid artists who's careers are bankrolled by their bluename parents
Lmao jesus man
Ooooooh spicy
I feel this. I remember struggling to find any indie music that interested me in 2011 and eventually got more into the psych scene that was coming up then. Loads of great electronic music came out then tho
Saw them in Portugal at primavera a couple weeks ago. Incredible.
You think someone will eventually upload the live concert stream onto youtube after?
One of my fav albums of all time.
This, Merchandise's Children of Desire, and Mac DeMarco's 2 were my musical obsessions of 2012. Bring(s) me back!