Shins’ Album Release on Yahoo!

In a poke to the eye of my always-sensitive music taste, news of the Shins’ release Wincing the Night Away was today on Yahoo!’s home page.

The album, released midnight on Jan. 23rd, was — I admit — heavily anticipated. But Yahoo!? Without the midnight release it wouldn’t have gotten the press it did; I’m aware that that has a lot to do with it.

When is “alternative” music no longer alternative? Rhetorical question — I think that was answered in the early 1990s when grunge became Big Radio’s darling.

The line between alternative and mass market is a blurry one.

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