Rooney Vs. the Shins: Who Will Win?

ummm, the meeting of two bands so highly overrated by two different hipster clans would cause some sort of rift in space-time. Both of these bands are so mediocre that neither could ever win anything, ever, or lose anything, ever.

Either that, or the Shins would win based on their superior haircuts.

The Shins win, but not based on Chutes Too Narrow—rather for their "New Slang" video with all the live album cover re-enactments.

What's Rooney done that's worth mentioning? Playing on The OC?!

And hence being responsible for said show's worst. episode. ever.

The Shins are probably the only indie rock band I like.

I"m curious about this demographic of hipster Rooney fans. What are they all about?

I just heard a clip of Rooney's "Blueside" and it sounded just as good (better?) than the Shins, so I wondered if there was some issue with the Shins being amongst the crop of canonized indie rock 2003 titans and Rooney being perceived as crass (though maybe they're actually better?).

the shins were on gilmour gurlz!

Tim, "Blueside" is as good as it gets. The Shins are kosher. Their GG appearance was just a bit incongruous w/ the setting (Spring Break girls gone wild jangle pop woo??), but whatever.

Credit to Rooney - their fanbase writes some nasty fun hatemail when you bag the groop for blandly biting the Weez.

And, of course, Weez = Pauly Shore. Totally.

re: hipster Rooney set

I dunno, it just seems to me that the people who like Rooney are the people in their mid-to-late-20s who aren't into music enough to be proper pitchfork readin' indie kids, but who still have a kneejerk hatred for the hip-hop/r&b and nu-metal on mainstream radio. The same set that made Norah Jones a star. Then again, perhaps Rooney has gotten more popular since I made this assessment. I don't have cable TV anymore.

David, you mean that "Blueside" is as good as that album gets, I take it? That the rest of the album is average or something? This seems to be what the Pitchfork reviewer is about to say, but then he/she (I'm forgetting who it was) says:

"Note that this particular song ends up being the highest high Rooney's record hits. It's not that the other ten tracks pale in comparison-- actually, "Stay Away" is right up there, jonesing on a naïve Cheap Trick vibe-- but all of these songs are the same damn color. "

What's wrong with an album that's consistent? Does this reviewer dislike Get the Knack, too?

And diebluecasdie, I'm still wondering if "proper pitchfork readin' indie kids" (or, in this case, that Pitchfork reviewer) don't like Rooney or wouldn't like Rooney because, somehow or other, they're not cool enough while the Shins, somehow or other, are?

that's precisely why they don't like Rooney. Not that their music is anything to write home about, but that never stopped pfork from endorsing a band.

Guess who wrote that review, Tim!?!? Yeah, it sucks (the review, that is - the album is OK, but bland).

That is, the R. in my name has an -aposa suffix.

Wow!

Rooney vs. Phantom Planet would be a much more interesting battle. As it is, the Shins run away with it.

Rooney IS Phantom Planet but with Coppolas of lesser stature; therefore, cancellation and Shins domination ensue

How are the Shins better, though? Better songwriting?

Less (delusions of) grandeur, maybe? More charming and quaint? Not as pushy? The Shins sound more self-effacing over in my house, which immediately scores points in my book on an atavistic level. Rooney, aside from the unavoidable Weezer biting (which I bitch about in my Fork write-up), just grate on me in some calculatingly naive fashion. This isn't to say the Shins aren't equally calculating, of course - it's just a matter of perspective and how much wiggle room you want to allow. And, for the record, I'm all for consistency as long as it's of a high quality. Cs don't cut it in a B+ world.

The fact that the new PP (or what I've heard) sounds like Interpol covering the Fall makes me think they have no right to be involved in this "debate", Coppola or no Coppola. And any fucker (besides me) that's about to mention Maroon 5 should just make like a tree and get outta here.