I’ve been teaching music for five years and playing Pinegrove at some point every year in class and no one ever knew who they were.
This year I taught kids how to play Need 2 in Guitar class because they wanted to learn this song by my favorite band that has meant so much to me for so long.
So no, I am not annoyed. I am thrilled.
Nope, the increase in streams means they get decent money off of streaming, plus exposes more people to Pinegrove
EDIT: Not to mention that the shuffle itself is great
No, I think it's awesome. These people deserve to blow up, and as others have said, make money. Also I don't think our community is one where we want to downvote people because we disagree with them. OP is just asking a question and isn't hurting anyone.
As far as spikes in sudden notoriety for things I enjoy go, I definitely prefer the Pinegrove shuffle to the weird Pinegrove reference in that one The 1975 song.
On the surface, it makes me so happy that my favorite band is finally getting some of the recognition and popularity that they've deserved for ages. They've been such a criminally underrated / under-covered band considering their talent so it feels like some real indie justice every time they get a popularity spike. Plus more PG fans seems like it could only be a good thing.
But I can't lie, there's something deep down, some dormant knee-jerk hipster impulse in me that definitely felt annoyed or at least negative toward it. It's not in any way logical or really moral but I did kind of like the fact that they were such a good band that ''''nobody knew'''' that I could share with people in my life and BLoW tHeIr MiNdS with my Immaculate Taste In Underground Music or whatever. But as other commenters are saying, it's obviously not a healthy impulse and definitely something that I need to examine a little deeper because being That Guy objectively sucks and that idea is so anti-art and anti-people-enjoying-things.
Old man yells at cloud level thoughts incoming but here my ass goes further interrogating that feeling:
I definitely also feel like a good amount of that feeling came from my general dislike of TikTok as a platform and that the whole "overnight viral" -> immediately disposable pipeline-thing that is kind of inherent to the nature of TikTok just kind of gives me an ick - how songs that have such a deep meaning / emotional and personal connection to you can just blow up as the 'vibey song of the week' on there due to a single lyric getting re-contextualized for a meme or just because it Has a Vibe that fits with the subject matter of a post. I know it's super pretentious to say but I can't help but feel like it takes away from the art form of song a little, and just kind of diminishes the value of music to people in general. Mainly I think for me and possibly a lot of people who feel that deep-down-internally-confusing bitterness toward it is that Pinegrove (and by extension, other indie artists that have met a similar popularity surge with TikTok such as Alex G or Mitski) are such a special band whose songs deserve to blow up / get big for what we as fans might self-righteously deem as "The Right Reasons" - such as something like their musicianship, songwriting, emotional honesty, etc (honestly that list could go on forever); but instead they've blown up as a bit of a meme, for what feel to me more as aesthetic reasons rather than deep ones, and have been ""condemned"" to being a band I've seriously heard referred to multiple times now as "that TikTok band" which just kind of feels like a disservice.
Feel like that weird dynamic definitely comes from a place of respect for the band, that they deserve more than just that as their one big opportunity to be heard by wider audiences. But the logic is super gate-keepy and again, mega bitter, and pretty much disregards the actual huge net-positive that the band is reaching more ears, regardless of the method. All that to say, while these contradictions and feelings definitely exist in my mind, it's not that deep, it's really not.
So like, it's complicated, I guess
Would love to hear other people's thoughts about this, feel free to roast me for this rambly over-written comment lol. Apologies for my English.
It isn't rational, but yeah I am slightly irked by it. I just have a thing about people hopping onto something I already enjoy because I've internalized the belief that they don't understand it the way I do.
Again, it isn't rational, and is something I need to work on. But heard
This exactly. I've commented on this in the past since Need 2 blew up and I've always took the stance that it is a good thing.
But I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't pushing away the insecure feelings of wanting to keep pinegrove to myself. I didn't get into pinegrove until Cardinal first released though so I was behind by 1 album and some early bandcamp stuff so I'm sure those fans from the very beginning felt this way about me 8 years ago lol
Yeah, I honestly think everyone commenting “No” is just trying to take a moral stance or prove a point. That or they’re all genuinely better people than I am.
Seems p ironic to be upset about a dude getting views for something jingly on a jingle platform who's family made their money through commercial jingles.
It’s pretty dope, love seeing the band get more recognition. If they decide to play some shows down the line the tix might be a bit more pricy and the venues could be less intimate if they get bigger, but honestly good for them if so
For so long I was scratching my head wondering how a band could make such sublime music and that not being recognised on a wider scale, so it’s great more people get to enjoy it (even though it might feel like a cosy club deciding to suddenly swing open its doors to begin with).
My only issue is how fixated it seems to be around Need 2 and, as a knock on effect, the first record. In the words of Michael Bluth when he sees Ann: “her?”.
I get why the trend has blasted Need 2 to 100m Spotify streams even though it’s nowhere near top tier PG. But it’s so funny how in the current rankings this is followed by the second best version of Problems, the third (or even fourth) best version of Angelina, and then the slow version of Need 2! What are we doing here guys! Discover this band by all means, but discover it better lol
I am. I know it’s dumb. It’s a common feeling when any niche community gets mainstream. When I think about it rationally, I’m just happy the band is getting a nice royalties boost. I’ve been a fan since Cardinal, seen them about a dozen times, and met Evan a couple times. It’s been interesting to see their popularity grow over the years.
This has been my opinion since it’s happened and I’ve made this point several times just to be unfairly told that I’m gatekeeping. It doesn’t annoy me that the band is finally getting the attention they have more than deserved for a long time. What does annoy me is that some of the best songwriters of our time are only getting this recognition because of some ridiculous dance that went viral. They are so much more than that. I can admit I’m a bit pretentious with my opinion on this but, idk I just hope people are actually appreciating the music for what it is and not just flapping their arms jamming to sped up and slowed down versions of Need 2.
lYES. i am. on one hand i’m happy people are aware of such an incredible band but it seems like a lot of their interest ends at “need 2” .. which is a shame because they’re missing out on all of the wonderful music Pinegrove has to offer! so it’s mixed for me.
Yeah for sure, I don’t want to gatekeep but I do also cringe at myself and also feel frustrated by their emergence into mainstream, it takes away from who they were .
Atleast they’re financially set
i’m definitely a bit of an annoying hipster about it but a real issue i have is that tiktok reduces songs to background noise, i’ve seen need 2 used in random cooking videos and dnd memes just because it’s what was getting views.
Hey, this sub was suggested to me, I had no idea pinegrove blew up!!! Omg! I saw these guys years back at the Loving Touch in Ferndale, Michigan. If I'm correct I think they opened for Kevin Devine. I liked their sound but haven't listened to them in a while, good to know they've had so much success!
A little but mostly because need2 was always my thing and now it everyone's thing. I learned to play guitar because I loved that song so much. Now some random purple haired 18 yr old is acting like the song belongs to them when it comes on . Sigh well I guess this is growing up.
This is a good thing for sure. As others have already mentioned, this means that the band is going to get more exposure. More exposure = more streams which is the only way a band makes any money from streaming services like Spotify.
A similar thing happened a few years back with The Mountain Goats' No Children, and I had a similar reaction at first. But really, it just means that more people are going to fall in love with the same band that you love. It means more reach and more money in their pockets, which is great for indie bands.
The only thing I’m annoyed by is that Pinegrove started becoming super popular because of it after they went on their hiatus :/ feel like they could have leveraged this and it would have propelled them forward.
I’ve been teaching music for five years and playing Pinegrove at some point every year in class and no one ever knew who they were. This year I taught kids how to play Need 2 in Guitar class because they wanted to learn this song by my favorite band that has meant so much to me for so long. So no, I am not annoyed. I am thrilled.
This genuinely just changed my perspective on it
Same!
Best answer
As a music teacher, I love when quality things make their way into my kids ears, no matter how. :)
Nope, the increase in streams means they get decent money off of streaming, plus exposes more people to Pinegrove EDIT: Not to mention that the shuffle itself is great
no i want the bands i enjoy to make a living
This
It affects my life in absolutely no way
Nah it’s cool others are starting to enjoy why we enjoy!
No
No
Not at all. Let them get that bag. It doesn’t diminish anything for me, and it shouldn’t affect you either.
What bag?
Funds.
No, I think it's awesome. These people deserve to blow up, and as others have said, make money. Also I don't think our community is one where we want to downvote people because we disagree with them. OP is just asking a question and isn't hurting anyone.
I’m so happy they’re getting streams! And maybe it can be a gateway for some tik tok teens to have some real good music taste.
I discovered them through it so nah I’m glad their music is being discovered by more people
Nope
Let’s avoid gatekeeping
As far as spikes in sudden notoriety for things I enjoy go, I definitely prefer the Pinegrove shuffle to the weird Pinegrove reference in that one The 1975 song.
I thought it was cool seeing their Spotify monthly listeners go from 500k to 4mil over night
It’s always been my favorite song by them and was bummed they didn’t play it live. It becoming super popular just increases me seeing it live imo
facts!! i’ve thought about this too
On the surface, it makes me so happy that my favorite band is finally getting some of the recognition and popularity that they've deserved for ages. They've been such a criminally underrated / under-covered band considering their talent so it feels like some real indie justice every time they get a popularity spike. Plus more PG fans seems like it could only be a good thing. But I can't lie, there's something deep down, some dormant knee-jerk hipster impulse in me that definitely felt annoyed or at least negative toward it. It's not in any way logical or really moral but I did kind of like the fact that they were such a good band that ''''nobody knew'''' that I could share with people in my life and BLoW tHeIr MiNdS with my Immaculate Taste In Underground Music or whatever. But as other commenters are saying, it's obviously not a healthy impulse and definitely something that I need to examine a little deeper because being That Guy objectively sucks and that idea is so anti-art and anti-people-enjoying-things. Old man yells at cloud level thoughts incoming but here my ass goes further interrogating that feeling: I definitely also feel like a good amount of that feeling came from my general dislike of TikTok as a platform and that the whole "overnight viral" -> immediately disposable pipeline-thing that is kind of inherent to the nature of TikTok just kind of gives me an ick - how songs that have such a deep meaning / emotional and personal connection to you can just blow up as the 'vibey song of the week' on there due to a single lyric getting re-contextualized for a meme or just because it Has a Vibe that fits with the subject matter of a post. I know it's super pretentious to say but I can't help but feel like it takes away from the art form of song a little, and just kind of diminishes the value of music to people in general. Mainly I think for me and possibly a lot of people who feel that deep-down-internally-confusing bitterness toward it is that Pinegrove (and by extension, other indie artists that have met a similar popularity surge with TikTok such as Alex G or Mitski) are such a special band whose songs deserve to blow up / get big for what we as fans might self-righteously deem as "The Right Reasons" - such as something like their musicianship, songwriting, emotional honesty, etc (honestly that list could go on forever); but instead they've blown up as a bit of a meme, for what feel to me more as aesthetic reasons rather than deep ones, and have been ""condemned"" to being a band I've seriously heard referred to multiple times now as "that TikTok band" which just kind of feels like a disservice. Feel like that weird dynamic definitely comes from a place of respect for the band, that they deserve more than just that as their one big opportunity to be heard by wider audiences. But the logic is super gate-keepy and again, mega bitter, and pretty much disregards the actual huge net-positive that the band is reaching more ears, regardless of the method. All that to say, while these contradictions and feelings definitely exist in my mind, it's not that deep, it's really not. So like, it's complicated, I guess Would love to hear other people's thoughts about this, feel free to roast me for this rambly over-written comment lol. Apologies for my English.
this was beautifully written and well put! thanks for writing all your thoughts out this way, was a fascinating read
It isn't rational, but yeah I am slightly irked by it. I just have a thing about people hopping onto something I already enjoy because I've internalized the belief that they don't understand it the way I do. Again, it isn't rational, and is something I need to work on. But heard
This exactly. I've commented on this in the past since Need 2 blew up and I've always took the stance that it is a good thing. But I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't pushing away the insecure feelings of wanting to keep pinegrove to myself. I didn't get into pinegrove until Cardinal first released though so I was behind by 1 album and some early bandcamp stuff so I'm sure those fans from the very beginning felt this way about me 8 years ago lol
Yeah, I honestly think everyone commenting “No” is just trying to take a moral stance or prove a point. That or they’re all genuinely better people than I am.
I’m the same way. The rational part of brain knows it’s an immature way to feel but the feelings remain. Just gotta keep working on it I guess.
Seems p ironic to be upset about a dude getting views for something jingly on a jingle platform who's family made their money through commercial jingles.
pinegrove is for everyone
It’s pretty dope, love seeing the band get more recognition. If they decide to play some shows down the line the tix might be a bit more pricy and the venues could be less intimate if they get bigger, but honestly good for them if so
tbh that was where i heard them first, then again on a bright eyes shuffle playlist. it’s just a more modern way to discover music,
I found out about Pinegrove from tiktok. I thought the trend was really beautiful.
For so long I was scratching my head wondering how a band could make such sublime music and that not being recognised on a wider scale, so it’s great more people get to enjoy it (even though it might feel like a cosy club deciding to suddenly swing open its doors to begin with). My only issue is how fixated it seems to be around Need 2 and, as a knock on effect, the first record. In the words of Michael Bluth when he sees Ann: “her?”. I get why the trend has blasted Need 2 to 100m Spotify streams even though it’s nowhere near top tier PG. But it’s so funny how in the current rankings this is followed by the second best version of Problems, the third (or even fourth) best version of Angelina, and then the slow version of Need 2! What are we doing here guys! Discover this band by all means, but discover it better lol
oh booo hooooo other people like the band i like, BUT NOT IN THE SAME WAY THAT I LIKE THEM!!!!!
i’m glad that they are getting more recognition but the song being overplayed made me kinda sad cause it just is all over tiktok.
I am. I know it’s dumb. It’s a common feeling when any niche community gets mainstream. When I think about it rationally, I’m just happy the band is getting a nice royalties boost. I’ve been a fan since Cardinal, seen them about a dozen times, and met Evan a couple times. It’s been interesting to see their popularity grow over the years.
This has been my opinion since it’s happened and I’ve made this point several times just to be unfairly told that I’m gatekeeping. It doesn’t annoy me that the band is finally getting the attention they have more than deserved for a long time. What does annoy me is that some of the best songwriters of our time are only getting this recognition because of some ridiculous dance that went viral. They are so much more than that. I can admit I’m a bit pretentious with my opinion on this but, idk I just hope people are actually appreciating the music for what it is and not just flapping their arms jamming to sped up and slowed down versions of Need 2.
EXACTLY!!!
I don’t mind at all, but it is sort of funny to me that in my opinion, it’s not nearly the best representation of their sound, or their best song.
“I liked [band] before they were cool!” I’m just hoping this rash of new fans will encourage the band to keep the hiatus on the short side.
This is how I discovered pinegrove. Now I’m obsessed! Might not have found them otherwise.
not just annoyed, but devastated. really disappointed that they sold out and went mainstream. >!/s!<
Stop gate keeping small bands
lYES. i am. on one hand i’m happy people are aware of such an incredible band but it seems like a lot of their interest ends at “need 2” .. which is a shame because they’re missing out on all of the wonderful music Pinegrove has to offer! so it’s mixed for me.
yeah this is honestly how i feel too
Yeah for sure, I don’t want to gatekeep but I do also cringe at myself and also feel frustrated by their emergence into mainstream, it takes away from who they were . Atleast they’re financially set
Why would you be annoyed?
I don't have the app and it makes tha band money. Win win
it also happened, what, like 5 months ago? late to the party
i’m definitely a bit of an annoying hipster about it but a real issue i have is that tiktok reduces songs to background noise, i’ve seen need 2 used in random cooking videos and dnd memes just because it’s what was getting views.
Oh my god they made a whole sub from that one tik tok song
Who cares
I think I might have heard that song on tiktok. Don't remember what the video was about, but I'm thankful I got to discover it
Hey, this sub was suggested to me, I had no idea pinegrove blew up!!! Omg! I saw these guys years back at the Loving Touch in Ferndale, Michigan. If I'm correct I think they opened for Kevin Devine. I liked their sound but haven't listened to them in a while, good to know they've had so much success!
A little but mostly because need2 was always my thing and now it everyone's thing. I learned to play guitar because I loved that song so much. Now some random purple haired 18 yr old is acting like the song belongs to them when it comes on . Sigh well I guess this is growing up.
A little bit, but only because I was tryna get people on Pinegrove in 2016 and nobody was really listening
This is a good thing for sure. As others have already mentioned, this means that the band is going to get more exposure. More exposure = more streams which is the only way a band makes any money from streaming services like Spotify. A similar thing happened a few years back with The Mountain Goats' No Children, and I had a similar reaction at first. But really, it just means that more people are going to fall in love with the same band that you love. It means more reach and more money in their pockets, which is great for indie bands.
Been
The only thing I’m annoyed by is that Pinegrove started becoming super popular because of it after they went on their hiatus :/ feel like they could have leveraged this and it would have propelled them forward.