Indie rock goes mainstream...almost

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Some point to Arcade Fire as the obvious candidate to sell like Modest Mouse.

“It’s not that [rock] is strange, it’s not that bizarre — it’s simply a little ahead of its time,” says Haber. “In late 1978, the Police sounded pretty strange ... but six months later, it was on Top 40 radio with ‘Roxanne.”’

Walla credits Death Cab’s switch to Atlantic (from indie Barsuk) in part to the creative contract they were offered. He says some majors are starting to rethink their role, turning away from “producing” bands in favor of simply distributing them.

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So are majors now trying to sign “the next Death Cab”?

“If all of a sudden, that becomes the flavor of the month and all the labels want to sign a band like Death Cab for Cutie, then we’re onto the next cycle of alternative rock and it’s dead as soon as they start it,” says radio host Harcourt. “So I hope not.”

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