You don’t need to stray far from your favorite comfort show to find new and diverse music. The characters of Gilmore Girls do not shy away from expressing their unique interest in pop culture. From the Shins to Joy Division, here is a list of the best artists being listened to in Stars Hollow.
1. Liz Phair
With a song featured on the soundtrack of the movie Thirteen, Liz Phair deserves a spot at the top of the list. Her albums Whip-Smart and Whitechocolatespaceegg include tracks that are often more spoken than sung, creating space for indie artists of the early 2000s like Kimya Dawson to follow suit. It’s no wonder Lane includes her in a list of music used to defend Dean’s honor. I mean, “He listens to Liz Phair!”
2. The Shins
The Shins produce a beep boppy indie sound that comes from them bringing their drums to the forefront, not hiding them behind heavy guitars. Featured in the soundtrack of Garden State, they hit their peak in the early 2000s, about eight years after their formation. Their first album, Oh, Inverted World, contains their classic song “New Slang.” They have a total of six albums, with their most recent being released in 2018. The Shins paved their way in the indie world with soft lullaby-like music and continue to have a cult following.
3. The Shaggs
Formed in 1965 by the father of members Dorothy, Betty, Helen, and Rachel Wiggin to fulfill a prediction provided by a palm reading, The Shaggs are known for being loved or hated. Their sound is not for the faint of heart and often includes vocals moving entirely too slow for the tempo of the song. Erratic drumbeats fill most of the tracks, leaving little room for the out-of-tune singing paired along with it. However, this sound attracted the attention of several music lovers, including Kurt Cobain, who is rumored to have been an avid listener. Even if you think you will hate it, The Shaggs’s Philosophy of the World is worth a listen just to hear what all this talk is about. As Jess said in reference to giving Rory a CD of the band, “Trust me.”
4. Slint
When summarizing Slint, the man working in the record store their album appears in, gives a better description of their short reign than I ever could.
Jess: Who’s Slint?
Rory: I don’t know
Anonymous man: Born straight out of Kentucky, two albums plus a double A side single, disbanded in ‘94.
Slint formed at the tail end of the punk scene in hopes of creating a fresh sound. They did just this by combining hushed singing with harsh syncopation, creating a new genre in the indie rock scene. This sound has been described by Daniel Pelfrey as “falling up a staircase backwards in slow motion,” and having made a sound as complex as this, it’s no wonder the show creators gave a nod to the influential band.
5. Joy Division
Joy Division, formed in 1976 in England, did not see much popularity until after their careers when their frontman Ian Curtis died. Most known for their song “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” the band combines a brooding style with synthesizers to create a sound that is just on the cusp of shoegaze. The slow, deep vocals of Ian Curtis make Joy Division a band you want to talk a long winter walk listening to. Lane Kim declares in the show that “You can’t dance to Joy Division,” and she’s right. Whether it’s because it’s too slow or just too sad, this band will not be on your next party playlist.