By By Jesse Cataldo
Whether they’ll admit it or not, “The O.C.” creator Josh Schwartz is living every self-obsessed hipster’s biggest fantasy. Not only does he get to project an idealized, super-cute version of himself every week in Seth Cohen, but he makes millions of dollars doing it.
As an added bonus, Schwarz has enjoyed the liberty of compiling a running series of indie-by-numbers “mixes” that allow him to bestow his advanced musical taste upon scores of young fans who are desperate for merchandise.
Yes, it’s hopelessly contrived. Not to mention how painful it is to see an entire subculture shrink-wrapped and sold as the “weird stuff that Seth listens to.” The fact that we’re already up to number five, however, shows it’s actually working. By marketing a hipper, less trendy version of Now (That’s What I Call Music), Schwarz and his corporate backers have effectively created the first TV soundtrack franchise, appealing to everyone from obsessive fans to the kids realizing that appearing on MTV doesn’t necessarily make Modest Mouse sellouts.
Musically, the fifth installment of the series is a mixed bag. The album blends catchy and unthreatening indie rock cuts from LCD Soundsystem and Of Montreal, with a smattering of throwaway major label trash (Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian).
It’s hard to imagine why Schwartz chose exactly these songs to define his show, but the album’s scattershot feel probably has something to do with the fact that he had a lot of help, both from numerous contributors and (presumably) watchful record executives.
There’s no other reason to explain why an individual with somewhat refined musical tastes would place something so insultingly stale and simple as The Subways “Rock and Roll Queen” on his mix or his show. Next to it, Stars’ “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead,” the album’s best track, seems almost flawless in its reserved sentiment and gorgeously lush orchestral backing.
Everything else falls somewhere in the middle, with most tracks ranging between forgettable and unexceptional.
There’s also a plodding, unnecessary acoustic version of the show’s theme “California,” which paves the original’s peaks of gleeful homecoming into a boring, almost featureless slab.
The reason this mix, like all the others “The O.C.” has spawned, ultimately fails is that there’s no reason for its existence beyond the obvious profits. If Schwarz was allowed to actually make his fans a mix, the results might be more interesting. As it stands, all he’s given us is a joyless exercise in cashing in.
DFA’s LCD Soundsystem appear on The OC Mix 5. (Image courtesy girlieaction.com)
