When did drinking Starbucks become ok again? 5 theories about its surprising rise

It's always been a universally-understood truth among most people I associate with (call 'em hipsters if you must, although everyone knows that term is basically meaningless) that patronizing Starbucks is quintessentially lame. Besides having horrible-tasting, overpriced coffee (hence the nicknames "Charbucks" and "Four Bucks") Starbucks also bears close ties to "THE MAN" -- in the fact that they're a giant corporation, whose universal lattes and "Unplugged" CD line have driven many a little guy outta business. (See "Hipster Revileus" on my handy breakdown.)

Google image result #1 for "Starbucks fail."

And while it's no secret that Starbucks thrives despite this (I blame suburban moms, the Olsen Twins, and people who think life should be more like The Devil Wears Prada) -- I have -- in recent months -- noticed many people who I generally consider to have good taste cruising around the city with that signature green and white cup in hand. (What's with the Starbucks mascot anyway? Does she represent the currency of the star people?)

It can't be that they don't know any better -- and it's CERTAINLY not because there aren't countless other options -- so it must be something else. Here are a few theories:

Double-fisting Ashely O.

1. People are drinking Starbucks ironically. $4 seems like a lot of money for an ironic gesture, but then again, how can you put a price on irony?  Like the punchline of a Mastercard commercial, it's fucking priceless.

2. People STARTED drinking Starbucks ironically, but then got addicted to those refresher things. I've never tried one but I hear they're delicious. I've heard the same thing about liquid crack.

Also addictive: Starbucks marijuana donuts. Guaranteed to give

you the munchies!

3. In this tough economy, people respect Starbucks for giving employees decent salaries + health insurance; thus the company as a whole has MOVED from the category of Hipster Revileus to Hipster Redemptious, much like '70s era Bruce Springsteen and Al Gore.

4. The whole idea of hipster culture is entirely meaningless. People do what they want.

Not surprisingly, Google returned 0 results of The Boss

 drinking S-bucks. But look, here's a "Glory Days" mug

 with an exclusive design!   America!!!

5. A mysterious airborne disease (possibly spread through the trees?) has taken over Americans' taste-buds, rendering them unable to distinguish delicious coffee from burnt tar shit. People prefer Starbucks to regular coffee and burnst tar shit to all else.


Other theories? Leave 'em in the comments below.

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XPN2 Playlist, 9/24/12

The Covers Show! 

6:00

Mayer Hawthorne, “Work to Do” (Isley Brothers cover)

Impressions 

The Black Keys, “She Said, She Said” (The Beatles cover)

The Big Come Up 

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Tennis, “Tell Her No” (The Zombies cover) 

Tell Her No (Single) 

The Drums, “Do I Love You” (The Ronnettes cover) 

Do I Love You (Single) 

Superchunk, “Cruel Summer” (Bananarama cover) 

This Summer b/w Cruel Summer (7")

Camper Van Beethoven, “Pictures of Matchstick Men” (Status Quo cover) 

Key Lime Pie 

We Barbarians, “Strange Overtones” (David Byrne and Brian Eno cover) 

Headspace 

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Night Panther, “Two Weeks” (Grizzly Bear cover) 

Two Weeks (Single) 

Dream Diary, “Son of a Gun” (The Vaselines cover) 

Kanine Record Store Day Comp 2011 

Saint Savior, “Midnight City” (M83 Cover) 

Midnight City (Single) 

The Shins, “We Will Become Silhouettes” (The Postal Service cover) 

Such Great Heights 

Alex Winston, “Everlasting Light” (The Black Keys cover) 

Everlasting Light (Single) 

. 

The Antlers, “VCR” (The xx cover) 

(Together) 

Asobi Seksu, “Little House of Savages” (The Walkmen cover) 

Little House of Savages (Single)

Yo La Tengo, “Little Honda” (Beach Boys cover) 

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One 

Wavves, “Hybrid Moments” (Misfits cover) 

Hybrid Moments (Single) 

A Band of Bees, “A Minha Menina” (Os Mutantes cover) 

Sunshine Hit Me 

Google image result #3 for "Cover Me." Don't know who DJ Parler

is, but I'm intrigued.

7:00 

Belle & Sebastian, “Crash” (The Primitives cover) 

LateNightTales 

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The Raveonettes, “I Wanna Be Adored” (The Stone Roses cover) 

50 Years of Dr. Martens 

Gardens & Villa, “Gypsy” (Fleetwood Mac cover) 

Just Tell Me That You Want Me -- A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac 

The Klaxons, “The Night” (Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons cover) 

It’s Not Over Yet (7")

Shannon and the Clams, “White Rabbit” (Jefferson Airplane cover) 

White Rabbit (Single) 

. 

The Raincoats, “Lola” (The Kinks cover)

The Raincoats 

Telekinesis, “On a Plain” (Nirvana cover) 

SPIN Presents Newermind: A Tribute Album 

Nirvana, “The Man Who Sold the World” (Live) (David Bowie cover) 

MTV Unplugged in New York 

Calexico, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Joy Division cover) 

Sweetheart: Our Favorite Artists Sing Their Favorite Love Songs 

Dum Dum Girls, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” (The Smiths cover) 

He Gets Me High 

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Johnny Cash, “Hurt” (Nine Inch Nails cover) 

American IV: The Man Comes Around 

Hurricane Bells, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” (Gerry Coffin + Carol King/The Shirelles cover) 

Down Comes the Rain 

Screaming Females, “If It Makes You Happy” (live) (Sheryl Crow cover) 

AV Club Undercover 

Eternal Summers, “Into Your Arms” (The Lemonheads cover) 

The Dawn of Eternal Summers 

Of Montreal, “Friends of Mine” (The Zombies cover) 

If He Is Protecting Our Nation, Then Who Will Protect Big Oil, Our Children? 

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She & Him, “Oh Boy!” (Buddy Holly cover) 

Rave On Buddy Holly 

Tune in again next week for more (non-covers-themed) fun! 

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Cover of the Moment: Night Panther does Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks"

I'm not a huge fan of Grizzly Bear -- but I AM a huge fan of sultry Philly act Night Panther, whose slinky, smooth tunes sneak up on you like a beast in the night.

Google image result #6 for "Beast in the Night." Results 1–6 are all

what appear to be action shots of a South Korean boy band

Their most recent offering is this svelte, electrified cover of Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks," which recasts it as a seductive groove:

Check out the tune above -- then tune into my radio show tonight (Monday) from 6 to 8, as I spin TWO HOURS of my favorite covers. On 88.5-HD2, XPN2. (Click here to listen.)

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Cool / Lame: Minaj for Adidas vs. LDR for H&M

Cool: Nicki Minaj for Adidas

This song is hella catchy + the video is so rad I actually don't mind when they stop my show to cut to this. Plus Nicki Minaj is so fun +  definitely an "original"

Lame: Lana Del Rey for H&M

Yes, she looks + sounds beautiful...but I'm not sure our it-girl has the charisma to pull it off. She seems stiff, and possibly constipated. And I thought H&M was all about cheap, throwaway clothes, so this whole vaguely Lynchian, high-society thing is confusing. (Maybe they're trying to change their image?) Also: are nude leggings in for fall? I hope not.

Maybe it's just me...but this is not a face people make unless they're tied up

in the b-room

See more cool / lame here.

XPN2 Playlist, 9/17/12

Underwater Explosions Radio!

6:00

Gentleman Jesse, "Careful What You Wish For"

Leaving Atlanta

The Reigning Sound, "Can't Hold On"

Abdication...For Your Love

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The Men, "Candy"

Open Your Heart

Gospel Claws, "Avenues"

C-L-A-W-S

The So So Glos, "Here Comes the Neighborhood"

Low Back Chain Shift

Wavves, "Hippies Is Punk"

Adult Swim Singles Project 2012

Thee Oh Sees, "Putrifiers II"

Putrifiers II

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Pink Mink, "Hidden Beach"

Pink Mink

Cloud Nothings, "Nothing's Wrong"

Cloud Nothings

Evans the Death, "Telling Lies"

Evans the Death

M83, "Midnight City"

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

.

Boyfrndz, "Surf's Up"

All Day Pass

Punks on Mars, "Showers of Pain"

Bad Expectations

Real Estate, "Easy"
Days

Steely Dan, "Bad Sneakers"
Katy Lied

Passion Pit, "Take a Walk"
Gossamer

Google image #10 for "Take a Walk." If only all walks were this scenic!

7:00

Gruff Rhys, "Sensations in the Dark"

Hotel Shampoo

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Royal Canoe, "Show Me Your Eyes"

Purple and Gold

Beck, "Sexx Laws"

Midnite Vultures

Gorillaz, feat. Gruff Rhys and De La Soul, "Superfast Jellyfish"

Plastic Beach

The Helios Sequence, "One More Time"

Negotiations

Santigold, "The Keepers"
Master of My Make-Believe

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Lykke Li, "Rich Kids Blues"

Wounded Rhymes

Celebration, "Great Pyramid"

Hello Paradise

Stereolab, "Emperor Tomato Ketchup"

Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Still Corners, "Endless Summer"

Creatures of an Hour

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Teen Daze, feat. Frankie Rose, "Union"

Inner Mansions

Theme Park, "Ghosts"

Wax

Deep Sea Arcade, "Seen No Right"

Outlands

Chairlift, "Met Before"

Something

Bishop Allen, "Oklahoma"

Grrr...

.

The Postelles, "White Light"

The Postelles

Tune in again next week for more sweet jamz.

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Ariel Pink's Haunted Photos...

Last Saturday, America's favorite weirdo, Ariel Pink stopped by Union Transfer with the equally bizarre Haunted Graffiti. Matt Davis + I were on hand to take some picturesssss...check 'em out over at XPN's The Key.
 

His royal Pinkness

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Best New Music: Thee Oh Sees

San Fran's Thee Oh Sees are a rock band; they are also a ROCK BAND, which is to say they bring it hard instead of just rocking softly (à la Twin Sister, The Walkmen in 2012). Which is fine by me, as sometimes you need a little good ole R'n R (that's rock'n roll) in your life.

Rock'n roll shades

On new record Putrifiers II, the 5-piece brings it SO hard, while never forgoing melody. The result? A totally raucous listen that will have you wailing away on air guitar, and also singing into your hairbrush-mic. This is definitely my favorite thing to listen to this fall -- head over to Phrequency.com to read more about the  magic. B/c when it comes to rock, we say: GO HARD OR GO HOME.

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Cool / Lame: Brooklyn vs. Philly

Cool: Brooklyn, to Brooklyn

(b/c you guys have beer + cool bands + strangely competitive hipster kickball)

Lame: Brooklyn, to Philly

(B/c Williamsburg is for trust-funders + sellouts and Bushwick is sketchy. J/k, we're just messing with you. Ok if we crash at your place after ragin at the Knitting Factory next weekend?)

Google image result #1 for "Brooklyn Fail." Can you say
LEOPARD OVERLOAD????

See more cool / lame here.

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XPN2 Playlist, 9/10/12

The Back-to-School Show! 

6:00

Thee Oh Sees, "Hang a Picture"
Putrifiers II

Divine Fits, "The Salton Sea"

A Thing Called Divine Fits

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Dinosaur Jr., "Watch the Corners"

I Bet on Sky

Jawbreaker, "Boxcar"

24 Hour Revenge Therapy

Eternal Summers, "Millions"

Correct Behavior

Guided by Voices, "Sometimes I Cry"
Forever Since Breakfast

Islands, "Can't Feel My Face"
A Sleep & A Forgetting

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Faux Pas, "So This Is It"

Neighbors

Arc in Round, "Spirit"

Arc in Round

Melody's Echo Chamber, "I Follow You"
Melody's Echo Chamber

The Babies, "Moonlight Mile"
Our House on the Hill

King Tuff, "Unusual World"

King Tuff

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Elite Gymnastics, "Andreja 4-Ever"
Adult Swim Singles Project 2012

Yeasayer, "Devil and the Deed"

Fragrant World

Hot Chip, "Night and Day"
In Our Heads

David Byrne and St. Vincent, "I Should Watch TV"

Love This Giant

Google image result #25 for "Love This Giant."

Love this giant French-themed beach chair?

7:00

 Django Django, "Love's Dart"

Django Django

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Animal Collective, "Applesauce"
Centipede Hz

The Apples in Stereo, "Dance Floor"

Travellers in Space and Time

A Band of Bees, "Stand"

Octopus

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Gangi, "Railways Nos. 1–27"

Gesture Is

La Sera, "Real Boy"

Sees the Light

Beat Connection, "Saola"

The Palace Garden

Work Drugs, "The Art of Progress"

Absolute Bearing

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Sebadoh, "I Don't Mind"

Secret

Silver Jews, "We Could Be Looking for the Same Thing"

Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

Seapony, "Prove It to Me"
Falling

Belle & Sebastian, "I'm a Cuckoo"

Dear Catastrophe Waitress

Diana Ross & the Supremes, "Someday We'll Be Together"

Cream of the Crop

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Deep Sea Arcade, "Lonely in Your Arms"

Outlands

Tune in again next week for more hot jamz!

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Music Video Mondays: Talking love with Deep Sea Arcade + Jens Lekman

I'm a little late to the Deep Sea Arcade party, having discovered this lil gem just last week when it was featured on MTV's The Inbetweeners (which, btw, is hilar.) Love the retro visuals, not to mention the catchy-as-fuck melody:

"Lonely in Your Arms" appears on the record Outlands, out now.


And speaking of retro visuals -- Jens Lekman keeps it simple on his new vid for "I Know What Love Isn't."

"I Know What Love Isn't" appears on the record I Know What Love Isn't, out now.

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Fall 2012 Required Listening

Given that the end of summer means the end of so many of my favorite things (aka: cut-offs, beaching, summer ales, popsicles) -- I'm not really eager to embrace the autumn. One thing that makes the transition a little sweeter? BRAND NEW MUSIC, which seems to reach its peak come September. Over at Phrequency, I detail 8 records I'm super pumped for this fall -- head over there to get the goods!

Here's some cover art to get you psyched...

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Spruce it up at the THRIFT STORE (aka, Macklemore + Ryan Lewis get dressed)

Wanna score some redhot duds to go b.t.s. but a lil short on dough? Seattle rapper Macklemore (+ producer Ryan Lewis) have two words for you:

  

Let's just hope Miley Cryrus didn't snag all the footie pajamas! 

"Thrift Store" appears on the record The Heist, out tomorrow.

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