Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous was released twenty years ago this week. It was a box office disappointment, recouping only about $40 million of its $60 million budget. But box office receipts don’t always reflect quality, and Almost Famous would go on to win an Oscar for Crowe’s original screenplay, and swiftly become a cult favorite on DVD and beyond. Two decades later, Almost Famous remains firmly entrenched in pop culture, particularly among classic rock heads.
On the new episode of Indiecast, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen reflect on the film, using their background as real-life music critics to examine the validity of the central plot (there is literally no way that a publicist would let you spend several weeks on the road with a band for a profile), the depiction of Lester Bangs, and whether Stillwater is actually even a good band at all. Check out Hyden’s full essay about the film here.
In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Steven is spreading the good word about William Tyler’s new album New Vanitas, while Ian is pointing toward I’ll Figure This Out, the latest from Milwaukee’s Barely Civil.
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 7 below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts here. Stay up to date and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.