For these reasons and others, Cosentino's collaboration with the company has been heavily scrutinized. Flavorwire referred it to as another step in "Best Coast's endless journey of monetization."
Cosentino doesn't see any problems. "People need to chill out about Urban," she says. "I would be surprised if a lot of those people don't own something [from it]."
She isn't alone in working with the company: Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth designed a line for it in 2009, and retro-rocker Nick Waterhouse just released the music video for his new single, "Some Place," on Urban Outfitters' site.
In general, Cosentino isn't nervous or reserved when talking about these issues. It seems likely that, despite everyone else's hand-wringing, the decision to enter into the Urban Outfitters partnership was not a difficult one for her to make.
And why should it be? You can't sell out if you never bought into the idea of selling out in the first place. In fact, upon further reflection, Best Coast seems to be the approximate musical equivalent of Urban Outfitters — much more mainstream than the people patronizing it might believe.
"I honestly don't give a fuck," Cosentino says when asked about her frustrated indie critics. Her attitude is refreshing and a little bit empowering; she's willing to own her marketing savvy, not unlike another Southern California singer who's been accused of playing dumb. An "indie-budget Katy Perry" is how The Guardian has referred to Cosentino; the BBC, on the other hand, prefers a "Valley girl Patsy Cline."
So which is it? When it comes to Best Coast's music — at least if the disappointing The Only Place is any indication — the group's artistic development seems stunted, veering at this point a bit closer to Perry than Cline.
Best Coast plays May 18 at the Wiltern.
Just waiting for the impending "we're bigger than Jesus". (insert added inanities as needed). Why are we insistent on me disliking this young woman? Every time I try to get into the music, I read shit like this and I wonder why we can't just think before saying stuff like this publicly. Sure I spout off, but at least I refrain from sounding like a public bimbo. (try anyhow.) whatever, little girl.
The only one redeeming thing about at the drive in reuniting: Cedric proclaiming "urban outfitters is the costco of youth culture".
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