Desperate For Attention

While music journalists spent two decades writing obituaries for a genre that never actually died, emo quietly executed the most successful cultural infiltration in modern music history. This quasi-presidential address breaks down the absurd disconnect between perception and reality: My Chemical Romance selling out extended arena tours while critics still debate whether the genre is "back." We're...

Remember when we diagnosed the death of the 20-year nostalgia cycle? Well, plot twist: it gets weirder.  Part 2 of our excavation into why your playlist makes zero chronological sense dives into the truly unhinged stuff happening to an entire generation's brains. We're talking about kids who get genuinely emotional over songs they discovered three months ago but feel like childhood memories. Artis...

Once upon a time, cultural revivals used to follow rules. Every 20 years, like clockwork, we'd collectively dust off a forgotten decade, which explains why disco returned in the '90s, synthpop dominated the 2000s, and so on. But today, that predictable rhythm is completely shattered because Fall Out Boy sits next to Boygenius next to TikTok remixes in playlists that defy all logic.  This week, hos...

Remember when changing your hair color felt like the most rebellious thing you could do?  Well, Hayley Williams turned that teenage impulse into the kind of genius business strategy that would make Don Draper weep.  This week, let’s break down how Hayley Williams turned every bottle of hair dye into a storytelling moment that kept Paramore fans engaged during internal band drama, genre pivots, and...

Why does every "chaotic, but make it fashion" moment on your timeline look exactly the same? The answer traces back to a specific time and place where looking professionally disheveled became a full-time job. Join Leslie Simon as she traces the rise and fall of a scene that celebrates beautiful dysfunction. Explore how post-9/11 escapism, recession reality checks, and digital resurrection shaped t...

What do Good Charlotte, Hot Topic, and the death of American mall culture have in common? Everything, as it turns out.  Good Charlotte sold over 10 million albums worldwide, but their real legacy isn't chart positions—it's how they soundtracked suburban teenage identity alongside Hot Topic's retail revolution.  Hot Topic transformed from a small concert merch store into a $600+ million retail empi...

Ever wondered why some of the most popular British scene bands from the 2000s never made it big in America? We're talking about acts that were massive in the UK but barely registered on U.S. soil. This week, we're diving into four incredible bands that deserved way more American love: Funeral For A Friend, The Horrors, Enter Shikari, and Biffy Clyro. It's not that these bands lacked talent—they we...

Before Instagram Stories, before TikTok dances, before anyone said "influencer," there was Buzznet. This forgotten platform accidentally invented the blueprint for modern social media—and then got destroyed by its own success. Join host Leslie Simon and explore how Buzznet's innovations in authentic community building, creator monetization, and visual storytelling became the template that every pl...

What happened to the original influencers after Buzznet died? This bonus clip tracks the wild post-platform journeys of scene queens like Jeffree Star, Audrey Kitching, and Hanna Beth—from beauty empires to spiritual scandals to perfect pivots. Join host Leslie Simon and explore how Jeffree built a $45 million cosmetics empire before retreating to a Wyoming yak ranch, uncover the mystery behind Au...

By 2008, Buzznet’s tight-knit community of scene royalty was tearing itself apart through public feuds and competitive drama, while Facebook's clean interface and mysterious algorithm systematically dismantled their kingdom. From Jeffree Star's mainstream pivot to the Great Scene Queen Wars, from Facebook's game-changing News Feed to Buzznet's fatal celebrity gossip rebrand—this is the story of ho...

Before Instagram Stories, there were daily photo updates. Before brand partnerships, there were featured user programs. Before influencers, there was scene royalty. Tighten your white belt for the untold story of Buzznet—the forgotten platform that accidentally built the blueprint for today's creator economy. In 2006, while MySpace was digital chaos and Facebook was still college-only, a small L.A...

From Harry Potter's gothic halls to Phoebe Bridgers' whispered confessions, this episode unpacks Academic Goth, a movement that gives students permission to treat knowledge like art, studying like spell research, and homework like main-character moments.  Join host Leslie Simon to examine the indie music soundtracks that make homework feel cinematic, the BookTok obsession with "The Secret History,...

This week, let’s explore the fascinating phenomenon of musical photocopying through My Chemical Romance's explosive influence on the scene. Following MCR's breakthrough with their 2004 album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, three distinct generations of bands emerged, each more distanced from the authentic vision that made Gerard Way & Co. so compelling. From Aiden's Halloween-store aesthetic a...

Ever notice how some artists drop one earth-shattering album, then vanish into legend? Host Leslie Simon explores music's most tantalizing mystery: the single-album phenomenon that rewrote the rules forever. From the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks igniting punk's revolution to Jeff Buckley's Grace redefining vulnerability, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill transforming hip-hop's...

Remember frantically switching radio stations when your friends got in the car so they wouldn't catch you blasting “Mr. Jones”?  Host Leslie Simon kicks off a new season of Desperate For Attention by unveiling our collective musical hypocrisy. From Third Eye Blind's 'Semi-Charmed' secrets to Avril's sk8er-girl revolution, let’s trace how these once-mocked Y2K artists transitioned from peak-cringe...

How come Phantom Planet didn’t go supersonic after "California" and The O.C.? What happened to Fountains of Wayne after "Stacy's Mom"? Why didn't The Sounds become international superstars, even when Dave Grohl couldn't stop gushing about them?  Chris and Leslie examine some of the greatest almost famous Millennial rock bands, with plenty of behind-the-scenes intel from their days at Alternative P...

So, you’ve got a million-dollar idea for a book and, after writing a killer proposal, you snag a literary agent that finds a publisher to release your tome into the world. Now what? Chris and Leslie talk about each of their experiences writing — and editing! — a manuscript, deciding on illustrations and photography, marketing and promoting the finished product, and making the eventual book release...

From sticky notes to bidding wars, Chris and Leslie go behind the scenes of the publishing industry and explain how they got their books published. Find out what it’s REALLY like to write a book proposal, get a literary agent, pitch to publishing houses, and sign on the dotted line of that coveted contract. And if you’re just interested in our adventures interviewing emo bands, there’s plenty of t...

With Music’s Biggest Night behind us, Chris and Leslie discuss the impact of Beyoncé FINALLY winning Best Album of the Year, Kendrick Lamar sweeping half the Big 4 categories with his revenge anthem, and Chappell Roan offering the Academy some savage critical feedback with her Best New Artist acceptance speech.  The winners! The losers! The fashun! This year, the 2025 GRAMMY Awards attempted to ri...

In December 2024, Brand New quietly played its first show in seven years. Can fans call it a comeback? Hosts Chris Payne and Leslie Simon call on their decades of experience covering Brand New and the scene that birthed them to discuss the band's future in light of the accusations that caused them to abruptly retreat from the spotlight in 2017.  Want more #DesperateForAttentionPod? Listen & Su...

It’s award season, and hosts Chris Payne and Leslie Simon delve into Timothée Chalamet’s play for Oscar voters’ hearts on SNL, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan’s chances of sweeping the big GRAMMY categories, Doechii's shot at Best New Artist, and one very bold Super Bowl prediction.  The millennials they are, Chris and Leslie at least deserve some participation trophies for naming a bunch of Robbi...

Colette Shade, author of the new book " Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays On The Future That Never Was "—AND OUR PODCAST'S FIRST GUEST!—joins us to debate Millennials vs. Zoomers online, what fast-food menu items and mall stores had the most Y2K energy, and how Meghan Trainor would’ve fared in the TRL era.  For more information about Colette, her book “Y2K,” and upcoming tour dates, che...

Tired of being demure and mindful? Feel like tearing your hair out whenever someone maps out their 12-step skincare routine? Can't bear to explain ChatGBT to your clueless boss? Whether it's A.I. or GRWM, find out which trends Chris and Leslie hope will die in 2025. Want more #DesperateForAttentionPod? Listen & Subscribe on Apple: https://bit.ly/dfapodcast-apple Listen & Subscribe on Spoti...

Co-hosts Chris Payne and Leslie Simon debate whether Gracie Abrams beat the nepo-baby allegations after her debut appearance on Saturday Night Live.  Then, is Chappell Roan the runaway winner of Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards, or do any of her fellow nominees—like Sabrina, Shaboozey, and RAYE—stand a chance? Finally, Chris and Leslie daydream of the unique beauty of a suburban Target. W...

On Episode 3 of their new podcast DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION, co-hosts Chris Payne and Leslie Simon explore the genre of NPC music, which can often be heard piping through your local CVS or Target speakers. It’s those soulless pop songs everyone likes— and no one likes.  Like “The Middle” by Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey. Or “Happy” by Pharrell. Or anything Meghan Trainor’s ever written.  Where does y...