Originally Posted by Briks

People seek community, that's why they join subcultures. Some of the major contemporary subcultures are emo/scene and hipster. When indie rock and emo became marketable, labels would find bands with slight relation to the genres and word-label them. Brand New is one of those bands, and their indie background makes them appeal to hipsters as well as emos. Labels tell people what to listen to. It doesn't have to be something great, it just has to be simple. People don't seem to care if it is good, they'll listen to whatever is available. Crappy bands are popular because they are marketable, simple, and appealing to the listeners. Brand New is all of those. That's why they sell, without being as good as you would think they are when they are so popular.