In 2009 MP3 blogs ruled the underground music scene, serving as the gateway for discovering new artists before the explosion of streaming services. This era, from 2005 to 2010, was defined by digital downloads, piracy debates, and the rapid growth of platforms like MySpace and iTunes. Bands like Metric thrived in this environment, using digital distribution to reach listeners directly.
When Fantasies dropped in April 2009, pop culture was in a transitional phase. The dominant sounds on mainstream radio were still shaped by post-grunge and nu-metal, with bands like Nickelback and Linkin Park continuing to cast long shadows over rock charts. However, in indie circles, a very different sound was bubbling up. Bands like Metric, Arcade Fire, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs were leading the charge in mixing rock with electronic elements, crafting a sonic landscape that felt fresh, edgy, and deeply introspective.
Metric, hailing from Toronto, had already built a steady following in Canada and the indie scene. Fronted by the magnetic Emily Haines, the band had spent the early 2000s building their reputation with albums like Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? and Live It Out. But Fantasies was different—it felt like the culmination of everything they had worked toward. The record’s lead single, “Help I’m Alive,” hit the digital airwaves months before the album dropped, generating a buzz in the MP3 blogosphere. Its pulsating beats and hauntingly vulnerable lyrics quickly became an anthem for indie rock fans who were looking for something more emotionally resonant than the mainstream hits of the time.
The band’s story leading up to Fantasies is one of perseverance and evolution. Starting out as a duo in 1998, Emily Haines and guitarist James Shaw slowly expanded Metric into a full band, adding bassist Joshua Winstead and drummer Joules Scott-Key by the early 2000s. Their first few albums were well-received, particularly in Canada, where they earned gold and platinum certifications. However, by the time Fantasies came around, the band had refined their sound into a sleek, synth-heavy, yet guitar-driven style that balanced introspective lyrics with danceable rhythms.
Fantasies is a masterclass in arrangement, blending analog synths with guitars to create a cohesive yet sonically diverse album. Tracks like “Gimme Sympathy” and “Gold Guns Girls” showcase the band’s ability to mix catchy, radio-friendly hooks with deeper, more nuanced instrumentation. Emily Haines’ voice, confident yet fragile, is the perfect vehicle for the album’s themes of self-doubt, longing, and the complexities of human emotion.
The album’s success wasn’t just limited to its critical reception; it also found commercial success in an unlikely way—via TV, movies, and video games. Songs from Fantasies were featured in everything from Grey’s Anatomy and Entourage to Zombieland and EA Sports’ FIFA, helping to expose Metric to a wider audience. While Fantasies didn’t break massive sales records, selling about 76,000 copies in the U.S., it made a significant cultural impact and established Metric as one of the defining bands of the late 2000s indie rock scene.
For fans of the era, revisiting Fantasies is like stepping into a time capsule—a reminder of when the music world was shifting from physical albums to digital downloads and when indie bands still had a fighting chance to break through into the mainstream. The album remains a testament to Metric’s ability to craft songs that are both deeply personal and universally relatable, blending the best of rock, pop, and electronic music into something that still resonates today.
Whether you discovered Metric through a blog download in 2009 or are hearing Fantasies for the first time today, this album remains a worthy listen, full of energy, emotion, and the kind of confident experimentation that defined indie rock at its peak. Be sure to check out our bonus episode, where we dive deeper into Fantasies and its place in Metric’s impressive discography.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Gold Guns Girls
19:35 - Sick Muse
24:58 - Help, I'm Alive
30:03 - Front Row
Outro - Gimme Sympathy
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Metric - Fantasies | 00s Rock Revisited