(real) Indie ..

Yeah, weird name for it ..

I suposse Coldplay are awrite :)

I loved Parachutes.

Horray the smiths :]

x

I am rather partial to The Zutons first album.  Not sure if the new material is as good, I've only heard the one track.

I find most Indie useless.  I heard a Flaming Lips song the other day and it wasn't all that bad to my ears.

My friend has recommened The Mystery Jets to me, as he likes a bit of prog and knows I like it too.  Not explored that any futher yet though.

I just find most Indie drones on and on and on and on... ad infinitum.  The music doesn't take me anyhwere, it's like U2, very dull!

The problem as I see it:  A lot of Indie artists are Indie because they can't get a record deal or don't want a record deal (Artistic Control, etc.).

Several Indie bands have achieved a fair amount of success & ultimately gotten that deal - bringing fame & (sometimes) fortune. Also the record company will put up the money for a decent studio, marketing & touring (which the band must pay back out of record sales & touring).

With fame (fortune) & the Deal comes pressure to make Radio-Friendly music that can be shoved down the throats of a gullible public who, not coincidentally, has money to burn & tends to consume anything the media tells them is hot/good/fresh/etc.

This success turns the Indie band/artist into a commercial artist, no longer interested (seemingly) in making music. Now they are interested in making money. Sometimes the interest in making money is due to the fact that the deal they got from the record company had put them into debt - despite the fame & success.

It's a Catch-22.

Since there are some Smiths fans here, I thought I'd mention that Morrissey's new solo album is being released on the 3rd of April. Of course it has already leaked onilne. 

You can also listen to it legally here.


Edited by Vompatti

I've listened to a lot of 'Indie' music over the years, but it's definition appears to have changed. In the 80's the term 'Indie' merely reffered to any artist who recorded independantly of a major label. There were loads of indie labels in the UK; Rough Trade, Situation 2, 4AD, Factory etc. Now the term seems to be used for any band that isn't pop, RnB, Soul or Rock. The 'Indie' scene seems to have changed too. It's a huge money market now, aimed at the masses. I believe you can sell anything to anyone if you have the right marketting tools.

Indie music went through a creative renaissance in the 90's IMO. Bands like Curve, The Boo Radleys, Fields of the Nephilim, Lush, Chapter House, Ride and The Cocteau Twins made very original and imaginiative music.

I feel like that 'genre' has`lost it's creativity and it's soul, but I accpet that I may just be getting old.