R&P: Let’s talk about "indie" music..?
February 262010
So there’s debate about what "indie" music is. When I think of indie music, I think of bands that are on independent labels. But, indie has become a genre now, with bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, etc.
I guess what people don’t know is that there’s such thing as indie-rock, indie-pop, indie-metal..etc.
So when people ask for indie bands.. what do you recommend? Bands on independent labels, or of the "indie" genre?
BQ1: Favorite band on an independent label
BQ2: Favorite band whose genre is considered "indie."
I hope this makes sense, haha.
Perfect timing.. I just saw a question asking for "indie" bands. :]
OK Paperbag: I thought I’d mess up there, haha. I just see those bands always mentioned as "indie." But thanks for clearing it up.
I agree with what you are saying. I think "indie" started out as those bands on independent labels but that now the term has been used more liberally to accompany a new sort of genre. So now it is still kind of confusing but I assume people are talking about the genre as that’s the most common term usage even though it’s not completely correct. All these genres make me dizzy sometimes, meh.
BA1: Sigur Rós have been Fat Cat Records and XL (but they have also been on major labels). If they don’t completely qualify, thus, I will add Múm or Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty Records)/
BA2: Band of Horses or Alexi Murdoch
February 27th, 2010 at 12:40 am
this is my opinion
INDIE IS THE WORST GENRE BESIDES RAP & HIP HOP and all that crap
i think METAL 4LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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February 27th, 2010 at 1:04 am
I seem to have similar tastes as you…
I like Indie-rock , indie-experimental.
The Silversun Pickups
Arcade Fire
Rilo Kiley
MGMT
Feist
The Constantines
Eskimo Joe
I don’t really follow labels I’m pretty sure some of those that I listed are now with different, bigger labels.
I know that indie is "Independent" But I seem to classify indie as a sound/style instead
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February 27th, 2010 at 1:38 am
I’ll edit in a second.
But first, I’d like to point out that it’s douchebags like Sammy, here, that give music fans of any genre a bad name.
Okay. Now that that’s done–my definition of indie has become blurred, so that I now identify a certain sound (whether they’re on a major label or not) as ‘indie’
The Kings of Leon and The Black Keys are my favorite. But most of the time I identify ‘indie’ as bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, Wolf Parade, MGMT, etc.
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February 27th, 2010 at 1:57 am
I agree with you.
Ha, speaking if indie music, I got freaked out on for saying I liked the Killers on one of my questions. Lol.
BQ1: Don The Reader
BQ2: Silversun Pickups
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February 27th, 2010 at 2:28 am
I don’t think of indie as independent (anymore) or as a genre, because indie doesn’t "sound" like anything. There’s no way to define it as a genre because all the bands that are typically considered "indie" hardly ever actually sound alike.
When people ask for indie bands, if they give examples of bands they like, I just try to recommend similar bands that I like too. If not, I just try to list bands that I enjoy that are typically considered "indie." I don’t really think about it and I don’t try to define it, and most of the time, I try to avoid using the word "indie" at all, because a lot of the time it just sounds really pretentious.
BQ1: The Hold Steady
BQ2: Rilo Kiley
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February 27th, 2010 at 2:56 am
I agree with what you are saying. I think "indie" started out as those bands on independent labels but that now the term has been used more liberally to accompany a new sort of genre. So now it is still kind of confusing but I assume people are talking about the genre as that’s the most common term usage even though it’s not completely correct. All these genres make me dizzy sometimes, meh.
BA1: Sigur Rós have been Fat Cat Records and XL (but they have also been on major labels). If they don’t completely qualify, thus, I will add Múm or Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty Records)/
BA2: Band of Horses or Alexi Murdoch
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February 27th, 2010 at 3:12 am
I assume they mean the typical indie rock/pop if they don’t specify but if they go further I recommend what they ask for
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February 27th, 2010 at 3:42 am
It’s complicated, but I must admit — I’ve come to regard "indie" as more of a sound than a financial term. Not sure why, maybe just because it’s easier. lol "Oh, this band sounds indie" (y’know, the post-punk revival, White Stripes-y sound) rather than "Let me research this band’s business relations… ah, yes, an indie label."
BTW, of the three bands you mentioned — Arctic Monkeys and Vampire Weekend ARE indie. The Arctics are signed to Domino, a London indie label. And Vampire Weekend are signed to XL, a UK indie label. Death Cab, however, are definitely signed to a mainstream label: Atlantic Records, a Warner Bros. subsidiary.
Bonus 1: Radiohead (completely independent now, though they licensed In Rainbows to XL for the CD/vinyl release), followed by Arctic Monkeys
Bonus 2: Arctic Monkeys again… they are usually mentioned in articles about the "indie sound"/scene.
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February 27th, 2010 at 4:23 am
To me real indie music means unsigned bands and artists. For example they have Lil Jon listed as indie because he’s not on a major label. HE’S NOT INDIE!!! He’s on a sub label of a big label and this is what most of those big labels are doing to appeal to people looking for indie artists. It’s a huge scam.
The only place that really ranks true indie artists by genre is hotindiemusic.com
References :
http://hotindiemusic.com