What is indie to you? (rock, REM, Coldplay, Europe)

Sneer · 07-17-2005, 12:56 PM

no doubt this has been done before. but seeing as we've had an influx of new members lately i want to here your views on what you think is the real meaning of indie. is it an attitude? is it a status? is it a sound? is it a hybrid of all 3? tell me what you think.

07-17-2005, 09:27 PM

i have real trouble determining what is and what isnt indie but i think its a blend of all three of the things you mentioned...

shandapanda · 07-18-2005, 07:12 AM

i too think it's all three, i don't know which is most important either but i don't think i could say status because some people might just call themselves indie or whatever just to get that status, but again, i have to think about it....

hookers with machineguns · 07-18-2005, 10:51 AM

I don't think the word 'indie' has much meaning anymore. How can a band distance themselves from the mainstream and be apart of it at the same time? Examples- Modest Mouse, Interpol, The Killers, Hot Hot Heat, Bloc Party, etc.

Fenixpunk · 07-18-2005, 10:58 AM

i associate indie with college music and REM

Trauma · 07-18-2005, 11:34 AM

I concur.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 07-18-2005, 11:46 AM

Indie is a pretty meaningless term now , in fact it`s not really meant anything since the late 80s early 90s.

Back then you had hundreds of great bands all on independent record labels. The Pixies , The Sugarcubes , The Birthday Party , Primal Scream , The Smiths , Jesus & Mary Chain , Spacemen 3 and many many more , none of which sounded anything like each other. They just did what the hell they liked without worrying about things like exposure & airplay.

Then the record companies saw that it sold & ruined it by making up hundreds of new subsiduary labels & tried to pass off stuff as 'indie' when pretty much all it was , was generic white boy guitar rock.And because of that the real independent labels got swamped by it & had little access to get their stuff heard.

So now you have the situation where peoples perception of 'indie' seems to be big selling soundalike flavour of the month stuff like the Killers & Coldplay.

UGH

hookers with machineguns · 07-18-2005, 12:05 PM

^ best post in this thread so far. Well that and mine, which was pretty much the abbreviated version of Urbans.

Sneer · 07-18-2005, 02:35 PM

to me its more of a status now for bands to make themselves more accesible to rock fans with "anti-conformity" attitudes....if you understand what i mean. ive never associated it with a sound and as urban and hookers have said, only in the past has it been an attitude.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 07-18-2005, 02:45 PM

But it wasn`t an attitude

For most of those bands being on independent record labels wasn`t a choice. It was the only way they could get their music out regardless of whatever styles or trends were around at the time. The record companies had less power then (In Europe anyway). You COULD make your own records & get into the charts back then.

If there`s one thing I hate it`s the whole 'underground' lifestyle choice myth. It`s absolute bollocks.People in bands need to eat too.

07-17-2005, 12:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,430	What is indie to you? no doubt this has been done before. but seeing as we've had an influx of new members lately i want to here your views on what you think is the real meaning of indie. is it an attitude? is it a status? is it a sound? is it a hybrid of all 3? tell me what you think. __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show

07-18-2005, 07:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
shandapanda Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: bababbabababaaa Posts: 354	i too think it's all three, i don't know which is most important either but i don't think i could say status because some people might just call themselves indie or whatever just to get that status, but again, i have to think about it.... __________________ The Law of Awesome states: Those who are more awesome will cast down those less awesome than themselves, thus climbing the Hierarchy of Awesome and maintaining a balance in the world of Awesome Me poo you

07-18-2005, 10:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
hookers with machineguns Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,753	I don't think the word 'indie' has much meaning anymore. How can a band distance themselves from the mainstream and be apart of it at the same time? Examples- Modest Mouse, Interpol, The Killers, Hot Hot Heat, Bloc Party, etc. __________________ LASTFM

07-18-2005, 10:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
Fenixpunk The Erroneous Hoodlum Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: West Side Phoenix Posts: 2,057	i associate indie with college music and REM __________________ This message has been approved by Shawn Erroneous - The Declaimed

07-18-2005, 11:34 AM	#6 (permalink)
Trauma snickers Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: detroit Posts: 2,194	I concur. __________________ A mi no me importa nada Para mi la vida es un sueño

07-17-2005, 09:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
pastor of muppets Guest Posts: n/a	i have real trouble determining what is and what isnt indie but i think its a blend of all three of the things you mentioned...

07-18-2005, 11:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	Indie is a pretty meaningless term now , in fact it`s not really meant anything since the late 80s early 90s. Back then you had hundreds of great bands all on independent record labels. The Pixies , The Sugarcubes , The Birthday Party , Primal Scream , The Smiths , Jesus & Mary Chain , Spacemen 3 and many many more , none of which sounded anything like each other. They just did what the hell they liked without worrying about things like exposure & airplay. Then the record companies saw that it sold & ruined it by making up hundreds of new subsiduary labels & tried to pass off stuff as 'indie' when pretty much all it was , was generic white boy guitar rock.And because of that the real independent labels got swamped by it & had little access to get their stuff heard. So now you have the situation where peoples perception of 'indie' seems to be big selling soundalike flavour of the month stuff like the Killers & Coldplay. UGH __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

07-18-2005, 12:05 PM	#8 (permalink)
hookers with machineguns Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,753	^ best post in this thread so far. Well that and mine, which was pretty much the abbreviated version of Urbans. __________________ LASTFM

07-18-2005, 02:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,430	to me its more of a status now for bands to make themselves more accesible to rock fans with "anti-conformity" attitudes....if you understand what i mean. ive never associated it with a sound and as urban and hookers have said, only in the past has it been an attitude. __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show

07-18-2005, 02:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	But it wasn`t an attitude For most of those bands being on independent record labels wasn`t a choice. It was the only way they could get their music out regardless of whatever styles or trends were around at the time. The record companies had less power then (In Europe anyway). You COULD make your own records & get into the charts back then. If there`s one thing I hate it`s the whole 'underground' lifestyle choice myth. It`s absolute bollocks.People in bands need to eat too. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.