INDIE help-theory, tone, etc.

[Zoa]

So it looks like I am going to be filling in and possibly joining an indie band on a rather immediate time frame. I know very little about this genre. I'm very much a chameleon musically, I change to fit the surroundings, not terribly concerned with "my" tone or style.

So, what should I be shooting for in the tone department? Ballpark is fine. (main bass is a P/J, transparent amp with a VT Bass and a few effects if necessary).

What are the theory characteristics of indie bass? What should I be going for in constructing bass lines?

Basically, what do you look for in good indie bass playing? Alternatively, give me some bassists to listen to that exemplify what you would look for.

For what its worth, these guys seem to be planted squarely in the middle of the indie spectrum, not poets with acoustic guitars, or distorted rock'n'roll either. They have a bluesy kinda tinge if that helps.

[touji]

Not a big indie buff, but these two bands I really like. One's a Japanese band and one's from the States.

The Band Apart's bassist uses a nice gritty tone that I feel works with their sound a lot. I don't know how close your new band is going to sound like this, but it's worth a shot

YouTube - the band apart I love you Wasted junks

Mock Orange

YouTube - Mock Orange - Song In D (Official Music Video)

[Zoa]

Thanks. I don't really either, which is a problem, because they are gigging RIGHT AWAY.
And apparently have almost nothing recorded. :shrug:

Oh well.

[mambo4]

As I understand it, indie is just pop/rock music without backing by a label. I don't think indie is a distinct musical "style" like Blues or Reggae, where the rhythmic function of the bass is well defined.

[Zoa]

From what I've heard, it started off that way, but now has become/is becoming a distinct genre. From what little I've listened to, they all seem to have something in common.

[uethanian]

i feel that indie as a musical aesthetic is like an updated version of 60's folk. because there is such a strong focus on vocals/lyrics, your job as a bassist is (in most cases) to provide a pad for the band to sit on.

these guys are pretty dang indie:
YouTube - Franklin For Short - Brother Bird
nothing too special about the bass line. notice whenever vocals are going on, he's just hitting roots to stay out of the way.

one of my favorite bands:
YouTube - Land Of Talk - Some Are Lakes
the bass is pretty much serving as the bottom end of the guitar

so just don't overthink it. virtuosity, in a weird way, is kind of anti-indie. a transparent P sound would be just fine.

[Snarf]

When I think "indie music" I think intolerable noise, 2-note melodies, and just a general wasteland of bullcrap. Any bass should do, and you should do fine just pounding on the strings, any notes you want, preferable just all open strings all the time. Simultaneously. Make sure you wear a beanie, have a scruffy beard, never shower, and wear plaid. You should do just fine. Oh yeah, and if you don't roll your own cigs and/or don't smoke cloves, you might as well not even bother.

[yougotbrizzled]

Lol snarff

[vivifiction]

"Indie" means anything nowadays. Generally, Indie means everything in your band comes from a DIY standpoint. It can also mean Hipster bands, a multitude of which can be found on pitchfork.com (beware. ear-bleeding may ensue)

Basically, there's not a "standard" tone for Indie. That's kind of the point. You can be grungy or poppy or heavy and still classify under "Indie". Play with the band and see what type of tone fits! With any band, the whole group needs to be keyed in sonically to a tonality.

[kai_ski]

Originally Posted by Zoa

From what I've heard, it started off that way, but now has become/is becoming a distinct genre. From what little I've listened to, they all seem to have something in common.

Wrong, saying "indie band" is a lot like saying "rock band," very ambiguous. that said, here are some of my favorite "indie" bands:

YouTube - To Go Home - M. Ward

YouTube - My Morning Jacket

YouTube - Miike Snow - Animal

YouTube - The Antlers - Two

YouTube - frightened rabbit - the modern leper

YouTube - LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations

YouTube - The National - Fake Empire

YouTube - The Black Keys "Just Got To Be"

I could go on and on, but the point I'm trying to make is that this genre (if you can call it that) is extremely varied. The purpose of indie-labels was to take the heavy hand of major labels and their Producers out of the art of popular music. Just listen to the band and play what you feel fits the music -- it's your art.

(Some of these groups have been picked up by major labels since their debut, to my understanding, primarily for distribution purposes.)

[cataract]

Way to generalize, Snarf. I think you've got "hipsters" confused with "indie rock".
Not to say that I don't agree with you about hipsters, but there are several indie bands that are beyond excellent. Broaden your horizons!