Indie is the new mainstream?

ahkiatt · #1 07-02-2008, 01:59 AM

Recently, I came across a posting in a local forum saying that the indie band, Death Cab for Cutie was coming to Singapore. I was pretty surprised and pleased as I find some of their songs pretty enjoyable, and to top that off, a beautiful girl agreed to go with me. But before I could get the tickets, I found out that they had sold out in 2 day.

So how are we supposed to consider a band like them indie, if they are selling out 1600 seater concert halls and have a huge record company(Atlantic records) behind them? Or is it just another "genre" which they use to fool masses of brainless teenagers into thinking that they are cool because they aren't following the mainstream when they actually are.

**Rune Bivrin** · #2 07-02-2008, 02:19 AM

Well, what does 'Indie' mean? It's short for independent, right? Who would want to label themselves 'Dependent'?

"Yeah, we're kind of a deppie, nu-metal band, like you know"

Timbo · #3 07-02-2008, 02:25 AM

I think death cab for a cutie is kinda the more mainstream of all of the indie bands.

HEIST · #4 07-02-2008, 02:31 AM

Yeah, Death Cab is huuuge.

joeydavidson · #5 07-02-2008, 02:42 AM

everything is pretty much mainstream,

blizzard · #6 07-02-2008, 02:55 AM

I think "Indie" has become a style of music regardless of how popular the band is or which label its on.

Mon Rominee · #7 07-02-2008, 05:41 AM

I mean this in the least -crass way possible (not egotistically), but isn't anything *noteable* and American in re: to pop culture a "big deal" in Asian countries? Not to mention that yeah, Death Cab is huge right now, considering....

ubado · #8 07-02-2008, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blizzard

I think "Indie" has become a style of music regardless of how popular the band is or which label its on.

+1

IMO ... the 90's brought about this change in what "Indie" actually means. Large record companies were grabbing numerous actual "Indie" (small record companies) artists and signing them to big contracts, while keeping the artists "Indie" sound. It was also beginnings of widespread smaller record companies (Indie-esque) that were controlled/owned by larger ones.

Nowadays it seems that "Indie-esque" artists are not the "signed" struggling bands that they were before.

Bruce Lindfield · #9 07-02-2008, 06:17 AM

Indie is mainstream - they play it on (BBC) Radio 2!!

jazzy grille · #10 07-02-2008, 06:26 AM

Indie is mainstream now.

Just like what happend to punk after the 80's.

iamlowsound · #11 07-02-2008, 06:41 AM

Shhhh, don't tell the indie kids.

lowsound

ahkiatt · #12 07-02-2008, 09:04 AM

Don't worry, they won't listen to me, they're too cool for that.

WickedPissah · #13 07-02-2008, 09:27 AM

"Alternative" is a dead term. Alternative has become the mainstream.

sarcastro83 · #14 07-02-2008, 09:36 AM

ubado and WickedPissah are absolutely right. It's become a term used to describe a musical aesthetic rather than a description of how it's made, produced, and distributed.

That said, when I hear the word "indie" these days, I automatically assume "laughably bad". Not exactly my thing.

Bruce Lindfield · #15 07-02-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

ubado and WickedPissah are absolutely right. It's become a term used to describe a musical aesthetic rather than a description of how it's made, produced, and distributed.

What that means is that Indie is doomed to repeat itself now - so if a band tries to develop or change - then it will be deemed not to be Indie!

Whereas, with other terms that apply to the music - e.g Jazz - it is possible to develop.

So we know that Jazz means improvised music and so it is possible to develop within that "framework".

But "Indie" has no intrinsic, musical meaning - so to be "Indie" all you can do is copy previous Indie bands...

superbassman2000 · #16 07-02-2008, 10:50 AM

It seems that in the last ten years indie has just been another word for "lo-fi" imo

bassteban · #17 07-02-2008, 10:56 AM

Your clock is about 8 years slow.

Edit: Other terms that IMO have changed meaning(or at least popular perception)through misuse:
Jive in place of jibe
Old school/old skool

Kosko · #18 07-02-2008, 11:08 AM

Eh, the longer i play music, the more it all just becomes that; music. It all blends together into a pool of notes and patterns.

Sandman1278 · #19 07-02-2008, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kosko

Eh, the longer i play music, the more it all just becomes that; music. It all blends together into a pool of notes and patterns.

+1

EricF · #20 07-02-2008, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarcastro83

ubado and WickedPissah are absolutely right. It's become a term used to describe a musical aesthetic rather than a description of how it's made, produced, and distributed.

Definitely. DCFC made a lot of albums on small labels and were an "indie" band when the term actually referred to bands on independent labels or doing it themselves (guitar player Chris Walla still does the mixing and production). As the style of music gained popularity, bigger labels started paying attention and realized that there's money to be made. These days, "indie" is just a sub-genre of rock. Within the genre, however, there seems to be an asthetic that is really about making music, rather than becoming a rock star.

I saw DCFC last Monday in LA at a 7,000 seat arena. They sounded great and the place was filled with people who were into the music. As a band, what more can you ask for?

Quote:

That said, when I hear the word "indie" these days, I automatically assume "laughably bad". Not exactly my thing.

To each, their own. There's music out there for everyone. To me, there is a lot of fantasic music being made in under the "indie" umbrella.