indie rock goes mainstream? wtf lol!!

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this was probably posted right?

Indie Bands Move Closer to the Mainstream
By JAKE COYLE, AP

NEW YORK - As the CMJ Music Marathon — the Sundance of rock 'n' roll — descends on New York this weekend, hundreds of unknown indie bands are getting their shot at fame.

Lately, their odds are a little better. With the success of groups like Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse and Bright Eyes, indie rock is seeping into the mainstream — a mixed blessing for a genre that prides itself on being underground.

"There's been a real zeitgeist in the last couple years with kids and shy, quiet indie rock bands who are connecting with people en masse," says Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla.

Stephen Malkmus, who fronted the quintessential '90s indie band Pavement, is now a solo artist. "I started when it was still college rock," he says. "It seems to have become more institutionalized in big cities ... I'm glad to be a part of it."

"It" is blended into TV shows like "The O.C.," movie soundtracks like the upcoming "Elizabethtown" and a healthy amount of commercials. Unlike sellout-conscious Kurt Cobain wannabes, today's indie fans are mostly rooting for the success of the music — and often exasperated at the relative anonymity of their favorite band.

Like Natalie Portman says of the Shins in "Garden State" : "They'll change your life."

"The entire independent scene has come to the fore," says Bobby Haber, founder and CEO of CMJ, or College Media Journal. "I think it's a watershed moment."

Death Cab's fifth album, "Plans," has sold 128,000 copies in two weeks after debuting at No. 4. Modest Mouse's "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" has gone platinum. Last November, singer-songwriter Connor Oberst's band, Bright Eyes, had two songs top the Billboard singles chart — knocking out a duet by Usher and Alicia Keys and sending the indie rock world into a tailspin.

"Universe reveals plan to self-destruct," wrote Ryan Schreiber of PitchforkMedia.com, arguably the critical epicenter of indie music.

Indie rock, like alternative music in the early '90s, is a vague term meant to characterize progressive, underground rock 'n' roll.

"It used to mean, especially in the late '80s, early '90s, that you were on an indie label like Matador or Sub Pop," says Sia Michel, editor-in-chief of Spin magazine. Now, she says, the term defines a specific sound, "this kind of smart, but tuneful and passionate kind of rock music."

Unlike alt-rock, which was focused on grunge and anti-corporate anger, indie rock is a much broader sound that can incorporate forms of folk, country and electronica — but is mostly in the tradition of groups like Velvet Underground and Talking Heads.

Current indie bands also rarely have the desire for cultural change like alternative acts did. "There is NOTHING about what we're doing that screams cultural revolution," Walla says.

There's also more acceptance of the corporate world. Though they still carry the indie flag, Death Cab, Modest Mouse and semi-indies like Franz Ferdinand and the Killers are all signed to major labels.

"Ten years ago, an indie rock band wouldn't have been caught dead being signed to a major," says Nic Harcourt, host of the influential radio show "Morning Becomes Eclectic" on Los Angeles' KCRW. Today, "the sensibility is more of an aesthetic than it is a manifesto."

Michel agrees: "It's almost seen as kind of cool to score an iPod commercial."

Speaking of which, iTunes and Internet downloads have made it easier for music fans to connect with underground artists. For Postal Service (a collaboration of Death Cab's Ben Gibbard and Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello) Sub Pop received more than 4 million downloads of "Such Great Heights" through MySpace.com. The album, "Give Up," has now sold over 650,000 copies, the label's biggest seller since Nirvana's "Bleach."

Then there are TV and movies, which are often being created by young people who like indie bands. The long-haired, reverb-heavy My Morning Jacket are featured in Cameron Crowe's upcoming film "Elizabethtown," and Aqueduct's quirky lo-fi can currently be heard behind pictures of plush Jaguars.

If there's one band iconic of the scene, it's Arcade Fire. Hailing from Montreal, a bastion of indiedom, their debut, "Funeral," blew away critics and has sold over 200,000 discs.

"I think they're like the best band, period," says Carl Newman, frontman of the New Pornographers, echoing the feelings of many indie rockers.

Some point to Arcade Fire as the obvious candidate to sell like Modest Mouse.

"It's not that (indie rock) is strange, it's not that bizarre — it's simply a little ahead of its time," says Haber. "In late 1978, the Police sounded pretty strange ... but six months later, it was on Top 40 radio with `Roxanne.'"

Walla credits Death Cab's switch to Atlantic (from indie Barsuk) in part to the creative contract they were offered. He says some majors are starting to rethink their role, turning away from "producing" bands in favor of simply distributing them.

So are majors now trying to sign "the next Death Cab"?

"If all of a sudden, that becomes the flavor of the month and all the labels want to sign a band like Death Cab for Cutie, then we're onto the next cycle of alternative rock and it's dead as soon as they start it," says radio host Harcourt. "So I hope not."

― gear (gear), Friday, 16 September 2005 04:57 (twenty years ago)

dear jake, you're a fucking buffoon. cheers.

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:01 (twenty years ago)

How many times has indie rock "died" so far? I lost count.

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:01 (twenty years ago)

"Ten years ago, an indie rock band wouldn't have been caught dead being signed to a major,"

bollocks

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:05 (twenty years ago)

"I think they're like the best band, period," says Carl Newman, frontman of the New Pornographers.

Canadians be stickin' together.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:20 (twenty years ago)

I'm guessing he meant that ten years ago all the majors were desperately trying to rid their rosters of the ex-indie deadweight because electronica was going to take over and pop was on its way back and no one cared about anything but hip-hop anyway, but maybe I'm mistaken.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:23 (twenty years ago)

This is probably a dumb question, but are indie bands really selling that many more records than they did e.g. ten or even five years ago? I'm guessing they are selling more, maybe a lot more, but because of downloading et al it seems to me that with the drop in overall sales figures indie albums don't have to do that much more per unit to have more chart heft. This isn't meant as a slight to anyone, just a part of the indie surge that seems relatively uncommented upon.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:27 (twenty years ago)

i really don't see how it's any different to what happened after grunge or britpop. possibly the biggest difference is there's not really one massive act at the top of it all (correct me if i'm wrong)

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:29 (twenty years ago)

well, Britpop didn't really happen in the U.S. (Oasis did, or at least "Wonderwall" did), but point taken. still, I think that's what's sort of interesting about it as a trend--there is no ONE artist at the front of it, no Nirvana or Oasis or Beatles or Run-D.M.C. or what have you.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:31 (twenty years ago)

electronica

christ, it's 2005, the word is still around

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:32 (twenty years ago)

or, if we're going to include '01-era Rockisback hype along w/the '04-'05 Schmindie hype, the White Stripes maybe? V2 isn't a major label, after all.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:33 (twenty years ago)

xpost: yes, it's still around when I'm obviously aping circa-'97 bizspeak

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:33 (twenty years ago)

although big fucking deal if I used the word even now, it's as applicable as any

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:35 (twenty years ago)

http://www.ignaki.com/Imagenes/musica/it-Musica%20Electronica.jpg

― gear (gear), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:38 (twenty years ago)

Has any of these groups (indies who have broken through) approached platinum? I mean, certainly Death Cab has a devoted fan base responsible for taking them to #4. But none of these bands is a household name (then again, who is these days?) and their level of success is on a tier less elevated than Green Day, who even in the downloading age have sold four million of their latest.

The inclusion of The Killers is kind of curious, too, considering (AFAIK) they've never had a proper "indie" release but sort of fit the "indie aesthetic." They're probably the least indie of all these acts and have had the most success, incidentally.

Also:
"It's not that (indie rock) is strange, it's not that bizarre — it's simply a little ahead of its time," says Haber.

Yyyyyeah.

― a picture of a fat girl hugging Rick Perry, awesome (Matt Chesnut), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:42 (twenty years ago)

x-post

Isn't V2 a subsidiary of BMG?

― a picture of a fat girl hugging Rick Perry, awesome (Matt Chesnut), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:43 (twenty years ago)

postal service went platinum no?

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:47 (twenty years ago)

The funniest thing I overhead on a bus the other day from two women, I'm guessing 40s to 50s(?), talking about Death Cab and Pinback is "Yeah, they're great. They're part of this, what do they call it, nu-ballad rock? They're songs are really danceable, but really sweet and not so hard." They went on to talk about The Shins and The Postal Service too.

It was kinda cool to hear that, actually. The "i" word didn't get mentioned once.

― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:48 (twenty years ago)

This article had it at 650,000. Unless you count it as being six times ghetto plat.

― a picture of a fat girl hugging Rick Perry, awesome (Matt Chesnut), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:48 (twenty years ago)

ah yes

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:50 (twenty years ago)

not sure about V2/BMG, but that might be true. I asked because I honestly don't know.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:51 (twenty years ago)

And now that I actually read the damn thing, Modest Mouse went platinum. (Pretty sure The Killers have, too.)

― a picture of a fat girl hugging Rick Perry, awesome (Matt Chesnut), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:51 (twenty years ago)

killers are multi platinum apparently

― jimmy glass (electricsound), Friday, 16 September 2005 05:56 (twenty years ago)

I can't recall which thread it was on here, but it was mentioned how rock radio had started to skew aggro (nu-metal) and had alienated about half of their potential audience (THE LADIES). I think the emergence of indie may have to do with a marginalized demographic finding a brand of rock that they feel suits them better.

― a picture of a fat girl hugging Rick Perry, awesome (Matt Chesnut), Friday, 16 September 2005 06:00 (twenty years ago)

we're all forgetting one thing: 9/11

― gear (gear), Friday, 16 September 2005 06:02 (twenty years ago)

and also, perhaps there's some trickle-down influence of 103.1 in Los Angeles? i dunno.

― gear (gear), Friday, 16 September 2005 06:03 (twenty years ago)

xpost: yes, it's still around when I'm obviously aping circa-'97 bizspeak

Matos, relax. I was referring to its use in the article:

but yeah, you make the correct point that this schmuck just churned out a grand mishmash of almost a decade's worth of stories referring to "underground" music being not so "underground" anymore....

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Friday, 16 September 2005 06:11 (twenty years ago)

we're all forgetting one thing: 9/11

What are you saying? The terrorists have already won?

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 16 September 2005 06:20 (twenty years ago)

V2 is definitely a SonyBMG subsidiary.

― Jeff Reguilon (Talent Explosion), Friday, 16 September 2005 06:32 (twenty years ago)

Wow, bland and poppy music has found mainstream success? Wait, does Richard Marx know? Maybe he's indie now.

― js (honestengine), Friday, 16 September 2005 06:35 (twenty years ago)

This is probably a dumb question, but are indie bands really selling that many more records than they did e.g. ten or even five years ago?

Yes. Totally chartable trend upward. I attribute (haters can blame) the uptick to Bright Eyes' gigantic success, generally - there are a couple of other biggish indie acts, including DCFC, who've attracted a larger audience but nobody as wide-reaching as Conor. Rising tide lifts all boats, etc

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Friday, 16 September 2005 07:04 (twenty years ago)

Erm, how has Radiohead not been doing this (being an "indie rock" band on a major label shifting lots of units) for years?

― JoB (JoB), Friday, 16 September 2005 07:38 (twenty years ago)

Here's a fresh indie list from the same author:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050915/ap_en_mu/music_indie_rock_bands;_ylt=AqLWydR6RgWaxi9HU9nYtCuVEhkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

― zeus, Friday, 16 September 2005 07:47 (twenty years ago)

Spoon: ...still sees no reason his groove-based piano and guitar band can't be as big as the Kinks.

What? Anyone else think that's a little odd considering Kinks fans today are usually divided into people who a) like and know about all five of their classic rock hits only b) are hardcore?

― Cunga (Cunga), Friday, 16 September 2005 08:30 (twenty years ago)

mersh moves.

― N_RQ, Friday, 16 September 2005 08:34 (twenty years ago)

I think he meant as big as the Kinks are today.

― I Oppose All Rock and Roll (noodle vague), Friday, 16 September 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

When have inoffensive guitar-pop bands with a nice ballad on the album not been able to sell records?

― I Oppose All Rock and Roll (noodle vague), Friday, 16 September 2005 08:37 (twenty years ago)

Arcade Fire: Husband and wife team Win Butler and Regine Chassagne lead a troupe of exuberant, talented musicians. Wearing suits the way Wes Anderson might, they sing about adolescent memories with sweeping oooh's and ahhh's. The search continues for someone who doesn't like Arcade Fire.

― gear (gear), Friday, 16 September 2005 08:43 (twenty years ago)

Um.. Bright Eyes gets the most press definitely, but he doesn't really sell all that much, does he, at least compared to Death Cab?

― Roz (Roz), Friday, 16 September 2005 08:43 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lowculture.com/archives/images/jackie_harvey.jpg

― gear (gear), Friday, 16 September 2005 08:45 (twenty years ago)

Roffles. Maybe he should do a piece on this new Crunk thing the hipsters are talking about.

― I Oppose All Rock and Roll (noodle vague), Friday, 16 September 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

OK Kingfish, overlooked that.

BN: I figured that to be the case but I do think the upsurge, while noticeable, would probably still have still been a blip pre-Napster. (Or more of a blip and less of a "trend" with noticeable chart effects.)

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 09:14 (twenty years ago)

once in awhile, like right here, I like to remind people that "indie" is short for "independent"

― yule b., Friday, 16 September 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

independent of what?

― N_RQ, Friday, 16 September 2005 11:12 (twenty years ago)

who the fuck knows? it's an absurd genre classification. that's the point.

― yule b., Friday, 16 September 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

Seems like something is wrong with the adjectives if "indie bands" are selling more records than they were 5 to 10 years ago, but independent labels certainly aren't.

It needs to be taken back down to the Cherry Red ideal: independent means released, manufactured, distributed, promoted by independent labels and distributors, etc. With that, I'd say there are very few sellers amonst the true indies.

― Dan Gr (certain), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:21 (twenty years ago)

"released, manufactured, distributed, promoted by independent labels and distributors, etc."

er so the pressing plant has to be 'independent'? INDEPENDENT OF WHAT????

― N_RQ, Friday, 16 September 2005 11:37 (twenty years ago)

i bet jake coyle has subscriptions to Paste and Magnet.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

INDEPENDENT OF WHAT????

The Jews.

― Confounded (Confounded), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:45 (twenty years ago)

Come on, don't play dumb. Independent of a very specific large-scale music industry system. It was never supposed to mean "never touches anything involving money" or "relies less than 2% on anything made by corporations." "Independent" rock was supposed to be a backlash against sleazy A&R people, bloated recording and promotional budgets that eat away at the band's advance, shitty royalty deals, the all-or-nothing culture of a band getting dropped after having a #1 single because they can't immediately produce another, the rock-star mentality, overly professionalized production, and a whole host of other crap.

I'm no purist myself, but this article just sounds like the latest version of continuing to refer to mainstream rock radio as "alternative" even when there isn't anything else.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 16 September 2005 12:02 (twenty years ago)

he even misspelled oberst's name.

reminds me of the o.a.r. fans in college who actually pronounced their favorite (horrible) band's name wrong.

― marc h. (marc h.), Friday, 16 September 2005 12:14 (twenty years ago)

o.a.r. -- *shudders*

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 16 September 2005 12:18 (twenty years ago)

It's exactly as Hurting says. Independent of the large scale music industry. You'll notice I didn't put "pressing" in my list. I wrote "manufactured" referring more to the system where large distributors take care of the manufacturing needs for the label. Two examples spring to mind right away: (the old) Rough Trade and Darla.

I'd write more, but it's better just to let Barry Lazell say it:

>>
In fully appreciating what the book is all about, readers should be clear about its - and the charts' own - definition of that key word "indie", because it is a term which has subsequently come to have different interpretations. Most importantly, in the context of this book, indie is not a musical or artistic definition, though it has grown to be one in the music press of the 90s. To have indie status, a record - or the label on which it was released had to be one which was independently distributed: produced, manufactured, marketed and put into the shops without recourse to the corporate framework of the major record companies which have traditionally controlled virtually all aspects of the music industry.

If this may seem a merely trivial point, it is also the answer to certain aspects of the book (and the charts) which might otherwise puzzle some readers - the reason why, for instance, Hollywood Records' MOR duo Rene & Renato, and the PWL label ex-Neighbours popsters Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, all have major indie chart credentials, alongside punk bands, goths and all manner of alternative acts. It's also the reason why there are no records or artists from the Stiff label historically regarded as a seminal independent success story - anywhere in the book, because for all its entrepreneurism and musical innovation, Stiff was always manufactured and distributed via the facilities of major labels like CBS and EMI.
>> (from the introduction to Indie Hits chart compilation book for years '80 to '89)

Ian MacNay's intro is also worth reading: http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/

dan

― Dan Gr (certain), Friday, 16 September 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

Maybe it would be more accurate to say that bands working the indie sound rather than the indie system are doing much better in the last few years than they were doing in the years before that, as some of the biggest nu-metal acts came from independent labels, but yes, trust me, labels don't care so very much about chart position, they care about sales, and the sales have gotten big enough for the majors to take notice.

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 16 September 2005 13:42 (twenty years ago)

Crybabies be shopping!

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 16 September 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

" 'indie bands' are selling more records than they were 5 to 10 years ago, but independent labels certainly aren't."

are you sure about that last fact?

― Nigel (Nigel), Friday, 16 September 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

Corny mainstream fucks

― M. V. (M.V.), Friday, 16 September 2005 14:27 (twenty years ago)

Stereotyped popism's greatest moment of angst -- 'oh no, all the indie stuff I hate IS popular and the binary opposition is dead! what do I do?'

Real-life popism's reaction -- 'gawd, the beats STILL aren't good enough, grousegrumble...'

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 16 September 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

...labels don't care so very much about chart position, they care about sales...

yeah but the former can affect the latter, so no, labels do care about chart position somewhat.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 16 September 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

To me all 'indie', 'alternative', 'college rock', or whatever, have all just been equivalent of the relief pitchers warming up in the bullpen. When mainstream people are ready to hear their sound, most of them go mainstream. The term 'indie' has gotten to be such a descriptor of a certain sound that when a bunch of these groups do go mainstream, 'indie' will be a big meaningless marketing buzzword like 'alternative' was in the 90s, and the next wave of do-it-yourself artists will get categorized some other way. Isn't this pretty much how it has been since the 60s?

― recovering optimist (Royal Bed Bouncer), Friday, 16 September 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

xx post

Nevermind the beats, just some decent choons or ideas would do.

― I Oppose All Rock and Roll (noodle vague), Friday, 16 September 2005 15:07 (twenty years ago)

"bands like velvet underground and talking heads"??
are those bands like each other??

― asdf, Friday, 16 September 2005 15:10 (twenty years ago)

Well, yeah, indie labels are farm teams for majors now. Where A&M or Atlantic used to have to groom their own talent, now they just wait for Barzuk to pump out another pallatable but boring album, have it cross over, and swoop down to sign people for real money.

― js (honestengine), Friday, 16 September 2005 15:34 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lowculture.com/archives/images/jackie_harvey.jpg

ITEM! Indy music hits the mainstream -- FINALLY!!!1

― PB, Friday, 16 September 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

is this an Onion article?

― simian (dymaxia), Friday, 16 September 2005 16:25 (twenty years ago)

"Current indie bands also rarely have the desire for cultural change like alternative acts did. "There is NOTHING about what we're doing that screams cultural revolution," Walla says."

I think this is why everything is so murky now. For most groups that make it to the majors (or at least some sort mainstream attention), they are just not interested in some sort of washed up idea of societal-overhaul through music. Bright Eyes is the exception, which really explains the intensity of his fanbase. But in reality (and i say this as an Oberst admirier), there is nothing concrete in anything he says, the words are just what they are, and nothing more. (both a virtue and a fatal flaw) the type of people who think that Saddle Creek (or music in general) will "start the revolution" are the same people who could call Jim Morrison an erotic politician with a straight face.

― JD from CDepot, Friday, 16 September 2005 18:30 (twenty years ago)

oberst is a revolutionary.

― latebloomer: neurotic politician (latebloomer), Friday, 16 September 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

http://images.villagevoice.com/issues/0442/soults.jpg

― latebloomer: neurotic politician (latebloomer), Friday, 16 September 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

yeah but the former can affect the latter, so no, labels do care about chart position somewhat.

Your height can affect your ability to pick apples off tall trees, but a basketball team doesn't really care about your apple-picking ability, you know? As soon as you quote a chart position to a label you're trying to get to sign you the very next question will be "But what are your sales?" I guarantee you.

― Eppy (Eppy), Friday, 16 September 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

you're missing the point.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 16 September 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

http://shiftyeye.com/images/weblog/0802/smoove_b.jpg

― PB, Friday, 16 September 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

"Current indie bands also rarely have the desire for cultural change like alternative acts did. "There is NOTHING about what we're doing that screams cultural revolution," Walla says."

We come bearing no flannel shirts, Doc Martens, or weird piercings.

― lyra (lyra), Friday, 16 September 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

Current indie bands also rarely have the desire for cultural change like alternative acts did. "There is NOTHING about what we're doing that screams cultural revolution," Walla says.

Death Cab for Cutie: rock'n'roll Thomas Kinkade.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 16 September 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

once in awhile, like right here, I like to remind people that "indie" is short for "independent"

so, how many 12-bar blues songs have been on the rhythm and blues charts lately, anyway?

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

And none of these modern "punk" bands have been raped in prison!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 16 September 2005 20:28 (twenty years ago)

have you measured the IQs of these intelligent dance music-makers? they're all middling-to-dumb!

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 16 September 2005 20:28 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, this Indie: The Business Model definition is clearly not the only one. This article is highlighting that it's Indie: The Aesthetic that is getting a following. I mean, a couple of years ago, I don't think anybody would call Chamillionaire indie rap just because he was doing things independently.

― a picture of a fat girl hugging Rick Perry, awesome (Matt Chesnut), Friday, 16 September 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

"There is NOTHING about what we're doing that screams cultural revolution,"

i wonder what the MAOISTS REVIEW BRITNEY folks would have to say about death cab?

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 16 September 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

now that it sucks and is tasteful it is 'mainstream'. of course it doesn't resemble its earlier incarnations in the slightest....

you can always kill something by cloning it without changing the name.

― simian (dymaxia), Friday, 16 September 2005 21:01 (twenty years ago)

http://www.fantascienza.com/cinema/invasione-degli-ultracorpi/media/Brucia.JPG

― gear (gear), Friday, 16 September 2005 21:03 (twenty years ago)

Unlike alt-rock, which was focused on grunge and anti-corporate anger,

See why I'm convinced this was ghostwritten by the Onion staff?

I mean, wasn't "alt-rock" that shitty stuff that came after Nirvana?

I'm tho confused....

― simian (dymaxia), Friday, 16 September 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

Well, I'd be curious how many indie-rock bands have gone or approached gold in the past fifteen years. There's nothing new in the article, but this may be the first time it's happened since Matador's early '90s heyday. Though speaking of Matador, Interpol has done pretty darn well. Guess they didn't fit the author's myopic and arbitrary thesis.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Friday, 16 September 2005 21:18 (twenty years ago)

"bands like velvet underground and talking heads"??

are those bands like each other??

Yes. They're in the tradition of obligatorily-namechecked bands whose LPs "Indie" Publicists vaguely remember seeing in their parents'/cooler older siblings' record boxes while they were still rockin' "Burning Up" into Mr. Microphone wearing tutus.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Friday, 16 September 2005 21:27 (twenty years ago)

Roger, you're overlooking the fact that both bands have guitars!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Friday, 16 September 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)

And they are from New York City! And had a single female in their rhythm sections! They're basically the same band.

― a picture of a fat girl hugging Rick Perry, awesome (Matt Chesnut), Friday, 16 September 2005 21:30 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

Crazy times, man.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 15 April 2008 00:12 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003806082

― jaymc, Wednesday, 21 May 2008 20:33 (seventeen years ago)

didn't the new atmosphere lp get onto the top 5 on the billboard?

yeah...#1 records don't mean shit anymore.

― Creeztophair, Wednesday, 21 May 2008 22:46 (seventeen years ago)

it's seems like all other genres started selling less and big indie records kept selling the same so now they debut big.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Wednesday, 21 May 2008 22:48 (seventeen years ago)

atmosphere, more popular than plies

― deej, Wednesday, 21 May 2008 22:55 (seventeen years ago)

#1 records don't mean shit anymore.

Why is this?

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 21 May 2008 23:15 (seventeen years ago)

atmosphere, more popular than plies

-- deej, Wednesday, May 21, 2008 10:55 PM (26 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

real talk i probably like atmosphere better. i officially don't get plies.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Wednesday, 21 May 2008 23:23 (seventeen years ago)

eleven years pass...

Now that "lol indie" isn't necessarily lifted up as the primary pinnacle of music in hip circles anymore, like 10 years ago when media wanted everyone to worship the latest Grizzly Bear album or whatever, do you think people are less inclined to actively hate it? Or is it that popular indie is not taking itself so seriously so it doesn't encourage as many giant eye rolls? Maybe a little of both?

― Evan, Wednesday, 4 September 2019 16:47 (six years ago)

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