What do you describe as "Indie" music?

Lonsdale71

Lonsdale71

New Member
What do you think is "Indie" music these days?

Razorlight? (I think not!)

I grew up listening to bands like Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, etc, other "arty" stuff. And of course The Smiths.

Opinions?
 
Billtwasreallynowt

Billtwasreallynowt

Member
Whatever I'm told to, I'm an obedient subordinate!

Indie, its just rock/pop that isn't famous isn't it?

Coldplay were indie upon release of 1st album, but wouldn't be considered so now.
 
Harsh Truth

Harsh Truth

Ever Felt Had?
well, by definition, "indie" originally meant bands that were on Independent record labels.

But, like anything, the term has been twisted or contorted over the years.
 
M

Maurice E

Junior Member
Lonsdale71 said:
What do you think is "Indie" music these days?
Razorlight? (I think not!)
I grew up listening to bands like Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, etc, other "arty" stuff. And of course The Smiths.
Opinions?
Click to expand...

it's the world's most meaningless musical genre. it basically means pop music that's marketed as being cool.
if the Beatles started today, they would be considered an indie band (a bunch of four mates who write their own guitar-based songs), and yet they're never catagorised as indie coz the term didn't exist in the 60's.
Moz realises 'indie' is meaningless. that's why he often (if not usually) refers to himself (and the things he likes) as 'pop'...
 
M

mcrickson

Reckless Endangerment
Maurice E said:
it's the world's most meaningless musical genre. it basically means pop music that's marketed as being cool.
if the Beatles started today, they would be considered an indie band (a bunch of four mates who write their own guitar-based songs), and yet they're never catagorised as indie coz the term didn't exist in the 60's.
Moz realises 'indie' is meaningless. that's why he often (if not usually) refers to himself (and the things he likes) as 'pop'...
Click to expand...

:clap:
This.
:thumb:
Very well put.
 
majic_johnson

majic_johnson

New Member
Ergh I hate the term 'indie', so many people consider themselves 'indie' and they think their original and all that but don't realise that everyone in that 'indie' category are all the same, it's become very dull.
 
Brel

Brel

Guttersnipe
I don't like the term 'indie". It is a redundant term, that never really meant anything anyway. Even when we had the record labels independant of the major distribution companies, the charts they produced said nothing about the supposed genre. As I recall, when The Smiths vacated the number one slot, the likes of Kylie & Jason or Erasure kept it warm. Strange bedfellows indeed!
 
Lonsdale71

Lonsdale71

New Member
Brel said:
I don't like the term 'indie". It is a redundant term, that never really meant anything anyway. Even when we had the record labels independant of the major distribution companies, the charts they produced said nothing about the supposed genre. As I recall, when The Smiths vacated the number one slot, the likes of Kylie & Jason or Erasure kept it warm. Strange bedfellows indeed!
Click to expand...


Indeed! In my opinion the origins of the term "indie" comes from the independent UK record labels of the 80's which weren't a part of/funded by big labels like EMI, Warners, Virgin, etc.

There is a great book about Rough Trade Records by Rob Young. After reading that book I started to realise how complicated it is to run a record label and how complicated the issues are around copyright, distribution and finance.

These days "indie" does not mean anything really - labels like "Transgressive" and "Domino" are simply just sub-labels of the big companies.

I actually find it a bit irritating when people say they like indie (or even worse "indy") music.

Just a thought...
 
M

mcrickson

Reckless Endangerment
funny-pictures-indiana-jones-keeps-a-kitten-in-his-hat.jpg
 
kyleleonard

kyleleonard

Jeff Buckley Is God
independent bands not on major record labels

but people use it for bands like killers and snow patrol, nowadays...
 
E

Emotional Guide Dog

Chairman Of The Bored
Lonsdale71 said:
Indeed! In my opinion the origins of the term "indie" comes from the independent UK record labels of the 80's which weren't a part of/funded by big labels like EMI, Warners, Virgin, etc.

There is a great book about Rough Trade Records by Rob Young. After reading that book I started to realise how complicated it is to run a record label and how complicated the issues are around copyright, distribution and finance.

These days "indie" does not mean anything really - labels like "Transgressive" and "Domino" are simply just sub-labels of the big companies.

I actually find it a bit irritating when people say they like indie (or even worse "indy") music.

Just a thought...
Click to expand...

Until 1992, Virgin were an independent label.
Domino isn't a sub label of anyone. Transgressive are also still indie but they have a deal to 'discover' bands for Warners.
 
Y

yesitis

Guest
Lonsdale71 said:
Indeed! In my opinion the origins of the term "indie" comes from the independent UK record labels of the 80's which weren't a part of/funded by big labels like EMI, Warners, Virgin, etc.
Click to expand...

in my opinion, kindling is the best wood to start a fire.
 
M

Maurice E

Junior Member
Fulham Road Lights said:
I'd say this is shoegaze, not indie.
Click to expand...

as already mentioned, indie means nothing, musically.
terms like shoegazing and grunge, however, are actually linked to styles of music and are therefore more meaningful, but they all tend to be categorised together under the catch-all 'indie' category.
 
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