ok, first of all it seems like you're mostly talking about asshole indie rock kids! i don't know a single soul who would stop listening to a band because they went corporate! nor do i know someone who would listen to radiohead but not the strokes giving the corporate label as a reason. independent rock, in reality, means just that...rock on an independent label. the stuff i've been listening to out here ranges everywhere from pop to emo to metal to post-punk to god i don't know what else. i guess the typical "indie rock sound" is like pavement or built to spill, but it's less about the sound than it is about the way they choose to promote themselves and treat their fans.
anyone who has a hard stance about indie rock, or finds it to be "unique" as a genre has their head in their ass. that's definitely not really the point. but it is a lot about community.
fair enough, but do you not think that many choose this path for the values invested within the claim of listening to such music? and if it really doesn't matter, then why would people make the effort to distinguish between rock and 'indy rock'? does the addition of "indy" aid in the description of the music's sound? no! it is more of an aid in the description of the individual making the statement about the music, which testifies to said individual's listening to said music for reasons other than sound or promotional pathways. thus, i believe that individuals that blatantly declare their love for this particular genre are actually desiring to pronounce their value system as one which deviates from normalcy.
to some extent, perhaps. but i guess i don't really see a problem with this. didn't your hair, when it was pink, do the same thing? everyone has a desire to be unique. and granted, in the worlds that we live in listening to that kind of music certainly isn't that unique, but in many places, it really is
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yes, i believe that you and i are discussing two different formats. i respect the one that you enjoy for the true independence of it.
and in regards to my hair, that's really just a summer thing that i do because i like fun colors of hair, plus the dying process itself is enjoyable. if anything, i actually feel incredibly self-conscious walking down the street when i dye my hair a color like that. i mean, i actually feel tense and nervous and begin to sweat profusely around people because i'm worried that they're looking at my hair and laughing at me, so i really do not feel that that is a fair comparison.
Thanks Ry... that was a much more articulate way to say what I've been saying for months now, with increasing frequency:
what's with all these fucking bands? why are you guys always talking about these fucking bands? get over the fucking bands already. they all look the same and they all sound the same and they suck and you suck for listening to them. fuckers.
They claim to be followers simply because of the music, which, of course, is false. Most of these people are followers of both an aesthetic and a music. they find it impossible to divorce image from music. the music has become a status symbol; something to discuss with other indy rock kids at indy rock kid venues. in essence, the majority of them are hypocrites, with only a select few who have the capacity for self-reflection that accept their role in this giant hypocrisy.
isn't this the same as any community that's interested in *anything*? i guess i don't see why it's a problem or issue for you if it's bringing people with common interests together in a way that they enjoy to listen to music that is also enjoyed.
oh, i have no issues with community babe. and if people are happy, great! it just frustrates me that some of these people (note 'some') invest a lot in this music because of reasons OTHER than the music alone, which in reality reflects the corportate music system that they claim to be rebelling against.
Dear Ry, Ry. Though I swore I would never promote my own books on these sites-as I do not want to seem like the type that might exploit my friends-I might suggest that in 6-12 months you look to the book I intend to publish, Indie-A History of Indie Rock
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anyone who has a hard stance about indie rock, or finds it to be "unique" as a genre has their head in their ass. that's definitely not really the point. but it is a lot about community.
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and in regards to my hair, that's really just a summer thing that i do because i like fun colors of hair, plus the dying process itself is enjoyable. if anything, i actually feel incredibly self-conscious walking down the street when i dye my hair a color like that. i mean, i actually feel tense and nervous and begin to sweat profusely around people because i'm worried that they're looking at my hair and laughing at me, so i really do not feel that that is a fair comparison.
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what's with all these fucking bands? why are you guys always talking about these fucking bands? get over the fucking bands already. they all look the same and they all sound the same and they suck and you suck for listening to them. fuckers.
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isn't this the same as any community that's interested in *anything*? i guess i don't see why it's a problem or issue for you if it's bringing people with common interests together in a way that they enjoy to listen to music that is also enjoyed.
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