I'm wondering if Sublime could be classified as Indie Rock? Anyone know? If so, add them to my list of favorites.

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Originally posted by and the results are in.....were undecide:
No offense but Goo Goo Dolls? Seriously?

For a few years in the early 90's, the Goo Goo Dolls were brewing up some of the best Replacements songs that Westerberg wasn't making anymore. They were heirs apparent to the Mats for booze-soaked rock and roll poets, but then they went all soft and, excuse the pun, gooey. But I'll defend Matcool's choice, based on the first three or four discs. Fits right in with Buffalo Tom, Dinosaur jr, and the Lemonheads for guitar heavy pop rock.

Hmm..all I've heard from Goo Goo Dolls are 'Name' and 'Dizzy Up The Girl'. Both of which I'd define more along the lines of 'pop'. It'd be interesting to hear what they sounded like before the record company mangled their sound.

As far as present day indie goes, I don't think the Arcade Fire can be topped. Funeral has been critically acclaimed around the world, and their popularity is growing more and more as time goes on, based on the strength of live performances and word of mouth. I consider them to be the best the genre can offer right now.

Here's my first offense to the Indie World: I picked up "Funeral" by the Arcade Fire and I'm just not digging it.

Ok, otherwise, there's a lot of Indie acts I follow:

The White Stripes (I'll call 'em Indie if I want to call 'em Indie!)
Wilco
The Shins
Brendan Benson
Sufjan Stevens
Iron & Wine
The Fiery Furnaces
The Decemberists
The Black Keys
Andrew Bird
Sam Prekop

This other band doesn't qualify as "Indie" because they're on a major label (Drivethru, same as Newfound Glory, etc...) but Steel Train is an act worth checking out. They categorize themselves as a "jam band" and they're just really talented and lay down some good music.

quote:

Originally posted by dano:
As far as present day indie goes, I don't think the Arcade Fire can be topped. Funeral has been critically acclaimed around the world, and their popularity is growing more and more as time goes on, based on the strength of live performances and word of mouth. I consider them to be the best the genre can offer right now.

I just don't get it. And I think, here after my eighth listen, I never will.

np: Antony & The Johnsons, "You Are My Sister"

Arcade Fire's been well established as a 'Love it or hate it' band by now, I think.

You know, I've tried on multiple occasions to make myself like Bjork..I just don't get her. For every band that a lot of people swear is the greatest thing in the world, some people just won't get them.

I agree with you, m.leland and So_Says_I. I just don't see the force of the exhiliration over the Arcade Fire. It's not bad, just not very memorable. Maybe it gets better if you've seen them live, but I just don't get it. I guess I'm an indie rock blasphemer...I don't like the Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel, or Pinkerton.

I finally gave up and traded in my Bright Eyes discs last week...the Arcade Fire and Devendra Banhart are next on the chopping block, unless I can find good reason to keep them.

For the record, I don't like the Arcade Fire much either. It's not bad, just not good. I never liked Pinkerton either, but I adore Neutral Milk Hotel.

Not much of a pinkerton fan, but Arcade Fire and NMH are probably 1-2 on my favorite artists list right now. Funeral connected with me in a way that no other album has, for whatever reason.

Arcade fire definitely isnt the best indie has to offer, however ‘funeral’ in its entirety is a solid album and I believe far better understood and appreciated through their live show. Just as the album carries an energy, whether it be oblique tumbles and jumbles or go-go hep, it certainly isn’t apathetic…it has a soul, and if understanding is a problem beef up that workout on the senses, add a smokie atmosphere and use your sight…see em in concert, it’s a cup of soup.

quote:

Originally posted by dano:
Not much of a pinkerton fan, but Arcade Fire and NMH are probably 1-2 on my favorite artists list right now. Funeral connected with me in a way that no other album has, for whatever reason.

Sometimes you connect with albums that others don't, and vice versa. There are some albums that I connect with that others hate, and some albums that I don't get that others love. That's why I always try to cast my disagreements in terms of "I just don't get it" rather than "band X sucks and if you don't understand that, you're a moron." I think I may hold onto the Arcade Fire for a little longer and try again when I'm less attentive to my perceived disappointment with it.

I find there are some bands I can say "I don't like this, but I can see why it's popular," and others I can say "Wow...this SUCKS."

It's nice to be able to humble your own subjective opinion, but whenever I see that commercial with the Black Eyed Peas song, I can't help but think "This is really, really terrible."

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Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
It's nice to be able to humble your own subjective opinion, but whenever I see that commercial with the Black Eyed Peas song, I can't help but think "This is really, really terrible."

I guess I'm just a subjectivist about aesthetics. I'm not sure that you could ever provide a winning argument to convince someone who thought the Black Eyed Peas song was great. In much the same way that it bugs me when classical music heads look down their noses at all things rock, I always find it laughable when rock fans (usually indie rockers) pass judgment on other people based on music. Rag on the classic rock guy, pick on the pop radio fan, make fun of country music. Whatever you need to do to make yourself feel better, I guess. I've worked with and around enough people in college radio and record stores who were just like the Jack Black character in High Fidelity to know how sadly pathetic those folks who pass judgment on people based on what they listen to really are.

Well, there's a difference between passing judgment on people, and simply making the statement 'This has no real musical quality.'

I think it's fair to say that some music is successful because it's good, and some music is successful just because it's trendy. I mean, a vast majority of the people who liked the New Kids On The Block will now say it's terrible.

I dislike U2. But, if you ask a U2 fan why s/he likes them, they will give you a reason that's based on the music. I also dislike N Sync. But if you ask an N Sync fan for their reason, they might say 'Everyone likes them' or 'This singer is hot!' If I ask them again if they like N Sync 10 years later, they'll probably say 'No'. If I ask the U2 fan, they'll probably say 'Yes'.

I am subjectivist, mostly. I just think it's reasonable to say that some popular music is liked for reasons other than the music, such as the person's current social needs. And it's reasonable to say such music isn't really liked based on the music, and is therefore bad music.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bobthespirit,

I would add marketing to trendiness. People like some things because they're made to think that it is good by marketing schemes. That said, I agree with pE that it's a very tenuous case to make that some music is absolutely, without-a-doubt "better" than other music. (See the first two paragraphs of Cokemachineglow's Spoon review for a hilarious commentary on this.) It's all about context. In the context of my life, in the period of time I'm alive, with all the music I've listened to, and all the experiences I've had, the Fiery Furnaces sound great. For a lot of other people, they sound horrible. It's not because of some absolute, inherent quality of the music. Five years ago I wouldn't've thought much of Blueberry Boat. Similarly, if I had listened to different music growing up, I might not like it.

There is a lot of music from 30 or more years ago that is almost universally hailed as "great," but I don't like much of it. I don't really like the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, for instance, yet I'm pretty sure that if I were born 60 years ago, I'd think differently.

Still, I like to argue the merits of different music, and to give your reasons for liking a band. It's fun. I just don't think anyone should feel superior to someone else because of the kind of music they listen to.

Sometimes I feel like subjectivism of any sort is just a cop out, and other times I think it's merely the only option.

It's odd that you mention people changing their minds ten years after the fact on NKOTB, bob, because I'm reading David Gauthier's Morals By Agreement and he uses a strikingly similar case, although with a different reason. He says that stable preferences can, and very likely will, change over time. Your predilection for disco (in his late 70's/early 80's example) in your teens doesn't show a lack of reflectiveness or experience (viewed in light of your later conversion to loving Bach), merely that different things matter to you at different times. I certainly agree that a lot of people like things for silly reasons (because it's popular, or the singer is hot, or because it's liked by a specific person) but there are probably people who liked New Kids for others reasons. Um. Well...maybe not. But maybe the Black Eyed Peas.

By the way, my comment about on people "passing judgment" wasn't directed at bob or anyone here. It was just a general comment on music snobs who look down their nose at people based on what they listen to, which I find almost as represhensible as judging someone based on skin color, gender, or whatever. If whether or not somebody liked a certain band was crucial in whether or not I could be friends with them, I'd be a really shallow person. Certainly that shared love of a band makes it EASIER...but I just don't think shared love of a band should ever be a necessary condition for friendship.

I agree that snobbery is bad. In fact, throwing around labels in general is bad. Once you label somebody you close yourself off to contrary opinions. There's an awful lot of labelling going on in music and politics right now..

I made a post on subjectivism in general discussion so as to end this hijack of the indie rock bands thread.

Collective Soul. They have started their own independant label called El Music Group.

hello everyone, im new here and i have a question that you might not really understand because its hard for me to explain

does anyone know of any songs that have that sound that is referred to by CDnow as "a psychadellic tone" such as Caring is Creepy by The Shins, or Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by The Arcade Fire?

if someone has an idea about what i'm talking about, please help me out