Do you think that indie music's growing popularity and increasing foothold into the mass market has forced mainstream rock to become better?
In other words, can Britney, Good Charlotte and others still get away with imbicilic, shallow and weak music without having the majority shove it back in their faces.
Now that the whole world has been introduced to Deathcab and you have guys like John Mayer bridging the gap between indie and mainstream, I think the general listening public has acquired a taste for genuinely great music and doesn't want the the powder puff, posier garbage anymore.
I wish it were so, but I'm afraid the whole world hasn't been exposed yet. Most of the students at my high school haven't been exposed, although there are always some who have been. I'd say that 98% of the students at my school have no clue about Death Cab, and I think I'm fudging the number on the low side.
"Naked Woman, Naked Man Where did you get that nice sun tan?"
Posts: 12922 | Location: Behind the Orange Curtain | Registered: 14 May 2004
hudson, you're saying that because you listen to a lot of indie music and you wish that people would listen better music. But it won't happen. Most of the people don't even care about what is commercial or not and just listen what sounds great to her ears. The same person can have a deathcab and a John Mayer song on her IPod, and a Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne song. If most of the people listen to some indie songs, it's just because these songs are, most of the time, simple catchy songs. You'll wait until the end of time to see a Stars of the Lid album at the top of the charts.
I don't see any problem with the majority of people listening to stuff I consider bad music. Makes the stuff I like seem more special. Sure I'd like more stuff I enjoy to come out and be on the radio, but because it's not it drives me to find and listen to more. If everyone liked my record collection and it was all the radio station's played I'd probably get bored of it and have to try to find new stuff.
I think eTe's right, most people don't really care about music. It's just there and they'll listen to whatever as long as it can get stuck in their head. I wouldn't complain just feel happy that you are into it enough to care.
(do you mind eTe, or do you prefer Tweedy or Egg what about The Eggster or Tweedmeister?)
Posts: 300 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 31 December 2006
Well, I was hoping that at the very least mainstream music would take a few notes from the great indie bands and at least step it up a little with the song writing.
I was listening to a Christina Aguilera song the other day and I thought "well these lyrics are a hell of a lot better than genie in the bottle". Maybe Christina realized that people don't want that silly, stupid stuff anymore and she needs to grow up and write/sing some real songs.
I think that Hollywood is catching on to the big indie craze as well. A lot more blockbusters have an Indie soundtrack. I think Indie is really breaking through into mainstream.
Would our society even tolerate another boy band or have we all moved beyond that lowely phase of our nation's music culture?
i think deepdown there alot of indie listeners that listen to indie music just simply because its not on the radio.
so if everyone start playing indie music on the radio, mtv, or whatever else im sure there would be a big group that is going to start listening to a whole new genre.
my post might not sit well in this forum simply because most of us in here have listened to indie music for 10 years way before the scence took off.
but its just the way i feel. you know?
i mean i even catch myself liking a band a great deal and 6 months later i catch a video being played on mtv at a friends or something and its a turn off almost.
Posts: 211 | Location: GA | Registered: 08 January 2007
Originally posted by hudson: Well, I was hoping that at the very least mainstream music would take a few notes from the great indie bands and at least step it up a little with the song writing.
They don't need to, clearchannel and MTV have their backs.
as long as there are kids with more money to spend than music knowledge, there will be commercial pop acts being sold to them. Indie acts breaking into that world isn't a new thing, it happens from time to time, but the dominant theme of popular music is accessibility and marketability, and so I think it's a very safe bet that in a few years there will be a brand new wave of slickly produced, vapid, banal fluff to turn our collective stomachs.
Posts: 75 | Location: Alameda, CA | Registered: 26 March 2007
I'm going to have to disagree with a lot of the previous posts. I'm not really sure it's safe to draw a division between mainstream artists like Britney and artists/groups that have been categorized as indie (I'm not going to rehash what that means because I think there's another post about it) anymore at least in terms of sales. Just look at how high the Arcade Fire, the Shins, and even LCD Soundsystem charted. If you want to find good music, it's easier than ever to find it. Look at the Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo (fewer and fewer jam bands), or other festival line-ups.
Look at the mainstream press. I've seen the major metro paper run articles about indie artists. Spin, Rolling Stone, Stylus Magazine, Popmatters, Pitchfork, cokemachineglow, Filter, etc. review a lot of the important and budding indie acts collectively, even if I don't always agree with their reviews. Even relix reviews a lot "indie" bands.
Sorry for the long post, but the Internet has certainly made the dialogue about music (METACRITIC anyone?) more democratic. The reviews, the blogs, and the posts don't even cover some of the mainstream acts anymore, and I would say that they only resort to covering them once in a while to broaden their readership base. So, in terms of sales and coverage, indie acts seem to be approaching mainstream publicity. Also, Britney sells fewer and fewer albums with each release. Linkin Park, I have no explanation for.
Linkin park is a melodic rap-rock band, so any teenager who is not passionate about music will like it. Linkin Park acceed to the throne now that Limp Bizkit lost the war.
indie music is definitely becoming more mainstream as the mainstream becomes more "indie". my roommate played some of the worst music i'd ever heard all of the time, but i got him into interpol and the pixies... he also had a bunch of indie music he'd heard on 'the OC' or in 'garden state'... since his listening to indie music is by no means a result of discriminating taste in music, it can only be because he was exposed to this music through a mainstream medium.
Posts: 109 | Location: uwo | Registered: 09 January 2007
Originally posted by golden flea: indie music is definitely becoming more mainstream as the mainstream becomes more "indie". my roommate played some of the worst music i'd ever heard all of the time, but i got him into interpol and the pixies... he also had a bunch of indie music he'd heard on 'the OC' or in 'garden state'... since his listening to indie music is by no means a result of discriminating taste in music, it can only be because he was exposed to this music through a mainstream medium.
And maybe now your roomate demands more from his favorite mainstream bands as a result of his exposure to indie? Maybe a lot of people demand more from mainstream rock due to indie's big move into the limelight. Maybe.
I think that Hollywood is catching on to the big indie craze as well. A lot more blockbusters have an Indie soundtrack. I think Indie is really breaking through into mainstream.
Unfortunately, indie artists and their lovely songs are much cheaper than linkin park songs to use on whatever soundtrack. its about money. why do you think indie songs are usually on commercials? Because they're cheaper.
the music that most people listen to is carefully chopped up and fed to the masses. linkin park was a made band. The Man decided rap rock would be so awesome that He took 2 guys from one band and 2 guys from another and then He found the oh so talented singer whats-his-face. Then The Man finds a decent songwriter to cook up some songs that people can chew on and not mind the bland taste. think mcdonalds.
the music business is a business first and foremost. if it will make money in The Man's eyes, then He will spend and invest it in. Indie music is already being invested in. The Man doesn't have to scout around as much anymore, indie labels do it for Him. Then, when the indie band starts to hit stride, The Man pounces and the indie band is signed to a major label. Some of our favorite "indie" bands are actually not on an indie label. Music has become a business. But most of you know this anyway. Indie tries to stick to The Man but its impossible. Mao Zedong said power lies in the barrel of a gun. Not anymore. It lies in that back fat pocket of The Man.
Posts: 456 | Location: On the Road | Registered: 20 January 2007
I think that Hollywood is catching on to the big indie craze as well. A lot more blockbusters have an Indie soundtrack. I think Indie is really breaking through into mainstream.
Unfortunately, indie artists and their lovely songs are much cheaper than linkin park songs to use on whatever soundtrack. its about money. why do you think indie songs are usually on commercials? Because they're cheaper.
the music that most people listen to is carefully chopped up and fed to the masses. linkin park was a made band. The Man decided rap rock would be so awesome that He took 2 guys from one band and 2 guys from another and then He found the oh so talented singer whats-his-face. Then The Man finds a decent songwriter to cook up some songs that people can chew on and not mind the bland taste. think mcdonalds.
the music business is a business first and foremost. if it will make money in The Man's eyes, then He will spend and invest it in. Indie music is already being invested in. The Man doesn't have to scout around as much anymore, indie labels do it for Him. Then, when the indie band starts to hit stride, The Man pounces and the indie band is signed to a major label. Some of our favorite "indie" bands are actually not on an indie label. Music has become a business. But most of you know this anyway. Indie tries to stick to The Man but its impossible. Mao Zedong said power lies in the barrel of a gun. Not anymore. It lies in that back fat pocket of The Man.
