is a question I am asked way too often and there isn't not a simple answer either.
With references from the Hipster Bible: Urban Dictionary
HIPSTER ENGLISH DICTIONARY:
Indie: adj. Short for independent. Also Indie rock or Music without corporate production or major labels, and is often counterculture.
Though popular now, indie rock is a byproduct of the music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The first modern indie genre would be the punk rock of the 1970-1980s. Punk that began in UK teenagers basement was exclusively counter culture. The intentional low fidelity sound and lack of any major punk label is what made punk rock independent, and allowed for mom and pop record labels and venues to flourish. Like all great births of small time industries, there is always the after birth that is Corporate America, which tends to ruin things. Green Day personifies how a major record label took an art form and ruined the sound and made it mainstream.
To find indie music, one must first find the "Indie Scene." Live music is slowly fading away as more and more of the young generation are becoming interested in a overly produced sound. Small cafes, restaurants, and music venues like Arlene's Grocery have become the home of live indie rock. As a proud New Jersey-ite, I can safely say that there is no indie scene in the Garden State. I go to Brooklyn, Soho, or Greenwich Village.
The purpose of this blog is to showcase the best of what local indie has to offer. That means indie bands, indie venues, indie record labels, and just about everything indie. Here's to good musicians, good cafes, good labels, and a good scene!
I like how you link the words with their definitions. It is really helpful for someone who don't know much about music like me.
ReplyDeleteUrban Dictionary is like a bible to me. My favourite has got to be
ReplyDeletePolice Navidad: when a Christmas party gets out of control, and the cops are called
"It was all Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth ‘til the fight broke-out and, next thing I knew, it was Police Navidad."
I don't listen to much Indie music, but from the few songs I have actually heard, I completely see why you describe it as a byproduct of 60s, 70's and 80s music! I'm just wondering how you would actually categorize Indie music--from what I've heard, it seems to be really mellow stuff!
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