Article By:Ethan Long
The 1960’s gave us the beginnings of psychedelic rock, the 1970’s gave us punk rock, and the 1980’s gave us hip-hop. The 90’s started the jungle beat and boy band crazes, and this decade, while I’m not sure what to call it, maybe the “double oh’s,” gave us “indie music.” This is where my problem rests. See, by reading each other type of genre, one could be able to figure out what type of music they should expect. Hip-hop would have rhyming over beats, while boy bands would sing in unison about love and how they just got paid. What should one expect from a band labeled “indie”? What does the term even mean anymore? See, the term indie has changed meaning in the last decade or so, and now it’s just ridiculous.
Indie rock was originally the label of music made by bands that were under the radar of most, thus being independent from major labels. The bands could record and release products themselves, often with a low-fi, do-it-yourself quality to them. Bands such as Boston’s own Pixies, as well as other bands such as Sonic Youth, were able to record and distribute albums independently at shows or through word of mouth. Before long, scenes across the world saw bands releasing their own albums without the help of corporate interference.
The world saw the rise of previously independent bands being picked up by major labels and “selling- out.” This is another problem I have. If one enters the music business, aren’t they trying to make a living? How can one make a living in a business without earning substantial amounts of money? Why be mad at someone selling out when the whole point of trying to become a successful musician is to be able to support yourself while doing something you love?
Anyways, my main beef: the label of “indie” genre music. After time, the internet came along and became extremely popular for bands to promote themselves. Blogs and other websites would check these bands out, since most of them were recording at home or small studios and uploading their music to such web pages as Myspace.com. These bands were independent, but started to be eaten up by critics who had stumbled upon them. So long were the days of word of mouth; the internet took the world by storm and sharing ideas, music, and tons of other things became as easy as the click of a button.
Certain bands were received so well that they were picked up and signed by major labels, yet are still considered indie artists. Well here we go. Isn’t the whole idea of an indie artist the fact that they’re producing things independently? A band that is helped by a label isn’t independent, in fact, they’re very dependant. At some point, the term “indie” became less about production and more about genre. Bands labeled “indie” range so far apart in terms of style and production that there shouldn’t really be an umbrella term for them. You can’t group a band that uses synthesizers and growls in the same genre with bands that use lifeless female vocals and tangy guitars. Yet, for some reason, they are.
Arcade Fire, whose popular song “Wake Up” was heard across the country in the ads for Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” started out as an independent band, releasing their first EP by themselves. Soon enough, they were picked up by Merge Records (Spoon, Conor Oberst) and supported by them. Eventually their music was brought to the ears of David Bowie, who played with them during a televised concert in 2005. Although they’re still considered “indie” music, they aren’t that independent and rely heavily on the label for production costs and distribution.
So, since indie music no longer refers to the way original indie artists produced and distributed their music, is it really that appropriate to refer to such a huge range of artists as “indie,” whether they still are independent or dependent of labels? I mean, I would still consider bands that have done everything themselves as “indie” bands, but it’s hard to see why bands on major labels such as Sony (The Ting Tings) can still be labeled as indie bands. I heard “That’s Not My Name” on radio stations all the time, and saw the video on MTV countless times. Sure, they might have started out as an “indie” band, but they’ve turned into a mainstream pop band, and should be relabeled as such.
Stop labeling things that aren’t independent as “indie” because it just doesn’t make much sense.
