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03-02-2006, 03:55 AM
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#1
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The Generalizzzer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sweden-Norrland
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Indie?
ok,, now i need help.. i have to get indie(rock/pop) defined for me.
Ive searched threw loads of Swedish and other sites for it but cant get clear picture,,, i guess its differnt what you think,, if its just independent mususcians or a special sound (which i believe). (Franz Ferdinand? Kent?)
But, please give me something now, an opinion.
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03-02-2006, 11:04 AM
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#3
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RM local
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: totally out there
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alternative signifies music that is alternative to a mainstream. Indie, which comes from independent indeed, is more or less seen as meaning the same as alternative. Yet bands like Franz Ferdinand or Radiohead, who are often called indie, sell too much records to be simply called alternative. Some people call them therefore mainstream alternative, but I think most people will agree with me that that label is rather silly. You could argue though that those bands although sell a lot and have a huge marketing campaign behind them, they still do most of the artistic stuff themselves, like they write their own lyrics, choose their own producers, make their own video's or appoint someone to do it for them,... although they probably have often to compromise with their record companies so I'm not completely sure about the last part of my argument...
Some other threads:
"Alternative Culture", alternative? http://www.radiomute.com/23574-alter...ternative.html
Alterna-hunh? http://www.radiomute.com/20745-alterna-hunh.html
Alternative & emo's http://www.radiomute.com/19564-alternative-emos.html
Definition of Alternative http://www.radiomute.com/18452-defin...ternative.html
Mmm there's probably more and I probably could merge all these threads.... 
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03-03-2006, 03:28 AM
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#4
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The Generalizzzer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sweden-Norrland
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Thanks alot,,, Really useful. 
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03-11-2006, 05:33 AM
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#5
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The Deciever
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mascot~Sydney~Australia
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Quoth Wikipedia:
Definitions of "indie"
The term "indie" is often used to mean a sound that a musician presents, but when interpreted more literally, it is the way that sound is presented or made. "Indie" often refers to an artist or band that is not part of the mainstream culture and/or making music outside its influence. Though the sound of these bands may differ greatly, the "indie" definition comes from the do-it-yourself attitude and ability to work outside large corporations.
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Indie meaning "not major-label"
One of the most common and simplest definitions of "indie" is the definition of not being connected with a major recording label (currently one of the "Big Four" recording companies: Warner, Universal, Sony BMG and EMI). This is the definition used by NME's indie music charts in the UK, among others.
The problem with this definition is that there is often little correlation between the commerciality or creative freedom offered by major labels and those outside the "big four". Most of the larger independent labels are run along the same business principles as the major labels, with A&R departments, marketing budgets and commercial considerations guiding their operations. Meanwhile, major labels often retain independently-oriented artists who are given greater creative independence, and who receive considerable critical acclaim. Some notable major-label artists of this sort include Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Pulp, and The Flaming Lips.
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Indie and commerciality
A more puristic structural definition of "indie" would draw the line further down, not between the "big 4" major labels and others but between the "big indie" labels and smaller labels, considered by purists to be true indie labels. These small labels are typically run by a few people, often out of their home or garage, and often coupled with a mail-order service representing other labels. The people running the labels have a close connection to a certain scene; many labels are run partially or wholly by musicians in bands on them. A concern for the purity of the creative mission of the label takes precedence over commercial concerns; many labels close down or go on hiatus when the owners lose interest or (as often happens) run out of money (or sometimes close down when the owners feel their mission has been fulfilled, as happened with Sarah Records). Archetypal examples of such labels include the aforementioned Sarah Records, Factory Records, Dischord, Kindercore Records, SST and Kill Rock Stars.
The converse of this are independent labels that have been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being overly "commercial" or exploitative of certain artists or trends. Examples at various times include Fat Wreck Chords, Matador Records and Sub Pop. Epitaph was often the focus of similar accusations, however in 2005 label management signed an agreement with RIAA arguably making them no longer "independent".
Once again, this is not so much a dichotomy as a continuum; some labels grow from such independent status and gradually become more commercially oriented (often prompted by the success of one of their acts), eventually becoming subsumed by a larger conglomeration or a major label. One example of this was Creation Records, a label Alan McGee started in the 1980s on a small scale, which, in the 1990s had success with Oasis, subsequently becoming much more commercially oriented before being acquired by Sony.
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Indie and genres
The word "indie" is often used to refer specifically to various genres or sounds. During the 1980s, "indie" was synonymous in Great Britain with jangly guitar pop of the C-86 movement. During the 1990s a lot of Britpop bands were referred to as "indie", despite most of the movement being signed to major labels and dominating sales charts. More recently, the word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for new wave revivalist bands such as Franz Ferdinand and The Killers. The word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for alternative, a word which often bears the stigma of being associated with cynically manufactured mass-market teen-rebellion music from major labels. Such usages of "indie" may be considered inaccurate for various reasons: for one, stylistic qualities are often not accurately correlated to commercial independence or adherence to indie principles (this is particularly true when a sound becomes popular, its leading exponents are signed by major labels and more success-oriented bands and production teams attempt to imitate the style; this ultimately culminates in commercially driven artists sporting the same stylistic traits the "indie" artists of a year ago had). Secondly, however pervasive any style of music (even one as broadly defined as "guitar pop" or "post-punk rock") may become at a particular time, it by definition cannot embody all of indie music, as, by indie's nature, there will be indie artists, labels and entire local scenes operating outside of this style and its definitions.
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Cultural and philosophical attributes of indie
There are a number of cultural and philosophical traits which could be more useful in pinpointing what "indie" is about than specific musical styles or commercial ownership. Indie artists are concerned more with self-expression than commercial considerations (though, again, this is a stance that is affected by many artists, including hugely commercially successful ones). A do-it-yourself sensibility, which originated with punk in the 1970s, is often associated with indie, with people in the scene being involved in bands, labels, nights and zines. Indie often has an internationalist outlook, which stems from a sense of solidarity with other fans, bands and labels in other countries who share one's particular sensibilities; small indie labels will often distribute records for similar labels from abroad, and indie bands will often go on self-funded tours of other cities and countries, where those in the local indie scenes will invariably help organise gigs and often provide accommodation and other support. In addition, there is also a strong sense of comradery that emerges from a selflessness among indie bands and often results in collaborations and joint tours.
Indie artists of any particular time often go against the prevailing trends (for example, the twee pop movement that started in the 1980s was a reaction against the testosterone-fuelled swagger of rock). A 'lo-fi' aesthetic (i.e., an often deliberate lack of polish and a more "authentic" roughness and imperfection) has often been associated with indie, particularly when slick, polished recordings were the preserve of the commercial music industry; this line has since become blurred, in a world where high-quality recordings can be made increasingly easily with inexpensive computer-based recording systems and where commercial production teams often deliberately utilize a "lo-fi" sound.
In terms of music, many adherents of indie collect vinyl records, and consider them to be more "authentic" than more recent and convenient music formats such as CDs. Paradoxically, items such as MP3 players have also become popular, if only to some of the adherents of indie music, because of the practical benefit of carrying one's record collection in one's pocket. In such cases, the cachet gained by being able to express one's taste in music sometimes trumps the value of the authenticity of vinyl.
People into the indie lifestyle are commonly referred to as "indie kids", regardless of age, however, do not often use that term for themselves. Other terms exist; the term "hipster" has, in recent years, become somewhat synonymous with this subculture.
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03-11-2006, 06:20 AM
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#6
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RM local
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: totally out there
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Interesting article. A few other things: at the end of the eighties (I think) Kylie Minogue's singles were in the indie charts as well, just because she wasn't part of a major record company then.
And about the American lo-fi/post-punk culture of the eighties, there's an interesting book by Michael Azerrad (I know I've often mentioned it before): Our Band Could Be Your Life, it's about bands like Minutemen, Fugazi, Sonic Youth & co leading up to Nirvana who'll make originally indiemusic appear in the topcharts.
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03-11-2006, 08:11 PM
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#7
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The Deciever
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mascot~Sydney~Australia
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Yeah, but Nirvana was indie, but then people started recognising them as alternative for that exact reason. They became popular. But then, Franz Ferdinand is considered indie, yet they are quite popular. So in other words, I think you got it wrong. Indie is small, not connected with the mainstream so much, whereas alternative can be in the charts and "big", but it still is alternative to the style of the music. Or is that what you were trying to say? Whatever.
__________________
What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
Last edited by Lithium : 03-11-2006 at 08:15 PM.
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03-12-2006, 06:09 AM
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#8
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RM local
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: totally out there
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lithium
Yeah, but Nirvana was indie, but then people started recognising them as alternative for that exact reason. They became popular. But then, Franz Ferdinand is considered indie, yet they are quite popular. So in other words, I think you got it wrong. Indie is small, not connected with the mainstream so much, whereas alternative can be in the charts and "big", but it still is alternative to the style of the music. Or is that what you were trying to say? Whatever.
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I don't know, they're often used as synonyms, I think. And Kylie was on an independent, and so, indie... What would you give as examples for real indie bands then?
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03-16-2006, 05:21 AM
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#9
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The Generalizzzer
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sweden-Norrland
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Changing?
It sounds a bit odd to me that a artist just changes from indie to non-indie without really changing anything at all,,,
I mean, just because people start to recognize them,,, does that make them mainstream?
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03-16-2006, 07:41 AM
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#10
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RM local
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: totally out there
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Originally Posted by Nem
It sounds a bit odd to me that a artist just changes from indie to non-indie without really changing anything at all,,,
I mean, just because people start to recognize them,,, does that make them mainstream?
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well that's the basic idea, indie refers underground music, not made by the big record companies and not known by many people, so if a band gets big and goes to a bigger label, a major, can it still be an indie band? I'm not sure, but if you see it like that, it's impossible.
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