Entertainment For Lively Minds
What is 'Indie' anyway?
I'm listening to a record that, if pressed for 'what sort of music is it' I would still resort to that increasingly useless and anachronistic tag of 'Indie'. It's the new album by Bombay Bicycle Club, "A Different Kind of Fix" as it 'appens.
It's not on an Indie label (it's on Island Records..nice!). It's "Indie" by virtue of the fact that it has guitars on it, it doesn't fit neatly into another guitar-based genre like Metal or Folk. The band look "Indie", in so far as they look like they wouldn't have looked out of place on a 1986 Sounds or NME cover. It's probably not a chart-bound sound and is more 6 Music than 1Xtra therefore..it is "Indie".
The music doesn't really sound like yr generic "Indie" band though. It's certainly not the shambling C86 sound, nor is it the vapid Belle & Sebastian-esque fluff that David Hepworth believes all 'Indie' to be like. It also doesn't sound like the sort 'Indie Landfill' Chris Evans would use as a beer mat in the 90s (although I'd initially avoided this band based purely on their crap band name assuming they would be just that).
It's big, bold, brassy, hooky (not that one), full of space and intriguing melodic twists and curious sounds. It's brilliantly produced, in part by Ben H Allen who brought out the hidden pop genius in both Animal Collective and Deerhunter (who also stretch the definition of Indie somewhat). It's got some fantastic songwriting in there which puts me in mind of Prefab Sprout or XTC.
The same applies to Friendly Fires, the mighty Dutch Uncles, Field Music, The Horrors, Wild Beasts and more who get tagged 'Indie'.
Aren't these just the contemporary rock bands of the day? Seems to slight them to call them 'Indie bands', and sort of marginalises these into the realm of...well..Shed Seven.
Or does 'Indie' no longer mean what it used to mean, in the same way the 'R&B' doesn't mean The Yardbirds anymore...
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Indie
I think is a term that has outlived it's usefulness,Everything Everything are described as Indie but I think what they do is far more extraordinary, many of the bands you describe are quite diverse and yet have the indie tag given to them,difficulty is to come up with an alternative term
Indie Music
has been, for some time, a kind of 'fits all' description of white, guitar based rock/pop, It's original definition of being music released on an independent label has long since gone.
I suppose it now gets used as a description of guitar rock music, which could be described, very loosely, as being slightly left of centre.
I seem to remember when the industry produced indie charts, the purists getting very irate that PWE artists like Jason Donovan, Kylie et al were dominating the top ten.
Personally I will still use the term Indie, when describing to work colleagues etc, what kind of music I like. Have got fed up of getting blank faces to the mention of Coil, Einsturzende Neubauten or The Triffids ,when asked what music you like, so now have my stock answer of 'like a bit of Beatles, punk and Indie'
Simple - the Music exec's guide to Music
White men with beards = Folk
White men with beards and long hair = Americana
White men with well groomed beards and hats = Country
White men with choice t-shirts and mangy hair = Indie
White men with serious faces and loud guitars = Rock
White men with tattoos, beards and growling = Metal
White men with tattoos, short hair and shouting = Screamo/Emo
White men with glasses and computers = Electronic
White men with quiffed hair and orange girlfriends = Dance
White men who don't sing = Post Rock
White men in suits = Easy Listening
White men gurning = Blues
White men gurning in capes = Prog
White Girls = Pop
White girls with guitars = Singer/Songwriter
Black people talking = Hip hop
Black people gurning = Blues
People from any country except US/UK = World
Hope that helps
*applause*
You missed out
Black people singing = R&B
Indie
Like others have said, the meaning of 'indie' has changed over time. It's the same with 'pop'. It used to mean popular music, but now it means anything with a catchy melody, whether it's popular or not.
When I were a lad
indie meant second-hand clothes.
Now it means having a personal stylist.
RnB
Play a Booker T or Tammi Terrell record to today's RnB loving youth and you'll be met with rows of blank stares.
This is indie
From yr home town I believe Dr V
Should add that the photo was taken by the estimable Cath Aubergine of www.manchestermusic.co.uk and louderthanwar amongst others, who writes even better than she picks photos - do read her stuff.
Is the guy in the high vis jacket in the band?
Or is it some Security of the First World deal?
That's JJ72
I see Hillary Woods has kept her youthful looks.
That is simply brilliant
Ha ha haaaa! Excellent.
I actually thought it was Alex Turner for a minute.
Couldn't be
Alex Turner would never wear pink!