MUSICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY [INTRODUCTION]
I am now a 20-nothing college graduate, stuck somewhere between real adulthood and 4-12 more years of school. I am moving out of my ancestral home… for real this time, and I am starting my first for real job. This, of course, is the perfect mix of factors to throw anyone into an apocolyptic fit of introspection. Seeing as music has become one of the “Five Pillars” of Andy I have recently began to wonder how I really ended up where I am today as far as musical taste. Most people just think I am weird and somehow missed the music boat and ended up taking some kind of fanatical jihadist red-eye into “weird music” territory. So this is the Introduction to my autobiography, specifically tailored to music. I will try to avoid outright self-importance and narcissim but I am making not promises. The only thing that you can count on is that I will keep this from becoming some kind of emo-self-bemoaning rant, which shouldn’t really be that hard, because I am happy with where I have ended up in the music spectrum. I am convinced that the indie community is one of the few areas of music that is still vigorous and fresh. I am constanly amazed by the music that is being put out by people that may never be known by more than 500 people scattered all over the globe, but staring at the same site on the internet. As much as I hate the indie community and all of their hipster, holier than thou, pretensions, I realize that I am one of you and that there is nowhere else I would rather be. I am hoping that this project will engender some lively discussion, because I am truly curious where everyone else’s indie roots lie. Enjoy…
a. fischer, I am on a similar boat as yourself, in that, indie is becoming my fond obsession because of their creativity and originality. I also dont like to find my self in the same realm of the indie community because, politically, they lean in a direction that unsuits my views and personality. But i have a question, will you still listen to those indie groups that sprout into the semi-mainstream/mainstream music world? Bloc Party is probably my top band right now, and if they sign with a large record lable due to their success at this time, will you continue to listen? Also, what can we classify “mainstream”? acost and I squabbled over the classifications for mainstream, but what if a band is contracted with an “indie” record label and goes double-platinum, what are they considered?
I am not sure… I think “mainstream” is one of those attributes which is very hard to categorize because of its relativity. Some people consider acts like Franz Ferdinand “alternative.” While your standard indie rocker would consider them pretty mainstream. Usually I think the rule of thumb is “are they signed to a major label” and “are they one MTV.” But that isn’t going to hold in all cases.
I will still listen to mainstream stuff too. Especially if its good. I still enjoy acts like the Strokes and White Stripes. However, there is a certain appeal to listening to stuff right on the bleeding edge of creativity. Once a band has become really popular there sound has usually been around for a while and is imitated by a few others. So it loses a lot of the “new sound” feel that more obscure bands have. However, indie snobbishness is not for me. There is one group that I hate more than Nazi’s and that is the “obscure for the sake of obscurity” music crowd. I can think of at least two prominent examples from my time at Bowdoin’s WBOR radio station. I won’t call them out because who knows who reads this.
That being said… lets go listen to some Xiu Xiu and well I guess you really haven’t heard of the stuff I am really into.
I gotz Architecture in Helsinki, arnt they bowdoineze?
Wait, it might not be them, acost gave me a bowdoin band, can’t rememberr who, Radioheadish?
AAAAlllllsso, you should hit up Baby Face a.k.a. #1 Stunna, that will indie you out fo’ sho’.
uhhhh not Architecture in Helsinki. Maybe The List Exists?
yes them