slowcoustic 11 April, 2009 Electronic Beats, indie, Indie Rock, Indie-pop??, Mash, Ramblings

“Make it up to the bands I don’t cover” Mixtape

So in thinking to myself the other day, I started to put too much weight behind thinking I was an “indie” music blogger. I was thinking about the fact that I do consider myself an “indie” blogger more or less, if in fact that term is still relevant this day (for example, when is “indie rock”, just going to be “rock”?). What I mean is the fine line between simply being indie and enjoying it and being indie with an elitism edge. I have found myself discovering that I might be an indie elitist. Being an indie style band isn’t enough, you have to be ultra indie – as in very few people even know of your band at all in order to be independent. Am I contributing to worthy bands not getting their fair due?

What I am getting at, is that I find myself staying away from artists that become mainstream indie. Bands that (in blogger circles) might be an “it” band. “What is all the fuss?” I say, “Why is everyone posting that same song?” I am found uttering to myself. I think I might on purpose ignore a band that is getting too much blog press in some bastardized version of thinking it is now mainstream, and hence I can’t like it. There is much talk on this topic over many a forum board, but I think the fact that I am even thinking it, simply makes me guilty. Oh well, guilty I am – I am an Indie Elitist. Not that it makes a difference coming from some dude in Canada on his mellow singer songwriter blog…

“Make it up to the bands I don’t cover” Mixtape

“Zero” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Pillar of Salt” – The Thermals
“Meddle” – Little Boots
“Get On Your Boots (Justice Mix) – U2
“Cheerleader” – Grizzly Bear
“1901” – Phoenix
“Daniel” – Bat For Lashes
“Miss It So Much” – Royksopp

*I just couldn’t bring myself to put Kanye on…I mean I don’t mind a bit of Kanye once and a while, but I just couldn’t do it.

So I am having this be my on the road playlist for my weekend (to and from only, not at destination) – and you never know, I just might like most of it – and try not to ignore bands just because of the blog hype. Honestly I don’t mind the Bat For Lashes and Grizzly Bear already. The rest can be an okay listen, but maybe just not Slowcoustic enough for this blogger…but can’t I electro-rock out once and a while?

In the end, promoting or discussing music on it’s merits alone is what I am here for right? …Oh, wait, that and talking about unknown bands that actually need the hype…maybe next week for them.

~Smansmith

7 Comments

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Leentje says:

11 April, 2009 at 1:18 pm

:)
westmont says:

11 April, 2009 at 8:47 pm

R.E.M. is one of those popular bands I stayed away from because of stupid snobbery. good lord, was I a fool. listening to reckoning, chronic town and murmur for the first time ever just last year was mind blowing. Talk about missing out. also, 1901 by Phoenix is an outstanding song, as is cheerleader by grizzly bear. Im not embarrassed to admit that either. i draw the line at the yyy’s though.
slowcoustic says:

11 April, 2009 at 11:26 pm

@westmont – I know, sometimes songs are getting hype for good reasons, and sometimes not. Too funny about YYYs though, I hadn’t really listened before, and although not a bad track, I think the remixes made it as popular as it is/was.

@ Leentje – Good to see back around!
Jizzer says:

12 April, 2009 at 4:40 am

This is the most pathetic post I’ve ever seen in my life.
Trying for Hype Machine traffic a little too hard, mate.
the very ... says:

12 April, 2009 at 5:25 am

hey there i am not sure about you guys but the reason i started listening to indie was because i got fed up on soup of the month boy bands and rap stars that “main stream” radio kept vomiting out and about that time i found out that i could get pretty neat stuff that no one had even heard of if i looked around good ole irc. it became a fun game finding an awesome band or singer was like crack to me.

after awhile it became a snob thing as i felt different (“superior”) because all the other tasteless saps were banging their heads to linkin park…

now i guess its a matter of preferance, after all we pick our own poisons.
hooizz says:

12 April, 2009 at 6:03 am

i used to feel the same way – i wouldnt tell people about bands that i was listening to, for fear that they would get popular and sell out. the true irony about this feeling (at least for you) is that youre supporting non mainstream bands on a music blog. IF people are actually reading your blog, you’re contributing to a band becoming mainstream. weird eh?
Smansmith says:

12 April, 2009 at 1:10 pm

Leave it to this post to get the comments ;-)

@Jizzer – Thanks for so eloquently making my point, while missing it completely, mate.

@ the very – yes, this is often how a lot of others move to “independent” music. There is still merit in much music regardless, it is just like school – just different circles of musical styles instead of cliques of friends.

@ hooizz – I know what you mean, I have been victim of this as well and am getting over it like yourself. I think there still needs to be a separation from wishing a band success and promoting mainstream popularity – the two don’t always go hand in hand. By having a pseudo “niche” blog, I would be “promoting” to other like minded folks and less so the mainstream media, imho. Everybody deserves appreciation for creating, so yes if people are reading the blog, I hope to contribute to the “success” and not necessarily becoming “mainstream”…not that there is anything wrong with that… ;-)

~S

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