Scottish Dubliner wrote:

to be honest Indie to me always was an 80's thing 4AD, Factory and such, even by the early 90's the other companies EMI, Virgin, Sony etc. were buying up the smaller labels cause they wanted a taste but kept it behind the scenes as not to alienate music snobs. I think nowadays a far more acceptable term but also just as vague would be "Alternative" but even that has become the norm.

Dubz


Nemo me impune lacessit

Typing to Reach You wrote:

I've noticed that Travis consider themselves 'indie' by genre on their MySpace. But I've always been a bit confused by this label. It should simply mean independent music, but how many bands that consider themselves 'indie' are truly independent? Even bands that have initially entered the scene with little help from anyone else ultimately depend on their record companies and marketing people to keep them alive.

So it seems nowadays 'indie' defines a sound more than anything. Only that still doesn't help me much because it seems just about anything can be thrown into the genre. From Travis, to Arctic Monkeys, to Coldplay to Bloc Party - they're pretty different from each other really. Brit pop is also linked to indie, so you can chuck Oasis and Blur in with them. Then are U2 and REM indie bands? If not, is it because they're too commercial or successful? But to be honest Arctic Monkeys are more commercial and successful than any of them at the moment.

So what does indie music mean to you? Or is the genre label effectively meaningless nowadays? Seems you need to take it with a pinch of salt either way.

Lemon Grinner wrote:

I always thought REM were considered more Alternative than indie.

And Indie music means shitall to me. Now it's just a label given to skinny boys n girls with shit hair and pointy shoes who play telecasters.

ricv64 wrote:

REM first single they put out themselves , that was " Indie " . I kinda remember " underground " being said about a bunch of weird noise bands, Butthole Surfers , Scratch Acid ,Steel Pole Bathtub , during the time , but took that as meaning you seen the flyer but never actually heard them . Butthole Surfers , greatest show in the 80's for sure .

Telecasters sound kinda cool , don't be a H8ER , but pointy shoes ,ACK !

Isn't there some unwritten law that UK bands must use block marker Gibsons ?

Lemon Grinner wrote:

[quote="ricv64"] [quote="Lemon Grinner"]



Are you on about 'Radio Free Europe'?

And I wear pointy shoes myself, I like them on me. I'm just saying if you wear em and play the same guitar as everyone else, people always label you as Indie. Indie means nothing anymore.