The Old Indie... Gone?

#EDIT: I'd like to clear up an issue regarding this post, and my use of the word indie. Yes, everyone who has facebook chatted me, Indie is short for independent, meaning artist who aren't signed to a major music label. When the absolute literal definition is taken, the indie genre of music is simply all artists who are not majorly signed ("IND(I)Ependent"). However, it is also widely used in a much more loose term to describe the genre of unique-sounding alternative and electronic music that usually comes bands not signed to major labels. Lots of bands that were once literally "indie" are picked up by major labels and are still sorted under the genre of indie rock or indie electronic even though later albums are produced under major music labels. So in this post, I am referring to the style of music. If you insist on using the term literally, I suggest you suspend your disbelief or rig your computer to distplay "unique-sounding alternative" when I use the word indie. You will likely enjoy the article much more.#


Before I get called out on this, I'd just like to start this post off by saying that I am indeed a musical poser. I discover most music three years after it's been out and long after it has lost it's sparkle to even the most die hard of fans. I enjoy most pop and hip-hop that makes the top ten on itunes these days and 9 times out of 10 will choose to listen to that over what the Pitchfork crowd would call good music.

That being said, I'd like to think I'm fairly in tune with what falls into the jurisdiction of the indie branch of music. Which is exactly my point. In today's modern culture is indie music the same as it was in the 1990's, and is indie even a fitting term for it?

Particularly this decade, what with the internet really coming into its own and electronic copies of music being easy to come by, bands that have been labeled "indie" have found themselves shooting to the top of the charts. Owl City, a solo synthpop project by Adam Young (that I was listening to last year.. HA!) was picked up by Universal Republic after his first two albums that he made in his parents basement were uploaded onto Itunes, where they did quite well. This fall, the single "Fireflies" hit number 1 on Itunes and remained there for several weeks.

For the past few months, as I've been sitting on my couch listening to my music and feeling quite smug about getting in touch with the indie scene. One of my favorite albums of the summer is Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. In my opinion, it's very much an album in that the songs feel like they all go together and play off of one another, rather than a hodgepodge of whatever they happened to come up with in the studio that day. I particularly enjoyed the two singles off the album, "1901" and "Lisztomania".

My smugness was replaced with horror when I saw the new ad campaign for the Cadillac SRX.

In the days following my discovery, the realization hit me that if it was on a car commercial in the middle of a patriots game, 1901 likely didn't count as being indie anymore and, even worse, was probably well known. My fragile musical ego was shattered. How could this have happened?

With my musical self respect still reeling, I would receive another blow in the form of the ads for Michelob Ultra and its shameful fruit-infused spinoff. While the Kooks "Shine On" was nowhere near the mainstay that "1901" was in my music library, it still hurt to see such a pretty song bent over the table and violated by mango flavored beer. Then, the marketing industry really went for it and snatched one of my favorite songs of all time to use in a spot for the Palm Pixi. Thank you Sprint, for that murder of Passion Pit.

Well, at least I can take solace in the fact that my once-indie darling Bloc Party is safe and sound and would never sell out in such a... OH MY GOD!

Ok, Ok, don't panic... It is, after all, an Olympics ad. That's pretty cool to have your song on an Olympics ad and SRXT isn't even that popular. It could be way worse. Imagine, if they had sold one of their biggest songs to something commercial and meaningless. Oh dear.

Now let me draw an important line here. That important line is what I call "The OC effect". Arguably, the most defining characteristic for The OC in its four seasons was the incredible soundtrack they were able to procure. Ryan and Marissa's kiss on New Year's? Seth and Summer's slow dance? The infamous season two finale that is so often spoofed? No one will ever question their use of these songs, because use of a song in a movie or show creates a sort of iconic feel within the scene (if used right). Looking back on it, I'm ecstatic that they used "Blue Light" on the OC. Now, having your song on the OC legitimizes it as being a legitimately good song.

By they way, Josh Schwartz has kept at it, and his shows Gossip Girl and Chuck have really good soundtracks too. The shows plug Bon Iver, MGMT, and (again) one of my personal favorite Bloc Party songs in Signs. It's because of this OC effect that I was excited when the new Valentine's Day trailer featured Lisztomania.

When I take a step back, however I realize just how integrated and present in today's media this "indie" music is. The indie music isn't buried anymore, it's out in open, carrying on its business. It can now be discovered with minimal effort. So now I can declare it.

The old style of indie is dead.

Then a new thought hits me. What if indie isn't dead? What if it merely shed its skin to adapt to this new, ever-changing world? Taking on a better camouflage?With posers like me acquiring tools like Pandora and Last Fm, indie would need to work to stay away from me. Go deeper than it's ever gone before, use diversions to keep me smug and content in thinking I've found it. It's only now I realize, with a heavy heart, just how duped I've been all along. I never caught up to indie. It has a three day head start on me. All I can find of it, is what it chooses for me to find. It's like Jason Bourne, only wearing a cardigan.

Know this now indie. You may have outsmarted me. But I will not rest, I will not sleep, and I will not eat until I catch you. So beware underground music listeners. Musical Judgment Day is coming. We posers will one day listen to what you do. Then the final victory will be achieved.

Here is your doomsday clock. Tick Tock.