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5 Reasons To Hate Indie Rock |
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Let’s get one thing straight: I hate indie rock, but I respect it. It isn’t music I like, but it isn’t destroying rock and roll or anything like that. Rock and roll isn’t dying because indie rock is getting popular. Chuck Berry isn’t rolling around in his grave. It is real music made by real musicians, and a lot of people think it’s great. But I don’t, I never have, and I doubt I ever will. And I think I’ve got a few good reasons why:
- Indie rock is a catchall phrase.
- Indie rock doesn’t stand for anything.
Every subgenre of rock and roll has had some kind of overall message, however loosely defined. Early rock was about individual rebellion; think Rolling Stones. Punk rock was about group non-conformity. But indie rock seems to thrive on apathy, which in my opinion is a dodge. The absence of a message cannot be a message, and besides, apathy is just lame. Lyrics like this, from Modest Mouse’s 2004 hit “Float On,” I think prove my point:
I backed my car into a cop car the other day
Well he just drove off sometimes life’s ok
I ran my mouth off a bit too much oh what did I say
Well you just laughed it off it was all okAnd we’ll all float on ok
And we’ll all float on ok
And we’ll all float on ok
And we’ll all float on any way wellThe message of this song is that every is ok, and apathy is ok. Congratulations hipster, you don’t care about anything, here’s your medal. That’s not how I want to live my life, and it’s not very compelling, to say the least.
- Indie rock seems to think bad recording technique makes unspectacular music into art.
Many indie rock recordings go out of their way to sound junky and poorly recorded. Certainly, there is something to be said for lo-fi recordings, but those sounds have their place. Indie rock seems to think of these sounds as artistic in their own right, even when the artists don’t ask why they are using these sounds. Therefore, a lot of bands end up sounding like they have something to prove, that somehow by sounding bad, you can prove to the world how fucking cool and hip you are. Take The Strokes big hit, “Last Night.” Here it is, in all its ridiculous lo-fi glory.
Why is this song so badly recorded? Are they trying to say something about overproduction in pop music? Doesn’t seem like it to me. Were they too poor to afford anything else? Nope, they’re signed to a major label with lots of money. Then why are the drums so boomy, the bass turned up too high, and the singer’s voice distorting? Seems to me like they need to prove their independent roots by making a shitty sounding album. The lack of technique doesn’t prove anything, except perhaps their insecurity, or their producer’s lack of imagination. (When in doubt, blame it on the producer I always say.)
- Indie rock “singing” consistently ruins songs.
I’ll give credit where credit is due: A lot of indie songs are tuneful and catchy, and a lot of indie rock bands are made up of killer musicians. Some of these songs really move! But indie rock singers, almost without exception, suck. They whine, they moan, and they scream like dying animals…they do just about anything but sing. I can’t tell you how many indie rock songs have been ruined by the singer. For example, check out this track called “Get Away” by 120 Days.
You’ve got a full minute of intro, and it’s pretty good too! Cool guitar sounds, spot on rhythm, and some great synthesizer effects create some nice atmosphere. I’m sitting there, nodding my head to the beat, the singer comes in, and I lose the groove so quickly I get whiplash. The singer starts with this awful half sung, half spoken drone of a lyric, and then he proceeds to sing out of tune, in an annoying moaning style that makes cats go into heat. Trust me, I could have sung better, you could have sung better, even a smoker with a tracheotomy could have sung better. And this isn’t an isolated case, almost every indie rock song I hear gets ruined in this way. It happens way to often to forgive.
- Let’s face it, indie rock is not alternative.
I loved the alternative genre back in the 90’s. Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers; these are the bands that I loved, and still do! After the alternative movement died out way before its time, I suppose I was hoping that indie rock would be its second coming. It wasn’t, and I’m disappointed. I guess I had high expectations, that someone again could combine pop music and art in such an easy and unassuming way, but it didn’t pan out. I lost faith, and that’s when I switched to hip hop. (Incidentally, I’ve never looked back and never been happier. Take that Jack White!)
There is hardly a type of music that you couldn’t put in the indie rock category. The Pitchfork Music Festival, one of the biggest indie festivals in the country, has all kinds of groups performing this year including De La Soul (hip hop), Yoko Ono (avant-garde, Beatles destroying type music), and the William Parker Quartet (jazz), to name a few. Granted, diversity in a music festival is a good thing, but I find the indie rock label to be too inclusive. Bands as diverse as Belle & Sebastian, Ratatat, and King Crimson could all be called indie rock groups. There is something to be said for having an expansive view of a genre’s aesthetic, but there is a point where the label becomes meaningless. Calling your band an indie rock band is like calling yourself a patriot. Everyone in America is a patriot, it ain’t that special, and unless you have a better definition, it is meaningless.
There it is. I hate indie rock. I’m prepared to take a lot of heat for that position, as indie rock is pretty damn popular in America today. I’ll leave the door open, though. What bands should I be listening to that don’t suck? What am I missing about this beloved genre? I must be out of touch, because for the life of me I can’t figure out how something this shitty became so popular. So, readers, enlighten me.
um…indie IS the new alternative. they both genre-less genre’s of music. they dont really describe the sound of the music. they’re both just a convenient way to label “hip”, “young” rock music. its all just….rock.
and when was music supposed to “stand” for something? its a nice bonus for sure, but isn’t music simply about sounding good to our ears?
music is infinite. and just because bands are labeled as a certain genre doesn’t mean we should get our hate on.
I’ve never seen any attempt to decipher Modest Mouse lyrics…I tip my cap to you sir.
I could not agree with this article more ! If you were in my presence I would plant a big wet one on your forehead.
The rock that your talking about now has a name. When I come across it on the radio I stop and listen for a couple minutes out of totall dis-beleif. I ask myself “what is this shit ?”
If the mood and attitude that this music portrays is permeating in to our younger society, were in trouble.
It’s whiney ,predictable and really depressing.Some stations call this “alternative” alternative to what ?
Listening to a mother give birth to a 20 lb kid ?
Maybe I’m getting old but this is what a lot of rock is starting to sound like,Overdrawn notes that are long and crying and whiney ,poorly recorded in some garage with no sense of acoustics. I heard the Chili Peppers in the Whisky about 20 years ago. I was maybe 10 feet away and the soudstage was about as simple as it got and they sounded great.I also saw the Ramones in Ann Arbor Mich 25 years ago under pretty much the same conditions and they were great. In those days the term “Alternative” was just surfacing.It was simple. It was an alternative to the 60s and 70s which only had a few formulas.Punk rock and funk rock were the alternatives that still had a relative description.
Now it seems that we are so lost for titles,that
” Alternative” is mundane and we went to “INDIE”.
The band might be labled a certain genre but the music should be labeled “NOT ALL THAT”
It seems like we are getting to a point where we are so hard up to find something new that we will accept any ball of shit that’s thrown at us and call it art.
You have an idea for a painting and then go forward with planned intention.
Or you can indiscriminatly throw a can of paint at a clean canvass,then stand back and apply interpetation to it,and tell everyone “I meant to do that”
My description of Indie rock falls into the latter.
After a couple minutes of this genre I have flashbacks of suicidal emotions and just want to blow my brains out.
I’m not sure I completely agree here, but even if you’re right, I liked the alternative genre-less genre a lot better than I like the current offering. Sure, music doesn’t fit into neatly defined categories and that’s fine. All I can say is that nearly ever group suggested by my indie rock loving friends I’ve ended up disliking. Why is that?
Personal taste ?
I think its just hard on the ears.
I agree with what micky said. Even though I do listen to indie stuff myself. Music taste is subjective…although I do question the motives of “Indie kids” and why they listen to it. Most of them seem like yuppie scenesters to me.
Lots of indie is also not completely accessible. While some of that stuff I think is pretty good, others it’s complete trash. For instance, if you are familiar with Joanna Newsom, Pitchfork raved that it was one of the best albums of the year. I think her voice is worse than nails on a chalkboard, and her “instrumentation” sounds completely tacked on. There’s a point when pretentious becomes TOO pretentious.
I mean, indie rock is such a broad category that definitely there’s some good bands. I like the band !!! and Hot Chip. I like some older Modest Mouse. It’s not my favorite genre, and as you say a lot depends on the voice - but sometimes it all comes together very beautifully, and originally too.
“Independent” is kind of a bullshit label to begin with. What’s “independent hip hop”? If you mean Def Jux and Stones Throw, I’m in. But even labels like Rhymesayers have a lot of mediocre acts, and by the time you get to the really local level it’s absolutely hit and miss. People call themselves independent just to give themselves some distinction, or some anti-system image, even if in reality there’s not much distinctive about them at all.
I find that most people just want to sit down and enjoy their music.{or dance} My point is that if I have to spend too much time figuring out what they’re saying or adapting to a new sound, it kinda takes away from it before I get to it.
9 times out of 10 if I dont like something upfront I’ll give it a few more chances anyway.
Since J-ro wrote this peice I went and dug up some more tracks and videos ,and I’m sorry but I’m just not impressed.
It appears to me that Indie rock is more of a punk rock whitewash. I’ll settle for Iggy Pop or Johnny Rotten or Social Distortion over this indie crap any day. In response to Ish ,in the good ole days there were bands that were truly independent not matter what the genre.
I agree with you ,saying your independent is like trying say that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
It is hit or miss on a local level, and why that is would be a whole different discussion (see my hip hop article for a beginning), but I guess I’m confused as to how indie rock became as popular as it has. For me, as someone who appreciates music for music’s sake and not just for the atmosphere that surround it, there are things in indie rock (the bad singers and bad recording for example) that I just can’t get passed. Now, as stated in the beginning of this piece, I respect indie rock. There are certainly a lot of innovations going on. I guess my argument is these innovations haven’t been good ones for me, or at least good enough to warrent buying an album or something like that.
J-Ro, I just wanted to say that your article has given me some new found hope. I completely agree with you, and just felt the need to say so. I am a 21 year old and in college so many of my friends who I consider to have good taste in music love indie rock, and I can’t seem to understand why. I think many of the musicians are extremely talented but I just can’t get past that whiney punky sound. Anyway it’s just been very frustrating for me to see so many people that I know like other great music to have their favorite new bands fall in the indie rock category. Thank you for writing that article so I could see others agree with me.
Hey man I agree with you. I do like some acts but the apathy is pretty dull. Also the aspect of the bands sounding a lot like each other. There is no individuality nor confrontation. In punk rock there was confrontation while in indie rock its just entertainment. When I go to a show nothing really exciting is happening. I have a rant on youtube “Indie rock is boring so I listen to my punk cds”
Thank you
Genius, genius. Thank you for giving me a reason to continue living. Someone agrees with my outlook on the sad, sad world of indie music.
This man speaks so much truth !
I hate going to college because everyone wants to be Pete Doherty !
Who by the way is a complete show-off and has no talent …
I hate new “indie” music . Old alternative is the way to go .
Absolutely. Pitchfork has become the rallying point for hipsters, and they are willing to lap up whatever filth Pitchfork tells them is good. So much of this blog-hyped music is just awful. All of this Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, Clap Your Hands rubbish sounds the same and relies on cliched methods in music.
I think bands have become too dependent on having an independent label and haven’t given a second thought to independent styles. Indie rock nowadays is all pretentious, faux-artsy rubbish for people who like to pretend that they’re cool and knowledgeable. Indie rock was great when it was Guided by Voices and Pavement making bold statements with their brand of music rebellion. Now it’s just become complacent
you should check out the song indie fags fuck off
myspace.com/deadmansroot
omg i so agree indie is lamee. i read that indie stands for independant but they all sound the same?
someone who dislikes indie almost as much as i do……….. the world feels like a more beautiful place to exist today. if your ever in leeds drop me a line ill buy you a pint
Could not agree more,indie is empty, dull, repetitive and nothing more than pseudo rebellion for the deddy’s money generation. Most indie kids I meet are pretentious and boring, and if I’m honest,ever so slightly spoiled and all that “ironic detachment” stuff is basically a euphanism for “snobby.”
The main reason I dislike Indie so much is because it makes dull and uninventive kids think that theyre so incredibly unique for listening to such “non-generic” music. I know a few folks who truly believe that theyre eccentric for listening to the Arctic Monkies and the like.
I really dont understand how Indie can even come close to being defined as unique. Its mainstream, its pop, its made to make money. Indie is for people are too typical and afraid to totally deviate from mainstream (which is exactly what all the Indie kids think theyre doing).
if you can’t write a melody longer than 2 bars, and most can’t, mainstream and (especially) indie alike, then you fail. This is why today’s music fails.
did you ever just listen to music without placing it in a genre?
Indie does not exist. Stop labelling stuff: you like it or you dont. You cant completely hate a genre or completely love it. specially one that includes almost every band in the world.
one good listen (according to me, it could totally suck to someone else) that could be included in the indie label and is sometimes said to be emo (which is another label that i find ridiculous) is Bright Eyes.
At the risk of sounding repetitive…I’ll just say I echo Mickey 100%…. so gimme that forehead so I can plant one on ya too…
I hate indie rock. The music, the singing and usually the lyrics are all crappy. I think people want to be different or something so they like it but I could never figure out why anybody liked it.
Check out MC Frontalot’s “Indier than Thou” . sums it up well.
Too right man indie sucks major balls.
And trust me its also way to popular in the uk as well.
You forgot to mention that they always have some shitty meaningless name too (pigeon detectives, minus iq, the view, frightened rabit , the manikees).
Up with blues rock.
In Columbus, Ohio- reviews wll say ‘indiep0p’ or indie whatever, but then I found out the bands were good someof them, but not indie. the writers were too lazy to describe their sound, and how it was distinct. I guess writers here don’t care about music.
Finally someone saying it like it is. thank you.
I like hipsters, indie kids, and the music they’re doing. Lately, Of Montreal has been my favorite band. Cliche? In a hip sorta way. I bet you guys would hate it.