Coolfer posted a link to an interesting article over at The Guardian Online called Smells Like Indie Spirit where writer Jude Rogers argues that there appears to be a resurgence in indie music in the UK but what does he consider to be indie? It is certainly not a musical genre in my opinion and should never be used to identify a style of music.

Indie is short for independent but independent of what? To me, indie is a philosophy, not a type of music. It is maintaining control of your art and ensuring that it is only presented the way you want it to be presented. That is why you will rarely hear me purposely trumpet the fact that I play and write about indie and unsigned bands since I don’t want people to mistakenly think I play something vaguely referred to as indie music. The Rock and Roll Report is about rock and roll, pure and simple. How it is distributed is something that is a side issue to the music. I tend to focus on music not on major labels only because I have found that some of the best rock and roll can be found there. It is an unfortunate fact that it is those bands and artists that to me best signify what rock and roll are all about that are often side-lined from commercial radio due to their indie status and it is for this reason that I champion their cause.

I refuse to classify my music by mode of distribution. It is not indie or alternative. It is rock and roll, nothing more, nothing less.

Check out the excellent documentary What is Indie? which I think best answers this whole question.

Later.

Mark

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Coolfer posted a link to an interesting article over at The Guardian Online called Smells Like Indie Spirit where writer Jude Rogers argues that there appears to be a resurgence in indie music in the UK but what does he consider to be indie? It is certainly not a musical genre in my opinion and should never be used to identify a style of music.

Indie is short for independent but independent of what? To me, indie is a philosophy, not a type of music. It is maintaining control of your art and ensuring that it is only presented the way you want it to be presented. That is why you will rarely hear me purposely trumpet the fact that I play and write about indie and unsigned bands since I don’t want people to mistakenly think I play something vaguely referred to as indie music. The Rock and Roll Report is about rock and roll, pure and simple. How it is distributed is something that is a side issue to the music. I tend to focus on music not on major labels only because I have found that some of the best rock and roll can be found there. It is an unfortunate fact that it is those bands and artists that to me best signify what rock and roll are all about that are often side-lined from commercial radio due to their indie status and it is for this reason that I champion their cause.

I refuse to classify my music by mode of distribution. It is not indie or alternative. It is rock and roll, nothing more, nothing less.

Check out the excellent documentary What is Indie? which I think best answers this whole question.

Later.

Mark

Share This