Emily+D’s+OpEd+Article


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"Le Fabuleux Genre: Independent**" by Emily D. media type="file" key="emilyd-muckraker-0910.mp3" It seems that in this day and age, the majority of young Americans listen to the filtered, inhuman music that is spoon-fed to the masses. Rather than bop along to Ke$ha or The Jonas Brothers for hours on end, I enjoy hearing unique music and being emotionally and intellectually stimulated.

I think, therefore I am “indie.”

In·die [índee]: (1) a genre of music characterized by stream-of-consciousness writing, a feeling of social and political discontent, and men with falsetto voices; (2) a term used to describe a band that is not signed to a major record label

My love for groups like Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear, and Cold War Kids has stemmed mostly from my inability to listen to bullshit about non-existent parties in the USA or girls getting freaky in clubs. The inferiority of all other music choices can best be articulated through a mere comparison.

SELECTED LYRICS FOR “GET LOW” BY FLO RIDA: “Shawty was hot like a toaster Sorry, but I had to fold her Like a pornography poster She showed her Apple Bottom jeans Boots with the fur The whole club was lookin’ at her She hit the floor Next thing you know, shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low”

SELECTED LYRICS FOR “AMBULANCE” BY TV ON THE RADIO “Why so tame? We could shoot wilder vines through younger veins Sip slow from life’s deep well And watch our garden swell Once the seeds are sown Wild and overgrown You’ll see Heart’s colors change like leaves Oh sweet, sweet tree, fall for me Fall fast, fall free, fall for me Because I will be your ambulance if you will be my accident And I will be your screech and crash if you will be my crutch and cast And I will be your one more time if you will be my one last chance Oh sweet, sweet tree, fall with me Fall fast, fall free, fall with me”

In just one stanza of the sample of popular music, a horrid metaphor was utilized, pornography was explicitly referenced, slavery to brand names was encouraged, animal cruelty for the sake of vanity was accepted, and a woman was treated like nothing but a piece of meat. Lovely. And the less popular indie sample? A fair amount of lyrical brilliance to think about. Enough said.

Indie bands have less crowded shows. Dear and the Headlights, even at the Warped Tour, was literally a crowd of fifteen people (including the friend I had to coax into going with me). Try getting out of the parking lot after one of many Rolling Stones farewell concerts.

Indie bands are less likely to “sell out” than those signed to huge record labels. Independent groups are able to maintain creative control, whereas a record company might encourage an artist to change their aesthetic.

Indie bands will often meet with fans after shows to chat. I happened to see Your Vegas in concert a year or so ago, and after the music ended and the lights went on, the band came onto the floor. The drummer hugged me, and it was AWESOME. Such an opportunity would likely not be presented at a mainstream artist’s concert. More often than not, celebrities are immediately rushed into their tour buses upon ending shows (most likely just to look out of the tinted windows and laugh at the people stupidly filing out of the door to look for them).

Indie bands are more fun to spot on the street. It’s a lot more rewarding to be able to scream “OH MY FREAKING GOD, IT’S WIN BUTLER OF THE ARCADE FIRE!!!” than “Oh… it’s just Justin Bieber.” It takes a champion to recognize someone who isn’t eternally on the cover of Tiger Beat.

Indie bands are greener than mainstream artists. Consider the musician on tour. Independent artists often resort to foraging for food, and could not even dream about a fleet of buses accompanying them across the country. But regardless of the reasons, a tiny van full of ruggedly handsome men and their instruments will have a smaller global footprint than six gas-guzzling buses (none of which are remotely close to being filled to capacity) with motors running 24/7.

As any contemporary purveyor of rap would tell you, “Suck dat thang.”