Now, I need to (somewhat) disagree with you on the topic of "That's why I love indie music, in general. It feels more personal, and less mass-produced." I see what you're saying - so much of pop and hip hop is horrible, straight-off-the-assembly-line inspirationless sludge. Made with the sole purpose to churn out music, it makes me sick how the popular music industry has zero depth. The performers probably don't even read music, which is fine considering I guarantee you that most of them don't even know how to write it. And not even lyrics. All that's done by some very-well paid team of writers who stick to a narrow equation to create new and incredibly underwhelming "hits". Heck, I doubt most of the performers can even perform. By now so much of it is done by studio musicians and technical voice editing, all we get to see are the public figures who lip sync at concerts.
/exhale
For me, I have infinitely more respect for singer songwriters who do all their own stuff, from the top to bottom. You know that what they're singing means something to them, and they're doing it because they have something to say in a way that they love. It's not for the almighty paycheck or album sales or charts or popularity. So, no offense, but I really don't get people who refuse to acknowledge anything popular and non-indie. At that point isn't being an "indie fan" just for the sake of standing out against the grain? There are intimate and sincere and talented artists on both sides of the fence. I don't get why because someone is signed to a label it automatically makes them unlikeable. Yes, I will totally admit that the ratio of idiots and morons and talentless hacks are WAY higher in the popular music industry, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some genuine people who are good at what they do and have nothing to do with a massive PR firm.
Forgive me - that was more of a bottled up rant. It's not directed at you specifically - I knew a few people who were of the attitude that "if it isn't indie, it can't possibly be worth while." I found it to be such a stuck-up and close-minded attitude. And they somehow wear it like a badge of honour, because "indie" automatically means "high culture". Humph. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to do some proverbial yelling and the proverbial kids to get off my proverbial lawn.
-Cril
Let me tell you somethin' that I realized tonight
My hip-hop radios like Marlboro light
They're both selling stories and they sound about the same
Cigarettes say they're safe
Rappers say they really bang
We don't care if it's true when we lay the money down
We don't believe the words
We just love the way they sound
They're acting like we're idiots
They're lying to our face
Maybe we are idiots
We buy it anyway
Fort Minor - Cigarettes
2 comments:
I like music that is fun or makes me feel or tap my feet or hum or anything. I don't care if it's mass produced or done in a garage. I love Hotel Yorba by the White Stripes as much as I love Enter Sandman by Metallica or Heartless by Kanye West. Choosing a side in this debate is as silly as calling yourself a rocker or a hip hopper. You're just limiting yourself.
You have a good point, sir. What's the difference so long as you enjoy it?
Still, to some degree, I still get a lot more enjoyment (personally, anways) out of artists who I know are genuinely talented. For as much as I love to bash the mass-produced artists, I have to admit that I have a handful of their songs in my library. Talentless or not, there's no denying the allure of a catchy tune.
-Cril
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