The End of Indie?

[marmar]

from In These Times:



The End of Indie?
The difference between “mainstream” and “indie” music has almost disappeared.

By Rachel Lears


Under the banner of the 2010 CMJ Music Marathon, the annual New York City music festival, an October 20 Madison Square Garden concert featured two bands that dissolve the distinction between “indie” and “mainstream.” French rock band Phoenix, the headlining act, records on major labels (EMI and Universal) and has won a Grammy. The Dirty Projectors, the opener, records on an independent label (Domino Records) and sounds more at home in a theater or art gallery than a sports arena.

The prominent pairing hints at deep changes in the music industry since the festival, which showcases new music from independent labels and unsigned artists, began 30 years ago. Corporate labels have collapsed under the weight of digital piracy and peer-to-peer file sharing (CD sales have fallen by 50 percent since 2000), emerging musicians now calculate their online buzz with sophisticated Web analytics and bands on independent labels reach Top 40 status and governments sponsor pop music concerts as celebrations of national identity. Which all raises the question: What does the word “indie” mean today?

The digital revolution has caused the mostly Anglo-American music calling itself “indie” since the early 1980s to change at an accelerating pace over the past decade in several interrelated ways. Because it is easier than ever before to record and distribute music cheaply or for free, the sheer number of “indie” artists producing popular music has skyrocketed. On the listening side, the Internet has made almost any recording instantly accessible, along with huge quantities of information about artists, genres and labels. This implies profound shifts for a subculture founded upon record collectors’ encyclopedic knowledge of pop and rock history as well as up-to-the-minute connoisseurship.

Those of us avid listeners who came of age in the 1990s and earlier remember how much effort it took to learn about obscure bands and track down their recordings. Today, a panoply of automated services recommend new artists and upcoming shows based on your personal taste preferences. These developments have brought about a paradox: “indie music” still thrives on elitist hipster sensibilities, yet at the same time the actual music is more democratically available than ever. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/6650/the_end_of_indie

[notesdev]

1. should be "end of major label"

Major labels are obsolete, now anyone can get a worldwide audience with no major backing needed at all - just talent, skill, and a world of luck. (Notice what's missing from that list - the need to kiss the ass of some major label producer asshole)