Indie rock recommendations?

I’ll admit, that whole bit about music and branding sounds pretty cynical. But look, there is an undeniable upside to how we consume music today—the internet, MP3s, MySpace, blogs, all that stuff. The real advantage is that we can actually dig up tracks that would have been impossible to find otherwise. That part is great. My issue lies elsewhere: I see the music industry trying to claw back control over everything once again. The idea that some massive corporation wants to dictate our personal taste through a little piece of white plastic and a white cable is, frankly, quite unsettling to me. It makes me wonder, though—is this radical diversification of musical interests killing off that sense of community music used to build just twenty years ago? Does music still have the power to mobilize people in the same way today?

So, here we are together 🙂

Nicholas King62 said:I don't think the point of this thread is just whining about MTV bands.

Forgive me, but is the term "MTV band" even still in circulation? If it is, what exactly does that even mean anymore? From what I can tell, there aren't even real bands on MTV; their programming has dwindled down to a mountain of ringtone commercials and some moronic quasi-reality shows and "American Idol"-style garbage... 🙂 🤮

ruggedcrane22 said:MTV is a joke—they don't even play music anymore.

My words exactly. This subject has been hashed out on this forum more times than I can count. The sheer volume of commercialized trash being squeezed out of that and similar TV networks is beyond my comprehension—I admit that much. But then again, sometimes I find it strangely entertaining to watch the drum spin inside a washing machine through that little circular window. It’s always colorful, it’s got twelve different cycles, and there's always something happening.

ruggedcrane22 said:I admit that all that talk about music and postage stamps sounds pretty cynical.

...but it's also true. I've run into countless digital collectors who literally keep everything from Sinan to System of a Down to Sonic Youth to Simple Minds to Severina in their libraries—just because "it starts with an S" and they want to hoard it all. 😲I remember this one guy back in the day when I first saw his entire JSBX collection around 2000—what a complete disaster of a collection he had, honestly... and he didn't seem to care one bit. Yet, amidst that massive pile of junk, I actually managed to find a few gems for myself. Later on, I jokingly nicknamed his setup "Washington, D.C." online. A mix of absolute garbage and pure brilliance at the same time. Oh, and yeah, the guy regularly listened to Styx, Toto, and similar acts, but he collected the rest of this stuff like they were baseball cards or cocktail napkins. Like, what was he expecting? A Medal of Honor? A front-page spread in the New York Times? Or what? 🤔

Alright, I’ll go ahead and ask my esteemed fellow commenters to please provide a concrete definition of what we actually mean by indie music.
Much appreciated.

Raymond Barrett12 said:That’s exactly what I’m saying! Honestly, we’ve probably covered this on this forum a dozen times already. I guess my brain just can’t quite wrap itself around the sheer amount of commercialized garbage being squeezed out of shows like that or anything similar on MTV.

...which doesn't mean Franz Ferdinand isn't a great band, of course...

Nicholas Perez33 said:that doesn't mean Franz Ferdinand isn't a great band...

Franz Ferdinand is easily the best band out there.

Sean Lee7 said:So, what am I even doing here? Just some old friend you kept around—you know, mainly just to keep things entertaining? I guess.

Who told you that you were entertaining us? 😈
Since Ante was the one getting called out—and nobody really questioned my drumming—I didn't feel much need to jump in and defend myself, I guess. 😘)

ruggedcrane22 said:I wonder if this radical diversification of musical tastes is killing that sense of community music used to build back in the day—twenty years ago, at least. Does music even mobilize people the same way anymore?

Same thing here... as for whether I know, probably both yes and no. On a personal level, sure—but for the group? Not really. Though, maybe there'll be some kind of Revolution down the road. 🙂

I don't think community spirit is really dying out—it's just that out here in small-town America, everyone knows everyone—or if they don't, they at least know each other through forums like this. 😬 I guess things might just work differently in some perfect, idealized world.

ruggedcrane22 said:I just wonder if this radical diversification of musical tastes is killing that sense of community music used to create back in the day. Does music even mobilize people the same way anymore?

On the contrary. When you're grabbing a drink at some underground dive bar and find out the frontman of a hardcore punk band also thinks "Careful" is one of the best tracks by a Wu-Tang member, that sense of connection actually gets stronger...🙂

Look, if we aren't being completely pessimistic here, we really ought to be grateful that the very concept of live concerts has managed to survive 😬, even though certain types of low-life degenerates are hell-bent on tearing it all down. At this rate, our kids will just be sitting there watching digital simulations of shows on their laptops 🙂 😳

There’s no real movement or revolution happening because there isn't a single viable, catchy alternative to this broken system... 😢
Communism is dead, along with every ideal it ever stood for—it’s just a rotting corpse at this point.
The only thing even remotely tempting for people looking for an out is, unfortunately, religion.
And that whole scene and its followers are seeing a massive surge right now.
To actually build a movement, to stage a revolt against anything, you have to actually believe in something else, something different.
But that kind of belief is totally lost in this cynical era we're living in.
Pure hedonism is basically the social norm now, which is exactly what killed acid house.
Punk actually meant something because it was born during a time when an alternative still felt possible.
Just like the hippie movement did.

Solid post. 🙏

stormyviper11 said:The only somewhat appealing option for people looking for an alternative is, unfortunately, religion.
And that whole movement and scene seems to be making a serious comeback.

white metall🙂 😬

stormyviper11 said:There isn't any real movement or revolution happening because there simply isn't a viable, enticing alternative to this broken system... 😢
Communism is dead, along with all the ideals it once championed; now, it’s just a rotting corpse.
The only option that even remotely appeals to those searching for an alternative is, unfortunately, religion.
And that specific type of movement and cultural scene is currently seeing a massive surge.
To actually conceive of a movement—to stage a rebellion against something—you have to believe in something else, something different.
But that sense of belief has been lost in this cynical era.
Hedonism has become socially acceptable, and that's what killed acid house.
Punk made sense because it emerged at a time when it still felt like an alternative was possible.
Just like the hippie movement did.

damn right!
Today's youth have such a shallow relationship with music. They swap tracks, they point each other toward new releases... it all sounds perfectly healthy on the surface. But I see the issue in the total loss of connection to reality. There is an advantage to listening to music on your iPod while riding the subway, sure, but that carries a certain loneliness within it. People are retreating into themselves. I don't get the feeling that any major musical movements are rolling through the world today like they were 25 or 35 years ago. Back then, punk actually engaged in a dialogue with what was happening in the world. Nowadays, most kids would rather listen to some obscure band from the sixties or seventies than anything being offered to them today.

Geez, you guys are just so incredibly old and tiresome... 🙄

ruggedcrane22 said:I think the issue here is a total detachment from reality. Sure, there's an advantage to zoning out with your iPod on the subway, but it carries this inherent sense of isolation...

There’s some truth to that.

It really is unnatural that my "closest" musical connections are bands from thirty years ago—like the Ramones or the Clash—or even current acts that just mimic how things were played back then.

Dammit...

ruggedcrane22 said:Most kids today would probably rather listen to some gritty garage band from the sixties or seventies than whatever garbage they’re being fed right now.

I'm with you on the rest of your point, but I gotta disagree on this one. Sure, there's a generational gap, but honestly? Modern bands actually have the edge with kids. That said, the old-school legends still stick around—mostly because major labels like Sony or Universal find it way cheaper to just push out "greatest hits" reissues instead of actually putting money into promoting new talent...

Kevin Chavez3 said:it’s also true that it feels kind of unnatural for my "closest" bands to be the ones from 30 years ago—like the Ramones or the Clash—or even the guys today who just play like it's still 1994

you think that's unnatural? I don't know, seems pretty standard to me... there's always going to be plenty of Davids out there who think everything is old if it happened more than three months ago🙂>

Of course it’s unnatural... I’m basically the punk version of those stoner types who only listen to Aerosmith and think they're actually riding a wave 🙂

Man, it’s frustrating when I look through all these modern genres and can't find a single thing that resonates with me... It’s just like stormyviper11 said, there's a total lack of revolutionary spirit left in the music 😎

☕

That was just a phase 😳

I was searching for myself 😳