I want some new music so this is coming back!
Indie kids unite!

So, one of the more mainstream indie bands I'm completely into right now is Sleater-Kinney. I'm sure the rest of you share my love. But yea, I'm reaaaaallllllyyyyy into them. Sure, I have been for a while, but I can't get enough of them. They're always great. Agent Sparks, another one I'm getting into is similar to Sleater-Kinney.

Tilly and the Wall is great, too. I'm really happy to see more chick bands breaking out in the indie music scene. Gives me some inspiration.

The Cardigans have a bit of a retro feel to them. It's refreshing. Another chick, too!

The Clientele is really calm and easy. Nice for relaxing. They've been getting a lot of attention lately.

Vitalic is just plain neat. Lots of electric sounds. Pretty obscure, way out from the mainstream music scene. If you've seen Lola Rennt, it's kind of similar to the music in that movie (which is also pretty cool).

I've also been getting into Wolf Parade. A mix between traditional rock sounds and electronic ones. Kind of New Wave-y. Good stuff.

Got any new and upcoming bands/singers that you want to share with the indie population of Createblog, or any to discuss?

The newer Appleseed Cast song "Sunlit Ascending" is amazing! I also just heard Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's new song "Young Shields" and I think it's decent, but it definitely not as happy as his older stuff, and I don't like how much it sounds like Xiu Xiu. I just finished listening to Final Fantasy's "Has a Good Home" and I'm not sure if I like it or not, but it is very interesting nonetheless. Lastly, my first issue of Paste came today and I am sooo excited!

I've only listened to three tracks off the new Appleseed Cast, but I'm really impressed. "Two Conversations" as a whole didn't really hold my attention, so I'm glad this is good. Final Fantasy is best in small porttions, I think. I've heard only about half the album, but I still prefer it shuffled with other songs. "The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead" and "(This is) The Dream of Win and Regine" (wow, doesn't that title sound familiar? ) are best. I read the new Paste on Friday afternoon, but decided not to buy it so I'd have things to read at BN for the next two months. I adore that magazine, though. There was an article in the newspaper about it one time, and it turns out it's actually pretty local. The little music store near my school even has displays for it.

I downloaded the new Belle and Sebastian album a few days ago, and am completely enraptured with them now. And, of course, I'm still smitten with Voxtrot, who just put up a new mp3 for download.

^ Yeah, "THe Life Pursuit" by Belle and Sebastian is amazing.
I love "funny little frog" off that album.

Yeah, "Funny Little Frog" is great, and "Sukie in the Graveyard" makes me giggle

Panic! At The Disco and Cute Is What We Aim For, they're Indie, right?

MF DOOM!

Hey what do you guys think about Waterproof Blonde? I'm starting to like them.

I'm not a huge fan of Belle & Sebastian, but I thought their new album was enjoyable. I also got the new Mates of State album "Bring It Back" (which comes out later this year, I think?) and it's really good, but I still like their old stuff better. Peachcake is damn catchy, definitely worth a listen if you like cheesy, dancable stuff.

so..what exactly is indie music?

Really? I "Bring it Back" is my favorite Mates album. It's really the only one that I can listen to the entirety of without driving myself mad. I'm listening to Paper Airplanes right now, and they seem to be pretty good.

^"Our Constant Concern" is my favorite currentally, though I used to like "Team Boo" a lot too and then got annoyed with it really quickly. I've been listening to Sigur Ros a lot more recently, they calm me down when I'm doing homework.

Aw man, I love Mates of State! They're playing in Chicago soon, but of course, like any show that I reaaaaallllyyyy want to go to (like the Ted Leo one coming up), it's 18+.

I'm probably going to see Jenny Lewis and Metric soon, though.

Indie really isn't a genre, it's just a buzz word.

If anything, "Indie" should always just be considered short for Independent Music (Which would exclude some bands discussed here, no?). In which case, I might like alot of "Indie" tunes.

What about "indie" labels?

Record labels?

Matador Records!

Mates Of State kick assss.

May I introduce...


Augustana?



They're not exactly labeled "Indie", though they could probably be considered it. Even if they're not, it's some darn good music.

I don't really listen to much indie music.

I like Bloc Party, The Myriad, though. And of course the obvious is DCFC. I don't know if you would consider Daphne Loves Derby indie, either.

Actually..now that I'm looking through the thread, I'm not sure that I know what the exact definition of "indie music" is anymore.

Oh well.

Could be largely beccause there really is no exact definition for indie music anymore, if ever. And after reading "Under the Radar" the other day, most supposed "indie" artists don't really know how to define it either. I think The Shins put it best- they want their music to reach people, but they don't want the name to get so big that you have the jock pummelling a kid while wearing a Shins t-shirt. That's sort of what it means to me: music that doesn't reach that mainstream audience. Technically, it involves being on an indie label, so no matter how you look at it, Death Cab is in no way indie anymore. Formerly indie, still great, but not indie now.

That's so elitist and horrible that everyone might as well be that "jock pemmelling a kid." So stupid.

Their music can reach people, but not if those people are any less "indie" than them or their "indie" friends. Awful. This isn't about music, clearly. It's about keeping those margins narrow and those social ladders hard to climb, unless of course you're ready to buy some individuality! I'm so bohemian!

"When you walk by a group of quote on quote 'normal people,' you chuckle to yourself, patting yourself on your back as you scoff! It's the same superiority complex shared by the high school jocks who made your life a living hell. And, it makes you a slave to the competive capitalist dogma that you spend every moment of your life bitching about!" - - - Say Anything



Ahem, Alternative Tentacles.

Well, I think of "indie" more of an adjective to describe a genre. For me that connotates that they're not mainstream to a point where everyone knows who they are and that they're most likely on an independent label.

As far as shows go, I am trying to get my mom to take me and a couple of friends to some of the Noisepop shows in San Francisco at the end of March. They have a great line-up this year. If I go, I will either go to the Her Space Holiday (with +/-) show one night and the We Are Scientists (with Foreign Born and The Grates) the next night, or (if my ride can't get weekday time off) I will go to the We Are Scientists show and the Xiu Xiu (with The Velvet Teen and Minipop) the next night. Either way, it will be amazing if I get to go! An Angle is also playing here in the next couple of months, so I will be attending that.

I downloaded Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's "Etiquette" yesterday (it comes out sometime in March, I believe) and it is very different than anything he's ever done before... though I don't know if it's any more approachable. Either way, it's worth a listen if you didn't like his old stuff.

Lastly, if you like Ladytron, I suggest you give Broadcast a listen.

WHAT THE CRAP THAT IS A GREAT LINEUP!

I am so jealous. I wish we had a place like that here.

John Vandersliceeee! Nyarr.
And the Onion is involved? That's just way too cool.
Oh, I believe the #12 Looks Like You is coming here soon, but it's on Demetri Martin day, so screw that. I've heard good things about them, though.

I've heard great things about Wolfmother; anyone have any opinions?
I can't exactly try anything out nowadays cause my speakers have stopped liking me, but that'll be fixed soon...

Oh, check it:
http://www.stolenmixtape.com
That's a wonderful site.

Whush this is over my head :-0 Yeah..

That really wasn't what I was getting at. I was thinking of it more along the lines of not reaching the mainstream. The jocks and cheerleaders of the world generally represent the trendy youthIt's not so much a matter of superiority as that it's nice to listen to things that are a little more unique than what the radio feeds you (especially since it rarely plays anyhing that isn't frightfully bad). So really, indie is more a genre than anything else, because the type of music appeals to me more than anything, but it's not like it's some sort of disclusive thing that I do just to fit a certain mold. I mean, not that many people listen to ska, but I can't sya I like a whole lot of it either. Everyone, whether they admit it or not, wants to have some sort of feeling of superiority to the masses in one way or the other, because people can't generally handle sucking at life entirely. In th same way indie music can be condemned as a way to feel better than normal, you also get to feel superior for realizing the pettiness. Whatever. You listen to what you enjoy, you get over the rest of it.



But anyway, the new Destroyer album is really good. I'm liking it a lot better than his older stuff. The new Fiery Furnaces album "Bitter Tea" seems like it'll be pretty decent too, which is new, since I wasn't too fond of "Rehearsing My Choir"

^I found the new Destroyer album on an mp3 blog but they still haven't sent me the password to download it .

I'm basically for sure going to Her Space Holiday; I'm so excited!

Has anyone every heard of Dremnt the End?

I personally like their sound. For a rock band, it sounds like something you could really have fun and dance to.

edit: OH! How about Shiny Toy Guns?