Metal Reviews

Didn't click with me, apart from Stillness Is The Move. Rise Above was a much better album.

Are half the bands mentioned in the first post even indie?

For me indie is the sort of stuff Adam mentioned, not bullshit nightclub pop music like Franz Ferdinand and the Arctic Monkeys.

I like me a bit of Idlewild I do. The first three albums, anyway.

Since when are the Arctic Monkeys pop??

Anyway, the problem is when bands that play similar styles to bands on independent labels get signed to major labels. When does it stop being indie?

Since, I don't know, always? Just because it's got a guitar in it doesn't mean it's not pop.

I'd say any band that have had massive label backing that shoves them into the public consciousness from the very beginning is the exact oppposite of indie. And that's the Arctic Monkeys alright.

Even thought it might be stylistically the same?

Depends whether you want to class indie as a style or a state of being. It's just like the "prog that's not progressive" thing.

But anyways I've already said I don't think Arctic Monkeys and all the other bands like them are stylistically indie. It's (in my opinion anyway) a form of pop music that gets called indie, but to me indie will always be Pavement and the like.

Fridge, what he's saying is that the term indie rock was meant for bands like Shellac and Fugazi that vehemently stick to small, sometimes self-run labels and reject any major label wooing. Its really meant to be more of a descriptor of the band's status (record label wise) and not of their sound.

Now, that said, it (like NWOBHM) has become recognized as a genre all its own, so I understand where you're coming from. Its just a little strange to hear a band being pushed by a major label described as "indie rock" is all.

If i want real indie rock ill listen to the Pixies.

Right on, sisters.

So what happens when bands like Death Cab For Cutie go from independent labels to major ones? Do they cease being indie bands?

They continue being shit, is what they do.

I guess the difference there is a band that plays in the style of Shellac or Pavement is never going to be courted by a major, whereas you could argue that despite being independent, DCFAC were always playing music that was aimed at major label stardom.

So you could say 'TRVE' indie music is music that is destined to remain independent.

Well, yes, but only in the way in which the term was originally intended. If you're using it as a description of their sound, then obviously no.

My point is that I've never felt it made much sense to think of indie rock as a style of music. You can't say Big Black sounds like Death Cab for Cutie for example. I try not to use it as a descriptor of sound for the same reason I won't call something "major label rock". It just paints with too broad of a brush in my opinion.

Yeah, I see where you're getting at. I should sign up on an indie forum and ask them.

I'm appalled to see no one has mentioned Archers Of Loaf yet.

Shazam!

I think Web in Front was on a movie soundtrack I bought in High School (Clerks maybe?), but I didn't care for it that much so I never looked into them further.

Give 'em another chance, yo.

British folks- Best Buzzcocks album?

indie is gay simple and retarded and should be banned for it's lack of human intelligence