Indie rock’s not dead yet. But is it dying?
>> I love Blur. But there was something seriously depressing about their show at the Brits on Tuesday. Damon Albarn essentially barked through a succession of 15 year old songs; meanwhile, sometime foe Noel Gallagher also featured. He at least played a track from his new album, but the subtext was clear: where are indie rock’s new heroes?
It was a subject I touched upon when previewing Kasabian’s gig in Dubai earlier this month. Often cast as the inheritors of Oasis’s laddy rock template, sales of their records have nevertheless diminished sharply. Of course, falling sales isn’t unique to Kasabian, it’s happening across the board. But it’s telling that young guitar bands these days aren’t crossing over into the mainstream in the way that was once expected. Sure, there are minor exceptions – The Vaccines have done ok. The Maccabees‘ third album went Top 5 last month (when traditionally nobody buys records anyway). But does anyone seriously expect these two bands to be picking up lifetime achievement awards in 15 years time? Of course not.
There are many arguments for why this state of affairs has come to pass. Guitar music, at the mainstream end of the market at least, feels stale, and, arguably, has done for years. Excitement comes from the reunion of The Stone Roses rather than the brilliance of a new band. Buzz generally coalesces around slowed-down, electronic music these days, if Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd are anything to go by.
Still, maybe this is all just a return to indie rock’s default position. When I was growing up, it was a triumph if an indie band made it into the top 20. Which, thinking about it, was actually a bit odd: we proudly wore our ‘alternative’ hearts our sleeves, but actually rather enjoyed it when, ahem, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin got the seal of approval by appearing on Top Of The Pops.
All of which makes me wonder who is actually buying into indie bands these days? I hoped to be able to answer that at Django Django in Manchester on Monday, but it was cancelled. I suspect it might be people like me, who really rather like the fact that they sound like a brilliant hybrid of Hot Chip and The Beta Band.
Probably not a traditional “jangly” indie band then: their record is much more ambitious than that. But it was telling that when I saw Real Estate last Friday – their second album is lovely and probably conforms more readily to the traditional idea of indie music – they were almost insufferably dull. Perhaps that’s the point; we now expect a bit more from our indie bands. Which, maybe, is no bad thing.
Click here for the full story on Kasabian and rock music sales in The National
Maybe it’s just that their time has come and gone. The whole idea of Indie music was about how the listener could relate to the songs.
Most of todays music/TV is very throw away type stuff by manufactured singers/bands. X factor/BGT/ Glee etc but maybe it is just mirroring the world we live in?
On the other hand two of my fav bands are the Sex Pistols and The Monkeys (The not Artic) and they were manufactured
Or
It could be we are getting old (NEVER) and our memories of great bands of the past are getting a bit blur(ed)
Nostalgia has a big part to play in it, doesn’t it. I think you always return to the music you liked when you were growing up, avidly reading the NME and buying the latest singles. Thing is, these days, you can just listen to it immediately online, think ‘that’s ok’, and then move on. There’s not the sense that you’ve invested in anything, which in the end makes you a fan of the band. But I think you’d like Django Django. There’s even a bit of surf guitar in there!
Just had listen to a few of Django Django songs, yes I do like their querky style of pop music. Loved the drums high up on the mix, is it me or do they sound a bit like a cross between early Pink Floyd and Madchester bands.
Maybe indie is not dead but just sitting around the corner waiting for a bus to come along?
The Vaccines. Who can tell? I doubt anyone would have expected Blur to receive a lifetime achievement award after they released their first album. Basically Oasis ruined everything – thanks to them it’s not okay to get to number 27 in the charts as a young indie band.
The other thing with The Vaccines – we have to remember that we’re in our 30s. If I was 16 I’m sure I would have loved them. There’re plenty of really good music around, anyway. The Black Keys, Django Django, Field Music. I really like Paul Weller’s new tune too
What I found depressing was the line-up for the Olympic concert – Blur, The Specials and New Order. All great bands but as a celebration of British music, it’s a bit sad that it’s three really old bands who have reformed.
For me personally I think indie was already dying a death at this point that should have been forgotten by 2011. Part of it mainly has a lot to do with some incompetent musicians, or even if the music is a based rock or pop, it is hugely lacking in the substance or creativity department. Come on face it, back in the 70′s & 80′s most punk, new wave, post punk or hardcore bands knew more than just 2 chords on a guitar! What I tend to hate more than anything with indie bands from the 2000′s is how most bands will use 2 chords in a repetitive manner to death in a song, with no excitement or changes in the song music. And, that is where the problem lies therein, everything is, well, formulaic to where not only does almost every band in the indie scene sound similar, but sadly this seems to be a trap that is no different in mainstream music.
Something has got to change, but the unfortunate thing may not really be in the form of rock music. What may end up happening is synths may end up taking over the world, not too different as to what happened in the 80′s. but worse. Do you think that this may have to do with the influence of modern day society? Perhaps so. Artists don’t seem to take their music seriously these days, let alone look at it as an art, rather it has became disposable entertainment for the masses to where, sadly, even if you are serious as an artist, you don’t stand a chance in hell in a sea of faceless bands these days, and there are many of them too.
Another gripe I have about modern bands in the so called indie scene is how, besides the fact of their musical capabilities, is how almost a good percentage of the bands truthfully can barely even sing. Then they wonder why no one buys their records? Yes, it is a pretty fairly sad state that we live in these days to where being musically, lyrically or vocally stupid is the new cool?
Yes, let’s get the spirit of 90′s indie back when it was at the peak of it’s important musical powers. It almost seems as though most of the good bands left producing any worthwhile material are the old bands of the 80′s & 90′s indie guard. Who could not like the new release by Dinosaur Jr. this year in 2012? Now that is what call quality!
Is indie dead in a modern sense? Well, to put it this way: if I have to go through 100 albums in the year 2012, only to find perhaps 2-3 bands that are just decent, then what does that tell you? Whereas, classic bands like Dinosaur Jr. or Built To Spill just keep churning out the goods no matter what, and I would have to give first dibs to Dinosaur Jr., who thus this far has the best indie album of 2012. Sad to say, but it almost true…..
If it is no longer indie, then can’t we just call it beating a dead horse rock?