Stages in the life of an indie music snob

I don't listen to indie music so I dunno if this is legit, I just thought it was kinda fun.

285 points · 84 comments · view on lemmy.world

84 Comments

TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 43 pts · 341d (7 replies)

got my first indi album in 1997(?) when my parents sent me into a radio station to pick up tickets we had won on one of those call in radio contests. while I was in the lobby some Internet walked out with two CDs in her hands. she told me to pick one. and then she handed me that one and walked off.

It ended up being Pavement, brighten the corners. for a kid in highschool it ended up being pretty life changing.

rtxn@lemmy.world · 44 pts · 341d (1 reply)

some Internet walked out

I know it's meant to say "intern", but the mental image of the biblically accurate incarnation of the Internet randomly handing you one of two CDs like a red pill/blue pill offer is hilarious.

TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 341d

that may well have been what happened

_wizard@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 341d (4 replies)

Not bad. Can top though. I was maybe 6 or 7 and had some birthday money. May have been Kmart or target but my grandparents took me there to spend it on whatever. Being that age I ended up picking out School House Rocks Rocks. Ween, Daniel Johnston, Pavement (who do an amazing cover of No Kings btw), Skeelo, Biz Markie, etc all doing covers of the songs I loved to watch and hear at my babysitter

Needless to say, it took many years for me to actually recognize that the artists I enjoy most were actually there with me at the very start of my personal music journey.

Still have the CD. Even found a cassette copy some years back.

TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 341d

finding ween at any point is life changing

kuberoot@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 341d (2 replies)

I don't know what happened, but your message seems to have a lot of extra empty lines, and it's spanning tens of screens on my client... I'm curious, was this intentional? I have no idea how that'd happen accidentally, but it'd be pretty funny

_wizard@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 341d (1 reply)

Yeah, that is hella weird. I did edit for punctuation. Using jerboa.

Here's an edit.

And another. Same issue?

kuberoot@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 340d

This comment is completely fine, no weird empty lines. I guess it might be some weird bug in jerboa, I'd look into it but I'll probably forget :V

sad_detective_man@leminal.space · 28 pts · 341d

you telling me I'm going to enjoy music again one day? I'm not even mad

Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 23 pts · 341d (5 replies)

my problem is i don't understand how to categorise the music i listen to based on genre labels. Also I don't use a music service that has analytics or listen to playlists so I have no clue how mainstream my tastes in particular artists are

Skua@kbin.earth · 20 pts · 341d (4 replies)

You should try https://everynoise.com/

If you type an artist's name in the search bar it'll give you relevant genres. You can then click one of those genres and you'll get a word cloud of artists. Clicking an artist name gives you a short sample of their music. You can also go back to the home page, do a ctrl+F for a genre, and see similar genres grouped up close by to it

exu@feditown.com · 6 pts · 341d (3 replies)

That website was not made for phones at all

rumschlumpel@feddit.org · 12 pts · 341d (1 reply)

Good. grumpy face

exu@feditown.com · 7 pts · 341d

It takes effort to make a website that is broken for mobile. The author could save that effort

https://motherfuckingwebsite.com/

Skua@kbin.earth · 4 pts · 341d

It's definitely not ideal on phones, but I don't think the intended usage of the main page is to manually scroll around on either phone or PC. The massive word cloud looks exactly the same on a bigger screen. Use a "find in page" to jump to a genre you want to check out and then see what's near it. The audio all works the same as it does on PC (for me, at least)

sunoc@sh.itjust.works · 19 pts · 341d (6 replies)

Yeah, I've been through a similar journey but with metal.

Starting with pop-punk and nu-metal as a young lad, I went to more and more extreme stuff over the years to reach stuff like Slam Death, Gorenoise, DSBM or drone, that are barely tolerable even for seasoned metal fans.

But when you reach transcendence (or the bottom of the cesspool, in that case...), you go full circle and listen to pop music again.

At that point I'd say I listen equal part of the cutest k-pop stuff you can find and brutal slam or hxc beatdown; which highly confuses recommendation algorithms!

Anyway, there is light at the bottom of the rabbit hole, so go all the way in, you might find interesting stuff along the way!

exu@feditown.com · 6 pts · 341d (1 reply)

Even my current playlist ranging from anime OPs to metalcore confuses the algorithm. I can't imagine your situation.

sunoc@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 341d

Probably not so different from you situation: the recommendation juste gave up and just serves me on repeat the songs I already listen, being totally incapable to propose anything new.

Sergio@piefed.social · 3 pts · 341d (3 replies)

drone

Dunno much about drone, but I've recently started listening to noise and dark ambient that's sometimes also labeled drone. Any recommendations?

sunoc@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 341d (2 replies)

It's been a while, and I never dug that much on this one, I guess the only projects I listened properly was Sunn 0))), but it's fairly well known.

Otherwise, it's not exactly drone but the Hagbulbia album by Portal is terrifying imo. Highly recommended if you're looking for this kind of mood.

Sergio@piefed.social · 2 pts · 340d (1 reply)

the Hagbulbia album by Portal

thanks, I'm listening now, gonna have to dig out my best headphones!

sunoc@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 340d

Enjoy / good luck x)

JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl · 14 pts · 341d (3 replies)

Wait, cage the elephant is considered indie and obscure? They were the intro to borderlands lol, that's where I heard of them

YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 341d

My att fifty plus year old mom bought their album before I even played borderlands. But she's also cool AF.

skulblaka@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 340d

This is also how I discovered The Heavy who is to this day one of my favorite bands that somehow no one I speak to has ever heard of

nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 340d

they're definitely considered indie but definitely not obscure imo, they're one of the best known indie bands. most of the stuff on that tier is pretty popular

vzqq@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 12 pts · 341d

I’m old enough that my baby shit is now revered as works of absolute genius by the millennial amateur music historians.

We’re all dust in the wind, but if you aren’t a stuck up cunt, you get to have a cool soundtrack you enjoy.

cannon_annon88@lemmy.today · 12 pts · 341d (6 replies)

I took a weird path, starting with death metal as a young teenager and ending up listening to indie music anyways.

rumschlumpel@feddit.org · 11 pts · 341d (1 reply)

Using the "noncommercial"/"non-major label" definition, a lot of death metal is indie anyway! It's pretty absurd that "indie" is just a music genre for most people nowadays.

cannon_annon88@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 340d

I was actually thinking of editing my comment to add a similar thought; I couldn't agree more with everything you said.

tetris11@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 341d (2 replies)

Same kinda. Reject any music played over the radio and seek my own journey.

I ended up with listening to Lady Gaga, and going "ohh... she's actually got some nice bossy tunes. oh wait this might be why she was popular."

cannon_annon88@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 340d (1 reply)

Yeah I did the same thing with movies too. These days I feel like I can appreciate the artistic value in just about everything. I don't have to spend energy 'hating' on music and movies, and can just enjoy something simple, or move on if it's not for me.

tetris11@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 340d

I realise that the only thing that annoyed me back way back when was the hype and promotion surrounding these songs.

For example, Ed Sheeran. I'm sure he's a good singer, I'm sure his songs are genuinely game changing.... but the sheer amount of hype surrounding him makes me not want to listen his songs, because I know he will not live up to it

abbotsbury@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 341d

check out the album Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation

seliaste@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 11 pts · 341d (1 reply)

Wdym machine girl is obscure why is it on the before last tier

TonyTonyChopper@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 341d

Machine Girl should definitely go next to Death Grips

YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 9 pts · 341d (12 replies)

Bro, how dare you put snail mail as more popular than ok computer!

Radio head is like THE indie band everyone knows. I'd put it above tame Impala on this list.

Sergio@piefed.social · 9 pts · 341d (11 replies)

Radio head is like THE indie band everyone knows.

Yeah, but everybody only knows "Creep." (Source: I only know "Creep".)

Obi@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 341d

I let all other Radiohead songs play, but I immediately skip creep.

Redacted@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 340d

Try out karma police, thats my fav

Crazazy@feddit.nl · 2 pts · 340d

I got introduced to them via Idioteque

Haven't listened to much other stuff of them but that is a nice electronic song

YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 340d

And paranoid Android.

MazonnaCara89@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 340d (6 replies)

Not even no surprise?

Sergio@piefed.social · 0 pts · 340d (5 replies)

Just listening to it now. Never heard it before.

Xoriff@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 340d (4 replies)

Or "15 Step" from In Rainbows? That entire album was amazing

nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 340d

god i love in rainbows

Sergio@piefed.social · 2 pts · 340d (2 replies)

Just listening to that one now, never heard it before either. Wait, is this a trick to get me to listen to the entire Radiohead catalog?!?

Sarcasmo220@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 340d

There are worse ways to spend your weekend. While you're at it, check out Up on the Ladder, I Might Be Wrong, and Reckoner.

ghost_towels@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 340d

The Bends. Best album ever.

supergrizzlybear@pawb.social · 8 pts · 341d

oof the fantano line stings but its true

lemmyknow@lemmy.today · 8 pts · 341d (8 replies)

100 gecs is cool, but idk most of the other shit (Carly Rae Jepsen does have some great tunes, though I know not all). Guess I skipped ahead

Xraygoggles@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 341d (7 replies)

Emotion is the best pop album in the last 10 years and it's not even close.

froufox@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 340d (3 replies)

not even close? how about Imaginal Disk? Brat?

Xraygoggles@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 340d (2 replies)

I'm pretty sure Brat has too much club energy but I'm very excited to check out that Imaginal Disk.

I'm just a sucker for synth pop saccharine crush romance.

froufox@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 340d (1 reply)

yeah, Brat is club dance pop. Magdalena Bay seems closer to your taste but it's also hugely psychedelic. but i cannot recommend enough their both LPs and mini-mixes. and i also have a feeling you might love Chairlift and solo albums of Caroline Polachek. so you wouldn't at least think "it's not even close" anymore :)

Xraygoggles@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 340d

Very cool, thanks! Emotion apparently came out over 10 years ago now so I gotta update my rhetoric anyway. 😂

lemmyknow@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 341d (2 replies)

Don't think I've heard it in full. Supernatural (Danny L Harle) is what brought her back to my attention, all the way from Call Me Maybe (not sure if I've heard anything else from her between those)

From the moment I heard Supernatural, I was hooked. I kinda love this sound that feels like pure pop, perfect pop. Needless to say, PC Music had me

Xraygoggles@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 340d (1 reply)

Give it a shot! I'm only making bold claims for engagement. The album is really good though. It's less dancey than the one you linked, different vibe but you might like it.

lemmyknow@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 340d

Well, maybe I'll see if I can find a spot, put it in rotation. I did (and still do) really like The Loneliest Time (the track. Not sure if I listened to the album). Which I'd say is less dancey, but still great. Just sounds so… idk, so perfect. So good. I should probably make a collection of perfect pop

idiomaddict@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 341d (4 replies)

(Lizzo does slap).

I was a fan of the moldy peaches and Frank turner before their big breaks, and that’s my only music cred.

YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 341d (3 replies)

Frank Turner is still alright if not a little more poppy now after the success of the way I tend to be.

idiomaddict@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 341d (2 replies)

Yeah, I feel like a real hipster saying this, but I liked both of them better before they got big.

YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 340d

It happens to us all. When Avatar was new in theaters a friend asked me I haven't seen it and my legit knee jerk reaction was "because it's so popular" I immediately got flamed for that response, but I meant I just don't want to be in a crowded theatre. If I do watch a movie in theaters it's usually because it's been out for a while and the crowds are smaller.

rumschlumpel@feddit.org · 2 pts · 340d

I tend to like only specific albums of bands, and you often see a shift towards less energetic music with more intricate arrangements later in a band's career that I usually don't care for. Unless it's extreme metal, those bands usually have energy in spades and aggressive music benefits a ton from higher production value, especially if you like bass.

Krauerking@lemy.lol · 7 pts · 340d

One of the coolest drummer friends i had, who was punk as all hell used to say he thought the best musician ever was Sara Bareilles (you know her 1 hit, trust me) and was unironically excited to have saved up to see her play.

I still argue its Paul Simon. That afterlife song is still one of the most punk things i have ever heard.

The great thing about music is its about finding someone giving their emotions so strongly it turns into something beautiful that others can empathize with to not feel as alone in our feelings. Its all good as long as someone can connect with it.

rumschlumpel@feddit.org · 7 pts · 341d

I do listen to a lot of independent music, but it's more the 'hobbyist musician posts their stuff on a genre-specific or music software forum and I check out their soundcloud and bandcamp' variant. Most of the stuff is hardly innovative, it's just that certain styles are either really rare in general or were popular like 15 years ago. YouTube can be pretty useful for this kind of stuff, too, for some (micro-)genres.

I suppose I might not be an indie snob. Except maybe for the word definition. Did you know that 'indie' used to describe the material conditions of music creation and distribution instead of being a music genre?

atomicpoet@piefed.social · 5 pts · 341d

Then there’s me: buying up 45s and cassettes, putting them up on !recordpics@piefed.social.

noxypaws@pawb.social · 4 pts · 340d

post-ironically

that got a solid chuckle out of me

TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 340d

I suppose I listen to "Indy" music, more so that I started a few years ago when I started driving and would listen to whatever Spotify autoreccomended to me after a playlist ends and if I like it I'll add it to a playlist or something. YouTube recommendations are good for finding new genres like vocaloid.

I don't really care if a song is popular at all, a song from somebody named "Sophiaaaahjkl;8901" whos pfp is a furry eating a hamburger will be more important to me than something from Grandson.

Obi@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 341d (3 replies)

That neutral milk hotel album is a bit of an indie meme at this point tbh, especially if you collect vinyl it's basically in everyone's collection.

__Lost__@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 340d (2 replies)

But at least it's a good album worth listening too. It's good that a meme gets people to listen to new interesting things. Or one of the other big meme albums like in the court of the crimson king, or maggot brain.

Obi@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 340d

Yes indeed scary red face is the other big one. Both excellent albums for sure! I'm personally so past the stage of not allowing myself to like stuff because it's popular so totally agree with you.

nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 340d

god i fucking LOVE maggot brain, makes me sad how few people know what Frusciante was quoting in that solo (is it under the bridge?)

prex@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 341d
Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 340d

Xiu Xiu! I suppose I’m jaded adult. I saw Xiu Xiu in the mid 00s and I’ve never cried that much at a concert before or since.

recklessengagement@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 340d

Just listen to what sounds good to you, everyone else can fuck off

angstylittlecatboy@reddthat.com · 3 pts · 340d

I recognize every album from the third entry but none from the second

glizzyguzzler@piefed.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 341d

Beach bunny’s emotional creature is legitimately fire tho I mean it’s srs bsns prom queen, like for tame impala if every song on that album was mixed with sexy back https://youtu.be/4xW5dqEZQu0

iamdefinitelyoverthirteen@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 340d

I get to see Pretty Girls Make Graves today <3

Redacted@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 340d

Its always so pathetic meeting someone that needs to have The Correct Opinion on music.

A song is good because I like it and thats always been enough for me, i dont need to prove or gatekeep shit and neither does anyone else.

maccentric@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 340d

*No More Kings

cows_are_underrated@feddit.org · 1 pts · 340d

Im not into Indie, but I'm into speedcore (techno at 300+ bpm) and its subgenres like Extratone (3600+ BPM) so I am in the last picture. Just as a reference, this is one of the hardest songs that I have in my playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RsYD0c50H4

Most stuff I listen to is not that hard and more along the lines of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkivY3wwQHc

Nalivai@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 339d

I never understood what Indie actually means, conceptually. Like, some people only listen to music if the musician depends on someone else, and some people only listen to independent ones.
Don't you guys just listen to shit and decide if you like it?

sleepmode@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 340d
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vala@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 340d

What does it mean if you only know albums from the bottom half?