Why Indie is so Great?

To youth nowadays, there is probably nothing more important than their self image. Kids have to have the up-to-date jeans, shoes, or those shirts with the witty puns on them. (see: Hugh Jass Fitness Club. So clever, I know) However, another big thing that groups certain people together is their choice of music. Especially recently, teens are being subjected to all sorts of different types of music so there's a choice for everyone. There is, however, a loophole which can be exploited in favor of those who are somewhat mixed in their tastes: indie!

Now, I know what you're thinking. Indie music is what those girl pants wearing, tight hooded sweat shirt sporting, mop-headed kids are listening to. On the contrary, independent music (as a genre, instead of one of just the general, more correct version of an artist or band signed onto an independent label) is a fantastic niche of music in which innovations are being made constantly, as opposed to the radio in which it seems like you hear the same damn songs with different singers. Another thing that stands out about indie music is its mixture of outside genres as well. "Indie" can be the classic college kid rock to some complex and intoxicating trip-hop.

The music scene, in the 00's, has been somewhat stagnant. A Gwen Stefani hit here, a Fergie hit there, and occasionally something from someone that is immediately thrust into prominence such as The White Stripes with their new album Icky Thump. I didn't quite care for them before, but now, with all that I hear about them, I can't turn them off fast enough. I am, by no means, as fluent in the Billboard lineup as others, but I know a homogeneous "mixture" of songs when it's played on the radio. Independent music, while usually limited to local stations and internet radio, is actually varied. Just one hour of listening to something like WOXY.com will show you how diverse independent music is. Diversity is a good thing! Learning to broaden your horizons in something like music will not only open your ears to something that could potentially change your life, but that means you'll buy more CD's (if you still do that) and impress more people with your expansive collection...Kidding. You will have to wade through the occasional Kim Deal clone or scream-o band once in a while, but on the whole, you'll probably be surprised at how many good bands haven't been signed to major record labels.

Another important outlet for independent things is film. Indie movies, while also usually labeled as artsy and college student-esque, aren't constrained by traditional cinema rules. Here in Cincinnati we may not get as much exposure to the independent film scene as other big cities (Now Playing in Select Cities means that we don't get to see it) but buying DVDs of them help. There's also the Independent Film Channel which, as the name implies, is a channel that plays independent films. Sometimes, you will run into the film that plays out like an amateur Koyaanisqatsi only with no meaning, but, like independent music, you will probably find something interesting in the independent film scene. To start off, try getting a DVD that has Academy Award Nominated Short Films. Due to the fact they were nominated, most of them are usually above the standard. The animated short films are a plus because, although the film about an old man burying himself alive next to his deceased wife is enchanting, beautiful, and remarkably saddening, seeing a badger lay atop an undetonated nuclear bomb is pretty damn funny.

So, in conclusion to this attempt to bolster support for our independent artists, I say this: broaden your horizons and listen to everything you can. The first time I heard my favorite band as of late was on accident. If this article does convince you to give the indie scene a try, please, do the rest of us a favor and don't become an elitist. The elitist group of indie kids is what makes other people confuse the normal indie kids with the emo kids. That, my friends, is a big no-no. I have friends that listen to all kinds of music from country to gangster rap, but if there's one thing I cannot tolerate, it's scream-o music. So, don't get your hair cut over one eye, don't buy girl pants (tight pants are all right, as long as they're still guy's) and above all, don't wear those ridiculously "fitting" zip-up hooded sweatshirts. For God's sake. Other than that, happy hunting. To get started, head on over to the Barsuk Records website get some artist names, then go to www.pandora.com and enter them into the radio program. It's all free, so don't worry. As a final note, I, Mr. Doan, do not work for Pandora or Barsuk, but I think I should help them out as much as I can because they've given me a lot of entertainment.