Mugzy6

When did it become "cool" to only listen to bands that aren't mainstream? Why is obscurity a determining factor for some people for whether or not they like a band?

scott_p_1

Well, one of the reasons I like a lot of non-mainstream bands is that they're willing to try different things and have more artistic integrity.

When produced by a large label, the band no longer has as much control over the album. The record label wants something that will sell, they don't want to take as many chances.

I noticed this happen with Modest Mouse. They're a great band, but their last album was released on a Sony label (rather than an indie label). Don't get me wrong, it's a good album, but it's not... as interesting. It seemed like they just weren't experimenting as much as their previous stuff.

Another reason is that when a band is obscure, or signed to an independant label, it tends to be about the music for them. Things change when it's no longer about the music, and it's about the money (point and case: Metallica).

I first started listening to indie bands because there were bands that I heard of that I wanted to support them, since they made great music, and they weren't rich, so they really did need the support to continue doing what they loved. Then I started noticing that there was a lot of really interesting stuff out there that I really enjoyed, but would never became mainstream. It just kind of snowballed from there, and now 99% of the music I listen to is from independant labels.

There's lot's of other reasons too, like not supporting the RIAA, etc.

vanblah

It's been happening since the dawn of time. Whatever is alternative almost always becomes mainstream. I don't understand the hipster elitist attitude. It has to do with having to be the first to "discover" a band or a style of music; or maybe it's one-upman-ship. I don't know really.

scott_p_1

There is some of that too. Those people annoy me
I'll often send new music to my friends, but it's because they're all people who want to be exposed to new music.

FoolThemAll

I hope the obscure bands I like become famous. I would like that very much. I'd like to see Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" used on MTV for more than TRL "back from commercial" filler.

I'd only not hope for this if I got the distinct impression that this would lower the quality of their music. But sometimes, the reverse happens. (See: Verve Pipe, The; Lerche, Sondre; Wilco)

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Mugzy6

I hate how MTV only uses the really good indie music as like background filler music. It deserves much more than that.

P.S. I see you have the Muse CD cover art as your icon. I recently bought that CD and love it. I'm assuming you enjoy it too if you have it as your icon. What other music do you listen to?

FoolThemAll

Indeed I do, although I also chose it as an icon simply because I really like the cover picture.

My interests right now are primarily indie rock (a bit of a copout, as that's not really a genre), folk, and to a lesser extent, pop. Bands/artists I'm particularly interested in right now include Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Belle & Sebastian, the Shins, Brian Vander Ark/The Verve Pipe, Wilco, Bob Dylan, Stew/The Negro Problem, Elvis Costello, Super Furry Animals, Flaming Lips, Rogue Wave, and Iggy Pop.

What about you?

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Mugzy6

My musical tastes are pretty standard: Incubus, Frank Sinatra, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Shins, Modest Mouse, Brand New, Finch, Nancy Sinatra, some Radiohead, some Jeff Buckley, Mae, RHCP, Straylight Run, The Juliana Theory, The Kinks, The White Stripes, The Libertines, etc.
I'm not a elitist as far as music goes. If I like it I will listen to it, even if some music critic decries it as absolute crap. I'm content not being pretentious. I'm open to suggestions if you highly recommend a band.

FoolThemAll

Right now, I'd highly recommend the following: Rogue Wave, the Verve Pipe/BVA (particularly the last two VP albums and Resurrection), Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and Belle & Sebastian. You can find some free/legal mp3s for Ted Leo at www.lookoutrecords.com and www.epitonic.com

What would you recommend in particular? (Already into Shins, MM, Radiohead, Buckley, RHCP, Stripes)

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Halx

I cant stand to listen to the mainstream stuff they have. First, none of it is in the genre that I enjoy. Second, it's all the same sounding crap with angsty lyrics. Third, read scott_p_1's first post.

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Mugzy6

I'd recommend The Juliana Theory and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, so much feeling in their music. TJT is more for when you're in an angry indie mood whereas the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are mellow. Depends on the mood you're in.

alansmithee

I agree with scott_p_1 for the most part. I listen to alot of hip-hop that's more "underground" and most wouldn't be considered comercially viable, or able to get air-time on MTV. There is more artistic freedom for underground acts, and less filler gets released. To me, much mainstream music seems dumbed down. I mean, Jay-Z as much as admitted on his last album that he dumbed down his lyrics for higher sales. Most mainstream music is put together for the LCD, and not for what would be higher quality. I personally think that many of the classic albums of the 60's-80's would not be released on major labels in the current music climate.

student

It's not that it's cool to only listen to bands that aren't mainstream, but because most of mainstream is crap. It is made to appeal to the largest number of people because # of people * price of cd = money for riaa. I recently totaled my car which had a cd player and have to use my parent's who only have radio...in the mornings I listen to Stern, and then I turn it off. It's that bad. A local band, whose lead singer/guitarist I went to high school recently started working with a grammy winning producer. They took down all the old audio they had posted on their site because they said their music has dramatically improved by working with this producer. The one sample they have available is now co-written by the producer. They have glamour shots of themselves on their site, and play clubs often. It is shit. The same rehashed chorus chorus bridge chorus crap forced on us by the radio, mtv. The producer now has his hands on atleast part of the rights and is basically applying the formula to them to make money.

unregistered092

i think its funny. its "cool" to listen to non mainstream, but once theres something that will make you "cool" people will swarm in so that they can be part of in the crowd of "outcasts", which soon because mainstream making the "outcasts" just normal trendy mainstream people revoking them of their "cool" status.

good ol band wagon hopping.

FoolThemAll

For what it's worth, two of my three favorite bands, Stone Temple Pilots and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, are very much mainstream. The only real bright spots I see in the present mainstream, however, are Wilco, the White Stripes, possibly Jimmy Eat World (they're kinda good), possibly the Shins (they're kinda mainstream), Muse, and Pearl Jam. (And Pearl Jam has almost always had a HUGE consistency problem.)

Oh yeah, the Cure counts, don't they? I'm probably forgetting quite a few. Hey, here's a good thread idea.

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pinkie

No, it's just a fact. There are exceptions of course, but they usually happen after said band has already been around for quite some time, hence; The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richmond and the Modern Lovers, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, Built to Spill, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Tom Waits, Elliot Smith, and too many more to list...

trickyy

if i could turn on modern/classic rock radio and enjoy it, i would listen to that type of music.
the only "format" radio i can stand is rap.

i don't like the poppy punk that is "in" lately. it all sounds the same to me. and the sameness is not very moving.

i want to keep finding new music. this conflicts with the policy of playing a similar playlist for several weeks. the turnover rate in the mainstream is not high enough.

how about classic rock? i used to listen to many of those bands all the time. but somehow, after hearing the "light my fire" organ solo one time too many, i started getting bored with it. i don't see how djs can still play this stuff. it's 35 years old and they still only play 2 songs from each album.

disappointment with mainstream has led me to find other types of music. not that i reject all things mainstream...it's just an unreliable place to find somethine that interests me. and it is pretty cool if i can find a great band on the "underground."

Zephyr66

I dont pride myself in listening to bands that are "underground", i just happen to prefer a style of music that generally does not appeal to the public. I mostly listen to Gothenburg, which is a sub-genre of (even though its very different than) death metal, and a band i can use as an example of "losing it when they went mainstream" is In Flames, they did a tour with slipknot a couple of years ago and since then everything theyve released was pure crap. they dropped thier growling vocals and picked up a new whiny soft singing style and they replaced thier melodic guitar with fast and basic strumming on newly down-tuned guitars. and the nu-metal kiddies have just been eating it up. so in conclusion, bands dont suck because they've gone mainstream, they just start sucking when they go out of thier way to join the musical trends

pedro padilla

having worked with both underground and very mainstream bands. I´ll tell you right now, the difference is money. Nothing else. Underground despise mainstream til they get the cash. Very few exceptions. Integrity is directly related to the size of the bank account. Often, if not alway, the music suffers when it gets the money polish. Listening and liking a band before they hit it big merely shows that you and the a&r record guy agree on the next corporate push. When the bands you like never hit mainstream it means you have rotten taste.
hint: Kulturshock