Indie music of course. The most interesting and innovative sounds will never be accepted by the masses. Experimental music is virtually unknown to the majority of the American listening audience, yet popular music is constantly inspired by groundbreaking ideas brought forth by experimental musicians.
Also, there are various sub-genres of popular music forms that don't get a lot of play such as Noise Rock, Math Rock, etc. This is especially true of underground rap music. The indie rap of the late 90's was phenomenal. The rhyming style, subject matter and beats of 90's rappers such as Kool Keith, Ugly Duckling, Jurassic 5, Latyrx and Blackalicious, etc, was way more interesting than the terrible East Coast/West coast rap going on at the same time.
Once in a while a good band is able to jump into the mainstream, but often times this fails. A good example is GVSB (Girls vs. Boys). Easily one of the best Indie bands of the mid 90's, but their big label debut, Freakonica, WAS TERRIBLE and now they are forgotten.
Speaking of indie bands of the 90's, I almost feel like indie rock has lost a lot of its relevance. A large selection of indie bands that were once considered central to the genre have faded into obscurity. Where at one time I couldn't look at an indie rock zine without seeing Guided by Voices, Six Finger Satellite, The Jesus Lizard, Brainiac, Gastr Del Sol, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and U.S. Maple, I struggle to find people who even remember them. It is as though the Underground (in all respects) is disappearing.
I definitely lean towards the Indie side of this, but the thing I forget every time I discuss this with someone is that not everyone appreciates music the way a lot of the people around here and I do.
With the internet being what it is, finding something new and a little bit off-the-beaten-path isn't all that hard to do. I can't even count how many bands I've found that way. I've had the long-standing opinion that getting your musical input exclusively from the radio is lazy. But I've also noticed that people who tend to do that usually don't listen to any of the stuff that I do, and really don't like any of it when I play some for them. So while I think it's a shame that a lot of the more underground stuff doesn't get the exposure it deserves, I'm not sure that if it did get played it wouldn't just fall on unappreciative ears.
Maybe that makes me sound a bit like a music snob (which, admittedly, I guess I am to a degree), but whatever.
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There's one at the door, at the gate to damnation...
Is it thief, thug or whore? There's one at the door...
And there's room for one more till the end of creation. Neil Gaiman, Sandman #4 - A Hope in Hell
I'd say, it depends on what you classify metal as for me, I listen to a lot of metal.
I wouldn't say most metal is mainstream but when I think of indie rock, I think of really creative music
I really don't care if music is indie or mainstream as long as it sounds good. I mean, I can see the argument for indie supporters, but I honestly am apathetic to the debate. I like music on both ends of the spectrum: corporate-controlled to completely independent. There are benefits to both forms of production, and I don't see why one has to be better than the other.
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If you suggest a card to add to a deck, suggest one to take out as well.
Indie, of course. The more obscure and less-known, the more satisfying the feeling if you find out that they have some kickin' music. (Somewhat quoting Chance Encounter.)
I don't care. I tend to like stuff regardless of label. It seems silly to shut out stuff either because it's popular or because it's unpopular. Yet my neutrality seems like bias to those biased in their other direction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRJfCM4qYYc, a mashup I did kinda hammered home the point: the key is that both are amongst my favorite latter-day musicians, so I wanted to fit them together and I found room to do so, no matter that one's basement DIY and one's a megastar.
There's some good - and bad - stuff in either category. Maybe people get more frustrated with bad mainstream stuff because ti sticks around and is also otherwise harder to ignore?
The different business models tend to lean towards different genres; the genre debate is like any other, and distinct from the label debate.
+1 Insightful to Captain Salty.
I've really been meaning to elaborate more on this.
Indie music of course. The most interesting and innovative sounds will never be accepted by the masses. Experimental music is virtually unknown to the majority of the American listening audience, yet popular music is constantly inspired by groundbreaking ideas brought forth by experimental musicians.
King Crimson. Huge following, great experimental music.
Besides, Indie seems to be just a huge bunch of screamo and britpop these days. Meh. I'll just listen to whatever I like, and not be concerned by whether they are indie or not.
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We have laboured long to build a heaven, only to find it populated with horrors.
Well apparently bands like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Children of Bodom, and Amon Amarth are all "mainstream" I guess I would have to go with mainstream. (Even though none of those bands are actually mainstream, I wouldn't want to offend all the people that get their panties in a bunch when I say they aren't)
I listen to mostly mainstream music. At best, I listen to Indie stuff that have pretty much moved on to be considered mainstream.
A lot of people like to think they have sophisticated tastes and claim they listen to Indie music but truly original music isn't that easy to come by, even on the internet.
Its difficult for me to think of any metal as truly "indie". Metal bands aren't mainstream but metal as a genre is definitely mainstream. Anything that so many people listen to on videogame sites can't be Indie.
I like music that sounds good, I don't care if it is indie or mainstream. I hate people who refuse to listen to mainstream music because they want to be different and such.
I mean, what's the point? If you like the music, who gives a damn if other people do!
I like both kinds of music, indie and mainstream. I like Fleet Foxes, but at the same time I can pop in a Michael Jackson CD and enjoy it.
To elaborate upon my "The different business models tend to lean towards different genres; the genre debate is like any other, and distinct from the label debate." - indie rock as a genre is different from the technical description of a rock band that's indie. For example, my favorite indie rock band in the genre sense is Bright Eyes; my favorite independent-label rock band in the technical sense of the component terms is Flogging Molly.
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the more a band is known, the more its image starts to come before its music. It doesn't feel right when you notice that you're actually subscribing to a commercial product, rather than enjoying what someone wants to share with the world.
Heck, I often like Gaga, and I agree that can be a pitfall with her. Though with her, you have music combined with nonmusic aspects of her performances (outfits, stage shows, et cetera), with commercialism. Thing is, part of her game seems to be intricately tying together all such factors.
As KingAlanI said, there's a difference between indie rock and being on an independent label. I'll give another example, Death Cab For Cutie used to be on an independent label but with the album after Transatlanticism they got on a Major label, I would still consider them indie rock though (or at least something close to it).
I'd say I like somewhere around 50% of mainstream rap out right now, and I don't really like very much of mainstream rock, a few I do like though (I'll generalize metal with rock) would be Linkin' Park and some others. I really don't like artists like Breaking Benjamin. I also like indie since there's so many more artists to find in that category.
Also, there are various sub-genres of popular music forms that don't get a lot of play such as Noise Rock, Math Rock, etc. This is especially true of underground rap music. The indie rap of the late 90's was phenomenal. The rhyming style, subject matter and beats of 90's rappers such as Kool Keith, Ugly Duckling, Jurassic 5, Latyrx and Blackalicious, etc, was way more interesting than the terrible East Coast/West coast rap going on at the same time.
Once in a while a good band is able to jump into the mainstream, but often times this fails. A good example is GVSB (Girls vs. Boys). Easily one of the best Indie bands of the mid 90's, but their big label debut, Freakonica, WAS TERRIBLE and now they are forgotten.
Speaking of indie bands of the 90's, I almost feel like indie rock has lost a lot of its relevance. A large selection of indie bands that were once considered central to the genre have faded into obscurity. Where at one time I couldn't look at an indie rock zine without seeing Guided by Voices, Six Finger Satellite, The Jesus Lizard, Brainiac, Gastr Del Sol, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and U.S. Maple, I struggle to find people who even remember them. It is as though the Underground (in all respects) is disappearing.
[Clan Flamingo]
With the internet being what it is, finding something new and a little bit off-the-beaten-path isn't all that hard to do. I can't even count how many bands I've found that way. I've had the long-standing opinion that getting your musical input exclusively from the radio is lazy. But I've also noticed that people who tend to do that usually don't listen to any of the stuff that I do, and really don't like any of it when I play some for them. So while I think it's a shame that a lot of the more underground stuff doesn't get the exposure it deserves, I'm not sure that if it did get played it wouldn't just fall on unappreciative ears.
Maybe that makes me sound a bit like a music snob (which, admittedly, I guess I am to a degree), but whatever.
Is it thief, thug or whore? There's one at the door...
And there's room for one more till the end of creation.
Neil Gaiman, Sandman #4 - A Hope in Hell
I wouldn't say most metal is mainstream but when I think of indie rock, I think of really creative music
If you suggest a card to add to a deck, suggest one to take out as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRJfCM4qYYc, a mashup I did kinda hammered home the point: the key is that both are amongst my favorite latter-day musicians, so I wanted to fit them together and I found room to do so, no matter that one's basement DIY and one's a megastar.
There's some good - and bad - stuff in either category. Maybe people get more frustrated with bad mainstream stuff because ti sticks around and is also otherwise harder to ignore?
The different business models tend to lean towards different genres; the genre debate is like any other, and distinct from the label debate.
+1 Insightful to Captain Salty.
I've really been meaning to elaborate more on this.
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MTG checklists from Alpha to Ravnica Allegiance - https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/other-magic-products/third-party-products/805324-checklists-for-everything-from-alpha-to-ravnica
King Crimson. Huge following, great experimental music.
Besides, Indie seems to be just a huge bunch of screamo and britpop these days. Meh. I'll just listen to whatever I like, and not be concerned by whether they are indie or not.
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A lot of people like to think they have sophisticated tastes and claim they listen to Indie music but truly original music isn't that easy to come by, even on the internet.
Its difficult for me to think of any metal as truly "indie". Metal bands aren't mainstream but metal as a genre is definitely mainstream. Anything that so many people listen to on videogame sites can't be Indie.
I mean, what's the point? If you like the music, who gives a damn if other people do!
I like both kinds of music, indie and mainstream. I like Fleet Foxes, but at the same time I can pop in a Michael Jackson CD and enjoy it.
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Heck, I often like Gaga, and I agree that can be a pitfall with her. Though with her, you have music combined with nonmusic aspects of her performances (outfits, stage shows, et cetera), with commercialism. Thing is, part of her game seems to be intricately tying together all such factors.
Vintage: Dredge | Legacy: Burn, Goblins, Soldier | Standard: Mono-Red Aggro
Commander: Nicol Bolas, Sliver Overlord, Rafiq
Casual: Selesnya Saproling Smackdown, Izzet Labs, Rebel
Played since June 2004, mostly inactive June 2011 to March 2018
Other usernames include AlanFromRochester, homerthebeerbaron
MTG checklists from Alpha to Ravnica Allegiance - https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/other-magic-products/third-party-products/805324-checklists-for-everything-from-alpha-to-ravnica
I'd say I like somewhere around 50% of mainstream rap out right now, and I don't really like very much of mainstream rock, a few I do like though (I'll generalize metal with rock) would be Linkin' Park and some others. I really don't like artists like Breaking Benjamin. I also like indie since there's so many more artists to find in that category.