q: why did i always find it hard to give fall out boy a try?
q: why did i always refuse to watch naruto?
a: because everyone was into it!
at the time, i didn't know why exactly i was particularly disinterested and resistive to these things. i just felt like i didn't wanna.
that was a few years ago. in hindsight, it's so obvious!
i have an indie complex! :OOOOO
now, i've actually only very recently heard about this definition of indie, and the "indie complex" itself, specifically, at memorial day retreat.
to me, indie was simply a description of bands and their music, based off of how well-known it was. i didn't know about the indie groups and magazines and their beliefs etc etc, and i still don't.
story: i started listening to owl city and developing a real taste and affection for their music around last spring. i went to see owl city in september of last year, just around the time "fireflies" started populating the radio stations, before they got big. it was AWESOME. i totally dug(?) their ocean eyes album, as well, which i got shortly after that.
but once they started getting more popular, i starting finding it "weird" (personally) to mention owl city as one of my favorite artists. moreover, it even felt weird to listen to owl city on my own time.
money question: why?
random thoughts:
it doesn't seem special anymore, that i like it.
if i say i like it, i'm just another one of the mainstream population.
does that mean i don't want other people to like the music i like? certainly not! quite the contrary, actually, i love sharing music i like with other people!
and here is where.. i don't know anymore. (this is far from a conclusive entry.)
i'm really interested in the psychology behind this whole indie thing.
i'm also interested in if this is a common thing for people to feel.
do any of you share similar feelings? is this something that people easily recognize about themselves?
-why don't some people use question marks when they talk online? is it a personal decision? is it out of laziness?
-i always wear boxers under swim trunks.
-swim trunks = board shorts?
-i think my music player is broken. oh well. fix it some other time.
-mcd's fries > bk fries. 7-4. win. take that, dan! :P
5 comments:
haha i'm that way with clothes and accessories.. i mean i'll follow trends but i hate having the same thing someone else does :P which makes things difficult..
mainstream's just not appealing i guess? i dunno, but i understand how your sentiments!
people dont use question marks?
People want to be unique and different. They like to think they are special. So when something becomes mainstream, people are less inclined to be enthusiastic about it. They don't want to be seen as just another in the crowd, or maybe they themselves have trouble determining if they actually like the music, for example, for what it is or just because everyone else likes it. Of course, noone wants to be sooo different that no one can relate to them. Which is why there's that sense of joy and happiness when you find someone else who shares the similar but not-so-popular musical interest. Psych is so fun!
..i think most people wear boxers under their swim trunks. UH OH NOW YOURE MAINSTREAM WHAT WILL YOU DO
your definition is theoretically correct. the actual definition of indie music is concerned with a band/artist's relationship with an independent record label (i.e.- if you're signed to columbia records, then you're not indie) rather than its popularity. BUT oftentimes people expand this definition to terms of image/popularity as well. so for example, owl city was (and still is) signed to a major record label (i.e.- universal republic, which is owned by universal music group) even when he wasn't as well-known as he is now, so he technically was never an "indie" artist. however, one could still think otherwise considering that his music wasn't "mainstream" back then. the owl city scenario works the other way around, too: vampire weekend, now considered by many as "mainstream" due to their increased popularity, is still signed to an independent label (i.e.- XL), so they're technically still "indie".
to me, this whole mix-up stems from the fact that:
a, most people don't know what labels are major or indie without google searching them, but they do know what's mainstream and what's not.
b. most bands signed to independent labels aren't mainstream, so it's easy to associate "indie" with "obscure".
c. people are too concerned about music's image rather than the music itself--because they're too concerned about looking cool/hip/unique--because they have an identity crisis (like everyone does at least once in their lives)--because humans in general are overly self-conscious/narcissistic.
the last point, imo, is the main cause of the "indie complex". i still consistently struggle with not worrying about my image as a music listener (although i'm getting better at keeping my pride under the rug). hopefully you'll abandon your "weird" perception of owl city and just appreciate the music for what it is, regardless of what others think of him.
heehee. indie complex. i have many thoughts on this :) this will be our next conversation topic next time i see you!
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