It's things like the above (stolen from Judd Apatow's Twitter feed) that make me think I should be much more specific in my iTunes store description.

Speaking of genres, how much come indie types can't come up with good subgenre names? What was the last one? Freak folk? Chillwave? Nobody wants to subdivide, I suppose. Metal fans cleave their medium into tiny slivers, but everything from U2 soundalikes to pure noise is "indie." Mostly this crowd just revives and misapplies terms like "lo-fi" (anything with distorted guitar that's harder than Sufjan Stevens) and "garage" (see prior).

I tried to get Curmudgeon-core (over 35 and reads Terminal Boredom) into the popular lexicon but no one was biting. But I'm making an effort.

The next podcast will be devoted entirely to "mustache punk."

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Posted by Paul Bruno at 7:57 AM Labels: Black Tambourine, Hank IV, Masters Apprentices, Parting Gifts, Paul Reekie, Podcast, Rayon Beach, Reading Rainbow, Ron House, Sorry Brushback said...

"Curmudgeon-core", first time I've noticed that one before... too many syllables, otherwise it would surely take off... I think the Cosmodemonic Telegraph web site calls me a curmudgeon.

Yeah, anything with a little reverb on the vocals now is called "lo-fi" (your faves Best Coast, for instance). I've seen Weekend be called "punk", Matt & Kim called "dance-punk", all kinds of stupid shit... Oh, shoot, I just noticed you have Black Tambourine on your podcast -- the same losers who called Weekend "punk" said that Black Tambourine were "noise-rock"... follow that one in your head if you can...

4:30 PM PB said...

The lo-fi thing is really weird. I guess when you grow up on Radiohead and Green Day anything less slick that hat sounds lo-fi to you. Given the recording technology of today (Pro Tools, etc), any home recording is going better produced than your average four track recording.

I had an argument with a younger friend once on whether or not the third Velvet Underground album was lo-fi. I didn't think so. It was just an unembellished studio recording. He thought it was. I think that speaks volumes.

I should have known the proverbial jig was up a few years ago when a teenager told me the Killers were an indie band.

4:52 PM Ha ha, the Killers! Or people whose idea of "underground" is Wolfmother, or something.

Obviously to most people "indie" describes just a sound now, like how ten years ago "alternative" meant Third Eye Blind. 90's alternative = '00s indie
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