Jul 11, 2007
Spoon - Rockefeller Park, New York, NY
Jul 16, 2007
The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear - Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY
Jul 17, 2007
(WPRB ticket giveaway avaiable) Slint - Webster Hall, New York, NY
Jul 20, 2007
Cursive - Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ
Aug 1, 2007
Smoking Popes - Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA
Aug 5, 2007
Blonde Redhead - McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn, NY
Sep 8, 2007
Midlake - Webster Hall, New York, NY
Sep 22, 2007
Blonde Redhead - Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
Never heard of any of these groups...
You should listen to some new music.
I listen to more mainstream stuff. If this is punk rock, then.... barf....
curious. name a current mainstream artist you like-someone who's released new music within the past five to seven years.
I just bought that CD Chris Daughtry made.
So do you only like "rock" that is played on the radio? If you don't want to think outside of the mainstream box, you're missing out on good music.
I've listened to what some here deem "good music". It explains why it's NOT played on the radio. So I am turned off by it. I don't like the way it's played, how the lyrics are delivered, etc. I remember going to a U2 concert back in 2001 and some band I never heard of up till then called PJ Harvey played before U2 did. I wanted to slit my wrists. It was horrible music.
Happy in that bubble?? Variety is the spice of life. Because you've heard one or two things you don't like you rule out entire genres of music?
Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I've heard enough to know I don't like it. It ranks up there with Hip Hop and Rap. I hate all three.
i'm sorry what? i could understand hating rap, but hip hop? its like modified soul or motown.
i don't like most of this stuff either, but radio stations rarely ever play good music.
By the way, U2 started out as a punk cover band. They started out only knowing 3 chords and only played songs by The Clash. They orignally got signed onto a label by faking a song by The Clash as their own. Then were like, oh wow, guess we better learn our instruments better and start writing our own songs. I heard this in a U2 radio interview a few years ago. So, just ironic that you condemn punk music on a whole 'cause that's U2's roots oddly enough. heh. I mean U2 might even of asked PJ Harvey to open for them. Bands on tours will often personally get the bands they're fans of, to open for them. Not always the record labels arranging it, or the tour booker. I mean, I don't know in case if U2 asked PJ Harvey to open for them on tour... but I wouldn't rule it out. I often find openers for bands that I go to see in concert to be awesome. At the Radiohead 2001 tour, a band called Beta Band opened - I had never heard of them before that show, and today they're one of my favourites.
I could care less what U2 used to play. They don't play that now, nor are they known for playing punk in their almost 30 years of making the music we know. If you like PJ Harvey that's your taste. I hated everything they played that night. It was an hour of horror for me. Music should have harmony, and I didn't feel that with their style. If that's how the Indy style is, then I will probably dislike whatever bands you tell me about. I will be more than happy to find clips of all these groups and listen to them. I'm siding with the reality that I probably won't like them. If I do, I'll let you know. But I could probably go to a local pub and listen to a band that's of the same calibre. So what's so special about it then? In summation, notta.
As it's been explained one Indie band does not equal another Indie band. Indie does not have a specific style to it. It just means really that they have cult following and are more "DIY" (Do it Yourself) than larger scaled bands. In my mind, all bands at least start out as Indie... that's only logical. Then some of them go on to get larger than life, some stay as Indie. I mean, there's indie bands that play classic style progressive rock. And, this isn't an argument about U2 or PJ Harvey (but while we're on the subject PJ Harvey is on Island records owned by Universal Music Group - a major label. PJ Harvey does have that "Indie attitude" however) or indie music... isn't an argument about anything. And bands in bars unfortunately usually tend to be cover bands... so look there to stretch your image of music. hehe.
Yeah I can read Wikipedia too. Most of those bands though play a different style from mainstream, which is why major record labels don't sign them. The general public wouldn't like them. So just call me John Q. Public...
I was selecting relevant excerpts from the Wiki to make it easier and a quick read for ya. But, Mainstream doesn't have a style either bruv so I don't know what you mean. Nirvana was once an obscure noise punk band that no one outside Seattle knew of, and thought they hit it big at 200/300,000 record sales which is unarguably crazy big to an indie band. Then word spread, word spread, word spread, word spread, and boom, million of fans, and commercial radio play. I wouldn't doubt they had just as many fans as The Beatles. Many times it's not that a major label won't sign them... some bands actually turn down a label that they don't care to be on. Or, maybe surprisingly enough will sign to an "indie type" label which happens to be a subsidiary of a larger major label. Like the Warner Brothers label has a sub label called Slash, and many other major labels own smaller labels as well. Non major music tends to be more raw, less post production, and you gotta respect a musician for his or her raw talent. If a band isn't widely and commercially known, it doesn't automatically mean they're talentless. I don't need to further defend any proof tho.. I've already watered down this subject too much, and I'm not even offended anyway, so I think I'm done speaking in this thread other than continue to post upcoming concerts. heh
Mainstream means it is popular. If someone has that kind of popular sound, they're going to land a major label. Maybe some bands need to make a couple of albums before they get to that point. My point is, the ones that never get to that, never have that catchy sound or beat that the general populace likes, which is why they would stay independent. The ones that choose to stay Indie are silly, because the big bucks are with the major labels.
I heard that too. ...actually remember hearing it from you on eZabel previously. Tho, At some point they were basically a group played songs by The Clash according to one radio interview.. what they claimed on air anyway, and seems to be a silly thing to lie about. Whether before the so called "Christian" phase or after... I couldn't say. In that particular interview they didn't mention that phase of their career, so didn't know anything about that... but I don't deny it as part of their career. I don't know... Maybe they've done both the "Christian" thing and the cover band thing. I could very well see the "Christian" thing coming from U2. Especially since their Irish. I mean, certain songs they did after being signed on label had "religousness" as themes or at least a mention intertwined somewhere across they're lyrics. So makes sense if they started as a full-on religous rock band.
yeah they'll say they started knowing music from the clash and would practice but they were a christian rock band. they broke up at one point cause adam clayton wanted to live the "wayward" life so bono pulled him back in and since they were growing up their music evolved. and most of their music now has double meaning...mostly their older stuff, like with ot with out you...thats about religion not being able to live w/the religions of today but still not being able to live w/o it in your life.
*U2 is one of my fav bands
is Chris Daughtry some kind of punk singer or something, because i've never heard of him
:P
i actually had no idea who he was, so i googled him. an American Idol guy?
you should listen to some of JP's Mixes. Ask him for a copy. Some good stuff
Yes, he's an Idoler. I was impressed by him when I heard him on Idol.
I suppose I'll ask him. If you don't see me anymore, it's because I drowned myself in my toilet after listening to it.
thanks for the plug ian :)
dan ill give you some mixes if you want them. i try to make them appealing to others' listening tastes. there will probably be some familiar stuff on there (coldplay, bruce springsteen, etc) and then ill mix in some great songs from bands not as well known from many "rock" genres (spoon, the wrens, something corporate).
you may like it. maybe not.
Yeh, well, I'll just start by saying, I do happen to like some punk bands, but these aren't punk bands. And, if the above were mainstream I'd still think they had awesome music. Just 'cause you haven't heard of a group, doesn't mean they're "The So and So Obscure Punk Band." It just means you never happened to come across them in your musical journeys (or maybe lack of I should say). I mean these bands have plenty of fans. I had to hear of them some how, yeh? And, these bands aren't personal friends of mine... so of course I came across them in my musical explorations hahaha. Yeh, Progressive Rock bands of the 70s have their talent... but there's more to life than that, isn't there? Some have a broader taste of music, some more narrow... I understand that. So, no, you definately don't have to change your tastes, but don't get fed up with other one's tastes. Riiight awn, Riiight awn.
To each their own. I just don't like it.
But you said you hadn't heard of any of the groups... how do you know you don't like any of them?
Or are you referring to the Punk genre?
PS. I don't think any of the bands listed above are punk bands. (correct me if i'm wrong)
If they are anything like PJ Harvey, then I will gag.
bro, i see you're comfortable and happy where you are, musically. you dig what you're into. that's cool and the gang. if you really wanted to, with how easy it is these days to sample bands, you could find something new you'd like a lot. no questions asked. you just don't care to. and that's fine.
i'm sure there's a lotttt of crap you've heard in passing that you think sucks and so that turns you off to newer stuff. can't blame ya.
I listen to new stuff, just not the independent genre. What do you think I have White Snake or Twisted Sister playing nonstop? LOL!
i can see you singing some twisted sister songs at the top of your lungs. LOL
I could see you getting me a taco right about now. ;oP
hahaha get off that lazy bootay and take a run to the border...
No, you don't listen to new stuff. Yes, you do listen to Whitesnake and Twisted Sister, 25/8/366.
I went to middleschool & highschool w/ dee sneider's (lead singer)son...jesse. Dee came to our middle school career fair in full on makeup. haha
Hmm, kinda reminds me of when parents would try to get me to eat certain foods. Don't you think it sounds awfully like that? haha. How do you know you don't like this food or that food if you haven't tried it? And, yeh, again, those aren't punk bands anyway. And not every band you haven't heard of sounds like PJ Harvey. hehe Actually none of them do. (I do happen to like PJ Harvey tho).
What is Indie Rock? Another name for Punk? No wonder I don't know who these bands are.
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that primarily exists in the independent underground music scene. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with underground music as a whole, though more specifically implicates that the music meets the criterion of being rock, as opposed to indie pop or other possible match-ups. These criteria vary from an emphasis on rock instrumentation (electric guitars, bass guitar, live drums, and vocals) to more abstract (and debatable) rockist constructions of authenticity. It is however not uncommon to see a variety of instruments that are rarely used in other rock genres, such as the violin and the piano.
"Indie rock" is shorthand for "independent rock", for many of its artists are or were unsigned or signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels. It is not strictly a genre of music (although the term is often used to reference the sound of specific bands and the bands they have influenced), but is often used as an umbrella term covering a wide range of artists and styles, connected by some degree of allegiance to the values of underground culture, and (usually) describable as rock music. Genres or subgenres often associated with indie rock include lo-fi, post-rock, sadcore, C86, and math rock, to list but a few; other related (and sometimes overlapping) categories include shoegazing and indie pop.
Indie rock artists place a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, releasing albums on independent record labels (sometimes their own) and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and airplay on independent or college radio stations for promotion. Some end up moving to major labels, often on favorable terms won by their prior independent success.
Good explanation as to why I don't hear of these groups. They aren't publicized well.
Well, you've been reading about enough of these bands by now on eZabel that you should have at least listened to some of them! (punk excluded because that's not your thing, of course)
Indie isn't limited to rock. There are many varieties of independent artists. It's a broad term. These artists ARE publicized, but not in the areas you are looking.
Where are they publicized? The local Quick Chek? LOL!
haha, not quite.
On TV: MTV( http://www.mtv.com/music/indie/ ), Fuse
A well known website: www.pitchforkmedia.com
There's tons of places.
Ever read magazines, blogs, or listen to college radio.
Ah, ok. College radio, yes. In fact I listened to Centennary College's station and hated everything they played during the show Katie does.
lol
Katie does a mostly punk show. So, we've pretty much determined that you don't like Punk as a genre, but don't rule out Indie in general. Although Punk is usually Indie, Indie Rock is not Punk.
No wonder the show sucked. LOL!!
There may be something in the genre I like, but that remains to be seen. I'll ask JP for his mix tonight. It'll make for a heavy ezabel debate one day. LOL!
keep in mind, some of JP's mixes have a bunch of punk. but it's not all punk. so skip a song if you can't stand it, but give others at least a modest effort. you may be surprised.
The punk would be skipped immediately. LOL!
the "punk" i put on mixes usually is pop punk, so its a little more listener-friendly to people who may not usually like punk music. so you may find it ok.
Ok, you hook me up my brother from another mother.
I happened not to read music review websites... I found out about music artists that are new to me, mostly from my emusic.com subscription, going from one artist's download page to another and another, jumping all around, sampling stuff... if I like the song clips, I usually download that artist's entire album (legally too, 'cause its all licensed) Plus, there's Pandora.com where you make your own music channel and occassionally you'll get artists that you never listened to, related to what you already like. Then, of course, College Radio with its broad freestyle format. I've been listening to WPRB Princeton University at least since the mid-nineties. I also listen to radio broadcasts that are sydicated over the Web... my favorites are Virgin Radio UK, KCRW - Santa Monica, California, and University of Bergen and U of Trondheim, Norway. Look at www.vtuner.com - there's a database of Radio stations all over the World that broadcast over the Web.
Wow. Gotta love the Wiki
IMHO ur not missing anything br-oman
ummm bro-man sorry
He is, in fact.
So far I don't think I'm missing anything. Unless someone introduces me to something that'll blow me away, then I think it's nothing special.
Well I don't have anything to gain by force feeding music via a duct taped brainwashing music playing bullhorn to your head. And, frankly I could care less if someone likes or doesn't like music that I like. Of course it's more fun when people like a band that someone else likes so they have shows that they can go to together and all and introduce each other to other music as well. If you're really asking to be introduced to more varieties of music, you have to do the work, and press the play button for the online music streams out there. They're simple to find. One good place to start discovering more music is by typing in various bands or genres that you have heard of into Wikipedia and read the entry and follow the related bands' hyperlinks from page to page to page. You'll have endless music to discover. I do that myself, and have even discovered older music that way, that I never knew of, and have discovered new likes.
Don't you have a plane to catch to Calamazoo? LOL!
nah. I have work tonight.
I've constructed a mini music history lesson. This took awhile, so please at least make this new found knowledge useful by trying to listen to the bands as well as inspire you to listen to other bands.
Now this is all direct from Wiki... so please don't anyone get mad at me for saying so and so band is pop punk, if it's a band that you think sounds more like Doo-Wop.
Spoon circa 1994 (Indie rock), The Decemberists circa 2001 (Indie rock/Indie pop/Progressive folk/Baroque Pop), Slint circa 1986 (Math Rock/Post-Rock/Indie Rock), Cursive circa 1995 (Indie rock/Alternative), Smoking Popes circa 1991 (Pop punk/Rock), Blonde Redhead circa 1993 (Rock/Indie rock/Alternative rock), Midlake circa 1999 (Progressive rock).
Notice, they've all been around for upwards of 6 years and aren't punk. hehe. Sorry - don't think I'm bombarding. I'm just being silly now. Just came back from working and it's nearly 3am. Don't take this as a personal attack... just as music education. My motive was pure and positive.
spoon is really really good
i remember seeing this video on sputnik7 back in 2001 and i just loved it
The Decemberists are playing this Sunday night at The Mann Center in Philly. Cheapest tix are Balcony at $34. Summer and I might go.
i love them. you should go!
We do too! They remind us of Duran Duran sometimes. We especially like their latest album because concept albums are neat.
I've only listened to Picaresque. Is their new album different?
Apples to oranges. I could upload it for you a little later. :)
I posted the album, but they are wma files. I didn't realize it sorry! :/ So wikipedia tells a little bit about the latest album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crane_Wife
Nnice. I wanna go to another Concert with you. Altho, won't be able to go on Sunday. hrm. Have fun if you go.
This show was amazing! They were backed by the venue's orchestra. Colin Meloy's voice was so powerful-I was not expecting that. I am also in love with this venue. I will go back as often as possible.
Sounds like it was awesome fun! I never been to the Mann Centre. I wanted to see Brian Wilson there a year or two ago.
next chance you get...go.
wow i missed a lot here. anyway i just bought spoons newest. 8 bucks at target if anyone wants it. havent listened to it, im on vacation.
Spoon is one the groups that sounded weird to me. That's probably why it was only 8 bucks. LOL!!
Ok, so I kind of like Midlake and Blonde Redhead. To me that is normal rock. Some of these other groups are weird. But again, Indie Rock is a non-popular genre. Hence the need for a small label instead of a big label. Punk rock is horrible all-around. I think I'd rather listen to my kids scream in my ears non-stop until they bleed than listen to it. Haha...
Ok, so these two are OK, but I probably wouldn't waste money buying their albums. I'd probably listen to them once at a concert as an opening act and think they were somewhat entertaining, but that's about it. I wouldn't listen to this stuff repeatedly. That is why they are not mainstream music. They don't have that "just right" sound that hooks you in.
No, it doesn't hook you in particular in. It hooks plenty of other people, though. It doesn't have to be played on the radio to be popular by any means.
My point is, the average person isn't going to be impressed.
Yeah, but you're just pulling that out of your butt basically. Who is this "average person" and how do you know what they like to listen to?
You just make these generalized statements and have no way of backing it up. You don't like the music being talked about, that's cool. I don't like all of it either. But then you start saying that the "average person" doesn't like it either and that's why it's not played on the radio which there's just no way of proving.
Some of this music was played on stations like 92.3 in NYC (until they got rid of that station, and you can't say that's because no one listened to it. How does that explain 101.1 oldies going off the air then?) and I know it's still played on the Krock out in California (right G?).
I got an email that Krock NYC is back. Have you heard it yet??
No! I never turn on the radio but I'm going to have to when I get in the car in a few minutes!!
dude there's billboards everywhere. krock nyc is back!!
whatever, in my opinion the average person likes crappy music anyway. that's why they just loop the top 20 over and over again at my gym, b/c that's what the average person wants to hear. in fact, that's why the top 20 is so crappy for that matter.
I'm not pulling anything out of my butt. The big labels determine whether the public will like these bands or not. They stand for the public. These bands don't get signed, because they won't sell as many records as say U2, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, etc. That doesn't mean some people won't like some of the stuff these Indie's put out, but its not conventional Rock. I prefer conventional compared to experimental stuff. I kind of liked some of what I listened to, but again it didn't impress me. And I have a feeling that a lot of people would feel the same way, otherwise these bands would have more of a following than what they do and doing more than opening for other bands when they tour. So I'd say I pretty much proved my point.
i have to put my two cents in... average person??
fergelicious was in the top 20 for weeks. That is what the average person in this country likes to listen to. the average person is a complete idiot.
different people like different things. as a musician I appreciate different kinds of music because i realize what skill it takes to play certain things, other things just appeal to me personally.
i don't understand why everyone is trying to convert you though. you have your opinions, i think it's because you state them like they are indisputable fact when they are really just statements that apply to you personally.
average person? using the term is ironic really because you are the one that is the minority here. the average person on this site does not share your opinions on music.
*the more you know*
I haven't stated anything in here as fact other than Indie Music is not as popular as Conventional Rock music. Record sales determines what is most popular, what people want to listen to. What I stated as opinion is the fact that I don't find Indie Rock impressive compared to other things I listen to. Are people idiots for liking Fergesuckilicious or whoever they are, probably. Are they idiots for liking U2? NO!!! And if you think so, you are nuts.
They tried to convert me and failed. I'd be more excited to see Journey in concert than Spoon (Me Out Some Sucko Music). There's no melody are harmony with what some of these guys play. Some do have that, and I did say I kind of liked a couple of them. But to ever say they rank up there with the greats or are as good as anyone on the big labels is ridiculous, because you'd be going to see guys like Spoon as the main act in a concert, not your U2's and other great Rock groups. Music is all about your own taste, but I say there's a reason why groups go independent. It's either that or go play in bars. The fact that 90% of people on Ezabel love this type of music is irrelevant. Most of you grew up together and molded one another. That's why you have similiar tastes. The Hackettstown/Stanhope crew is a good example of that. There's at least 10 of you from that group.
when all of the guys from the bands that you like are dead in a few years you will have nothing to listen to.
Sure I will. I like bands that are relatively new.
I just hafta say.. These bands do in fact, Headline shows.
haha, my comment got modded informative and none of yours did! I RULE BABY!!!
i love u2 also though. so i would go see them.
whats being played on KROQ? i kinda got lost. lol
You're probably thinking they're talking about KROQ in Cali, that's why you're confused.... they're speaking of a station that broadcasts out of New York City, called "KRock" (WXRK) which "went away" for awhile and changed its format to a like a talk radio only format and was called "Free FM." Fortunately, I guess they realised that wasn't as fun as broadcasting music and now they're back as "KRock" playing music again. Sometimes they'll play recordings of pre-Free FM listeners calling in and just totally trashing KRock for ever changing to a Talk Radio station and saying how much it unforgivenly ruined their lives for eternity. This is the KRock in our area, not to be confused with KROQ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WXRK