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C O U R S E L E C T U R E 1990s Indie Rock and the Question of Selling Out Notes taken on July 16, 2017 by Edward Tanguay |
many of the bands from the 1980s indie scene went to major labels
ended up on MTV, went on tours
there was some push back on this, e.g. Pearl Jam protested Ticket Master's prices
the indie scene continued
a kind of alternative to the alternative
more dedicated to the idea of not selling out, keep it indie, keep it real, keep the do-it-yourself aesthetic
continued involvement of college radio stations
College Music Journal (CMJ)
it cost a lot of money to make a quality sound production
indie artists would have to create lower quality
they embraced this idea and owned it
turned it into a mark of distinction, of authenticity
a way of showing: we haven't sold out, we can do something hip with this lo-fi approach
people moving back to cassette tapes
Slanted and Enchanted (1992)
1994 album: Bee Thousand
career emerged out of Portland, Oregon
Indie label: Cavity Search
recorded on a simply machine
Indie music brings together many styles
1991 No Pocky for Kitty
1998 In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
singer songwriter theme
interesting and diverse
college radio and venues
a kind of a parallel culture, a shadow culture
roots in the Velvet Underground
fascination for sound and sound effects
1997 I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
classic of 90s Indie rock
blending country with rock
old country, honky-tonk country
authentic back-porch music
goes major label but tries to retain his integrity
1994 signs to Geffen Records
when Geffen re-released it, it became very popular
combines pop hooks with hip hop, country rock, soul, and classical music