Indie rock and roll for me

But what is 'indie' music?

In my mind, independent music can be two overlapping things:
1. Independently produced music (in opposition to major record labels)
2. A style of music

What's interesting (and perhaps most relevant to this paper) is how these two aspects of indie music relate.

At a basic level, the style or 'sound' of music is influenced by the way it is recorded. Home recordings sound different to studio recordings, simply because of the equipment used, just as low-budget setups sound different to high-budget setups. Essentially, the music is influenced by the technology used to record it.

Interesting then, how 'indie-rock' has become a catchphrase associated with style, and not so much with production. It's as if independent, often low-budget production had a tonal quality in recordings that became liked enough to be emulated by high-budget, mainstream production labels.

Then again, it is possible to record to a very high standard using relatively inexpensive home-studio equipment (Check out the 'indie-darling' that is Beirut, first album recorded mainly in the bedroom). The price of recording has dropped hugely since digital equipment has become mainstream in recording use. So why the lo-fi aesthetic? Why are artists purposely including hiss and background-noise, using sub-par equipment and procedures? (If you want to hear main-stream recordings hiss, just listen to the White Stripes.)

Of course it comes down to artistic taste. The 'imperfections' that are a part of the indie aesthetic are not imperfections at all, but part of what makes the music. The way in which a song is recorded becomes embedded in the song itself, it becomes part of the message the artist is conveying.

Anyway, it's still (mainstream) indie rock and roll for me.