If we're all doing Indie, is it really Indie anymore?
I've just about had it. I have reached the threshold of how much of this nonsense I can take anymore. Imagine my hopes and dreams being crushed right before my eyes by the very thing I used to hold to such a high standard. Am I being dramatic? Sure, but it has to be said. For those who don't know me outside of the confines of this virtual prison cell, I used to be even more insufferable when it came to music (shocking!) and damn was I proud of that shit.
Picture me at the ripe age of maybe 16 years old, fresh out of pandemic/quaratine era (cringiest thing I have typed out) and trying to reinvent myself. I have tapestries, LED lights that I always kept on orange, and artwork created by yours truly sprawled about my room. I would lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling as I let the free version of Spotify play from my bluetooth speaker. My love for music was starting to blossom to full capacity and I got so sick and tired of the bland, eroded, soulless pop music that everyone insisted on playing. I'm so unique, I know. At first, I didn't have much knowledge of the classic rock stuff simply because it wasn't speaking to me the way it does now. I was looking for something to fill me with feeling and (as depressing as it is to say it) be my friend regardless of sentience or a physical body. But this isn't my diary, so I won't bore you with the sad, sad details (that comes out next July).
That's when I heard it. The scraggly guitars with the ridiculous distortion. The amateur vocals that were so loud, so unique, and a little bit fried. The various accents that stemmed across Australian, British, and spoken-American that's not technically Midwestern but it somehow branded itself as such. They sang of pain, of love, of belonging, of peace, of taking too many mushrooms at their acquaintance's apartment and now they're going on a philosophical identity crisis and inappropriately tying it to Eastern religion. I felt seen. I felt heard. I felt like I had a duty to annoy everyone with my findings and separate myself even further from the crowd but this time through ego.
To sum it up a little too generally, garage rock was a gateway drug into things that would completely change who I am as a person and help define my identity. What made it so cool? Though they all had the same low-quality production, they all sounded different. They all had their unique charm and no two bands really sung about the same things or had the same ways of going about songwriting. Hell, one of my all-time favorite bands who got extremely popular over the last two years started off as garage rock and I'm so glad I was around for the blossoming of it all, even if I didn't realize it all those years before. There weren't many people trying to emulate the sounds that were being curated by these artists because there wasn't a market for it yet, which made it all the more genuine.
Take artists such as Good Doogs, Vanilla Gorilla, or The Belair Lip Bombs. All three of these bands are so different with Good Doogs being lazy sunday/skate-type garage rock, Vanilla Gorilla infusing reggae with Australian electric kicks, and The Belair Lip Bombs being the perfect mix of energetic rock with the smooth bump and sway of a good, smooth hit (if you know, you know). What worked for them so well is that they were all able to find some sort of corner in garage rock to call their own because the only people they want to be is themselves. It’s what makes them so indie. I'm putting this all on such a high pedestal, garage rock is the music of people who have nothing to give but their consuming thoughts and nothing to lose than a mindless drunkard at whatever dive bar (maybe their guitar privileges too). So why the harsh title, Z?
Garage rock has gone to complete. Utter. Shit. And boy am I PISSED.
I blame it ALLLL on the TikTok-ification of such a sacred space and the bombardment of bland, uber-privileged, unoriginal trendsetters who want to achieve nothing more than the high of going viral. OUCH! ZING! SIZZLE! Whatever you want to call that previous sentence is the exact level of loathing I've developed these past 6 months to a community I held so dear to my heart. With the revival in popularity of bands like Car Seat Headrest and Ocean Alley, we have your local bands no longer singing, writing, or creating the artwork in their own unique way but through the same generic formulated machine that they claim to despise. Number one public enemy to garage rock that technically isn’t garage rock themselves? Alex G. Please. For the love of God. WE DON’T NEED ANYMORE ALEX G’S! It wasn't too long ago that I was at a fest that felt like it was droning on and on because every band sounded the exact same to the previous one. And then they talk about their inspiration for their songs and it just stings to listen to them because it is so evident that the passion, originality, and creativity was never there to begin with. Some people are just adding "being in a band" to their resumes to fill the gaps and our souls are paying the price for it.
Seriously, no one needs another “Nirvana and Lana Del Rey heavy indie” mashup because I can guarantee you three of their songs have to do with some girl’s name, “The Tale of _______”, or some sandwich they ate last week or whatever buzz-animal/insect is in style this week. You no longer hear of ego-death from the overconsumption of magical mushrooms, criticism of how thrift shops are no longer affordable to the people who need it most, or hot n’ heavy feelings towards yourself or the stranger next to you. There’s no camaraderie, but rather who can look cooler “jamming out” to shitty music. After all, there’s no such thing as music that’s objectively flavorless. It’s all about “yeah I bumped into the lead singer in the elevator” or getting some stage time because you shared a blunt with someone from the booking company. What does this do in turn? The performances of genuine artists with some killer work and stage presence gets oversaturated with those who took that 4-chord page from that one zine a little too seriously. And the good ones always go on last just so the audience isn’t lost.
So, what’s the solution?
You’ve gotta stay clear of those bands. Don’t give them exposure. Woah! Z! Are you saying I shouldn’t support local artists and feed into the bands who are already big? Not exactly, bud. I’m saying don’t feed into the scraggly dudes who are the epitome of that guy at the house party playing Wonderwall on the guitar he “coincidentally” found. I promise you, just like every fast fashion trend that fades within a day, they will find their next big thing to leech on. Garage rock, sadly, has been the genre to fall victim to this appropriation for the last decade or so. Plus, I’m saving you money. Eventually, booking places will get the memo of “no one will come to see this well-loved artist or spectacular annual event if these ass bands keep playing”.
Oh, and most importantly, if you’re going to start a band, don’t put yourselves out there as a group who is trying to sound like another group.
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