Independent Music
A review of **** reify, **** indielife, and ***indie music page
Scale: **** Bookmark this site now1x *** Worth a click ** Barely surfable * Web site equivalent of junk e-mail
The definition of "indie music" varies depending on whom you talk to. For some, indie music is simply what its name suggests -- independent music, or music made by artists who are signed by independent record labels. For others, indie music is music produced by bands who haven't yet been signed by anyone (which would imply that once signed, the bands would no longer be "indie" by such standards). Some people require that you make no money to be classified as indie. And for still others, indie music is just the ultimate in alternative music. If you're interested in learning a little more, check out these three Web sites, which offer some different perspectives on indie music, as well as some other cool stuff.
First up: Bring the Rock, an all-encompassing "resource for fans of independent music." The site is the ultimate in organization, and should get an award for most effective use of white space. It's clean and simple, and has links like you wouldn't believe: You can browse upcoming Rock Festivals, or check out upcoming indie releases, post on a Web Board, read reviews, or look at both online and print "zines" (that would be "magazines"). You can also jump over to record stores, or independent record labels to learn more about what's out there. The site is managed by Penn State student Jason Fagone, who has assembled some serious resources just so that you can have them at your disposal. He's done quite a job, because you can literally link yourself to anything "indie" from Bring the Rock.
IndieLife is a very, very pretty site, if nothing else. Literally, everything about it is an aesthetic joy, and it doesn't disappoint in terms of information and indie resources, either. The site is a little less "alternative" than Bring the Rock, in the sense that it features info and links to acts that are relatively well-known and successful (such as Luscious Jackson). But if you are new to the scene and want to read up, this is one of the best places to do it. The site is broken down into some cool sub-categories, like "the music," "the scene," "the attitude," and "the extreme." "The extreme" is less about music and more about those who risk life and limb by indulging in extreme sports, which is apparently in the spirit of indie.
And if all else fails, you have the Indie Music Page which is a slightly more selective (and also, less comprehensive) site. The Indie Music Page features links to the band Modest Mouse (and claims to be "the best source for MM stuff on the internet1x") and Sebadoh. There are other band links, some links to record labels, and random links that the site manager, Bruce (whom you can e-mail) liked. These include links to online zines and links to some cool radio programs. It's not as stylistically interesting as some other sites, but content-wise, the Indie Music Page has little room for improvement.
So if you're not tuned into the indie scene, check out these pages and expand your musical horizons. And if you're on top of all things indie, stay on top with these great resources.
By Urmila Rajagopal
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