Popular Music and Society | j Routledqe

Vol. 28, No. 1, February 2005, pp. 55-77 l \ Ta,io,.F,ancsc,o.

What Is Indie Rock?
Ryan Hibbett
This article defines the music category "indie rock" not just as an aesthetic genre, but as
a method of social differentiation as well as a marketing tool. Using Pierre Bourdieu's
concept of "cultural capital," it draws a parallel between indie rock and high art, both of
which depend upon a lack of popularity for their value, and require specialized
knowledge to be fully appreciated. In its attempt to locate indie rock at the intersection of
various artistic, social, and commercial phenomena, the article engages in detailed
analysis of particular artists, songs, lyrics, websites, and reviews, from which it concludes
that this relatively new genre is part of an old and familiar social structure.
Introduction
Roc k mus i c i n rec en t yea rs ha s seen itself pa rc eled i n to c oun tles s c a tegori es , s ubjec t to
a proc es s of en dles s gen era ti on a n d defi n i ti on tha t c ompli c a tes the ma i n s trea m/
a ltern a ti ve bi n a ry to the exten t of i n verti n g i ts logi c . Pun k, a ltern a ti ve, grun ge, college
roc k, emo, goth, i n di e pop, lo-fi , drea m pop, i n dus tri a l, pos t-roc k, a mbi en c e, tec hn o,
bri tpop, ha rdc ore, s lowc ore: on e n eedn 't s pen d muc h ti me s ki mmi n g reviews or
s hoppi n g on li n e to experi en c e the di zzyi n g c i rc ula ti on a n d gen era lly fli ppa n t us e of
s uc h ta gs . Is i t c on c ei va ble tha t ea c h of thes e c orres pon ds di rec tly to a un i que "type"
of s oun d, to a gen re tha t c a n be defi n ed a n d li mi ted wi thi n a ra pi dly diversifyin g
fi eld? Perha ps . But s uc h a list begi n s to ma ke evi den t a c erta i n ma kes hi ft qua li ty
on e tha t a llows for a facility i n n a mi n g, i n mi xi n g a n d ma tc hi n g, more tha n i t
provi des a c c ura te repres en ta ti on of s oun ds . Although thes e terms refer va guely (n ot
i n s i gn i fi c a n tly) to n oti on s of social class, i n dus try poli ti c s , a n d a es theti c s , they a re
operative a t lea s t as muc h as they a re responsive, provi di n g a n oc c a s i on for di s ti n c ti on
va lua ble on both en ds of c ommerc i a l a n d a rti s ti c exc ha n ge. Like a tomi c pa rti c les ,
they exis t i n a pa ra doxi c a l s ta te of a n ta gon i s m a n d i n terdepen den c e, a n d a llow for
va ryi n g degrees of s epa ra ti on from a n d wi thi n a n i mpli c i t whole.
Ra ther tha n a ttempt to provi de a s ta ble a n d dec i s i ve defi n i ti on of i n di e roc k, I
wa n t to exa mi n e i ts s i gn i fi c a n c e both as a c a tegory a n d wi thi n thi s proc es s of
c a tegori zi n gof en dles s di fferen ti a ti on tha t c ha ra c teri zes the mus i c i n dus try a n d
i ts c on s umers . T he term, a n d others li ke i t, pos i ti on ed as they a re a t the i n ters ec ti on
of va ri ous a es theti c , s oc i a l, a n d c ommerc i a l phen omen a , oc c a s i on a un i que gla n c e
ISSN 0300-7766 (pri n t)/ISSN 1740-1712 (on li n e) 2005 Taylor & Francis Ltd
DOI: 10.1080/0300776042000300972
56 R. Hibbett
i n to the c omplexi ti es of c ultura l produc ti on . As s oc i ologi s t Pi erre Bourdi eu would
ha ve us kn ow, judgmen ts a n d defi n i ti on s of a rt ha ve as muc h to do wi th s oc i a l a n d
ec on omi c power a s wi th "ta s te, " whi c h fun c ti on s to n a tura li ze a n d legi ti mi ze s uc h
power; whi le i n di e roc k (i n depen den t roc k mus i c ) ma rks the a wa ren es s of a n ew
a es theti c , i t a ls o satisfies a mon g a udi en c es a des i re for s oc i a l di fferen ti a ti on a n d
s uppli es mus i c provi ders wi th a tool for exploi ti n g tha t des i re.
In order to pres erve s omethi n g of thi s c omplexi ty, I ha ve di vi ded the pres en t s tudy
i n to four pa rts . T he i n troduc tory s ec ti on will expla i n Bourdi eu's c on c ept of c ultura l
c a pi ta l a n d i ts releva n c e to i n di e roc k, then provi de a bri ef hi s tory a n d s oc i oli n gui s ti c
a n a lys i s of the term i ts elf T he s ec on d s ec ti on will exa mi n e two a es theti c movemen ts
a s s oc i a ted wi th the gen re: fi rs t, tha t of Lou Ba rlow, whos e "lo-fi " home rec ordi n gs
bea r perha ps a ti ghter rela ti on s hi p wi th the n a me i n di e tha n thos e of a n y other a rti s t;
then , a group of ba n ds , i n c ludi n g Si gur Ros a n d Gods peed You Black Emperor!,
whos e mus i c is n ow frequen tly referred to a s pos t-roc k, a n d whos e orc hes tra l, s lowly
developed c ompos i ti on s s ta n d i n ma rked c on tra s t to Ba rlow's . In juxta pos i n g thes e
two a es theti c s , i t is my i n ten ti on to s how both i n di e roc k's dyn a mi c n a ture, a n d,
pers everi n g wi thi n tha t, i ts logi c of a uthen ti c i ty a n d othern es s . T he fi n a l two s ec ti on s
ta ke i n to a c c oun t the In tern et as a medi um for the di s s emi n a ti on of i n di e c ulture.
Specifically, they will exa mi n e the rhetori c of two s i tes : Soyouwa n n a . c om, whos e
a dvi c e on how to "fa ke bei n g a n i n di e roc k expert" expos es i n di e roc k as s oc i a l
di s c ours e, or a c omplex c i rc ula ti on of sign s employed i n n egoti a ti on s of s oc i a l s ta tus ;
a n d Ama zon . c om, a s ite n ow a t the hea rt of rec ord di s tri buti on tha t i mplemen ts as a
ma rketi n g s tra tegy a n ela bora te s ys tem of c la s s i fi c a ti on , produc i n g i n thei r a ppea l to
social di s ti n c ti on n ot on ly en dles s c a tegori es of mus i c , but li s ten ers .
T o seek a n "other" c a tegory of mus i c a n d n a me i t is to tra n s form i t i n to wha t
Bourdi eu refers to as "c ultura l c a pi ta l, " or tha t c on c ern i n g "forms of c ultura l
kn owledge, c ompeten c es or di s pos i ti on s " (John s on 7). As Ra n da l John s on n ea tly
expla i n s , c ultura l c a pi ta l is "a form of kn owledge, a n i n tern a li zed c ode or a c ogn i ti ve
a c qui s i ti on whi c h equi ps the s oc i a l a gen t wi th empa thy towa rds , a pprec i a ti on for or
c ompeten c e i n dec i pheri n g c ultura l rela ti on s a n d c ultura l a rtefa c ts " (7). It is the
i n tern a li za ti on of thi s c ode, ga thered from on e's family, s oc i a l rela ti on s , a n d forma l
or i n s ti tuti on a l educ a ti on , tha t ma kes pa rti c ula r works of a rt mea n i n gful. Pos s es s i on
of c ultura l c a pi ta l c a n c on tri bute i n turn to s ymboli c c a pi ta l, or a "degree of
a c c umula ted pres ti ge, c elebri ty, c on s ec ra ti on or hon our . . . foun ded on a di a lec ti c of
kn owledge . . . a n d rec ogn i ti on " (7). It is worth n oti n g tha t, whi le both of thes e a re
rela ted to ec on omi c c a pi ta l, n ei ther is reduc i ble to i t; on e does n ot ha ve to be ri c h i n
order to exerc is e social power. We, kn ow from Bourdi eu's c ollea gue Mi c hel F ouc a ult
tha t "power a n d kn owledge di rec tly i mply on e a n other, " tha t "there is n o power
rela ti on wi thout the c orrela ti ve c on s ti tuti on of a fi eld of kn owledge, n or a n y
kn owledge tha t does n ot pres uppos e a n d c on s ti tute a t the s a me ti me power rela ti on s "
(27). Ma s quera di n g as ta s te, kn owledge c a n be a ppli ed towa rd the a c qui s i ti on a n d
ma i n ten a n c e of s oc i a l di s ti n c ti on s , whi c h "a re n ever jus t a s s erti on s of equa l
difference; they us ua lly en ta i l s ome c la i m to a uthori ty a n d pres ume the i n feri ori ty
Popular Music and Society 57
of others" (T horn ton 10; i ta li c s i n ori gi n a l). F ouc a ult's a n d Bourdi eu's res pec ti ve
theoreti c a l a pproa c hes work well together i n service of the power/kn owledge
di a lec ti c ; whi le the fi rs t offers a gen era l, n on es s en ti a li s t fra mework, a method of
di s c ours e a n a lys i s tha t un ders c ores the very c on s truc tedn es s of "truth, " the s ec on d
a llows on e to groun d power more fi rmly i n social a gen c y, to un ders ta n d i ts
c on s erva ti ve fun c ti on wi thi n class s truc tures . In the fi n a l a n a lys i s , c on c epts s uc h as
i n di e roc k open up va s t s pa c es for the ma n a gemen t of power a n d the ma n ufa c turi n g
of i den ti ti es : purpos es far removed from the i n n oc uous plea s ures of li s ten i n g.
T ha t's a mouthful, but worth getti n g out s i n c e i t c ompli c a tes the s pli t between
"hi gh a rt" a n d "popula r" or "ma s s " c ulture tha t ha s formed the hi s tori c a l ba s i s of
Cultura l Studi es . In the rei gn of thi s ma s s i ve bi n a ry, li ttle a tten ti on ha s been gi ven to
the c omplex proc es s es a n d hi era rc hi es wi thi n popula r c ulture. Bourdi eu di s ti n gui s hes
wi thi n the fi eld of c ultura l produc ti on ("fi eld" mea n i n g a s truc tured but dyn a mi c
s pa c e wi th i n tern a l rules a n d power rela ti on s ) between the lesser fi elds of res tri c ted
a n d la rge-s c a le produc ti on . John s on des c ri bes the res tri c ted fi eld:
what we normally think of as "hi gh" art, for example "classical" music, the plastic
arts, so-called "s eri ous " literature. In this sub-field, the stakes of competition
between agents are largely symbolic, involving prestige, consecration and artistic
celebrity. This, as Bourdieu often writes, is production for producers. Economic
profit is normally disavowed (at least by the artists themselves), and the hierarchy
of authority is based on different forms of symbolic profit, e.g. a profit of
disinterestedness, or the profit one has on seeing oneself (or being seen) as one who
is not searching for profit. It is in this sense that the cultural field is a universe of
belief (15)
F or c on s umers of hi gh a rt, i n di e roc k would likely be relega ted to the n ebulous a n d
"i n feri or" world of popula r or ma s s c ulture. T o be s ure, the res pec ti ve c odes a re mi les
a pa rt. It s eems pa rti c ula rly s tri ki n g, then , to fi n d upon close exa mi n a ti on the s a me
i n tern a l logic oc c upyi n g both fi elds . As wi th hi gh a rt i n i ts rela ti on to popula r c ulture,
i n di e roc k is pa rt of a di c hotomous power s truc ture i n whi c h two fi elds on e (A)
ha vi n g a la rge a udi en c e a n d produc i n g a n a bun da n c e of ec on omi c c a pi ta l, the other
(B) ha vi n g a muc h s ma ller a udi en c e a n d produc i n g li ttle ec on omi c c a pi ta lopera te
i n a c on ten ti ous but s ymbi oti c rela ti on s hi p: whi le res i s ti n g the c on ven ti on s of A, B
a c qui res va lue through i ts bei n g rec ogn i zed as "n ot A. " Even wi thout the powerful
s a n c ti on of a s c hola rly i n s ti tuti on , i n di e roc k demon s tra tes the pri n c i ples a n d poli ti c s
of a "s uperi or" a rt a n d a ppli es them wi thi n the i mmen s e a n d multi fa ri ous doma i n of
popula r c ulture. As a n elite sect wi thi n a la rger fi eld, i n di e roc k requi res i ts own
c odes , i.e. c ultura l c a pi ta l, a n d therefore c a n be us ed to gen era te a n d s us ta i n myths of
social or i n tellec tua l s uperi ori ty. Obs c uri ty bec omes a pos i ti ve fea ture, whi le exc lus i on
is embra c ed as tbe n ec es s a ry c on s equen c e of tbe ma jori ty's lack of "ta s te. " In di e roc k
en thus i a s ts (thos e pos s es s i n g kn owledge of i n di e roc k, or "i n s i ders ") c ompri s e a
social forma ti on s i mi la r to the i n tellec tua ls or the a va n t-ga rde of hi gh c ulture.
T he ori gi n s of i n di e roc k mi ght be very roughly tra c ed through a li n ea ge of
"un dergroun d" mus i c da ti n g ba c k to the la te sixties.^ Some would turn , for i n s ta n c e.
58 R. Hibbett
to the lo-fi yet hi ghly experi men ta l produc ti on s of the Velvet Un dergroun d as a n
edgi er a n d poorly rec ei ved a ltern a ti ve to the Bea tles. Mus i c i n thi s vei n , followi n g the
more aggressive pun k era , bec a me kn own i n the ei ghti es as "c ollege roc k, " referri n g
to s on gs too un c on ven ti on a l to rec eive pla yti me on a n ythi n g but low-powered
college ra di o s ta ti on s a n d too c ha llen gi n g or s ubvers i ve for a n older or less educ a ted
a udi en c e. Amon g the ha llma rks of thi s peri od is R. E. M. a good exa mple of a ba n d
s i phon ed i n to the c urren t of popula r c ulture, whi c h, Bourdi eu expla i n s , mus t n ouri s h
a n d rejuven a te itself from ti me to ti me by i n c orpora ti n g s omethi n g from the
res tri c ted fi eld. By the la te ei ghti es , the term "a ltern a ti ve" wa s well i n us e, bec omi n g a
pla ti tude of ma i n s trea m c ulture wi th the explos i on of Sea ttle ba n ds , mos t n ota bly
Pea rl Ja m a n d Ni rva n a , i n the ea rly n i n eti es . It is out of thi s Oedi pa l tra di ti on , a n d i n
rebelli on a ga i n s t the a ll-too-effi c i en t meta morphos i s of wha t wa s "a ltern a ti ve" i n to
s omethi n g formula i c , tha t a n i n di e c on s c i ous n es s emerged.
T he very n a me "i n di e" den otes a more c on c erted effort to s epa ra te the "good"
from the "popula r"to be n ot jus t a n "a ltern a ti ve to, " but "i n depen den t of." In di e
roc k c la i ms for itself a ki n d of va c uous exi s ten c e, i n depen den t of the ec on omi c a n d
poli ti c a l forc es , as well as the va lue s ys tems a n d a es theti c c ri teri a , of la rge-s c a le
produc ti on . At the s a me ti me, i n i ts ma n i fes ta ti on as "i n di e" {not "i n depen den t"),
i n di e roc k mystifies itself, i ts more li tera l mea n i n gs gi vi n g wa y to s omethi n g both
tren dy a n d exc lus i ve. F or thos e on the "outs i de, " the li n k between "i n di e" a n d
"i n depen den t" is n ever n ec es s a ri ly ma de, thus pres ervi n g i ts mea n i n g a s s omethi n g
of a n en i gma , s omethi n g other people kn ow. On e c a n begi n to see, then , tha t i n di e
roc k exists la rgely as a n a bs en c e, a n ebulous "other, " or as a n ega ti ve va lue tha t
a c qui res mea n i n g from wha t i t oppos es . In di e roc k is far from a s ta ti c en ti ty; ra ther, i t
is a ma llea ble s pa c e fi lled by di s c ours e a n d power, whos e mea n i n g is always un der
c on s truc ti on by va ri ous a gen ts (ba n ds , li s ten ers , la bels , c ri ti c s , etc . ) wi th di vers e
objec ti ves .
T he s i mples t, mos t ben i gn defi n i ti on of i n di e roc k is tha t whi c h is n ot produc ed by
a ma jor rec ord la bel (AOL T i me Wa rn er, Un i vers a l, Son y Mus i c , BMG, EMI) or on e
of i ts affiliates. T bi s , of c ours e, defines i n di e s tri c tly by i ts rela ti on to the c orpora te
i n dus try, wi thout referen c e to i n tri n s i c va lue, a n d a llows for the term's c ros s -medi a
a ppli c a ti on (i . e. "i n di e fi lms "). It is i n a c c orda n c e wi th thi s defi n i ti on tha t Mi c ha el
Azerra d li mi ts hi s i n ves ti ga ti on of "the Ameri c a n i n di e un dergroun d" to "the ba n ds '
s tori es ra ther tha n thei r mus i c , " a n d res tri c ts thos e s tori es "s olely to ba n ds who were
on i n depen den t la bels " (5). F or Azerra d, poli ti c s ra ther tha n a es theti c s provi des the
loc us of va lue: "In di e la bels , " he a rgues , "ha d to develop obs c ure a rti s ts on a
gra s s roots level, es s en ti a lly fun c ti on i n g wi th on e or more a rms ti ed behi n d thei r
ba c ks , " whi le the a c c es s i on of ea c h i n di e ba n d to a ma jor label mea n t "a n i mporta n t
c on n ec ti on to the un dergroun d c ommun i ty was i n va ri a bly los t" (5).
But even s uc h a es theti c a lly n eutra l defi n i ti on s c a rry the a s s umpti on tha t thi s
poli ti c o-ec on omi c freedom, thi s "i n depen den c e, " exi s ts i n a pos i ti ve c orrela ti on wi th
a rti s ti c i n tegri ty a n d a es theti c qua li ty: "Vi rtua lly every ba n d, " Azerra d a dds , "di d
thei r bes t a n d mos t i n fluen ti a l work duri n g thei r i n di e yea rs " (5). Some would.
Popular Music and Society 59
therefore, c on c ei ve of i n di e roc k as tha t, i n a n y peri od, whi c h is truly ori gi n a l or
c utti n g-edge, or, perha ps more i mporta n tly, whi c h c a n be di rec tly oppos ed wi th the
ma i n s trea ma bi n a ry logic s eri ous ly c ompli c a ted by Da vi d Hes mon dha i gh, who
c oun s els c a uti on "i n a s s umi n g tha t oppos i ti on a l or c on formi s t i n s ti tuti on a l poli ti c s
lea d to c orres pon di n gly oppos i ti on a l or c on formi s t textua l forms " (56).
F rom here, defi n i ti on s of i n di e roc k bec ome problema ti c a lly s ubjec ti ve. Depen di n g
on whi c h ba n ds on e c omes to a s s oc i a te wi tb the gen rethrough whi c h porta l on e
en ters the i n di e "s c en e"s pec i fi c c on ven ti on s a re likely to be rec ogn i zed a n d
a n ti c i pa ted. T ha t is to say, pa rti c ula r n oti on s of "wha t is i n di e" a re closely boun d to
pers on a l experi en c e, as well as age a n d social class. My own expos ure to i n di e roc k,
for i n s ta n c e, through a ra ther i n c es tuous group of mus i c i a n s (Wi ll Oldha m, a.k.a.
Pa la c e, Bon n y Pri n c e Billie; the Silver Jews; Smog; Seba doh) ba s ed la rgely i n
Louis ville a n d affiliated wi th Chi c a go's Dra g Ci ty la bel ba s len t the term a pa rti c ula r
a es theti c wei ght: I ha ve c ome to a s s oc i a te "i n di e" wi th a ki n d of revi s i on a ry folk
movemen ts omethi n g i n the "ba d voi c e" tra di ti on of Bob Dyla n a n d Nei l Youn g,
though less poli ti c a lly c ha rged a n d more s elf-deprec a ti n g, a tta i n i n g through lyri c a l
depth a n d mi n i ma l produc ti on a s oun d tha t is c on s c i en ti ous ly "ba c kwoods " or
"bedroom. " F urther c ha ra c teri s ti c s of thes e i n di e pi on eers i n c lude a s ubli ma ti on of
the a rti s t's i den ti ty through the exten s i ve us e of pers on a e (evi den t es pec i a lly i n
Oldha m's c a s e, wi th hi s c us toma ry a n d self-mystifying n a me c ha n ges ), a n d a
rec on c eptua li zi n g of the a lbum as a n a uton omous a n d thema ti c text or n a rra ti ve,
ra ther tha n s i mply a c ollec ti on of s on gs ga thered to meet the dema n ds of ra di o or
li n ked on ly by the ti me a n d pla c e of thei r produc ti on . Mos t of thi s is c on s i s ten t wi th
Cotten Sei ler's des c ri pti on of "the Loui s vi lle Soun d, " whi c h "pri vi leges a n ethi c of
res tra i n t i n order to c rea te mus i c a l space" (196; i ta li c s i n ori gi n a l), a n d is i n ten ded
"for 'bedroom c on templa ti on ' ra ther tha n da n c e-floor a ba n don " (199). Yet i t wa s
n ot un ti l I bega n a s s oc i a ti n g tbe terms "i n di e roc k" a n d "i n di e folk" wi th thi s mus i c
tha t the i dea of s omethi n g c oheren t, s omethi n g gen ui n ely n ew, s oli di fi ed.
As the s ometi mes s tri ki n g differences, between n a rra ti ves Hes mon dha lgh's a n d
Sei ler's , Azzera d's a n d my own i llus tra te, pa rti c ula r un ders ta n di n gs of a n a rti s ti c
gen re a re s ha ped by the c on di ti on s of on e's own experi en c e, or, more prec i s ely, wha t
Bourdi eu refers to as "ha bi tus ": "a set of di s pos i ti on s whi c h gen era tes pra c ti c es a n d
perc epti on s " a n d "i s the res ult of a lon g proc es s of i n c ulc a ti on , begi n n i n g i n ea rly
c hi ldhood, whi c h bec omes a 's ec on d s en s e' or a s ec on d n a ture" (John s on 5). Ha bi tus
is Bourdi eu's way of a c c oun ti n g for pers on a l a gen c y wi thout overes ti ma ti n g i ts
freedom from objec ti ve s oc i a l c on di ti on s . Whi le on e's ha bi tus c on tri butes to tbe
s truc turi n g of a fi eld, i t is i n turn a lrea dy s truc tured by the lon g a n d often i n forma l
proc es s es of s oc i a l educ a ti on . My own c hoi c es , dec i s i on s , a n d va lues rega rdi n g wha t
c on s ti tutes good mus i c however "un us ua l" or "un predi c ta ble" they ma y bea re
thems elves c on di ti on ed by my upbri n gi n g, va ri ous rela ti on s , a n d s oc i oec on omi c
s ta tus . I ma ybe, for i n s ta n c e, pa rt ofthe "more pri vi leged s tra ta of Ameri c a n youth,
who fa vored c erebra l, i ron i c mus i c i a n s like Liz Pha i r, Pa vemen t, a n d Pa la c e
Brothers , " a n d who, Azerra d a rgues , repla c ed "the tra di ti on a lly worki n g-c la s s
60 R. Hibbett
empha s i s on a rti s a n a l va lues li ke c hops , s peed, a n d power" (499). Whi le i n di e roc k
provi des c on c rete a n d i n di vi dua l expres s i on , c erta i n va lues or i n teres ts s uc h as the
moti va ti on towa rd s omethi n g "pure, " s omethi n g s ubs ta n ti a l tha t mi ght be
di s c overed brea thi n g below the hi -tec h ma n i pula ti on s of la rge-s c a le produc ti on
ma y be s ha red by a group i n gen era l, as a ki n d of class ha bi tus . Preexi s ti n g s truc tures
a n d n eeds dra w i n di vi dua ls to c erta i n ki n ds of mus i c , from whi c h a specific c ode ma y
be lea rn ed: di s a rmed a t fi rs t by the brea k from es ta bli s hed c ri teri a , the li s ten er is
slowly educ a ted towa rd n ew ways of li s ten i n g, a n d c omes to un ders ta n d tha t the
c ri teri a for ma i n s trea m (ra di o-fri en dly) a n d i n di e mus i c a re mutua lly exc lus i ve.
Because i n di e roc k ga i n s i ts a ppea l through i ts defi a n c e of ma i n s trea m c on ven ti on s ,
bec a us e i t does n ot meet the protoc ols for ra di o or mus i c televi s i on (whos e a udi en c e
la c ks the n ec es s a ry c ultura l c a pi ta l), i t c a n n ot a c hi eve a ma s s followi n g. T hus i n di e
en thus i a s ts turn to s ymboli c va lue, defen di n g wha t they like as "too good" for ra di o,
too i n n ova ti ve a n d c ha llen gi n g to i n teres t thos e bla s ti n g down the hi ghwa y. T hey
bec ome the s c hola rs a n d c on s erva tors of "good" mus i c .
Pursuing the Indie Aesthetic
Lou Barlow and his Home Recordings
In 1989, after bei n g ki c ked out of Di n os a ur Jr. by fron t ma n J Ma s c i s , Lou Ba rlow
turn ed hi s fliU a tten ti on to the "home rec ordi n gs " he ha d begun relea s i n g un der the
n a me Seba doh two yea rs previ ous ly. By the mi d-n i n eti es . Ba rlow's work (a lon g wi th
tha t of fellow ba n d members Eri c Gaffney a n d Ja s on Lowen s tei n ) ha d bec ome a
c en tra l pa rt of the i n di e movemen t. Whi le the ma jori ty of Seba doh a lbums fea ture a
full ba n d. Ba rlow ha s relea s ed a n umber of s uper-s tri pped-down , "lo-fi " rec ordi n gs
un der va ri ous n a mes , i n c ludi n g Seba doh (The Freed Weed), Sen tri doh (Losing Losers
a n d Winning Losers), Lou Ba rlow a n d F ri en ds {Another Collection of Home
Recordings), T he Folk Implos i on (a c olla bora ti ve effort wi th John Da vi s , i n c ludi n g
Take a Look Inside a n d Dare to Be Surprised), a n d the more rec en t Loobi ec ore s on gs
a va i la ble on li n e. T hough a gen era ti on removed from thos e ba n ds c ompri s i n g
Azzera d's i n di e n uc leus . Ba rlow a n d hi s rec ordi n gs bea r a s i n gula rly ti ght rela ti on s hi p
wi th the word "i n di e" i ts elf In reviews as well as bi ogra phi c a l s ketc hes , the two a re
obli ga tori ly a li gn ed, a n d thus s erve to defi n e on e a n other i n a rec i proc a l a n d self-
c on ta i n ed s truc ture of mea n i n g: "i n di e roc k's ori gi n a l s en s i ti ve s i n ger-s on gwri ter a n d
a revered fi gure of the 9O's i n di e s c en e" on e on li n e s ourc e calls Ba rlow (An drewhy),
as a n other pos i ts tha t "Ba c k i n the mi d-'90s , n o on e more fi i lly embodi ed the
c on fi i c ted a n d c a n ta n kerous s pi ri t of tha t era 's i n di e roc k s c en e tha n Ba rlow a n d hi s
ba n d Seba doh" (Reger). Ba rlow's s ta tus a s i n di e repres en ta ti ve, however, ha s muc h to
do wi th hi s own (a lbei t c yn i c a l) s howc a s i n g ofthe word "i n di e" as a textua l pra c ti c e.
A 1991 Seba doh EP, for i n s ta n c e, fi a un ts the ti tle Gimme Indie Rock, whi le the
"Commerc i a l" a t the begi n n i n g of Losing Losers s pea ks (wi th equa l i ron y) of "true
i n di e folk tren d s etti n g. " Emergi n g on to the s c en e a t a ti me when the i n di e la bel was
Popular Music and Society 61
ri pe for a ppli c a ti on , Ba rlow ma n a ges to a s s i mi la te i t i n to hi s work as a n a rra ti ve of
the a rti s t's s tra i n ed a n d s elf-c on s c i ous rela ti on s hi p wi th the classifying ten den c i es of
c on s umer c ulture.
In the face of s uc h threa ts , a n d by c ha llen gi n g the worth of hi -tec h rec ordi n g
equi pmen t a n d s tudi o en gi n eeri n g, Ba rlow offers the a ttra c ti ve facade of a "pure"
li s ten i n g experi en c ea n un a dultera ted exc ha n ge between a rti s t a n d li s ten er. Hi s
muc h-dra ma ti zed brea k wi th Ma s c i s (n a rra ted, i n a ddi ti on to Ba rlow's frequen t verba l
a s s a ults , by Seba doh's "As s hole" a n d "F reed Pi g"), hi s res pon s e of doi n g hi s "own
thi n g" after bei n g s i len c ed (see Azerra d 346-75), set the stage for hi s rec ordi n gs as
s omethi n g more true, s omethi n g "i n di er" tha n Di n os a ur Jr. a n d other forerun n ers of
the gen re. Even the di s c repa n c i es between Ba rlow's own projec ts s on gs s uc h as "Bra n d
New Love, " "New Wors hi p, " a n d "F reed Pi g" a ppea r i n dupli c a te, both wi th fuU i n s tru-
men ta ti on a n d, on s olo projec ts , i n s tri pped-down a c ous ti c vers i on s c on vey tha t truer,
more n a ked vers i on s of s on gs exis t, tha t layers of i n s trumen ta ti on c a n be peeled a wa y to
loc a te a n es s en c e. Wi th the vi s ua l a i d of a c rudely homema de c over a rt, the di s ti n c ti on
between s ubs ta n c e a n d produc ti on is hei ghten ed, a n d the li s ten er is en c oura ged to
believe tha t, on thes e rec ords , the first is c a ught i n a n un us ua lly expos ed s ta te.
T hes e c ha ra c teri s ti c s a re pa rt of i n di e roc k's DIY (Do-It-Yours elf) ethi c , whi c h,
Azzera d expla i n s , performs the va lua ble fun c ti on of demys ti fyi n g the rec ord-ma ki n g
proc es s as tha t belon gi n g exclusively to a n d wi thi n the i n vi s i ble s pa c e of ma jor
c orpora ti on s (6, 497). But, as the proudly modes t ti tle Another Collection of Home
Recordings s ugges ts , there is va luei n deed, a c ommodi ty feti s hi s mi n duc ed by the
i dea tha t thes e s on gs were i n fact rec orded a t home, tha t they exist a pa rt from the
us ua l c i rc ums ta n c es of produc ti on . On e c on s umer wri tes : "when he wa s n ot pla yi n g
wi th j ma s c us he wa s i n hi s bed room tryi n g to get hi s own i den ti ty down a n d here i t
is . you a ls o get s ome ea rly vers i on s of s ome s eba doh stuff to. s ome ofthe mus i c ma y
get a li ttle a n n oyi n g a t ti mes but to really a pprec i a te a a lbum like thi s you ha ve to
kn ow tha t he wa s n ot i n a good pla c e a t the ti me" (Pi ke; errors i n ori gi n a l). Not on ly
is i t determi n ed un fa i r to c ri ti c i ze the rec ordi n gs wi thout bea ri n g i n mi n d the
c i rc ums ta n c es of produc ti on ; thos e c i rc ums ta n c es a re i n fact wha t ma ke the a lbum
s omethi n g to be a pprec i a ted. Because i t exi s ts i n domes ti c ra ther tha n profes s i on a l or
c ommerc i a l s pa c e, on e s uppos es , i t is n ea rer the truth:
Rarely do performers treat their listeners to a look "behind the c urta i n " of their
creativity, here Barlow tears it down and burn s it, gets your attention and says "this
is how i'm feeling! this is the truth!"' and pulls it off with an undeniable air of
carelessness that belies the songwriting genius on display. Songs such as "Cause for
Celebration", "Old Wife Cried" and "Beyond the Barbwire"" are beautiful folkish
songs with integrity and gravity, they rub up against "I Feel Good About Me", "Try
to Get What You Wa n t" and "Take an Asprin" which are throw away ditties with
just as much integrity and gravity. As such this is an album where everyone of the
43 tracks contributes to the whole and there is not (in my opinion) a dull moment
in its entire 73 minuite running time. Essential listening for anyone who wants to
hear how close to mental breakdown an artist can get to produce a masterpiece of
self-expression. (Gonk; errors in original)
62 R. Hibbett
The suggestion here is tha t, while most recordings conceal the artist. Barlow's
dispense with persona altogether. The artist is exposed for us, caught naked in the act
of his creation. Within this sacred space, all aesthetic forms attain equal value: the
"throw away di tty" has in the end as much "integrity and gravity" as the "beautiful
folkish song." Both derive their worth, it seems, through the (pure) context of their
produc ti on .
Akin to Sebadoh's The Freed Weed, Losing Losers contains more tha n 40 diminutive
tracksBarlow's patented four-string acoustic guitars, choppy rhythms, and delicate
vocals interspersed with "ra n dom" bits of noiseall crudely spliced in to more tha n
an hour's worth of "lo-fi" home recording. A destructive impulse seems to coexist
with tha t of creation, rarely allowing songs to ma ture beyond a couple of min utes ("I
have to tear up everything I fi n d, " sings Barlow, before "Soul Ma te" ruptures in to
chaos), and the demarcations between actual "s on gs " and just "messing a roun d" are
blurred throughout. Thus, the album constantly refers back to itself as a recordinga
characteristic strangely at odds with the previously stated n oti on of a "pure" artistic
exchange, and a contradiction that may be attributed to the inverted logic of the
restricted fi eld. From the indie perspective, mainstream produc ti on is understood as
one that masks, one that washes over a lack of suhstance or artistic creativity,
producing instead through technology and commercially proven formulae the
semblance of a legitimate song. "There's very few bands on the radio who haven't
been shaped by a produc er, " a regretful Barlow tells Uno Mas. "Even Nevermind was
a totally produced record. That's just the way it i s " (DeWinter). Therefore, when one
hears the crude "ma kin gs " of the songthe hiss, the pressing of button s , technical
glitches, distortionone comes to trust it as both honest and real, or to read in its
imperfections a kind of blue-collar integrity. In the strangest of ironies, the most
direct evidence of produc ti on connotes its absence, and a claim for artistic distinction
is forwarded through an aesthetics of working-class deprivation.
All of this would seem to fi t Bourdieu's characterization of high rather than
popular art. Like Bourdieu's museum, in which "juxtaposed works tacitly demand
attention to form rather than function, technique rather tha n theme" ("Aristocracy"
438), indie rock supplies a space in which artworks seem to exist outside the
conditions of their produc tion , and a bastion from which the cultured few may fend
off the multitude. The mainstream for indie rock is analogous to Bourdieu's popular
culture, practiced by those who "chiefiy expect representations and the conventions
which govern them to allow them to believe 'naively' in the things represented"
("Distin c tion " 434-35). The fan of mainstream music, then, bases his choices on a
different set of values: wanting something, perhaps, that fi lls out those woofersthat
puts his stereo to good userather than a makeshift produc tion ; or something
inconspicuous, to be enjoyed during other activities, in bits and pieces, here and
there, rather than as an end in itself; or something tha t induces a certain emotion,
rather than challenges or surprises the intellect.
Barlow stands openly opposed to such banality, at least on the part of musicians: "I
have no problems with people being rock stars. It's just tha t I get sick of all these
Popular Music and Society 63
trea dmi ll popula r ba n ds tha t keep c hurn i n g out. I'm really bi tter a bout people li ke
tha t" (Emeri c k). Less tha n s hy i n hi s c on demn a ti on of the mus i c s c en e. Ba rlow is
careful to i mpli c a te hi ms elf As wi th ma n y i n di e a rti s ts , s elf-deprec a ti on a refusal to
(open ly) ta ke hi s work too s eri ous lybec omes a mea n s to a uthen ti c i ty: "T he li tera ry
a n d a rti s ti c world is so ordered, " Bourdi eu expla i n s , "tha t thos e who en ter i t ha ve a n
i n teres t i n di s i n teres tedn es s " {Field 40). "Commerc i a l, " the fi rs t tra c k on Losing
Losers, s ets a di s i n teres ted ton e for the en ti re rec ord. After s evera l di s ori en ti n g
s ec on ds of a c uri ous s n a rli n g n oi s e. Ba rlow's s luggi s h, pi tc h-a ltered voi c e begi n s :
Compiled from truly inferior tapes of stupid self-involvement, now on display for
your dismissal or gradual acceptance. [Echo-effect] Losers. One solid circle of
Sebadoh's Sentridoh [snarl]. Sentridoh [snarl]. Sentridoh [snarl]. Sentridoh
[snarl]. Over 40 songs of good manipulation or evil sincerity, shirking in its
presence an undeniable specter of true indie-folk trend setting [noise]. Trend-
setting [noise]. [Guitar noodling. Noise.] [Echo-effect] Losers [noise]. One solid
circle of Sebadoh's Sentridoh. [Echo-effect] Losers. Make its downstroke stroke you
down. Make you achieve downmind.
In s ome ways a s tri ki n g exa mple of pos tmodern i ty, "Commerc i a l" i rrevoc a bly
obs c ures the boun da ri es between a dverti s i n g a n d a rt; li ke the open i n g to T hey Mi ght
Be Giants'Flood, "T heme from F lood" ("Why is the world i n love again? Why a re we
ma rc hi n g ha n d i n ha n d? Why a re the oc ea n levels ri s i n g up? It's a bra n d n ew rec ord,
for 1990, T hey Mi ght Be Gi a n ts ' bra n d n ew a lbum . . . F loooood!"), i t fun c ti on s as
both s elf-deprec a ti n g humor a n d a pa rody of a dverti s i n g i n gen era l. Bourdi eu s ta tes ,
[B]reaks with the most orthodox works ofthe past often take the form of parody....
In this case, the newcomers "get beyond" the dominant mode of thought and
expression not by explicitly denouncing it but by repeating and reproducing it in a
sociologically non-congruent context, which has the effect of rendering it
incongruous or even absurd, simply by making it perceptible as the arbitrary
convention it is (Field 31).
T he overly dra ma ti c ec ho effect a n d c on s ta n t, bra i n -n umbi n g repeti ti on rec a ll the
wors t i n ra di o a dverti s i n g. In thi s wa y. Ba rlow moc ks the world of "hype" whi le
down pla yi n g hi s own "i n feri or, " "s tupi d" c rea ti on as s omethi n g tha t, a t bes t, mi ght
be "a c c epted. " On the other ha n d. Ba rlow's "Commerc i a l, " li ke a n y, ha s i ts more
la ten t a n d li tera l i n ten ti on s ; i t fun c ti on s , tha t i s , n ot jus t to pa rody other c ommerc i a ls
but to a dverti s e Ba rlow's work as s omethi n g ori gi n a l a n d s elf-c on ta i n ed. T he
i n ven ti ve voc a bula ry a n d pec uli a r s yn ta x fun c ti on as a ki n d of moc k a es theti c ,
c on n ec ti n g on e projec t to the n ext i n the i ma ge ofa "s oli d c i rc le, " a n d i n fus i n g them
i n the c on c ludi n g i mpera ti ves wi th a mys teri ous yet fun c ti on a l s en s e of va lue. Un li ke
the festive, c hees y c horus tha t ki c ks off Flood, the ton e of "Commerc i a l" is da rk a n d
s n i veli n g ("s n otti n es s " is often c on s i dered a fea ture of i n di e roc k). Its mea n s of
"down s troke" to i n duc e a s ta te of "down mi n d" s ugges t s omethi n g less tha n
upli fti n gs omethi n g below the s urfa c e, perha ps . Wi th the i n c lus i on of i ts own
"c ommerc i a l, " Losing Losers deepen s i ts i llus i on of a uton omy. Certa i n ly Ba rlow's
work meets ma n y of the c ri teri a set forth by Bourdi eu for tbe "open work, " whi c h
64 R. Hibbett
calls a tten ti on to i ts own form (lo-fi) ra ther tha n fun c ti on , a n d exc ludes the "n a i ve"
li s ten er bec a us e of i ts "refus a l to rec ogn i ze a n y n ec es s i ty other tha n tha t i n s c ri bed i n
the specific tra di ti on of the a rti s ti c di s c i pli n e i n ques ti on " ("Di s ti n c ti on " 433). By
pres en ti n g s omethi n g tha t is s eemi n gly outs i de the ec on omi c a n d c ommerc i a l fi elds ,
a n d res i s ti n g previ ous c on ven ti on s . Ba rlow a ttempts to be "en ti rely ma s ter of hi s
produc t" (433).
What Is Post-Rock?
Cultura l c a pi ta l c a n cease to ha ve va lue a s i t bec omes i n c rea s i n gly a c c es s i ble. F or thi s
rea s on , lest i t be diffused i n to the ma i n s trea m, i n di e roc k mus t perpetua lly seek out
n ew a rti s ts , rec ords , a n d s oun ds : towa rd the old en ds of s oc i a l di s ti n c ti on n ew
c urren c i es mus t be forged. F or i n di e roc k en thus i a s ts , thi s mea n s a c on ti n ui n g effort
to keep a brea s t of c urren t developmen ts , to rema i n on e s tep a hea d of wha t others a re
li s ten i n g to or ta lki n g a bout. F or a rti s ts , thi s mea n s c opi n g wi th a fi c kle a udi en c e
whos e va lues a re often a t odds wi th thei r own a rti s ti c a n d ec on omi c goa ls ; whi le mos t
a rti s ts hope to rea c h a la rger a udi en c e a n d gen era te more profi t, thei r li s ten ers a re
poi s ed to a tta c k or a ba n don a t the s li ghtes t detec ti on of "seUing out"a phra s e
pi vota l to pres ervi n g the myth of a uthen ti c i ty, whi c h i t defi n es i n oppos i ti on to the
c ommerc i a lly i n fi uen c ed. T he lifespan for i n di e a uthen ti c i ty c a n be bruta lly s hort. A
few ba n ds , like the Velvet Un dergroun d, ma y by vi rtue of a hi s tori c a lly s ec ured
ma rgi n a li ty (on ly after thei r di s ba n dmen t di d the VU enjoy muc h c ri ti c a l es teem)
bec ome ma i n s ta ys of i n di e c ulture. More typi c a lly, however, the c ultura l va lue of a
pa rti c ula r a rti s t dec rea s es wi th ti me; a rti s ts ma y be di s mi s s ed as "s ell-outs " n ot on ly
when they sell thei r tun es to c orpora te a dverti s ers , but if they jump to a ma jor rec ord
la bel, or s i mply a ma s s a la rge a udi en c e. In a es theti c terms , s elli n g out c a n mea n
produc i n g mus i c i . e. the "pop s i n gle"tha t a s s umes a form pli a ble to popula r
medi a , or c ea s i n g to rei n ven t on e's self a n d tbereby c ba llen ge the expec ta ti on s of a n
es ta bli s hed fa n -ba s e. F a i lure to c ha n ge, li ke c ha n ge itself, c a n be c os tly.
Lou Ba rlow, for on e, ha s seen better da ys i n terms of c urren t i n di e s ta tus . "[I]s i t
pos s i ble, " on e revi ewer la men ts i n referen c e to Ba rlow's dwi n dli n g c on c ert
a tten da n c e, "tha t Lou Ba rlow ha s n ow bec ome i rreleva n t?" (An drewhy). Ba rlow's
rei n c a rn a ti on a s the New F olk Implos i on a former s i de projec t, whos e hi p hop-
i n fluen c ed "Na tura l On e" bec a me, i ron i c a lly, hi s on ly c ha rted s i n glei s i n di c a ti ve of
a s truggle to n egoti a te between c on fi i c ti n g fi elds of produc ti on , or the di a metri c a lly
oppos ed va lues of i n di e roc k a n d popula r mus i c . Stra i n i n g for on e a udi en c e's
a tten ti on whi le los i n g tha t of a n other. Ba rlow c urren tly oc c upi es a dubi ous a n d ill-
defi n ed s pa c e i n roc k mus i c :
I feel like I spent years crafting really difficult music and now that I've just turned
30 I'm much more into the idea of inviting people into my music rather than trying
to scare them away. There's something in me now that wants to hit a middle
ground. {DeWinter)
Popular Music and Society 65
Other i n di e a rti s ts of Ba rlow's gen era ti on , s uc h as Pa vemen t's Steven Ma lkmus a n d
Wi lc o's Jeff T weedy (formerly of Un c le T upelo), fi n d thems elves after s ome dura ti on
as i n di e da rli n gs un dergoi n g s i mi la r (perha ps more successful) n egoti a ti on s , thei r
mus i c a l i den ti ti es c ha n gi n g as they fi n a gle the boun da ri es of res tri c ti ve a n d la rge-
scale produc ti on , between popula r success a n d i n di e a ppea l.
In the mea n ti me a n ew wave of mus i c s ome a re c a lli n g i t "pos t-roc k"i s
di s pla c i n g them a t the c ore of i n di e c ulture. Si gur Ros , Di rty T hree, Mogwa i , a n d
Gods peed You Black Emperor! a re a mon g ba n ds provi di n g i n di e roc k wi th a n ew
a es theti c , a n d thus c ultura l c a pi ta l, for the ma i n ten a n c e of i ts s oc i a l fun c ti on s . In
ma n y ways thi s mus i c a l developmen t is a n i n vers i on of wha t prec eded i t. Ra ther tha n
down pla yi n g i ts a rti s ti c va lue, or i mmers i n g itself i n i ron y, pos t-roc k a s s umes a
loftin es s a s s oc i a ted wi th hi gh a rt; through a c omplex of s i gn i fi ers , i t di s s oc i a tes itself
from the mun da n e a n d the tri vi a l, s ec uri n g i n s tea d a c ultura l va lue predi c a ted on
exoti c i s m a n d gra n deur. T o begi n wi th, thes e ba n ds a re geogra pbi c a lly ma rgi n a l
from Ic ela n d, Aus tra li a , Sc otla n d, a n d Ca n a da , res pec ti velya n d thereby di s loc a ted
from the Bri ti s h-Ameri c a n roc k tra di ti on . As wi th other types of mus i c for
exa mple, c oun try a n d ra pregi on a l i den ti fi c a ti on c on tri butes i n i n di e roc k to the
forma ti on of mea n i n g a n d va lue. Un li ke thes e others , however, whi c h boa s t fi rm
roots i n c en tra li zed loc a ti on s (Na s hvi lle; Ea s t/Wes t Coa s t), i n di e roc k is perpetua lly
i n s ea rc h of a n a rti s ti c "els ewhere"; from Athen s to Sea ttle, from the un li kely
"fa c tory-belt" ori gi n s (Belleville, Illi n oi s ) of Un c le T upelo to Gla s gow, i n di e fans a re
qui c k to drop on e "s c en e" i n purs ui t of the n ext.
Pos t-roc k ha s a fuller, more ri c hly embodi ed s oun d tha n the previ ous lo-fi /
mi n i ma li s t ethos of i n di e roc k would a llow. T hi s is a c c ompli s hed i n a n umber of
ways, i n c ludi n g: (1) la rger ba n ds Gods peed ba s n i n e members , as does Si gur Ros
wi tb tbei r a c c ompa n yi n g s tri n g s ec ti on ; (2) i n s trumen ta ti on a n d effectsSigur Ros
often employs a bow on the gui ta r for a full, a mbi en t s oun d, whi le Gods peed en ri c hes
thei rs wi th thi c kly di s torted a mpli fi c a ti on a n d dua l perc us s i on i s ts ; a n d (3) a vid us e of
multi tra c k rec ordi n geven three-pi ec e en s emble Di rty T hree ten ds to layer the
vi oli n to thi s effect, whi le others embelli s h thei r c ore i n s trumen ta ti on wi th vi bes ,
a ddi ti on a l voc a ls , a n d en vi ron men ta l s oun ds c a pes (T Vs , s treet-c orn er prea c hers ,
etc . ). Gods peed a n d Si gur Ros repres en t extremes of two pos t-roc k tra jec tori es the
mi li ta n t a n d the etherea lwhi c h ma y be tra c ed ba c k, res pec ti vely, to ea rli er ba n ds
like Slin t a n d Slowdi ve. Whi le Si gur Ros a s pi res towa rd a s elf-c on ta i n ed,
tra n s c en den ta l bea uty. Gods peed groun ds i ts mus i c i n poli ti c a l ra n ts a n d urba n
fa mi li a ri ti es , ma xi mi zi n g the s n a re drum to c rea te a s oun d a t on c e threa ten i n g a n d
ma jes ti c . Both ba n ds , however, a lon g wi th Mogwa i a n d Di rty T hree, a c hi eve a n
i n ten s i ty through the gra dua l bui ldup of i n s trumen ta ti on a n d rhythmi c dri ve
a ltogether a bs en t i n Ba rlow's vers i on of i n di e.
Pos t-roc k mus i c a i ms for depth a n d dra ma , a n d dema n ds lon g, un broken peri ods
of li s ten i n g to be rewa rdi n g. In c on tra s t to tbe s hort, ra w, ra ther prec lus i ve tun es of
the previ ous gen era ti on , pos t-roc k ba n ds very pa ti en tly ela bora te on a s i mple,
mon oton ous s tra i n , thus es ta bli s bi n g tbe "s on g" as s omethi n g tha t slowly develops .
66 R. Hibbett
Wherea s Ba rlow's s on gs us ua lly fall wi thi n a on e- to three-mi n ute ra n ge, pos t-roc k
c ompos i ti on s a re ra rely s horter tha n fi ve mi n utes , often c on ti n ui n g for more tha n
ten . Gods peed i n pa rti c ula r ha s rec on c eptua li zed the s on g a n d the a lbum, relea s i n g
three to fi ve tra c ks per LP, wi th ea c h (15- to 20-mi n ute) pi ec e di vi ded, as i n classical
mus i c , i n to several movemen ts ; the four tra c ks on lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to
heaven!, for i n s ta n c e, a re grafted on the i n s i de sleeve as a c on ti n uum of n i n eteen
s epa ra tely n a med pa rts . Cla s s ic a l i n s trumen ts , pa rti c ula rly s tri n gs but wi n ds too, belp
ma ke the a rgumen t for pos t-roc k as hi gh a rt, i mbui n g the mus i c i a n s wi th a di gn i fi ed
orc hes tra l a ura ra ther tha n the fi a s hi er, more juven i le on e of a roc k ba n d. T hough
they s till perform the a wkwa rd ven ues c ha ra c teri s ti c of i n di e roc k (I saw Mogwa i i n a
bowli n g a lley), pos t-roc k ba n ds a re a t home i n s ma ll, s ea ted, vi s ua lly di rec ti ve
s truc tures s uc h as old thea ters ; the c rowd ten den c y is to rema i n s ea ted a n d bec ome
a bs orbed ra ther tha n a c ti vely i n volved (rec en tly, a fri en d of mi n e expres s ed hi s
won der a t the "qui et a pprec i a ti ven es s " ofa Si gur Ros a udi en c e).
Everythi n g a bout pos t-roc k s ugges ts a ren ewed s eri ous n es s a res tora ti on of
gra n deur, bea uty, a n d i n ten s i ty to wha t ha d retrea ted i n to a fi a tter, more self-refiexive
form of expres s i on . More so tha n ever, pos t-roc k seeks a n d c rea tes the i mpres s i on of
a uton omy, ei ther by s ki rti n g exteri or s ys tems of mea n i n g, as does Si gur Ros , or by
a bs orbi n g the worldly i n to a pri va te mythos , as evi den t i n Gods peed. T he a lbum
des i gn s a re c on s i s ten t wi th thi s purpos e: the dea rth of ba n d photos , i n deed of a n y
huma n pres en c e, the s ubs ti tuti on of ela bora te a rtwork for photogra phy, s erve to
c on ta i n the a lbum as other-worldly, as a fi c ti on a l un i vers e un to itself. T he c over of
Si gur Ros 's Agaetis Byrjun, for exa mple, fea tures a n embryon i c a li en wi th a n gel's
wi n gs . T hi s s ta rk repres en ta ti on , pri n ted i n silver on a n otherwi s e pla i n bla c k s urfa c e,
lifts the a lbums omethi n g a t on c e n ew, s tra n ge, a n d tra n s c en den tdi rec tly out of
i ts ea rthly c on text, or the c i rc ums ta n c es of i ts produc ti on . Si mi la rly, the
i mpres s i on i s ti c c over a rt of Di rty T hree gui ta ri s t Mi c k T urn er, s uc h as hi s s toi c
merma i d on the c over of Ocean Songs, pos i ti on s the a lbum wi tbi n a n a ltern a ti ve,
fa i ryta le-li ke un i vers e.
Pos t-roc k's a vers i on to lyri c s , i n a ddi ti on to i ts vi s ua l pres en ta ti on , helps s ec ure i ts
othern es s , or to hei ghten a n d puri fy i ts a rti s ti c s ta tus . Wi th on ly s ome mi n or
exc epti on s , all the ba n ds men ti on ed here a re determi n edly i n s trumen ta l: Di rty T hree
us es n o voc a ls a t all; Gods peed s ometi mes i n tegra tes the s pea ki n g voi c es of others
s uc h as a n elderly ma n 's n os ta lgi c memori es of Gon ey Is la n d on "Murra y Os tri l:
' . . . they don ' t sleep a n ymore on the bea c h'" (skinny fists)wi thi n thei r ela bora te
c ompos i ti on s , a n d ha ve a ba n don ed even thi s pra c ti c e on thei r la tes t effort, Yanqui
U.X.O.; a n d Mogwa i , on thei r ha n dful of voc a li zed tra c ks , ei ther mumble or whi s per
thei r lyri c s , s a tura te them wi th effect, or, i n the case of "Di a l: Reven ge, " s i n g i n
Wels h. Si gur Ros 's i n ven ti on of a "n on s en s e la n gua ge" on the c rypti c a lly ti tled ()
a llows thei r voc a ls to fun c ti on , as on e ba n d member offered on HBO's Reverb,
li ke a n other i n s trumen t. Yet the i n ven ted la n gua ge, bec a us e i t mi mi c s syllabic
a rti c ula ti on (un li ke, say, a c ha n t), c ommun i c a tes more as hi dden mea n i n ga s a ki n d
of c eles tia l mys terytha n mere gi bberi s h or i n s trumen ta ti on ; dubbed "Hopela n di c , "
Popular Music and Society 67
i t ma i n ta i n s the i mpres s i on of a "rea l" la n gua ge, a verba l s truc ture govern ed by i ts
own rules a n d c on ven ti on s whos e mea n i n g ma y poten ti a lly be dec i phered. Gi ven i ts
Germa n i c li ken es s a n d the rela ti ve ease wi th whi c h i t is pron oun c ed a n d reproduc ed
on s ta ge, on e c a n ha rdly be s urpri s ed tha t s ome ea rly li s ten ers pres umed the la n gua ge
Ic ela n di c , the ba n d's n a ti ve ton gue a n d tbe la n gua ge us ed on previ ous rec ords . T he
proc es s of s i gn i fi c a ti on , i t would a ppea r, is a bs tra c ted or di s pla c ed ra ther tha n
bloc ked; the deta c hed s i gn mystifies a n d i s ola tes the a rti s ti c produc t, as wi thi n the
va c a n t s pa c e c on fi n ed by pa ren thes es .
Suc b a tten ti on to how tbi n gs a re repres en ted, n ot jus t what is repres en ted,
di s ti n gui s hes pos t-roc k from wha t Bourdi eu c on s i ders popula r a rt. A list of a lbum
a n d s on g ti tles , i n a ddi ti on to thos e a lrea dy men ti on ed, reveals a lofti n es s
c ha ra c teri s ti c of, a n d a llus ive to, di s ti n gui s hed li tera ture: She Has No Strings
Apollo, Whatever You Love You Are (Di rty T hree); He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of
Light Sometimes Grace the Gorners of Our Rooms, "Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly
Upward" (A Silver Mt. Zi on , GYBE! offs hoot); "i thi c a 27 f 9, " "A Cheery Wa ve from
Stra n ded Youn gs ters " (Mogwa i ). A far c ry from the s hort, playful n a mes typi c a l of
n i n eti es i n di e roc kfor exa mple, Seba doh's "Ba kes a le, " Pa vemen t's "Wowee
Zowee"thes e ti tles , a t the c os t of preten s i on , ta p i n to a mythi c a n d li tera ry
heri ta ge for the c ultura l va lue a s s oc i a ted wi th i t. When n ot a voi ded a ltogether,
la n gua ge is lifted from ordi n a ry di s c ours e i n to a n exa lted, experi men ta l form.
F or Gods peed, la n gua ge bec omes the s ourc e of a poli ti c a l i den ti ty a n d pri va te
myth. Alon g wi th i ma ges of ra di o towers , heli c opters , a n d falling bombs , s poken a n d
wri tten texts work thema ti c a lly towa rd a repres en ta ti on of the world as fallen a n d
c orrupt. At the begi n n i n g of thei r fi rs t LP, ^f l # , a s oberi n g, deeply ma s c uhn e
voi c e rec i tes a prophec y of des truc ti on , thi c k wi th i ma ges of i n dus tri a l fa llout, a n d
thus sets i n moti on the a poc a lypti c vi s i on tha t perva des all of Gods peed's work:
The car is on fire, and there's no driver at the wheel. And the sewers are all
muddied with a thousand lonely suicides. And a dark wind blows. The government
is corrupt, and we're on so many drugs with the radio on and the curtains drawn.
We are trapped in the belly of this horrible machine, and the machine is bleeding to
death.
A s treet fa n a ti c , wben a s ked on Gods peed's Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada EP if be
believes "thi n gs a re gon n a get better before they get wors e, " is equa lly pes s i mi s ti c :
"No way, thi n gs a re jus t gon n a get wors e a n d keep on getti n g wors e . . . we're jus t
ba s i c a lly i n a hopeles s s i tua ti on as i t s ta n ds . " A s i n i s ter, ma n i pula ti ve govern men t
a n d ma jor c orpora te i n dus tri es a re expos ed as the pri ma ry c ulpri ts . T he Slow Riot
di s c wea rs the govern men t n oti c e "Opera ti on Ha n dc uff, " wa rn i n g drug dea lers tha t
"a ll n umbers , a lon g wi th the da te a n d ti me di a led from thi s pa yphon e us i n g c oi n ,
c redi t c a rd, a n d c ollec t a re rec orded a utoma ti c a lly a n d s ubjec t to s ubpoen a by law
en forc emen t offic ia ls." Si mi la rly, tbe i n s i de sleeve of Yanqui U.X.O. s hows a
doc umen t ti tled "U. S. In ves ti ga ti on s Services In c . " wi th the prompt "Iden ti fy
s omeon e you kn ow is n ot trus tworthy. Expla i n how you ha ve rea c hed tha t
c on c lus i on . " On the ba c k a s ketc bed di a gra m tra c es c on n ec ti on s between ma jor
68 R. Hibbett
rec ord labels a n d a rms ma n ufa c turers . Gods peed's (ra ther F ouc a uldi a n ) c on tempt
for a perva s i ve, i n s ti tuti on a l power tha t vi ola tes the i n di vi dua l a n d ma kes a bus i n es s
of classifying deli n quen ts is exten ded, then , to the c orpora te en d of popula r mus i c .
In a n open letter publi s hed by bra i n wa s hed. c oma s i te provi di n g "i n forma ti on
on a s ma ll n umber of ba n ds , " who "ei ther ha d a lous y i dol wors hi ppi n g fan s i te, a
c orpora te s ite whi c h i gn ored a ba n d's c a reer outs i de of tbe la bel or n o web s i te a t a ll"
(error i n ori gi n a l)Gods peed's Efrim, i n res pon s e to wha t he feels wa s a
mi s repres en ta ti on of hi s ba n d followi n g a n i n tervi ew, c on demn s the "whole
ri di c ulous i n dus try whi c h does n ot ben d or c ompromi s e, but s wa llows , a ppropri a tes ,
des troys . " Defen di n g a previ ous c ri ti que of Ra di ohea d, a ba n d c on tra c ted to Ga pi tol
Rec ords (s ubs i di a ry of EMI) tha t s ome would i n c lude i n the pos t-roc k gen re, he
remi n ds us they "a re own ed, pa rt a n d pa rc el, by a gi ga n ti c multi n a ti on a l c orpora -
ti on , a n d thei r c ri ti que of globa l c orpora ti s m is ta i n ted by tha t on e ha rs h rea li ty. "
Ma s s -c i rc ula ted, c orpora tely own ed produc ts a re by thei r very n a ture c orrupt,
wherea s the i n di e produc t (though even here Efrim is s kepti c a l) ha s the poten ti a l to
fun c ti on as a s i te of truth a n d res i s ta n c e. Yet thes e ra ther di rec t c ri ti c i s ms a re
c on fi a ted wi th the more poeti c i zed rhetori c of "thi s c ruel c ruel world. " As on
Gods peed's rec ords , Efri m's text is set a pa rt (though to a lesser exten t) from ordi n a ry
pros e; omi tti n g peri ods a n d c a pi ta l letters , full of elli ps es , c ros s ed-out, rei n ven ted
("God's pee"), a n d jumbled together, the la n gua ge bec omes on e of urgen c y, a collage
of a n xi eti es wi th n o dec i s i ve a n s wers , a n d the ti s s ue tha t c on n ec ts on e Gods peed
projec t to the n ext.
T he rela ti on s hi p between poli ti c s a n d a rt is a dmi ttedly problema ti c for Gods peed.
Whi le the two di s c ours es s eem to c oexi s t wi thi n thei r work, they a re s ometi mes
c on s c i ous ly held a t a rm's len gth: "u. x. o. is un exploded ordn a n c e is la n dmi n es is
c lus ter bombs , ya n qui is pos t-c olon i a l i mperi a li s m is i n tern a ti on a l poli c e s ta te is
multi n a ti on a l c orpora te oli ga rc hy, gods peed you! bla c k emperor is c ompli c i t is gui lty
is res i s ti n g, the n ew a lbum is jus t mus i c " ("Ya n qui U. X. O"). On e hea rs i n thes e
pa ra doxi c a l li n es both a n ec ho of W. H. Auden 's pos t hoc c on vi c ti on tha t "poetry
ma kes n othi n g ha ppen , " a n d a deep s en s e of obli ga ti on to go on tryi n g. Wri tes Efrim
i n hi s letter:
. . .we've thrown these records into the ocean like so many hopeless transmissions,
praying and hoping that some people would get the poin t, the simple simple simple
point; that the world we live in is lost, violent, and obscene, tha t the relations we
have with each other and ourselves are mostly alienated, that together we need to
begin figuring out how to fix ourselves, our communities, our world.
Whi le i n thei r poli ti c a l c ommen ta ri es Gods peed relega te thei r efforts to wha t mus t be
a los t c a us e, they reta i n i n thei r poetry a n d a rtwork a c on s ta n t elemen t of hope:
"more a wkwa rd pi rouettes i n the gen era l di rec ti on of Hope a n d Joy, " begi n the li n er
n otes for skinny fists, whi le thos e for Yanqui U.X.O. c on c lude plea di n gly, "&hope
s ti ll, a li ttle res i s ta n c e always ma ybe s tubborn ti n y li ght vs . c lus teri n g da rkn es s
foreverok?"
Popular Music and Society 69
Pos t-roc k is n ot pos tmodern . Ra ther, i t a s s umes a more tra di ti on a l role i n whi c h
a rt bec omes a pri va ti zed s phere of rea li ty, seen i n oppos i ti on to a world deba s ed by
c ommon va lues . Poli ti c a l or a poli ti c a l, pos t-roc k a rti s ts , li ke the li tera ry Modern i s ts ,
en dea vor towa rd a ltern a ti ve s ys tems of mea n i n g, s eeki n g un i ty through myth a n d
s ymbol i n the face of di s repa i r. Wi thi n thes e ri c hly s ymboli c , hi ghly poli ti c i zed
n a rra ti ves the a rgumen t for i n di e a uthen ti c i ty is pres erved.
Indie Rock as Social Discourse: Soyouwanna.com
Soyouwa n n a . c om (SYW) is a n In tern et s i te tha t gives a dvi c e, i n the form of
i n s truc ti on or s elf-help ma n ua ls , to c us tomers (they ha ve a "s tore, " of c ours e) on a
wi de a n d di s pa ra te ra n ge of topi c s . F rom reli gi ous c on vers i on to c uri n g a ha n gover,
SYW promi s es c a n di d i n forma ti on tha t ma y otherwi s e be elus i vei n i ts own words ,
a n en d to "the wi ld goos e c ha s e, " or "li fe, expla i n ed. " T he overtly fa mi li a r n a me
c a pi ta li zes on wha t ha s s i n c e bec ome a preva len t ma rketi n g theme (n ow employed,
for i n s ta n c e, by Ama zon . c om), a n d is perha ps rooted i n the Byrds ' "So You
Wa n n a Be a Roc k ' n ' Roll Sta r" (repopula ri zed by T om Petty), whos e lyric s c oa c h
thei r youn g li s ten er un rea li s ti c a lly towa rd a life of gla mor a n d fa me. On e
SYW topi c "Soyouwa n n a F a ke Being a n In di e Roc k Expert?"a llows us to
wi tn es s the exi s ten c e of i n di e roc k as a fi eld of kn owledge a n d to experi en c e
i ts va lue as s oc i a l di s c ours ethi n gs wholly es tra n ged from the plea s ures of
li s ten i n g.
T he ti tle a lon e is revea li n g. F ormula ted i n s uc h a way as to s ugges t tha t help ha s
a lrea dy been reques teda s if i t is merely res pon di n g to a n other's plea for c ha n gei t
es ta bli s hes SYW's dua l ethos of fa c tua l kn owledge a n d s oc i a l savvy. T he s i te
fun c ti on s , therefore, as a n exc ha n ge of i n forma ti on , from the lea rn ed to the
un lea rn ed, un der the a s s umpti on tha t the la tter c a n ben efi t or be i mproved upon i n
s ome wa y. Specifically of va lue here is "experti s e, " or a t lea s t the pres en ta ti on of
experti s e: on e wa n ts to c on vi n c e others tha t on e pos s es s es kn owledge. Yet the goa l, as
pres en ted, is n ot to "be" a n i n di e roc k expert, but to "fa ke" i t. On the on e ha n d, if
kn owledge of i n di e roc k is worth "fa ki n g, " then i t obvi ous ly ha s a va lue beyon d the
i n di vi dua l; ra ther tha n provi di n g s ome ki n d of i n tern a l s a ti s fa c ti on , s uc h as helpi n g
on e a pprec i a te the mus i c , i t performs a purely social fun c ti on . On the other ha n d,
en vi s i on i n g the objec ti ve as a "rus e" a llows on e to rema i n , or to feel tha t on e
rema i n s , outs i de the c i rc le a t ha n d. SYW offers n ot jus t a c ha n c e to "fi t i n " wi th the
i n di e experts , but to "on e up" themto pla y the ga me wi th a c erta i n deta c hmen t
a n d i ron y. T he a uthor, who playfully ri di c ules the a rti fi c i a li ty of the i n di e c ommun i ty
whi le c on s c i en ti ous ly s c hooli n g the n eophyte, s ha res Lou Ba rlow's n eed to s omehow
get outs i de of i n di e roc k, to ri di c ule i t even , i n order to es ta bli s b a legi ti ma te pla c e
wi thi n . After all, he is a n expert. By fra mi n g the goa l as "fa ki n g" ra ther tha n "bei n g, "
SYW a llows thei r "s tuden ts " to feel they a re pres ervi n g a n a uthen ti c i den ti ty whi le
expos i n g the fra udulen c e of others . T hey offer s tra tegi es , tha t i s , i n the s truggle for
s oc i a l pos i ti on .
70 R. Hibbett
T he s ite ta kes for gra n ted tha t "rea l" i n di e roc k experts exist as a n en ti ty tha t c a n
be di s ti n gui s hed from c oun terfei ts . Suc h a di s ti n c ti on , however, proves i mpos s i ble to
s us ta i n . T he li n es between a "true" i n di e roc k expert a n d a di letta n te or "pos eur" a re,
i n the en d, a n d des pi te the a uthor's i n ten ti on s , sufficiently c on fus ed to expos e the
a bs en c e of a n y a uthen ti c referen t: ei ther the s tuden t ha s rec ei ved a n a uthen ti c "i n di e"
educ a ti on a n d bec ome on e of the others , or the others a re "fa kers " thems elves . T he
fi rs t pa ra gra ph opera tes as a typi c a l s a les -pi tc h, di c ta ti n g how the c us tomer feels:
You're sick of digesting mainstream, overproduced drivel from the likes of MTV
and the local "be-caller-100" pop station. You'd like to be edgier and more
"un dergroun d"or at least you'd like to pretend you're both those things. The
only trouble is, you don 't know where to begin. Being in-the-know about
independent rock musica.k.a. "in die rock"can seem like an overwhelming
task. Indie fans often come across as if they belong to some sort of secret society,
frowning upon all those poor, ignorant souls who just don 't "get i t" when it comes
to music. Lies. We're here to tell you that you too can be a hipster. By learning the
basics of what the indie phenomenon is all about, you should be well on your way
to passing yourself off as a die-hard fan. ("Soyouwanna")
Alrea dy a s tri n g of c on tra di c ti on s obs c ures the a c tua l difference between a uthen ti c i ty
a n d "fa ki n g, " a n d leaves on e c on fus ed as to wha t va lue, if a n y, the a uthor a s c ri bes to
i n di e roc k. T be fi rs t s en ten c e c redi ts i n di e roc k by ri di c uli n g the "overproduc ed
dri vel" i t rebels a ga i n s t, a n d s ugges ts a la c k of a gen c y ("di ges ti n g") on the pa rt of
thos e who c on s ume s uc h dri vel. "In di e fa n s " a re a t thi s poi n t a c kn owledged as a rea l
en ti ty, though s a ti ri zed for thei r s n obberythei r a ttempt to ma ke "ta s te" s eem
n a tura l a n d legi ti ma te. T he ta rgeted a udi en c e here is the "vi c ti m" of social
di s ti n c ti on the pers on la c ki n g i n c ultura l c a pi ta l, who ha s suffered the c on des c en -
s i on of thos e who pos s es s i t. T o i ts c redi t, the s i te rec ogn i zes wha t Ortega y Ga sset
says of hi gh a rttha t i n di e roc k ha s "the s oc i ologi c a l power of obli gi n g [tbe ma s s ] to
see thems elves as they a re, as the 'c ommon people, ' a mere i n gredi en t a mon g others
i n the s oc i a l s truc ture" (355-56). T hough offering a way to "blen d, " the a uthor
upholds a uthen ti c i ty as a truth. T he on e-word res pon s e "Li es , " however, blows tbe
c over of tbere bei n g a n y s uc h "s ec ret s oc i ety, " s ugges ti n g tha t a n yon e wi th the ri ght
a pproa c h c a n "be a hi ps ter" (i ta li c s a dded). T hen , jus t as qui c kly, the la n gua ge shifts
ba c k to tbe c on c ept of "pa s s i n g yours elf off," on c e a ga i n des i gn a ti n g the s tuden t as
i n a uthen ti c .
Wha t then follows is a c ra s h c ours e i n rules of c on vers a ti on a n d a ppea ra n c e,
di vi ded i n to fi ve pa rts : (1) "Look the Pa rt"; (2) "Kn ow Some ofthe Hi s tory"; (3)
"Bec ome F a mi li a r wi th Curren t In di e Roc k Ba n ds a n d La bels "; (4) "Lea rn to T a lk tbe
T a lk"; (5) "Complete the Rus e. " Each of thes e s ec ti on s ma i n ta i n s a di s ti n c ti on
between a ppea ra n c e a n d rea li ty, n ot on ly as the difference between fakers a n d rea l
experts , but as a s truc turi n g pri n c i ple wi thi n the s oc i a l di s c ours e of i n di e roc k i ts elf
"As a rule, " the s i te i n forms us , "mon ey is a n ti theti c a l to i n di e roc k. " Whi le the
s tuden t ma y or ma y n ot ha ve mon ey (mos t i n di e en thus i a s ts , I would ven ture, a re
whi te, mi ddle-c la s s , a n d college educ a ted), i t is i mporta n t to keep up the a ppea ra n c e
of des ti tuti on : "Got a n i c e car? Good. Lose i t. If you wa n t to be i n di e roc k you can't
Popular Music and Society 71
drive a car that has fewer than 100,000 miles on the odometer a n d ha d a n ori gi n a l
s ti c ker pri c e of more tha n $20K" (empha s i s i n ori gi n a l). Rega rdi n g pers on a l
a ppea ra n c e a n d hygi en e,
.. .you might want to cut back on the frequency with which you wash your hair.
The "bedhea d" look is too obvious, but a modified bedhead with a greasy sheen to
it will have you blending right in with the crowd at the indie rock show.
An d c lothes :
An old undersized T-shirt is a safe bet, but it should be some vibrant color
White is gauche, and black is too glamorous Generally speaking, the shirt should
look like something you would fi n d at a thrift store, but it shouldn 't look like you
bought it at a thrift store.
In otber words , tbe "look, " whi c h is a c tua lly c rea ted through a ri gorous a n d
meti c ulous proc es s of s elec ti on a n d i n terms of i ts power to c ommun i c a te, mus t i n
the en d be n a tura li zed; the i n di e-roc ker mus t a ppea r n ot on ly as la c ki n g i n ma teri a l
res ourc es , but a ls o as on e who does n ot muc h c a re a bout hi s pers on a l a ppea ra n c e,
who ha s n ot given i t muc h thought. As wi th Ba rlow's mus i c , everythi n g mus t be
outwa rdly down pla yeds o carefully c on s truc ted as to s eem not c on s truc ted a n d
therefore "pure. " Reta i lers like Hot T opi c ma rket thi s va lue, s ellin g n ot on ly obs c ure
ba n d s bi rts but "di s tres s ed" or "pre-us ed" on es ; a new obs c ure ba n d T -s hi rt is still
"wa n n a be. " Both produc ers a n d c on s umers of i n di e roc k mus t pres en t thems elves as
outs i de the ec on omi c fi eld. T he i n ten t is n ot merely to be rec ogn i zed as "i n di e, " but
to c ommun i c a te to the n on -i n di e world tha t you are pa rt of s omethi n g, or tha t you
know a bout s omethi n g (here a hopeles s ly en i gma ti c ba n d T -s hi rt is helpful), whi c h
they a re un a ble to i den ti fy.
T he i n di e c ommun i ty itself ma y well rea d through thi s "di s gui s e" (they a re doi n g
the s a me thi n gi t is rec ogn i zed as a fa s hi on ), but tbe s ubli ma ti on of i n ten ti on is pa rt
of the c ode, a n d pla ys a role i n bec omi n g a c c epted. T o a n exten t, the "rus e" is
intended to be rec ogn i zed; whether a n other "buys i n to" i t or n ot is i rreleva n t.
Legi ti ma c y ("i n di e c red, " SYW calls i t) is es ta bli s bed by bow well on e opera tes wi thi n
the c ode whi le "c omi n g off' n a tura l. Un li ke more "gla morous " fa s hi on s ta temen ts ,
the i dea l i n di e roc k s hi rt ma kes the wea rer look ei ther too ec on omi c a lly depri ved to
afford a n ythi n g else, or too obli vi ous to n oti c e. On e is n ot "bus ted" by the di s c overy
tha t the s hi rt is i n fact a c on s c i ous dec i s i on (i t always i s ), but, ra ther, if i t "s eems " like
on ei f i t s pea ks too open ly of i n ten ti on . Wi thi n the c i rc le, the appearance of
a uthen ti c i ty, more tha n a uthen ti c i ty itself, is c ruc i a l: the mes s a ge wi thi n the group
is n ot "I ha ve to buy my c lotbes s ec on d-ha n d, " but "my c lotbes appear to be
s ec on d-ha n d. "
All of thi s s ugges ts tha t there is i n fact a ti ght "c i rc le" or "group, " i n whi c h people
a re a c c epted, a n d from whi c h others a re exc luded. More rea li s ti c a lly, the i n di e roc k
s c en e is a n a ren a of c ompeti ti on between i n di vi dua ls , a gra ppli n g to s ec ure a pri va te
s pa c e tha t others mus t res pec t but c a n n ot s ha re. T he i dea of own ers hi p, by wa y of
kn owledge a n d experi en c e, is preva len t. T o kn ow of a n obs c ure ba n d is to c la i m
72 R. Hibbett
ri ghts as i ts di s c overer; on e who i n troduc es ba n ds to others gets pos i ti on on them.
Si mi la rly, to ha ve a tten ded a ra re c on c ertof a ba n d, perha ps , n o lon ger together, or
i n a pla c e they will n o lon ger pla yi s to a c c umula te c a pi ta l ma de va lua ble by i ts
i n a c c es s i bi li ty to others . T o say "I kn ew first," or "I wa s there then," is to loc k on e's
pos s es s i on i n a s pa ti a l a n d hi s tori c a l va c uum. But the telli n g of s uc h a n experi en c e,
more tha n the experi en c e itself, bec omes the s pa c e i n whi c h power is exerc i s ed. "You
were a t a rgua bly T HE c ooles t s how of the '90s , " SYW c ommen ds i ts rea der after a
moc k c on vers a ti on a l pi ec e: "You n ot on ly kn ew a bout tha t tour, but you were there. "
T o pos s es s the un pos s es s a ble is to c la i m a s ta tus tha t c a n n ot be i n fi ltra ted by others ,
pa rti c ula rly thos e bei n g told a bout i t. T he i n di e world is n ot so muc h a c ommun i ty of
s ha red i n teres ts (though i t ma y uphold thi s a ppea ra n c e for thos e "outs i de") as a
ba ttlegroun d for c on s umer property ri ghts . Non etheles s , a degree of "fi tti n g i n " is
n ec es s a ry for c redi bi li ty, a n d the c odes of c ommun i c a ti on mus t be hon ored.
SYW a ttempts to provi de i ts rea ders wi th the key to s uc h c odes . In di e roc k, i t
revea ls , is a di s c ours e wi th i ts own logi c a n d es ta bli s hed tropes . T he s truc ture of thi s
logic depen ds la rgely on c a tegori c a l bi n a ri es : old/n ew, ba d/good, popula r/obs c ure,
etc . Suc c ess, i n the fi n a n c i a l a n d c ommerc i a l s en s e, gen era lly lowers the va lue of the
mus i c bei n g di s c us s ed. "You kn ow the dri ll, " the s i te s ta tes , referri n g to a n
un ders ta n di n g tha t a n i n di e la bel tha t ha s bec ome "modera tely s uc c es s ful" is "i n
ma n y res pec ts . . . yes terda y's n ews . " In di e roc k thus exercises the ki n d of "los er wi n s "
men ta li ty Bourdi eu a s c ri bes to tbe "a uton omous " s ec tor of c ultura l produc ti on , a
"s ys tema ti c i n vers i on of the fun da men ta l pri n c i ples of all ordi n a ry ec on omi es " tha t
"exc ludes the purs ui t of profi t" a n d "c on demn s hon ours a n d tempora l grea tn es s "
(Field 39). Ba n ds , rec ord la bels , a n d li s ten ers a c c rue s ymboli c va lue by di vorc i n g
thems elves , or bei n g di vorc ed, from s ta n da rds of popula ri ty a n d ec on omi c s uc c es s .
SYW ta kes thi s pri n c i ple to i ts extreme: "Kn ow tha t the c ooles t i n di e roc k ba n d is
s omeon e n obody ba s hea rd of a n d is on a la bel tha t does n 't even exist yet. " An other's
referen c es , the a uthor expla i n s , c a n be trumped by the s i mple c li c he, "Yea h, thei r old
stuff is better. " T he more kn own s omethi n g bec omes , the i n verted logi c goes , the less
i n teres ti n g i t i s . In di e roc k bec omes va lua ble la rgely i n i ts ma n i fes ta ti on as the
a bs en c e of wha t "i s ": "i t is easier to defin e i n di e roc k by wha t i t i s n 't. It i s n 't
successful, i t i s n 't gla morous , i t i s n 't sexy, i t i s n 't i n s i pi d, a n d i t i s n 't likely to get you
la i d. " On e begi n s after a whi le to ques ti on the preten s e of "Soyouwa n n a Fake Being
a n In di e Roc k Expert?" both as a rus e a n d as a c on den s ed or s keleta l vers i on of a
more i n -depth educ a ti on . Its rules of di s c ours e a re i n fact ra ther tedi ous . After
provi di n g a s a mple of "wha t on e mi ght s a y, " the a uthor refers ba c k to the s pea ker's
hi dden ta c ti c s , whi c h i n c lude "li n ki n g" two ba n ds , "referen c i n g them ba c k" to on e
a n other, "rec ogn i zi n g di fferen c es " wi thi n a pa rti c ula r a rti s t's c a reer, lea vi n g a n
"open i n g" for res pon s e, c ri ti c i zi n g a n a rti s t, a n d c on fi rmi n g on e's pres en c e a t a n
i mporta n t s how. T he i dea is tha t, by kn owi n g the rules of c on vers a ti on , on e c a n get
by wi thout muc h fa c tua l kn owledge. An other s ec ti on , however, a dvoc a tes "depth n ot
brea dth. " Sugges ti on s a re given as to further rea di n g, a n d lis ts of "i mporta n t" la bels
a n d ba n ds , a lon g wi th a bri ef bi s tory of i n di e roc k, a re provi ded. T he fi fth s ec ti on .
Popular Music and Society 73
"Complete the Rus e, " a ttempts to "fill i n the holes " wi th further s ugges ti on s as
specific as "Familiarize yourself vfith T he Elepha n t 6 Collec ti ve of the Oli vi a T remor
Con trol, Apples i n Stereo, a n d Neutra l Mi lk Hotel"; "Know about Minneapolis in the
heyday ofthe '80s"; "pick one favorite band tha t jus t n ever broke des pi te thei r gen i us ";
a n d "pick a foreign country a n d s c hool yours elf i n s ome of i ts ba n ds " ("Soyouwa n n a ";
all empha s es i n ori gi n a l). In deed, to purs ue everythi n g s ugges ted here would en ta i l a
fairly s eri ous educ a ti on a l proc es s , though on e di c ta ted "from a bove" by a
c ommerc i a l s ourc e.
SYW un doubtedly ta ps i n to a power mec ba n i s m tba t fun c ti on s to es ta bli s b a n d
pres erve s oc i a l differen c es. In Bourdi eu's words :
Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier. Social subjects, classified by their
classifications, distinguish themselves by the distinctions they make, between the
beautiful and the ugly, the distinguished and the vulgar, in which their position in
the objective classifications is expressed or betrayed. ("Distin ction " 435).
Sta temen ts a bout mus i c a re s ta temen ts a bout tbe self, a n d SYW pla ys i ts own role i n
the pres erva ti on of thes e "objec ti ve" c la s s i fi c a ti on s . T hrough a list of i mpera ti ves , i t
tells i ts a udi en c e how to look, how to ta lk, how to a c t. T hrough a regi men c overi n g
poi n ts as fi n e as ba thi n g ha bi ts , i t es c orts rea ders towa rd a pa rti c ula r, objec tively
defi n ed "i den ti ty. " Exi s ti n g i n the a bs en c e of mus i c is a di s c ours e, a c i rc ula ti on of
s i gn s , a n d a s urpri s i n gly meti c ulous s oc i a l eti quette.
Marketing Indie Rock: Amazon.com
Rec en tly, I rec ei ved a n e-ma i l mes s a ge from Ama zon . c om:
We've noticed tha t many of our customers who have purchased albums by
Godspeed You Black Emperor also enjoy the music of Stratford 4. For this reason,
you might like to know that Stratford 4's new album 'Love & Distortion' is now
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T hi s di c ta ti on of "wha t I mi ght li ke" from thos e who wa n t to sell i t to me c a us ed me
to thi n k more s eri ous ly a bout tbe c ommerc i a l i n dus try's role i n the defi n i n g a n d us e
of mus i c a l c a tegori es . Mos t of the n ew ma teri a l I a m expos ed to a n d purc ha s e n ow
fi n ds me through thi s very ela bora te s ys tem of c on s umer proc es s i n g. Based on
previ ous purc ha s es , thi s mec ha n i s m (whi c h, li ke Ben tha m's pa n opti c on , does n ot
depen d on pers on n el for i ts opera ti on ) exten ds i ts ten ta c les to ea c h c on s umer,
rec ordi n g every bi t of i n forma ti on i n to a n ela bora te fi li n g s ys tem tha t i n tegra tes i t
wi th tha t of other c us tomers . T hen , i n a ki n d of da ta revers a l, i t regurgi ta tes
"pers on a l" rec ommen da ti on s , thus en ha n c i n g i ts ma rketi n g c a pa c i ty towa rd
i n di vi dua ls . Sure en ough, thei r s ugges ti on s , c omplete wi th s oun d s a mples , ten d to
s ui t my pers on a l "ta s te, " a n d relea s es by a rti s ts I like (even thos e whos e works I ha ve
n ot purc ha s ed through Ama zon ) a re regula rly called to my a tten ti on . As a c ollea gue
of mi n e put i t, "they've pretty well got me pegged. " T he logi c is s oun d en ough, a n d
follows s i mple rules of a s s oc i a ti on : "you like ba n d A; thes e people li ke ba n d A too, as
74 R. Hibbett
well as ba n d B; you a re likely to enjoy ba n d B. " Or, perha ps : "you li ke ba n d A; our
experts say tha t ba n d B is s i mi la r; there is a good c ha n c e you will li ke ba n d B. " Of
c ours e, on e c a n n ot be c erta i n wha t on e li kes before rec ei vi n g a n d s pen di n g s ome ti me
wi th i t, so the ma rketi n g s tra tegy depen ds to s ome exten t on c us tomers ' fa ith i n s uc h
logi c . T hi s expla i n s why, i n the ma rgi n s , Ama zon provi des rec ord lis ts c rea ted by
other c us tomers : whi le a llowi n g s ome to di s pla y thei r c ultura l c a pi ta l, the lis ts
provi de for others , by wa y of the s a me a s s oc i a ti ve logi c , a mea n s to n ew di s c overi es
(the rela ti ve a n on ymi ty of the In tern et, a n d the proc es s of "s ea rc hi n g, " hold i n ta c t
the c on s umer's sen se of a uthori tythere is n o exteri or a gen t holdi n g the "I kn ew
fi rs t" rule over on e's hea d). T he en ti re Ama zon s i te is ba s ed on a n i ron i c c a teri n g to
i n di vi dua ls , whi c h is on ly ma de pos s i ble through a c lus teri n g of "types . "
When I open the Ama zon homepa ge on my la ptop, I fi n d the s i te a lrea dy
pers on a li zed: "Rya n 's s tore, " i t dec la res , "Rya n 's Gold Box" (wha tever tha t i s ), "Your
rec ommen da ti on s , " "Your n ew relea s es , " a n d "T he pa ge you ma de. " Wi th s uc h
la n gua ge, Ama zon both di s gui s es i ts own pos i ti on of a gen c y whi le tryi n g to i n s ti ll i n
the c on s umer a s en s e of c omplete c on trol: n ot "our" rec ommen da ti on s , but "yours ";
n ot "a rti s ts '" n ew relea s es , but "yours . " T he very "s tore" itself, the pron oun a s s ures
us , belon gs to the c on s umer. "You a re a un i que i n di vi dua l, " the s i te s eems to say,
"wi th un i que i n teres ts ; don 't mi n d us , we a re here merely to help fi i lfi U thos e
i n teres ts . " T he goa l, i n other words , is to c rea te a n i llus i on of a uton omy for the
c on s umera pri va te un i vers e i n whi c h mus i c c a n be experi en c ed wi thout c orrupt
i n terferen c e. In rea li ty, of c ours e, the c rea ti on of un i que a n d a uton omous
"i den ti ti es " helps to sell produc ts . Gen res a n d s ubgen res pla y a n i mporta n t role i n
thi s proc es s .
On e way to "brows e" the Ama zon s elec ti on s is by mus i c a l c a tegori es . "Cla s s i c a l"
mus i c is di s ti n gui s bed from "popula r, " whi c h i n turn brea ks down i n to a multi tude
of opti on s . On e c a n c on ti n ue n a rrowi n g the c a tegory, as if c ha n n eli n g deeper i n to the
va ults of roc k mus i c , towa rd s omethi n g i n c rea s i n gly obs c ure, pers on a lly s ui ted to tbe
c on s umer, a n d tberefore hi ghly va lua ble. A c ha i n of s ymbols , or "brea dc rumb tra i l, "
helps c rea te thi s i mpres s i on i . e. , "Mus i c > Styles > Altern a ti ve Roc k > In di e & Lo-
Ei > In di e Pop > Drea m Pop. " Li n ks to specific a rti s ts a n d a lbums a ppea r a lon g the
wa y. Wha t on e n oti c es , however, when us i n g thi s s ea rc h method for a n y len gth of
ti me, is tha t c a tegori es bleed i n to on e a n other ("Lo-Ei " is a s ubc a tegory of "In di e &
Lo-Ei "; "In di e Mus i c " is li s ted as a s epa ra te s ea rc h from "Altern a ti ve Roc k, " whi c h
a ls o c on ta i n s "In di e" as a s ubc a tegory), a n d the s a me a rti s ts c a n be foun d un der
va ri ous hea di n gs (for i n s ta n c e, Si gur Ros 's () tops the c ha rts un der both "Cha mber
Pop" a n d "Ambi en t Pop"). Not on ly does Ama zon c ba rt the progres s of my own
s ea rc h, i t a ls o provi des a ltern a te tra jec tori es , c omplete wi th brea dc rumb tra i ls , i n a
box to the s i de. T hes e devi a te from on e a n other on ly s li ghtly a n d thei r purpos e is
difficult to ma ke sen se of, exc ept tha t they s ugges t en dles s pos s i bi li ti es for tun n eli n g
towa rd a pri va te s pa c e.
It is less tha n c lea r whether mus i c provi ders or c on s umers pla y a la rger role i n the
c rea ti on of ma rgi n a l c a tegori es . But, if the la tter fi rs t c oi n ed "i n di e" as a n a ttempt to
Popular Music and Society 75
pres erve s omethi n g outs i de the c orpora te i n dus try, on e c a n be s ure tha t very i n dus try
wa s ted n o ti me a ppropri a ti n g the term as a ma rketi n g s tra tegy. Like Soyouwa n n a .
c om, Ama zon is a ble to ta ke a dva n ta ge of a power a ppa ra tus tha t dri ves people
towa rd s oc i a l di fferen ti a ti on . "Get i t before your fri en ds , " Ama zon en c oura ges
c on s umers of un relea s ed rec ords , for, as they well kn ow, c on s umers a re purc ha s i n g
n ot jus t mus i c but pers on a l i den ti ti es . T o get a n a lbum "fi rs t" is a di s ti n c t a dva n ta ge
i n the ga me of s ymboli c c a pi ta l; whi le the va lue of a n y li s ten i n g experi en c e is
upgra ded di rec tly i n proporti on to i ts la c k of other li s ten ers , to ha ve don e i t fi rs t puts
a n i rremova ble fea tber i n on e's c a p. T o s ea rc b "deep" i n to a webs i te for a bi dden
jewel is to s tri ve for a pos s es s i on of s oc i a l va lue.
It would be too s i mple to des c ri be tbe power a t work as c on c en tra ted i n the
ma rketpla c e a n d a c ti n g on i n di vi dua ls or c on s umers . Ra ther, i t s eems tha t provi ders
wi thi n the c a pi ta li s t s ys tem a re a ble to pa rti c i pa te i n a n d ta ke a dva n ta ge of a more
perva s i ve power s truc ture (though on e tha t is perha ps i n s epa ra ble fi 'om c a pi ta li s m).
Cus tomers turn thei r purc ha s es i n to i n s trumen ts of power, but i n the mea n ti me a re
s ubjec t to a ma n i pula ti on tha t s urely calls i n to ques ti on thei r a gen c y as c rea ti ve
i n di vi dua ls . In tern et s c hola rs a re but c a uti ous ly opti mi s ti c a bout the i mpli c a ti on s of
a burgeon i n g e-c ommerc e. Whi le c elebra ti n g "di s i n termedi a ti on , " or the bypa s s i n g
of mi ddlemen tha t en ha n c es i n di vi dua ls ' freedom of c hoi c e a n d saves them ti me a n d
mon ey, An drew Sha pi ro expla i n s tha t, i n the case of Ama zon , the i n termedi a l groun d
of loc a l reta i lers is n ot so muc h eli mi n a ted as di s pla c ed (5556). "In Eebrura ry 1999, "
he a dds , "c us tomers of Ama zon . c om were s urpri s ed to lea rn tha t publi s hers were
pa yi n g $10,000 or more to ha ve thei r books promi n en tly fea tured on the web s i te
wi th a c c ola des li ke 'New a n d Nota ble' or 'Des ti n ed for Grea tn es s '" (98). In Gode: And
Other Laws of Gyberspace, La wren c e Lessig wa rn s of "a rc hi tec tures of c on trol" tha t
ha ve a n i n c rea s i n g c a pa c i ty to regula te beba vi or (30):
When you first purchase a book from Amazon.com and establish an account . . .
Amazon.com's server places an entry in your cookie file. When you return to that
site, your browser sends the cookie along with the request for the site; the server
can then set your preferences according to your account. Amazon.com can
recommend books for you to buy, given the pattern of purchases you have made
before. (34)
T he very fact tha t, by rec ogn i zi n g my "type, " Ama zon c a n predi c t wha t I a m likely
to purc ha s e, s ugges ts tha t wha t I perc ei ve as i n di vi dua l c hoi c e or pers on a l ta s te is
a c tua lly pa rt of a more objec ti ve s oc i a l s truc ture. But c orpora ti on s a re res pon s i ble for
c rea ti n g as well as exploi ti n g s uc h s truc tures . On e c a n n ot help but rec ogn i ze wi th
Ama zon s omethi n g ofthe perva s i ve, mys teri ous power des c ri bed by Eouc a ult n ot as a
repres s i ve force but as on e tha t "produc es rea li ty; i t produc es doma i n s of objec ts a n d
ri tua ls of truth. T he i n di vi dua l a n d the kn owledge tha t ma y be ga i n ed of hi m belon g
to thi s produc ti on " (194). Eor all i ts proc la i med edgi n es s , i n di e roc k would a ppea r to
satisfy more tha n i t c ha llen ges preexi s ti n g s oc i a l a n d ec on omi c s truc tures . As
poi gn a n tly demon s tra ted by rec en t a d c a mpa i gn s , the des i re for othern es s , for
di s ti n c ti on from the ma s s es (a s en ti men t c oheren t wi th the tra di ti on of "c ulture a n d
76 R. Hibbett
s oc i ety" ma pped out by Ra ymon d Wi lli a ms more tha n 40 yea rs a go, a n d da ti n g
perha ps as far ba c k as the In dus tri a l Revoluti on ), is hi ghly ma rketa ble. Volks wa gen 's
us e of s on gs by Jay Ea rra r a n d Ni c k Dra ke; i ts s ma ll group of fri en ds who
c on s c i en ti ous ly turn away from the pa rty, preferri n g i n s tea d the select c ompa n y a n d
s uperi or s pa c e of thei r c a r; the un a n ti c i pa ted s oun ds of Mogwa i on botb a Levi's
c ommerc i a l a n d Sex and the Gity epi s odea ll thes e s ugges t tha t the des i re to be
differen t is li ttle more tha n c ommon pla c e, tha t the i n di e eli te a re more n umerous
tha n they would perha ps c a re to thi n k.
Note
[1] For a more thorough ba c kgroun d, with a keener eye towa rd i n dus tri a l politics a n d i n di e
roc k's pos t-pun k roots in the UK, see Hes mon dha i gh.
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Discography
Di rty T hree. Oceans Songs. T ouc h a n d Go, 1998.
. She Has No Strings Apollo. T ouc h a n d Go, 2002.
. Whatever You Love You Are. T ouc h a n d Go, 2000.
Godspeed You Black Emperor! F#a#>. Kranky, 1998.
. Lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to heaven!. Kranky, 2000.
. Slow Riot for New Zer0 Kanada F.P. Kranky, 1999.
. Yanqui U.X.O. Con s tella ti on , 2002.
Lou Barlow a n d F ri en ds . Another Collection of Home Recordings. Mi n t, 1994.
Pa vemen t. Wowee Zowee. Ma ta dor, 1995.
Sebadoh. Bakesale. Sub Pop, 1994.
. Cimme Indie Rock 7. Homes tea d, 1991.
. The Freed Weed. Homes tea d, 1990.
Sen tri doh. The Original Losing Losers. Revolving Usa, 1995.
. Winning Losers. Smells Like, 1994.
Sigur Ros. Agaetis Byrjun. Fatcat, 2001.
. (). MCA, 2002.
The Folk Implos i on . Dare to be Surprised. Commun i on , 1997.
. Take a Look Inside. Commun i on , 1994.
The Silver Mt. Zion Memori a l Orc hes tra a n d Tra-La-La Band. "Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly
Upward". Con s tella ti on , 2001.
. He Has Lefi Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Crace the Corner of Our Rooms.
Con s tella ti on , 2000.
They Might be Gi a n ts . Flood. Elektra/Asylum, 1990.