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Scandinavian Indie Digest Vol 97 Issue 05
scan-indie-d Digest Volume 97 : Issue 5 21 Nov 1997
Today's Topics:
Sin's Music on the TV [21-Nov-97]
Re: Caroline af Ugglas
Re: Indie pindie pow
Re: Indie pindie pow
Re: Indie pindie pow
Re: Lemonator/state of independence
Re: Caroline af Ugglas
Re: Indie pindie pow
Re: Caroline af Ugglas
Popsicle
Re: Indie pindie pow
Re: Indie pindie pow
Mouth
Re: BH
AW: Indie pindie pow
Re: Nordman
Re: AW: Indie pindie pow
Re: AW: Indie pindie pow
Re: BH
Caroline on sw radio
Re: BH
Re: Caroline on sw radio
Re: Caroline on sw radio
Re: Caroline on sw radio
Re: Caroline on sw radio
Re: "indie" (was: Caroline af Ugglas)
Let's talk about the important things in life???
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-----------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 19:23:53 +0100 (MET)
From: Erik Soderstrom <chief@lysator.liu.se>
Subject: Sin's Music on the TV [21-Nov-97]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Scandinavian Indie MUSIC ON THE TV Scandinavian Indie
November 21 -> 27, 1997
by Erik Soderstrom (chief@lysator.liu.se)
Day Date Artist/What TV Program Channel Time
--- ----- ---------------------- ------------------- ----------- -----
Fri 21/11 Kent Fredagspuls TV 4 16.05
Sat 22/11 The Cardigans Live 'n' Direct MTV Europe 23.00 R
Sun 23/11 Radiohead, Eric Gadd Musikbyr}n SVT 1 11.45 R
The Hellacopters Present ZTV 00.35 R
Mon 24/11 Video List Results Voxtopp SVT 1 19.45
Musikmagasinet Rock Musikmagasinet Rock ZTV 20.30
Tue 25/11 Musikmagasinet Rock Musikmagasinet Rock ZTV 23.00 R
Alternative Nation Alternative Nation MTV Europe 00.00
Wed 26/11 Video Top List Voxpop SVT 1 19.00
Musikmagasinet Pop Musikmagasinet Pop ZTV 20.30
KD Lang MTV Unplugged MTV Europe 01.00 R
Thu 27/11 Finnish Top List Lista FTV 17.36
Verve Live 'n' Direct MTV Europe 20.00
Musikmagasinet Pop Musikmagasinet Pop ZTV 23.00 R
R = Rerun
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This list is also available on the Scandinavian Indie website
at: http://www.lysator.liu.se/~chief/upcoming.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 02:36:50 +0200
From: Micke Rehnstrom <micre215@student.liu.se>
Subject: Re: Caroline af Ugglas
Erik Soderstrom wrote:
>But if you follow Ola's line of thinking, Sonic Surf City is (was) not
>indie either. And then we have HappyDeadMen. They're not indie either?
>The Merrymakers is another band I am curious to know if you label them
>as an indie band? We have Finnish Lemonator who are signed to Warner
>Finland now, but are releasing an EP on their own old label Grandpop
>Records, by themselves next month. Are they indie or not by your
>definition?
As I said, it depends on attitude. _Why_ did they sign big? Why not small?
Does signing big mean that they will have to change their music to sell?
>And how about labels that are owned by several different companies?
>Creation/Sony? What's that label Prodigy is on? They have a deal with
>Sony as well if I remember things right?
They are on XL-Recordings and then I am not sure about the relationships
but I do know that Creation are involved somehow.
>The question is - is a band, as soon as they sign with a "bigger"
>company, not indie anymore?
See above! It is just a question of _why_ people are doing things. Andreas
Mattsson was not in the right mood to write songs for the new POPSICLE
album, he claimed. So _why_ did he do it, _why_ did he not wait another
year? Did someone force him? His boss? His band mates? His wallet? The
public? Either way, if you are forced to do something you are not
independent! (I do not know the truth about what went on in Andreas head
but I would find it sad if it was suddenly more important that there was a
record to sell, at a specific time, than what was _on_ the record.)
>As you can see, I don't agree. I believe that what is indie and what
>is not is up to You to decide for yourself. If it matters.
Well, perhaps I am just the perverted academic who loves discussions and to
hear other peoples opinions about things, without saying that it has to
really lead to something. Perhaps I should see a doctor about it instead.
/Micke, right now depending on getting some sleep soon
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 03:01:20 +0200
From: Micke Rehnstrom <micre215@student.liu.se>
Subject: Re: Indie pindie pow
>Micke Rehnstrom had some theories about indie :
>Personally I think it's a really stupid word and definition.
Being a student in the language of english I am a bit curious about what is
so stupid about the word "independent" but perhaps we should leave that out
of this list, since it is dedicated to music, not language ;-)
>-What music do you listen to?
>-Indie.
>????!!!???
Well, I did say that I do not consider "indie" to be a musical style, didnt
I? I even think it was my main line of argument?
>Categorising music is so boring and pointless.
But we are categorizing all the time on this list, arent we? I dont think
anyone would start discussing eurodisco bands such as AQUA or E-TYPE here
and if someone did, there would soon be protests. I should think that most
of us categorize these artists as non-suitable here.
/Micke, more tired now
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 09:20:23 +0100
From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
Subject: Re: Indie pindie pow
>>Micke Rehnstrom had some theories about indie :
>>
>>-What music do you listen to?
>>-Indie.
>>????!!!???
Blah blah blah etc, ad infinitum...
Come on guys! There have been enough bandwidth wasted on this subject.
If you want to divulge on this, don't utter one word until you've read
all the back issues of the Scan-digest and found out that there are
several 100 K's on this meta-discussion.
Let's talk about the important things in life - like the dilemma when
Kent adn Bob Hund are playing the same day in Stockholm (5 dec). What
to choose??? :-/
Jan
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 11:09:12 +0200 (EET)
From: Timo Riitamaa <timo.riitamaa@kolumbus.fi>
Subject: Re: Indie pindie pow
>I agree. But what I react upon is the more the definitions such as
>Indie, Lo-Fi, EMO, Skatecore, Brandcore, Slowfuckmetal...
>The way people want to put labels on bands and categorise them.
Well i play Post-psychedelic latinopunkhardjazzcorebop with some free blues
influences, and i'm damn well proud of it!
Uhh... insert smiley.
Tornado DaSilva.
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 12:09:52
From: Kimmo Saaskilahti <solaris@sci.fi>
Subject: Re: Lemonator/state of independence
>>We have Finnish Lemonator who are signed to Warner
>>Finland now,
I heard a rumour stating that they are not on Warner any longer, but I'm
not sure if it is true. Maybe somebody out there can confirm this?
>> but are releasing an EP on their own old label Grandpop
>>Records, by themselves next month. Are they indie or not by your
>>definition?
>As I said, it depends on attitude. _Why_ did they sign big? Why not small?
I suspect they signed to a big multinational corporation because they
indeed wanted to sell a lot of records here in Finland and in a lot of
countries where Warner has subsidiaries. I cannot remember how well their
album did here in Finland, but it sure enough was not a chart-topper or
anything, in spite of the huge publicity they got last spring.
Looks like the Finnish Warner is not very good at getting their produce
exported, at least this is the impression you get reading the latest
Supperheads interviews (they were also signed to Warner); they say the very
reason they left Warner was their inability to have their album
released/distributed outside Finland. Then again, some source claim that
the fact that the Supperheads album failed to reach the Finnish top 40 even
for one week was the reason the label dropped them...Probably the truth
lies somewhere inbetween.
>Does signing big mean that they will have to change their music to sell?
Not necessarily, but it helps...I don't have personal experience about
working with major labels (thank God), but i would assume that they are
more eager to market and promote your music, if you go through the
production process in co-operation with the label who may have some ideas
about what kind of sound you should have, or who should produce the album
or whatever.
As far as I can see, it is almost impossible for a Finnish band singing in
English to sell a lot of records here, so it is a bit strange why so many
"indie" bands want to be signed by a major and that some of them even
manage that (at least for a short period).
I don't think I will go into the ethics of 'being independent' vs. 'working
for a major corporation' right now though... :)
Kimmo
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 06:20:39 -0500
From: Mo Holkar / UKG <Undying_King_Games@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: Caroline af Ugglas
Micke wrote:
>>
See above! It is just a question of _why_ people are doing things.
<<
Yes, but we can never _know_ why people are doing things. We can guess, and
we can believe what they say in interviews, but neither of those are very
good ways of judging someone's actions. We may think band A joins a major
for a 'good' reason and band B does so for a 'bad' reason, so by your
argument band A is indie and band B is not, but we don't actually know.
Surely it's better to make judgements just on observable facts?
Mo
(this discussion is now wandering into the realms of philosophy... what is
empirical truth? I'll shut up now...)
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 12:24:34 +0100
From: baars@bahnhof.se (Girilal Baars)
Subject: Re: Indie pindie pow
>As I said, it depends on attitude. _Why_ did they sign big? Why not small?
>Does signing big mean that they will have to change their music to sell?
>
>>The question is - is a band, as soon as they sign with a "bigger"
>>company, not indie anymore?
>
>See above! It is just a question of _why_ people are doing things.
>>As you can see, I don't agree. I believe that what is indie and what
>>is not is up to You to decide for yourself. If it matters.
>
>Well, perhaps I am just the perverted academic who loves discussions and to
>hear other peoples opinions about things, without saying that it has to
>really lead to something. Perhaps I should see a doctor about it instead.
>>Micke Rehnstrom had some theories about indie :
>>Personally I think it's a really stupid word and definition.
>>Categorising music is so boring and pointless.
>
>But we are categorizing all the time on this list, arent we? I dont think
>anyone would start discussing eurodisco bands such as AQUA or E-TYPE here
>and if someone did, there would soon be protests. I should think that most
>of us categorize these artists as non-suitable here.
So, perhaps independent has more to do with Independence of Mind than
anything else. An independent musician has his own rules, not market rules,
not pop-mag rules, not the trendsetters' rules. Or am I just to idealistic
for my own good?
Girilal Baars
??Slowfuckmetal??
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 06:20:50 -0500
From: Mo Holkar / UKG <Undying_King_Games@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: Caroline af Ugglas
Micke wrote:
>>
Discussions are two, or more, people giving their subjective
way of looking at things and, thereby, perhaps learning something from each
other).
<<
That's the important thing, the possibility of learning. If the
'discussion' just consists of a succession of people repeatedly stating
their opinions, no-one's learning anything... it can get down to the level
of which football team you support: you can't justfy or explain it to
someone who supports a different team, it's just an 'opinion'.
I suspect that the definition of indie is a bit like this... we would all
probably define it to match our personal tastes in music. Here in the UK
the Cardigans, for example, are definitely an 'indie' type band, the kind
of radio play they get, the kind of sales they get, the fact that they're
at odds with the prevailing direction of 'pop', all make them indie... even
if Swedes see them differently. Maybe if I lived in Sweden I'd be competely
fed up with the Cardigans, but as it is I think they're cool and funny...
Mo
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 12:23:33 +0100
From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
Subject: Popsicle
What about Popsicle's new one? Anyone heard it? Liked it?
The songs they play on the radio are pretty dull, IMHO, and
I even liked the last album.
They're becoming Adult contemporary Radiofriendly Rock, and
that's a shame.
I didn't go to the gig yesterday. Anone seen them recently?
Were they any good?
Jan
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 12:27:49 +0200
From: iggystooge.livevid@mailbox.swipnet.se
Subject: Re: Indie pindie pow
>Let's talk about the important things in life - like the dilemma when
>Kent adn Bob Hund are playing the same day in Stockholm (5 dec). What
>to choose??? :-/
bob hund is the best swedish live act for ages, so if you havent seen them
go and see them.
j.nilsson
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 13:03:40 +0100 (MET)
From: Karl Morten Dahl <karlmort@stud.ntnu.no>
Subject: Re: Indie pindie pow
Hiya!
Which Bob Hund record is the best? I've heard 4-5 songs from their
self-titled one. "alle har en bakgrunn" "upp upp upp ner" or something
like that. Really great songs!
Thanks!
Karl Morten Dahl - Computer Science, NTNU
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 13:02:50 +0100
From: jonas nilsson <eng96jni@student2.lu.se>
Subject: Mouth
Hi!
I just heard from a friend who has been down in Spain playing golf that
he ran into Fredrik Joelsson the singer of MOUTH down there. Joelsson is
actually sitting in a house down in Marbella recording music with some
other guy called Mans. As I understood it, Mouth do not exist anymore
and the music he is now recording will include more of a techno-touch,
but still with certain Pixies-influences.
Thats what I heard.
Jonas
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 15:44:48 +0100
From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
Subject: Re: BH
scan-indie@lysator.liu.se,Internet writes:
>Which Bob Hund record is the best?
>I've heard 4-5 songs from their
>self-titled one. "alle har en bakgrunn" "upp upp upp ner" or something
>like that. Really great songs!
Yeah,and i think they're even better live. The studio sound doesn't
compare, I hardly ever listen to BH on record, just cause i think the
ambience isn't there, it's inferior.
Some of their most magic moments were live songs that never appeared on
CD. I'm thinking of "Kvicksilver", "Goddag - adjo!", "Har ar en hand",
"Tolv-takt" (a.k.a. "Jag tror att vem som helst...")
I really really miss these songs! Will they ever play them live again???
Jan
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 15:42:31 +0100
From: "Barczinski, Reiner, WAC" <Barczinski@celanese.de>
Subject: AW: Indie pindie pow
Yeah ... in this context ... please give a non-scandinavian some hints
for scan-(indie)-music ?! What is Bob Hund like? No categorizing if you
don't want, but some descriptions or comparisons with bands I know,
perhaps? I really never heard of most of the bands mentioned here ...
huh! Only name I ever heard is Nordman, which, I think, is not
necessarily indie, but somehow nice ... Perhaps I can make some
"good-buys" when I'm in next time ...
Reiner ... and a nice weekend!
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 16:15:58 +0200
From: johanna.hillgren@natverkstan.net (johanna hillgren)
Subject: Re: Nordman
"Barczinski, Reiner, WAC" wrote:
>Only name I ever heard is Nordman, which, I think, is not
>necessarily indie, but somehow nice ... Perhaps I can make some
>"good-buys" when I'm in next time ...
Eh...well, I wouldn't describe Nordman as indie, no. Hahahaha! But I would
defenitely _not_ describe Nordman as "somehow nice", either...
(BTW, if you knew Swedish you would probably laugh your ass of when you
heard the pathetic lyrics.) Who gave you the lousy idea to listen to
Nordman if you had to chose just one Swedish band? It's hard to give you
some "good-buys" if you seriously like Nordman, but anyway; anything
Swedish - maybe except from Caroline af Ugglas as you probably have figured
out if you have followed the last days discussion here - would be a real
good buy compared to Nordman. :-)
/Johanna
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 16:18:00 +0100
From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
Subject: Re: AW: Indie pindie pow
> From: "Barczinski, Reiner, WAC" <Barczinski@celanese.de>
>
> please give a non-scandinavian some hints
> for scan-(indie)-music ?! What is Bob Hund like?
Hmm, they are one of a kind. The lyrics are naive, but thoughtful and
bittersweet.
No fake frills, they're 100 % serious. They'd never lie or pretend.
They don't keep distance, if it's Bob Hund it's a total experience.
Like the world as described by a retard, or a mobbed schoolkid or an
autistic.
Strange and wonderful, makes you cry at times.
> No categorizing if you don't want, but some descriptions or
> comparisons with bands I know, perhaps?
The most similar, when it comes to the mood of Bob Hunds songs, is a
swedish synth/industrial guy called Arvid Tuba. I won't make further
comparisons. it's up to the other listees.
> I really never heard of most of the bands mentioned here ...
> huh!
Heh! I guess i wouldn't know the flaves on the german indie list
(is there one?) either...
> Only name I ever heard is Nordman, which, I think, is not
> necessarily indie, but somehow nice ...
Mumble grumble
Yeah, the frigolite runestones they had at Hultsfred were nice. :-[
> Perhaps I can make some "good-buys" when I'm in next time ...
Stay away from them! They're baaad.
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:08:48 +0100
From: Mats L <blooob@mindless.com>
Subject: Re: AW: Indie pindie pow
Barczinski, Reiner, WAC wrote:
> Yeah ... in this context ... please give a non-scandinavian some hints
> for scan-(indie)-music ?! What is Bob Hund like? No categorizing if you
> don't want, but some descriptions or comparisons with bands I know,
> perhaps? I really never heard of most of the bands mentioned here ...
> huh! Only name I ever heard is Nordman, which, I think, is not
> necessarily indie, but somehow nice ... Perhaps I can make some
> "good-buys" when I'm in next time ...
Bob Hund has a line up with two guitars, bass, drums, a singer and a
keyboardist.
Their music is very original, and they sing in swedish. Even though they
have recorded english material that has not been released.
To drop a few names I think that they sound like a mixture of these
bands: Devo, Pixies, Kraftwerk, Pere Ubu, Magazine, Wire and Can.
Bob Hund is the best band in Sweden ever and I even think that they are
the best band in the whole world that exist for the moment!
Nordman on the other hand is the worst crap that has walked the earth
for centuries (except for Caroline af Ugglas of course:) )
Mats
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:24:39 +0100 (MET)
From: "Erik S." <pt95est@student.hk-r.se>
Subject: Re: BH
On Fri, 21 Nov 1997, Jan Sundstrom wrote:
>Some of their most magic moments were live songs that never appeared on
>CD. I'm thinking of "Kvicksilver", "Goddag - adjo!", "Har ar en hand",
>"Tolv-takt" (a.k.a. "Jag tror att vem som helst...")
Hoho, now I recall the first time I saw them. They played for free at the
Folkfestivalen in Malmo and replaced Eggstone (whos guitarist had a broken
hand or something). This must have been the summer of 93 (perhaps 94 or
92??).
Tomas jumped around like a lunatic on stage and also did the
"sitting-on-a-chair-in-the-audience"-trick. I particularly remember the
song that went "en hand... en annan hand..." ("a hand... another
hand..."). Great! :)
Since then I've seen them lots of times. Favourite moment: when Tomas
accidentaly stepped on my hand on Mejeriet in Lund during the show. (Gee,
am I pathetic, or what!? I sound like an NKOTB-fan :) Luckily, he was
wearing Converse-shoes. :P
>I really really miss these songs! Will they ever play them live again???
I hope so. Or release them.
/Erik
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:22:01 +0100
From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
Subject: Caroline on sw radio
Caroline af Ugglas is on Rocket 95.3 right now!
It's hilarious!!!
Jan
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:31:16 +0100
From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
Subject: Re: BH
pt95est@student.hk-r.se,Internet writes:
>> Some of their most magic moments were live songs that never appeared on
>> CD. I'm thinking of "Kvicksilver", "Goddag - adjo!", "Har ar en hand",
>> "Tolv-takt" (a.k.a. "Jag tror att vem som helst...")
>
> Hoho, now I recall the first time I saw them. They played for free at
> the Folkfestivalen in Malmo and replaced Eggstone (whos guitarist had a
> broken hand or something). This must have been the summer of 93 (perhaps
> 94 or 92??).
The spring of 94? I believe they swapped musicians a few times due to
broken arms early -94. There was a gig at Brygghuset; Sthlm, and the
Eggstone releaseparty at Tre Backar.
I saw them first time 931217 at Tre Backar. Massive gig, they had just
released their first EP at that time and weren't that wellknown.
> I particularly remember the song that went "en hand... en annan hand..."
> ("a hand... another hand..."). Great! :)
Yeah, Tomas is holding out his hand towards the audience, spastically,
catatonic. Like he's so tense and wired up, he just screams out loud.
AAArgh!
> Since then I've seen them lots of times. Favourite moment: when Tomas
> accidentaly stepped on my hand
You're weird! ;-) I'll tell Henry Rollins to step on your hand!
Jan
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:35:05 +0100
From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
Subject: Re: Caroline on sw radio
> From: j.sundstrom@ekuc.se (Jan Sundstrom)
>
> Caroline af Ugglas is on Rocket 95.3 right now!
> It's hilarious!!!
yeehaa! She's a freak! Eric is interviewing her in english, and she's
talking back to him in swedish. And she doesn't seem to have much
behind the "pannben".
Like the screwed up minds of Leila K and Tori Amos, blended with a
little Tomas Di Leva. If you know whadda mean...
Jan
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 11:49:27 -0500 (EST)
From: Chris Forsberg <forsberg@charm.net>
Subject: Re: Caroline on sw radio
On Fri, 21 Nov 1997, Jan Sundstrom wrote:
> yeehaa! She's a freak! Eric is interviewing her in english, and she's
> talking back to him in swedish. And she doesn't seem to have much
> behind the "pannben".
>
> Like the screwed up minds of Leila K and Tori Amos, blended with a
> little Tomas Di Leva. If you know whadda mean...
Hmm, I like Tori Amos a lot, if that's your idea of "bad" then I'll have
to check out this Caroline of Ugglas.
Chris
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 18:05:48 +0200
From: iggystooge.livevid@mailbox.swipnet.se
Subject: Re: Caroline on sw radio
> Like the screwed up minds of Leila K and Tori Amos, blended with a
> little Tomas Di Leva. If you know whadda mean...
ok for leila k and maybe dileva (he atleast seems to be nice, but way far
up in the sky and takes himself too seriously) but in what way is tori amos
screwed up???
j.nilsson
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 18:07:11 +0200
From: iggystooge.livevid@mailbox.swipnet.se
Subject: Re: Caroline on sw radio
>> Like the screwed up minds of Leila K and Tori Amos, blended with a
>> little Tomas Di Leva. If you know whadda mean...
>
> Hmm, I like Tori Amos a lot, if that's your idea of "bad" then I'll have
> to check out this Caroline of Ugglas.
AAAAHHHHH!!!! dont do it!!!! they shouldnt be compared in anyway not even
in the same century ;o)
j.nilsson
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 19:01:01 +0100 (MET)
From: per langstrom <pela0011@student.gu.se>
Subject: Re: "indie" (was: Caroline af Ugglas)
At 06.20 1997-11-21 -0500, Mo Holkar / UKG wrote:
> I suspect that the definition of indie is a bit like this... we would all
> probably define it to match our personal tastes in music. Here in the UK
> the Cardigans, for example, are definitely an 'indie' type band, the kind
> of radio play they get, the kind of sales they get, the fact that they're
> at odds with the prevailing direction of 'pop', all make them indie...
> even if Swedes see them differently. Maybe if I lived in Sweden I'd be
> competely fed up with the Cardigans, but as it is I think they're cool and
> funny...
(to me) the problem here is what the term "indie" has come to represent.
it used to be about british pop bands doing their own thing independently of
the music industry, putting out their records through independent labels
like creation.
today, those bands are either signed to a major label or are releasing
records on used-to-be-independent labels, now incorporated in the majors
(e.g. creation/sony).
as the bands sound pretty much the same as they used to in the late 80s/
early 90s, and as it is easier for the major labels to market these bands
together, the term "indie" has stuck to this kind of almost ridiculously
60s-influenced guitar-based pop-music even if the bands these days are as
much independent as big macs are of mcdonald's.
the cardigans are neither in sweden nor anywhere else any more independent
of the big-business part of the music industry than, say, bon jovi. "indie"
is just another way of label and market a certain kind of bands. what's sad
is that the term used to actually stand for something excitingly honest and
different, in striking contrast to what we on a daily basis see on mtv in
form of oasis, suede and what not.
per
p.s. there is a parallell to be drawn between the british demise of "indie"
and the american abuse of "alternative". the similarities are many and both
terms have been exploited to an extent where they have lost all of their
original meaning and content.
p.p.s. something that's been bugging the hell out of me for a long time is
the fact that mtv's "alternative nation" is presenting itself as an
alternative to the channel's other programs by repeatedly running videos by
oasis, pulp etc. (videos you are just as likely to see any other time during
the day along with the latest hanson). sure, once in a while you get to see
a couple videos featuring non-major label financed bands, but that is
nowhere near as often as you should, considering the name "_alternative_
nation" (as opposing "indie nation"). i recall toby amies implying (during
his last few shows as host for the program) that the "alternative nation"
could be so much better, if only mtv would let the people making the show do
what they want and show whatever videos they want.
-----------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 19:15:40 +0100
From: totte.pop@swipnet.se (Totte Pop)
Subject: Let's talk about the important things in life???
jan sundstrom wrote:
>Let's talk about the important things in life - like the dilemma when
>Kent adn Bob Hund are playing the same day in Stockholm (5 dec). What
>to choose???
i wouldnt see any of the above, spend your money on morrissey on the 3 of dec.
if you have to go, choose the cheapest one of the two!
iee.... stay home and read something!
totte.pop@swipnet.se (Totte Pop)
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End of Scandinavian Indie Digest Vol.97 #05
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