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Independent Music - The Way Forward

I've decided that when it comes to listening to music, looking for Independent, unsigned, and preferably (but not necessarily) local bands and musicians is definitely the way forward.

When I was in my early teens I became weaned off disposable mainstream pop chart music through 'discovering' bands like Bonjovi and Green Day. It sounds ridiculous I know because the two bands couldn't really be further from each other and yet, they're both still melodic, mainstream and in essence, produce what is essentially still pop music.

Fast forward a decade or so... I am realising more and more that my musical tastes are becoming far more selective and the things I want to listen to and actually find interesting are somewhat of a rarity. That's not to say that I haven't discovered decent bands or reject 90% of what I hear - it's just that I am finding myself alot less satisfied by mainstream sounds as time goes by.

For example, because of Radio playlists A and B dictating what we hear, there may have been a point in my life where I might have found someone like Adele, (no pun intended) mildly interesting if not at least pleasant and inoffensive purely because - unlike alot of other mainstream artists - she actually "writes her own songs" and apparently that is commendable in this day and age. But does that actually mean she's any good?

Indeed it wasn't all that long ago that I may have thought of someone like "The Killers" as a pretty good band, and it's not as if I think they're a horrible band, but do I find their music to be genuinely interesting, unique or moving? I have to be honest and say no. I think they're alright, but it goes no further than that.

In both cases, it's not that I hate either artist, it's just that I no longer have any tolerance for the way mainstream music has previously affected the way I view music.

I shouldn't for example, have to think that Adele is wonderful just because she writes her own songs because that shouldn't be viewed as anything exceptional. On the contrary, it should just be the standard.

Neither should I have to think that "The Killers" are a pretty good band just because they were one of only a select few guitar-based bands in the charts around the time they came out. That shouldn't and doesn't mean that they're automatically excellent in accordance with my ears though does it!?

So based on this theory, and judging by the way mainstream music is now as I write, Coldplay are undeniably the best band in the world, and Ed Sheeran is great, because if I was forced to listen to all the dance and RnB stuff being churned out of Radio 1 all day then I would be extremely grateful to hear either of those artists. Well, I'm beginning to realise more and more that for a person who genuinely loves music, it really doesn't have to be that way at all...

It amazes me when people think that that's all there is to the music industry and that there's nothing else which exists outside of Radio 1, or even just 'radio' in itself...

Well that's fine if all you want to do is hum along to a few tunes that will be around for a few months before they disappear off the face of the earth to make way for new stuff.

If you don't care about longevity, then it makes no difference right? In a few decades time you'll have fun listening to those songs all over again on some "best of naughties" compilation chart music and it'll bring back so many good memories for you won't it.

Well that's all fine and beano... but I want more than that. I don't want to spend my time listening to some list of music which has been compiled and considered 'cool', and generally isn't remotely good at all and at best is just "okay"... I want to listen to something which I actually think is great and not because that's what I'm being told or because it's the best of someone else's bunch.

And if taking my own pick of the vineyard (as opposed to just the bunch) means that I'm chosing to listen instead, to music from musicians or bands that aren't signed, aren't played much on the radio (or at all) and none of my mates have heard of them, and they're not going to feature on any "Best of the naughties" compilations in a few decades time, then I can honestly deal with that....

Radiohead are one of the biggest, greatest and most well respected bands on the planet, but if I went to my local high street and asked around, I could almost guarantee that more people will have heard of the Spice Girls and that there'll even be people who couldn't tell you the name of one radiohead song. So why should it matter if no one else has heard of a band so long as you like what you hear?

Think of it this way... your favourite musician or band could be just under your nose and you wouldn't even know as much because you spend all your life having your ears conditioned to commercial sounds made by commercial artists who are constantly competing in master volume to be louder than any other tracks... Jessie J goes all the way up to 11 don't you know!? What's happened to dynamics? When was the last time you heard a piece of music that lowered in volume half way through so that it was almost as quiet as a car engine before increasing once again? What's happened to the character and natural beauty of the human voice, recorded as it is, with no corrective autotune? If you listen to mainstream music for too long all these things will become alien to you...

It's like when you hear people say that bands that play live are never as good as the studio. What they're hearing is what they believe to be imperfection. What it is in reality is natural, raw and exciting and driven by an energy of the moment which will never be repeated.

Or to give another example, I distinctly remember playing a friend a song I had written and recorded in the studio which had guitar feedback in the opening seconds, and upon hearing this my friend literally recoiled... So even though guitar feedback is a technique which has been used in music since as far back as the 60's, she found it to be unpalatable because feedback doesn't tend to happen on her radio station of choice - which just so happens to be all she's ever listened to.

So I say, the more niche the better. So long as you like it who cares. Lets put an end to greedy itunes, robbing independent artists of profit and instead turn to places like bandcamp.com where your money is guaranteed to pass over big corporations, management, record labels, cut out all the middle men and actually reach the pockets of the artist themselves, who are afterall - the ones who are deserving of your money.

Listen to BBC Radio 6 who give local unsigned, independent, penniless musicians the chance to be heard by the masses.

Listen to amazing radio.

Follow music blogs such as http://freshonthenet.co.uk/ and http://killingmoonlimited.com/

Look at places like bandcamp.com, reverbnation, alonetone and find music which you think is great. Discover niche terms for musical genres that you like the sound of and search for them online.

I discovered Birdeatsbaby - who are interesting to say the least - through the keyword "Punk cabaret" and I realised to my joy that there are infact other bands out there that sound like similar to The Dresden Dolls. (one of my favourite bands)

I discovered Nadine Shah through going to see Shakespeares Sister (for a laugh) and never expected that the support act would have one of the most beautiful and moving voices I'd heard in ages. I went to see Nadine Shah a few more times after that. I don't have to pay extortionate amounts to listen to her play and I don't have to travel to Manchester or Scotland, as I very often have to in order to see other musicians or bands that I like, such as PJ Harvey, Arcade Fire, Radiohead etc.... I reluctantly accept (for now) that Nadine never plays as many songs as I would like to hear, but that really is the only downside.

Through attending the gigs that Nadine plays, I discover absolute gems like Ajimal and have the unreal pleasure of watching one of the most brilliant and interesting live sets I've seen in quite sometime, and paying a mere £8 for the privilege, and then discover that Ajimal is playing locally a number of time in the next few months.

I listen to the "listening post" at http://freshonthenet.co.uk/batch8/comment-page-1/#comment-2052 and discover absolute beauty, seconds into a song from a band called "Dry The River" along with a guy called Ian Thistlethwaite who sounds somewhere between The Smiths and Belle and Sebastian and who write songs called "You’re 24, Stop Talking About Disney, Girl"...

I know that to some extent you might have to work slightly harder to find music that you love, but when you find something you love, it's in knowing that these sorts of bands are organic, as yet unaffected by fame, unaffilicted by money-orientated labels who push for commercial value over artistic integrity, untainted and free to create what they want - which is what makes your time with them and your discovery of them so special. Maybe they'll get big, maybe they won't. But they deserve your support, so you buy their music and pay to see them live, and either way, you'll probably listen to them for years and years to come because they speak to you and say "something to you about your life" more so than anything on a "best of the naughties" compilation album could ever do!

Girl From Winter Jargon

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