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Raandy
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6/12/2015 1:45:19 AM
Indies, are they relevant to anything?
Everybody I know hates even the term "indie". Meanwhile, there are more indie songs online than there are cornflakes at the Kellogg factory.
How can online artists be relevant?
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IMPoster
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6/12/2015 3:17:55 AM
In the mainstream of life there are Islands of Hope
Where they cling to the Rocks of Grim Death
They call themselves Indies, they swim without rope
As the Tide of Mundane steals their breath
And nobody sees how their struggle ain't working
Cold fingers will soon lose their grip
In The Sea of Confusion the iceberg is lurking
To sink all their dreams as they slip
But they're not independent, just beach bums transcendent
Who wait for a lifeboat of joy
With no reason to be they will flounder at sea
Pedaling water for ever - Ahoy!
They call themselves Indies, these Bruce's and Cindys
Whose soggy wet flares will misfire
Give up your sad quest, you are just like the rest
And you'll soon meet your St Elmo's Fire
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Shoe City Sound
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6/12/2015 5:21:06 AM
Great post!!
If the question is how can online artists be relevant - the answer is they ARE. To go online and search for exactly what you want to hear at that exact moment without record corporations censoring your choices is Heaven to me. I have found the music that really means everything to me online.
Now if the question is how can online artists be relevant if the goal is to make money - that's different. They can't.
Me, I write and record and listen because it's total freedom. I have been in business deals where someone that knows nothing about music has tried to change things in a more marketable direction. It sucked for me. I support the artists that I love and buy any of their stuff I can get my hands on.
At this volatile point in time many people of all types - not just artists - are doing the most important work in the Universe and not caring about money. Everyone I know loves and needs their music everyday of their lives to go on. Maybe that's how we bring the corporate types down in some small way - in a big way if you add up all the people that are working from the heart and not for a paycheck. At least the artist is completely in control of his own work at this point.
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Hop On Pop
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6/12/2015 7:05:40 AM
Relevant is a relative term.
As an indie artist who is not doing much more than adding to the clutter of online indie music clogging up the internet, myself, I would like to THINK that I am relevant. However, truth is, not even the majority of people on THIS site (which I have been a part of since its inception) know who the hell I am.
By trying to define yourself in terms like these, you are going to do nothing but discourage yourself and bring yourself down.
Me, I'm just after trying to get as many people to hear my music as possible. I'm just measuring success one listener at a time. Each time I hear back from somebody who has listened to my song, who has liked my song, become a Facebook fan, or added one of my songs to their IMP station, or given me terrestrial airplay or whatever, it is just another success. Those are the things that keep me going. And, unless something miraculous happens, that will be what sustains me as an artist until the day I die.
It's not much, but when you love what you do, you gotta take success and "relevance" wherever you can find it.
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6/12/2015 12:59:41 PM
Well I can tell you one thing, indies are more relevant than that junk they play on the Top 40 mainstream.
Actually I just stopped by to note that this new IMP above would make a great lyricist, with lines like
but they're not independent, just beach bums transcendent
and
Whose soggy wet flares will misfire. :D
That poem rocked.
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Stoneman
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6/12/2015 2:31:38 PM
Yeah, I agree about the poem! it was off the chain and indicative of someone with serious writing skills. As for the whole indie thing, well, I really hate labels. I don't even like to be put in a genre box let alone a musicians class box. The main goal of anyone who does music should be to satisfy that inner urge to communicate through music. If you should happen to be lucky enough to go mainstream with your message then more power to you. But basically, we all start out as "indies" and eventually become artists. Artists are practitioners in the sonic arts. They have the freedom to reach down and pull out their untapped abilities without being stunted by corporate conditional direction. There are many artists that have gone beyond the indie terminology towards artistic freedom without having to compromise their inner creative flow. Prince and Stevie Wonder are two artists that have always kept it real while maintaining wealth and relevance according to the music industry biblical doctrines. Of course that would translate to both charting and financial success. But they both stood their ground creatively and have reaped the rewards without any taint.
I bring them up only to point out that it can be done. Relevance is such a subjective term. Relevant according to who or what? The home town musician who plays the small time gigs gives the big time players relevance simply because he has not yet reached their level. But that does not mean he never will reach it. Nor does it mean that he will never be relevant to anyone. It has been my experience that people who constantly reach eventually grab onto something. It is the folks that look up towards the sky and accept the belief that it is too high to reach that never make it. They can never win because they are really not in the game. They won't reach the top echelon because that is no longer their goal. It is okay to have different goals though. Maybe you just want to play music because you like it. If that is the case, why do you have to be labeled something like the term indie? Maybe you are just "underground". I like that term better because it implies that I exist in a world far beneath the surface reality. Many great artists came from the underground. They combed the urban streets selling their CD's and tapes out of the trunks of their cars to anyone who happened to be willing to listen. They made it big with grassroots campaigns and tireless tours through musical havens and neighborhoods. The statement always being "I am here and I am relevant". Much in the same way that the wondering minstrels of the past discovered and explored an untapped market. So do they (underground artists) by being there. Where is there you ask? It is anywhere that has the need to hear something new, fresh and exciting. In my youth I toured all over this nation with a variety of bands (including the chitlin circuit) and I have seen many artists who were more relevant than anything mainstream has ever produced. World renowned fame may have missed them but their relevance was secured by performances that left entire rooms of people thankful to have witnessed what so many will never hear or see. Artistic perfection with unlimited satisfaction. Satisfaction that is mutual between the artist and those who seek art. These artists would probably see the term "indie" as an affront to everything they strove to accomplish. Their main goal is to exist and be satiated by the sharing of their art. Satiation is relevant to anyone who finds it.
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SILVERWOODSTUDIO
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6/12/2015 7:59:05 PM
Hi Raandy
ImPoster trumped ewe with his poem, but maybe that was a tag team thing.
I like Feral, Cheap, Fast, Unknown, Witty
better than Popular ,Slow, Expensive, Fashionable, Stereotypes,
Because thats how life unravels in my part of the world,
Everyone I know is weird and made up!
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Voodoohead Productions
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6/13/2015 8:04:43 AM
indie.whatever, I have been promoting entertainers for years. and ones who have no label, who are self funded grinding it out, hard working men and women who are bringing their art passion and love for making music. indie. online artists. whatever, they are unique,, not like the chopped liver you hear now. there is originality in all of them. they are special, and vital to the music scene.
Want the word indie banished from out vocab,. then find a new one to describe guys like this
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Noah Spaceship
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6/14/2015 11:07:31 PM
a lot of it is garbage, sorry.
but, to the extent that defines indie, some do break the stigma.
You can try to put all inide music in one column, but I think a small group in each genre are relevant, because of the influence those artists have on the next break though artist.
dog eat dog, you have to make yourself relevant, i think.
good luck in this sea of wanna be sharks
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Noah Spaceship
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6/14/2015 11:08:52 PM
but in short, no, no they(we) are not
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Bryon Tosoff
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6/15/2015 6:26:40 AM
I dont promote garbage Fred. I am very particular who I take on. and yes, there are some not worth helping out, but it has been good for the music industry, it essentially has changed the landscape and labels dont have the same clout as in the past. still strong, but things have changed, dramatically, but with this whole culture of working your own thing, it has been good, and i have been on the ride for 14 years making a difference for the little guys, I can speak from experience as one who is immersed in the whole culture of that word some avoid using or hate. we should invest a new word to describe bands with no label or companies willing to dump in loads of cash developing them. I would say I have more insight and understanding then a lot of people here because of what I do. So yes, it has made a difference and will continue to as these groups carve out a place and niche and work their way through the maze, but must remain committed to originality and be in it for the long haul. I could say a whole lot more. but that is it. I know otherwise ,lets call them blue collar gutting it out musicians and entertainers, lunch bucket guys and gals doing what they love. and loving what they do. most are not just hacking out crap .
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Chandra Moon
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6/15/2015 7:13:42 AM
Who are we to judge what's "garbage" and what isn't. If people hadn't listened to my early offerings of poorly recorded, badly constructed, pretty awful first efforts I wouldn't have gone on to record two albums I'm pretty proud of now. I managed to sell quite a few hundred of the first one and not many of the second even though I think it's a much better album. I say hurray for the indies - some of the best music and amazing people having belief in their own creativity despite the criticisms from outside and their own inner demons!
For me now, I have no interest whatsoever in not staying indie even if given the chance. Creativity, creativity, creativity all the way not governed and controlled by the mainstream, what's the most "in" thing, manufactured pap music! No - it's sad that it's virtually impossible to make an actual living but I wouldn't swap it for anything.
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EM GIEL
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6/15/2015 8:14:13 AM
I love indie music...the fact that the world is getting dumb doesn't mean that everybody has to get dumb...music is the world and always will be as long as you prevail in keeping on believing what's important to your life! Long live IMP!!!
Love EM
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Noah Spaceship
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6/15/2015 9:55:42 AM
Nice.
Get that blood flowing.
Most of my recorded is music is garbage.
Who gets to judge?
Me
You
Are we not listeners?
Are we not entertained?
This is Sparta!!
Braah!!
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Noah Spaceship
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6/15/2015 10:04:22 AM
I love being indie. I'm free to do whatever the fuck I want. I am relevant to me, and like I said, some (few) artists do influence other artists and that influence (to me) is what makes any art form relevant.
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Richard Scotti
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6/15/2015 10:45:39 AM
---- Updated 6/15/2015 10:48:09 AM
Things don't have to be defined! Everything can be just what it is and everyone can have their own opinion as to what they think it is. Subjectivity is all there is. All music categories are meaningless. Life in general is so random! Why even try to make sense of it? Art is just another part of life like the weather or your destiny or where you're born. It's just another inscrutable aspect of reality. Some people make art. Some people make shoes. It's all the same. People are just doing what they believe they have to do or want to do or have no choice but to do. That's it. If it makes you happy and it doesn't hurt anybody, then it's a thing to do. You only have to be relevant to yourself (or not) This is a choice. People search and struggle to define what life is and what everything means, but John Lennon was right when he sang, "Nothing is real, and there's nothing to get hung about".
Online artists want to express themselves creatively. They put much time and effort into trying to put out something that others will appreciate. This is an admirable endeavor. If these artists can change the world is not for me to say.
It is whatever it is. If one person finds hope in one song they heard, that's a good thing. That has relevance to the writer of the song as well as to the listener.
Sometimes I get e-mails from people who have been moved or inspired in some way from a song I wrote. Since I'm a so-called "indie", those people would never have heard my song if not for this website. Inherent in being "independent" is the ability and freedom to write and communicate in ways that would be restricted if corporate interests were controlling the content.
When my music touches people, I feel relevant and I feel that I have a purpose in life. I enjoy doing it and some people like it. That's all there is. If the number of people liking something is essential to it's popularity or universal "relevance", I really don't care. Math was never my thing. One to one is good enough for me.
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Noah Spaceship
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6/15/2015 11:55:17 AM
---- Updated 6/15/2015 12:18:27 PM
After reading these responses, I realize there are two ways this question(s) has been asked and addressed.
relevance in anything and how to be relevant in a sea of online data.
everyone here and this site is relevant in a general sense on a one to one basis, but
we are completely lost in a sea of data online, and again, I stand by my first response. We are not relevant on that front and have been fighting for relevance online for at least 15 years to no avail.
the big record A&R machine stole our badge and packaged it, sucking any relevance we may of had right out of our grasp.
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Noah Spaceship
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6/15/2015 12:04:25 PM
Brian, I saw what you did there, haha
http://indiemusicpeople.com/songs.aspx?SongID=94433&ArtistID=87625
I'm glad you are here, you are definitely relevant to me.
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EM GIEL
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6/15/2015 12:49:07 PM
I played once with my band in the Star Club in Hamburg ...we were up against competing against the cheesiest band in the world some dudes who arrived with 100 trucks of equipment, they had 2 hours of sound check..we had 1 minute and yet the audience gave us 90% of their votes, so..all I hear is Indies get frustrated but after all...Indie music is the only way to go unless you want to settle for some idiots lip-syncing. God it had to be said!!!
https://myspace.com/subwaystudio104/video/subway-riders-raving-rider-live-session-mcr/43049539
Hang in there EM GIEL
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Richard Scotti
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6/15/2015 5:42:55 PM
---- Updated 6/15/2015 9:59:44 PM
It's so difficult to stand out in a crowd, especially when the crowd is comprised of millions of people on the internet. That's why I don't put all my eggs in this one basket.
I'm not on Facebook or Twitter because I know my identity will be neutralized there.
I network in my hometown of NYC because there are kindred spirits here who "get me". The internet is a place to play one's songs for the fun of it, and sometimes commercial gains can be made. But whether you're just on the internet or just networking in your hometown or both - it's very hard to be different from anyone else. The key to the kind of relevance being discussed in previous posts is to MAKE YOUR MUSIC THE BEST IT CAN BE AND THE MOST ORIGINAL IT CAN BE. Then you will stand out from the crowd no matter where the crowd is. I want to write the best and the most original songs I can write but sometimes I fall short. I hope someday soon I can write something that is so unique and so outrageous that it can't be ignored. I guess I'm not "different" enough. But I keep working harder and harder. I have a bunch of new songs I'll be releasing soon that I think are better than anything I've done before. For me, that's a personal victory. Will I then stand out from the crowd? Anything is possible but not everything is probable. There's a level and a kind of "relevance" that I will probably never achieve but I'll have fun trying. I don't have to be a rock star to be happy. I just love love making music.
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Bryon Tosoff
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6/15/2015 10:07:32 PM
In as much as I respect Richard Scotti's approach and personal philosophy and reasons for avoiding the social media thing, I just cant wrap my head around someone who does not use other social media I have gained so many contacts via facebook and twitter,Dont get me wrong, I love his style of music, and feel he is one of the best production guys and musicians here at IMP but totally disagree with his reasoning, its not for me, I am a different Cat. As you probably all know
Now understandably many on twitter may not be what I call effective contacts and many just want you to follow or hook up with them , Lets face it, you have to learn to use the tools and keep abreast of what is happening in this fast paced world. As for the social media thing, well you have to know how to sort through then all and be savvy about it all., and manage your time effectively because you can lose a lot of your life through FB, twitter and not be as productive as you possibly could be, so stay balanced, and dont get sucked into the vortex of this blogging thing trying to convince people you know best, it wont work, respect others ideas and ideals and do what works best for your own needs. make sense, I hope so.
I consider myself a pretty insightful about how things work in this music industry and still learn new things all the time and I am a fully immersed person in the promo end of things, So just thought I drop my own take on the social media thing, I dont want to short change myself, or those I promote, so I take advantage of any and all types of ways there are to gain traction and inroads to the many opportunities that are out there. So my recommendation to you all, is this , learn about the business of music, just not the music, grow and develop your abilities and know how how to better your self as a musciian and a business person
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EM GIEL
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6/16/2015 4:24:42 AM
---- Updated 6/16/2015 4:29:04 AM
Totally unrelated:
Richard Scotti...it's 7:20 AM and I completely enjoy your version of "Forever Young". it's absolutely beautiful....fuck the world and the internet...Music is wonderful..Jesus Christ I have to buy new strings and have to go jamming again in NYC. IMP/IAC forever god bless everybody here EM
JC just listened to Running over it is really cool!!!!! Congrats!!!!
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Richard Scotti
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6/16/2015 5:14:30 AM
Thank you, EM. I appreciate the comments.
I
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