Our intrepid reporter offers up more compelling CMJ panel coverage from the wild, untamed conference rooms of NYU’s Kimmel Center. What dazzling tales will he regale us with today? Will it be “How I Lost My Keys?” Or perhaps “How I Got Stuck In The Elevator?” Find out after the jump.

Panel 1 – Wednesday 10/17, 10:30am
Indie Rock Taste Test (featuring Dan Deacon!)
Does all “indie rock” sound the same? Is “indie” an aesthetic, a business model or something else? The experts hammer it out once and for all in this no-holds-barred look at the changing face of what it means to be “indie.” Includes a special focus on the effects of the definition debate and international differences of opinion.

I knew this panel was gonna get crazy, but I honestly didn’t anticipate the mad audience rush up to the dais, to crowd around Dan Deacon the instant he took the mic. Dan began to pontificate about his stance on “indie,” and then proceeded to lay down some incredible electro beats as the crowd swirled in a vortex around him, fists pumping, asses shaking, bathed in a sweaty, exuberant glow.

Just kidding. Deacon didn’t show up.

Luckily, the rest of the panelists did. The moderator, Anthropologist Wendy Fonarow, explained that the panel was going to address the questions of (1.) “What does ‘Indie’ mean to you?”, (2.) “Why do we care?,” and (3.) “What’s at stake?” Panelists included Guy Lowman, A & R man for Fierce Panda; Sue Busch, radio promo head at Sub Pop; Elise Nordling, music director/DJ for Indie Pop Rocks, and Mike Wolf, music editor for Time Out New York, with whom I felt immediate kinship, as he explained that he was “old school,” and that “indie rock,” to him, always meant bands like Superchunk and Thinking Fellers (TFUL).” Of course, that’s most certainly not what it means today, though, does it? And that’s what the panel was here to talk about.

The panelists’ initial responses to the question (”What Is Indie?”) were as follows: Wolf said that ‘Indie’ was something that was concerned with defining itself in the context of being something that’s “other.” Lowman’s definition of indie was simply “Against the mainstream.” Sue Busch agreed, elaborating that ‘Indie’ was about producing music, shows, and etc., without ties to any major label (offering a sincere chuckle at her own statement, considering the relationship between Sub Pop and Warner). Elise Nordling agreed in turn, and went just a bit more specific, offering that she thought of ‘Indie’ more specifically indicated the condition of “being on an independent label.”

At this point, the panelists continued to expand upon their initial statements, but I think everyone in the room realized that it was asking a lot to come to a “once and for all” consensus on the meaning of “indie” in a single one-hour session, so Fonarow opened it up for audience questions after just 30 minutes. We got the obligatory “What do you think about blogs?” (”they’re good”), and “What do you think about Pitchfork?” (”The ultimate indie snobbery… great in some ways.”), but there were also some good questions, such as “how are labels addressing all of the new DIY methods, and adapting for the future?” (”Essentially becoming more like marketing companies” was the response). Another good question raised was about the issue of “selling out,” and more specifically, how does one determine the moment at which something ceases to be “Indie?” Lowman said, “It’s like Wayne’s World…” He then began to elaborate, but frankly, I got totally lost, so let’s just leave it at that: Question: “What Is Indie?” Answer: “It’s like Wayne’s World.”

But seriously, folks, I think that, in conclusion, it was actually Mike Wolf that answered the main question of this panel best. Asked to name a few examples of indie bands, he replied, without missing a beat (and with just a bit of a chuckle), “Fugazi is the only true indie band, ever.”