Comments on: Enthusiastic DIY Band Learns Music Industry Is An Awful Place

By: kenziejane

kenziejane — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:38:14 +0000

I read this article and was kind of offended since the majority of the bands I like are diy and indie bands… But then i went on these guys' myspace and watched their music video for “88th Precinct,” and i realized they SUCK. I don't think i have heard a more awful excuse for “music” in my entire life. It's reassuring listening having listened to these guys because now I know that there are some diy and indie bands that play great, quality music, and actually have talent. And i'm glad i listen to those bands and not this crap. :)

By: 30f

30f — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:47:04 +0000

I posted on this topic and got a nice response from the Team Robespierre guy. Oh, he gets it!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:38:22 +0000

“Before starting, for the sake of transparency, I would like to state that I helped release the Team Robespierre debut LP, Everything’s Perfect in early 2008 and helped them on various levels for most of the year.”

Waaaah – you’re little indie project didn’t work out. Fuck you.

By: 30f

30f — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:03:14 +0000

Excerpt from a conversation about this ‘Out of Touch’ article, “I want to pay my own way to NYC to punch all these whiny babies in the face.” I am over that urge now, as long as I don’t glance at the article again.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:49:32 +0000

@anumberofnames: That's just showbiz. Nations of Ulysses was way more popular than any prom band.
There are millions willing to pay/download bands with integrity and no ambition.
Team Robespierre are just another band that tried and failed and will soon be forgotten (unless they try again and succeed. In which case this will become a story about their DIY determination and unstoppable pluck). Just like all those prom bands from '89 that thought Tom Petty covers were the next big thing.

By: Cam/ron

Cam/ron — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:09:11 +0000

@KikoJones: That whole "I fight off the major labels and trendy fans with a stick" attitude among indie bands now seems quaint and rather arrogant these days. Many indie artists are now dying for the smallest piece of media publicity and commercial success since the playing field is overcrowded thanks to the Internet.

By: KikoJones

KikoJones — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:52:27 +0000

@anumberofnames: For the most part those kinds of artists are AWOL. But the bigger issue is that a large part of the audience is immune to earnestness and revels in bands that come across as detached and ironic. Which, of course, makes for plenty of disposable music/bands.

By: anumberofnames

anumberofnames — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:19:56 +0000

This whole thing is extremely depressing, and of course I feel like "the old guy" at 30. Maybe I am the one who is out of touch, but it seems like the cause of shunning easy fame has no currency these days. Even bands that seem to shun easy fame, like Blank Dogs, eventually seem actually to be exploiting "rarity" for its own sake.

Nation of Ulysses interview, 1989:
Ian: If I wanted to just rock then we could play Tom Petty covers at proms and people would dance their butts off, and they'd genuinely enjoy it. But that's not what I want to do. I'd rather suck poop.

People have talked shit about Ian Svenonius since he first stepped on the scene, and he admittedly has made some bad business choices, but ultimately I think all his artistic choices have been justifiable, and he never catered to anyone else. You can say the same of Calvin Johnson and other people from the 80s/90s U.S. independent rock era.

Am I ignorant to say that these kinds of characters don't exist now? If there's something I'm missing, I want to know about it! Is it simply an inevitability of the Internet age or is it the fault of the bands who make a myspace page before they've played a show?

By: spankyjoe

spankyjoe — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:44:15 +0000

@KikoJones:

For a social group so obsessed with sustainability, you think they'd be somewhat upset with such a disposable product, but what do I know?

By: KikoJones

KikoJones — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:40:44 +0000

@unperson: Yes. I believe they are called hipsters. (And because of the "G" train stop in the video, we'll assume they are of the Greenpoint/Williamsburg, Brooklyn variety.) But they won't be listening to this particular band for long: it's against the rules.