Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Mainstream, Indie and Underground

Most people in Malaysia did not understand what is the true definition of mainstream, indie and underground. The older generation used to think that indie music and underground music are bad. This perception is totally unacceptable. They should know what indie music and underground music are all about before making statement that will hurt people who support the movement of indie and underground band. Here, I'll explain this three things briefly.

Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current of thought of the majority. It is a term most often applied in the arts (i.e., music, literature, and performance). This includes:
- something that is usual
- something that is familiar to the masses
- something that is available to the general public

As such, the mainstream includes all popular culture, typically disseminated by mass media. The opposite of the mainstream are subcultures, countercultures, cult followings and underground cultures.

Mainstream music denotes music that is familiar and unthreatening to the masses as for example popular music, pop music, middle of the road music or soft rock but it should be noted that older generations often dislike the mainstream taste of the youth and may not agree to what is or is not mainstream.

Independent
In popular music, independent music often abbreviated as indie. It is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing.

There are a number of cultural and philosophical traits which could be more useful in pinpointing what indie music is about than specific musical styles or commercial ownership. Indie artists are concerned more with self-expression than commercial considerations (though, again, this is a stance that is affected by many artists, including hugely commercially successful ones). A do-it-yourself sensibility, which originated with punk in the 1970s is often associated with indie, with people in the scene being involved in bands, labels, nights and zines.

Internet technology allows artists to introduce their music to a potentially enormous audience at low cost without necessarily affiliating with a major recording label. Most artists maintain their own Web sites as well as having a presence on sites such as Myspace.com. Technological advances such as message board, music blogs, and social networks are also being used by independent music companies to make big advances in the business.

Underground
Underground music is music which has developed a cult following, independent of commercial success. This music generally speaking has little or no mainstream appeal, visibility or commercial presence. The term is also currently used to describe contemporary music of non-mainstream musical exponents with actual specific genre or style being unimportant in determining the "underground" status. This diversity may serve to "protect" underground music from being packaged and marketed based on a restricted, easily identifiable sound.

The term underground music has been applied to several artistic movements, such as the psychedelic movement of the mid 1960s,other early underground include the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and Iggy Pop and the Stooges, all three of whom have made significant contributions to music.

13 comments:

Friendster Addict said...

dude, do you wanna link xchange with my webzine blog? here my link:

http://indiemusik.co.cc/

hit me back if you already put mine so i can put yours !!

go go malaysia indie scene!

Rockin' Chains said...

Do let us know of any breaking news in your scene. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

hello there, i was wondering if you can give me some reliable source about the indie scene in m'sia for my persuasive speech that is due this friday. the topic is "mainstream vs indie, why you should listen to indie rather than mainstream."

if possible i would like to know about the history as well.. contact me asap because i'm really "desperate" for some info..

add my ym at mcshit27@yahoo.com

plz reply ASAP!! thanks man!!

Anonymous said...

indie music is for me, not meant to be as big as mainstream music. if it is made huge, it will be one of the mainstream category. so, let indie BE indie Hmm??? Anyway, need more of malaysian english-based indie band. luv estrella and pop shuvit.

Anonymous said...

indie music is for me, not meant to be as big as mainstream music. if it is made huge, it will be one of the mainstream category. so, let indie BE indie Hmm??? Anyway, need more of malaysian english-based indie band. luv estrella and pop shuvit.

Anonymous said...

bila nak update ni bro? nwy,
i am desperately seeking some info about this band yg nyanyi HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE USED N DISCARDED blablabla. Yes, sad cos i just heard that its from a band call LAW? LOW? entah. tajuk lagu pun aku tatau tapi lagu dia mmg kool giler; ada suntikan the beatles. and does anybody know what happened to DOUL the chef rapper? oh ya,
aku suka Sayla dan Caprice punya suara dan lagu. boleh tertipu cos serius shiX macam mat salleh/nigger. tapi kenapa eh mesti ada lirik yang malicious dan berbaur seks itu? not cool la

Anonymous said...

lagu Oh Sizuka sangat bestttttttttttttttt!
eh, any news on temperedmental??

Jinxy said...

Wahahah..~
at last,i got something to read!

hAnABeE said...

Interested to join Battle of the Band..
Email me for more details..
hansbajh89@gmail.com

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs015.snc4/34129_133924036637630_100000601043650_260373_4227963_n.jpg

wany musa said...

why didnt u write anymore?

AkuMuzikFilem said...

so where u now?

Only 1 said...

Best Collection Of English Songs (with lyrics).

Do visit ourSongs. ourLyrics. ourMemories.
Hope you guys will enjoy.

To me, there’s 2 types of songs, good & bad. And I just like to stick with the good 1s.

Sprock said...

Speaking of Indie/Underground/mainstream, take a listen to Atif Zul's PULAU HIJAU for something calm and soothing! Availble on most music platform and youtube.

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