Riffed

We've all heard the term 'indie' being branded about of late, but where has this sudden craze for two or three note, foot pedal and Macbook mastered music come from? 

Well, it would appear 'indie music' has been a sleeping giant. After years of being the ugly duckling, it has matured into a mighty swan and evolved into a kind of movement, in which all the kids wear tattered Nike Air Max with ripped black jeans and a baggy chequered shirt over a stained tee whilst dancing without a care in the world to some dazy, tropical and pyschedelic sounds performed by three or four guys wearing the same attire. Sound familiar? We thought so... it may be the answer to turning the volume down on Capital fm a little bit, but, is it just as bad? We are afraid to tell you so. Nowadays, if you want a bit of cash, all you have to do is find a mate who has a guitar, find a mate who has a drum kit, find a mate who has a bass and find a mate who can't sing and you've got yourself the next big thing on the indie scene. Is this really how music should be? Admittedly, there are some good indie bands out there, such as JAWS and Wolf Alice and prior to these, Peace and Swim Deep where the big boys and still are, but after appearing in our top 3 Of The Most Over-Hyped Artists In The Industry, they're both on a rapid decline in our opinion. Despite it being so simple to make a name for yourself, going to an indie bands gig is quite an irritating experience also. All that seems to occur in the crowd is a continous mosh. Even If Engelbert Humperdinck were to show up on stage they'd most probably still push and pull you in and out of a bruising experience. Admittedly, you do go to a gig to enjoy the music and let yourself loose and free for a short while, but having had first hand experience at gigs such as JAWS and Temples, we realise that it can be quite annoying. 

Although there are some good indie artists out there, this is overshadowed by the simple and shockingly poor array of 'talent' being hyped about these days and of course, the rather annoying gig experiences. Wake us up when the next 'hip' craze is here. 

Written by Charlie Ireland. 

RIFFED x