re: Best Current Rock Band?

Toad The Wet Sprocket

How are they indie rock at all?

Actually, wikipedia has a pretty solid definition for a term that is inherently ephemeral:

quote:

---

Indie rock, derived from "independent", describes the small and relatively low-budget labels on which it is released and the do-it-yourself attitude of the bands and artists involved. Although distribution deals are often struck with major corporate companies, these labels and the bands they host have attempted to retain their autonomy, leaving them free to explore sounds, emotions and subjects of limited appeal to large, mainstream audiences.[1] The influences and styles of the artists has been extremely diverse, including punk, psychedelia, rock and country.[2] The terms alternative rock and indie rock were used interchangeably in the 1980s, but after many alternative bands followed Nirvana into the mainstream in the early 1990s it began to be used to distinguish those bands, working in a variety of styles, that did not pursue or achieve commercial success.[1]

Allmusic identifies indie rock as including a number of styles that are: "too sensitive and melancholy; too soft and delicate; too dreamy and hypnotic; too personal and intimately revealing in its lyrics; too low-fidelity and low-budget in its production; too angular in its melodies and riffs; too raw, skronky and abrasive, wrapped in too many sheets of Sonic Youth/Dinosaur Jr./Pixies/Jesus & Mary Chain-style guitar noise; too oblique and fractured in its song structures; too influenced by experimental or otherwise unpopular musical styles." Linked by an ethos more than a musical approach, the indie rock movement encompassed a wide range of styles, from hard-edged, grunge-influenced bands, through do-it-yourself experimental bands like Pavement, to punk-folk singers such as Ani DiFranco.[3] Many countries have developed an extensive local indie scene, flourishing with bands with enough popularity to survive inside the respective country, but virtually unknown outside them.[4]

Indie rock has been identified as a reaction against the "macho" culture that developed in alternative rock in the aftermath of Nirvana's success.[1] It has been noted that indie rock has a relatively high proportion of female artists compared with preceding rock genres, a tendency exemplified by the development of the feminist-informed Riot Grrrl music of acts like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, 7 Year Bitch, Team Dresch and Huggy Bear.[5]

---

Not perfect, but it's a bit more than "not on a major label". there is an aesthetic. A better term than indie rock might be "post-punk".

quote:

---

"Best" and "favorite" are two different conversations.

---

quote:

---

Absolutely.

I wouldn't "rotfl" at someone who said their favorite band is Chevelle. Fair enough. To each his own. But best is a whole new ball game.

---

No no no no no no.

Music can ONLY be judged subjectively. If you're evaluating music on anything other than how much you like it, then what in the world are you evaluating it on? fricking album sales? fricking hipster cred?

Best == favorite.

Passion Pit is the best band in the world. Why? Because it sounds the best to me. Next!

P.O.D or Muse

quote:

---

Best == favorite.

---

Absolutely not. I just cannot and will not agree with that.

Kings of Leon

And this below

quote:

---

If were just talking about the best mainstream rock band its the Foo Fighters.

---

quote:

---

So because it's your opinion that somehow makes it not debatable?

---

Obviously my post was made in jest.

I don't think it is entirely subjective. Take the food example, some food is simply better than other food. Food at a fancy French restaurant with a master chef is simply better than a Big Mac and fries. I do believe there is a subjective component to both (for example, I hate mushrooms, it doesn't mean mushrooms are objectively terrible, but it does mean I will not like a dish that features mushrooms), but I think there IS an objective component as well as the subjective.

What music is is personal. There is no form of art that is quite so personal to the audience. We use music as a shorthand to partially define who we are, consciously and subconsciously. An attack on our favorite band is different than an attack on our favorite TV show because our band is part of who we are, even if we don't want to admit it.

A great way to get an idea of someone's personality is to see what is on their iPod.

quote:

---

I can't stand people like this. Music is completely subjective and you are mocking other people's opinions because you disagree. It would be like tearing someone down for not liking the same food that you like. Sure some food is better than other but when taste in anything is so subjective you have to take people's interests into account which may cause them to feel a certain way about certain music

---

But a Mason's burger is better than a McDonalds burger. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a finer piece of food. The same can extend to music.

ETA - I should have read Baloo's post first. He hit the nail on the head.