The Knife

Brother and sister, Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer make up this two piece band under their own label. Karin has an eerie voice that is accompanied by the beats formed on a synthesizer. They wear creepy costumes; their most popular includes a black suit of sorts with masks that have long beaks, characteristic of those worn in the 1500s to protect one from the plague-very functional. This Swedish made band’s sound can only be described as haunting. It is defiantly not something to fall asleep to, unless you like nightmares.

Robyn

Robyn is a Swedish singer-songwriter; she is rising to fame here in the United States, but is still on her own private label. She has cute catchy lyrics dealing mostly with unreciprocated love. She has also put out tracks about how awesome she is, one such being “Konichiwa Bitches”; it is all warranted, because she is good at what she does- which is perform. She is absolutely amazing in concert, she flails around the stage with wild body movements- this could be her way of dancing. Whatever it is, it drives the crowd crazy. Her newest album “Robyn” has high energy with an electronica feel.

Tegan and Sara- The Beginning

Tegan and Sara are not considered as indie as they were to begin with because they are being recognized by the media at an alarming rate. Tegan and Sara are excellent role models for the GLBT community, as both sisters are positive, successful, lesbian performers. They tell funny anecdotes about their life during their concerts and throughout their recently released dvd “It’s not Fun. Don’t Do it.” The two seem very down to earth.

Tegan and Sara are awesome. They are my all time favorite band. These Canadian identical twin sisters change their hair styles with every album-from shaggy bowl cuts to smooth ‘love mullets’ don’t worry it looks better than it sounds. They share hair cuts and a similar taste for fashion, but besides the ascetic value of Tegan and Sara, they have a lot to say through their lyrics.

They have a modern ‘folky’ sound. They write their own music in their separate homes and contact each other to go over lyrics and discuss how they want their songs to sound. The subject matter is easy to relate to- their lyrics deal mostly with relationship issues and self discovery. Their sound has definitely progressed instrumentally from one of their earliest albums “This Business of Art” to “The Con”, their most recent. You can gradually hear more than just a guitar and keyboard. I was turned on to Tegan and Sara with the single “Walking with a Ghost” which uses beautiful metaphors about struggling with an empty relationship.

What's Indie?

The indie music scene is filled with an array of amazing up and coming artists. Some musical ensembles have larger fan bases than others, but most of them get recognized by major record labels in due time.

I listen to indie music because it is refreshing. Radio stations have a habit of playing the same 10 songs on an irritating loop though out the day. The popular music on the radio also has a tendency to blend into one large song, or at least it seems to in my head. Indie music often has a unique sound. Popular music is not all bad; there a couple of popular songs that make their way on to my play list but the transaction does not happen often enough.

It is also a plus that the indie musicians haven’t tasted too much fame because it keeps many of the artists humble. Indie musicians are not blinded by the limelight, or at least they keep their eyes closed until they are recognized by a large record company. It is easier to connect to the music and lyrics when you can draw similarities between you and the musician.

Ticket prices for indie shows vary depending on the venue. Speaking in purely New York terms; Madison Square Garden tickets are much pricier than a show some where around Bowery. Chromeo tickets, for example, were about $50.00 in Madison Square Garden and only $15.00 at Bowery.

As far as music is concerned, indie offers a wider variety of artists and sounds than the popular music that is played on the radio.