Why is being obscure a virtue? Isn't that just a reverse-engineered ad populum fallacy? Being obscure or knowing an obscure band is not a badge of honor.
My Russian friend got me into Rammstein: They're pretty good, although a lot of their songs sound very similar to one another, and I can't understand a word of the lyrics.
There's also Jin, who's fairly unknown, but I enjoy it. Beware, 'cause while I like him, some people really hate him:
Why is being obscure a virtue? Isn't that just a reverse-engineered ad populum fallacy? Being obscure or knowing an obscure band is not a badge of honor.
It's complicated. The short answer is that it's not, but it's hardwired into our brains and everyone on the planet is guilty of it. The longer answer is as follows.
Think of it this way. Let's say you read one of those books filled with random trivia and you somehow lodge one particularly interesting fact into your brain. Later, you're out having lunch with your friends and eventually relate this fact to them through the course of regular conversation, which provokes much amusement. You haven't really done anything special, yet you still feel some weird sense of pride for having done this.
But let's say, rather than naturally coming upon a situation where you can relay your fact, you instead begin the conversation with your random trivia. All of a sudden, your friends are confused and irritated because of your contrived way of working your obscure knowledge into the conversation.
Now, there's two possibilities in this situation. The first is that you're addicted to the false sense of superiority it gives you, so you try to show off as much as possible. These are the hipsters and the name-droppers. The second is that you're genuinely excited about what you have to share. These are people that I'm hoping most of us are. Yet, regardless, people will still get the impression that you're trying to name-drop anyway. Thus is the dilemma of the independent music enthusiast.
Why is being obscure a virtue? Isn't that just a reverse-engineered ad populum fallacy? Being obscure or knowing an obscure band is not a badge of honor.
I do see one virtue in posting obscure music, and that's giving an artist a chance. This thread has bands who still appreciate every new listener. They may not be starving anymore (otherwise, they spent their food money on badass music videos), but they are far from "made it" status. Spreading the word on good music of this popularity means that more people know about quality, more people can make it as a musician, and (I'll admit, this part is a little pretentious) people may be exposed to more options than the crap on the radio. I have been to enough shows where no one shows up to a person who has talent, and has met enough musicians trying to make it* to know that telling someone about a band they may not know can make a difference.
Also, sure, this could just be a thread for posting music, and maybe a reader would find a few artists he doesn't know, but it would get plagued with stuff everyone knows. By specifically asking for obscure music, people are much more likely to find things that they have never heard of, or would never consider searching for.
*I will, however, qualify that statement by saying many of those bands are crappy NJ metalcore bands that are an acquired taste. They're good people, and there's some talent amongst a bunch of garage bands in the scene, but there's plenty of groups who need a reality check if they believe they can make it by growling into a microphone and playing three chords.
One of the better of these bands is The Mongoloids, shown below: The Command Radio is a more mainstream sound that definitely has some potential:
But, for pitching two bands I know, I feel like I should also give some quality stuff. The Cold War Kids got some radio time last summer (at least on satellite radio), but their first album is a favorite of mine:
I do see one virtue in posting obscure music, and that's giving an artist a chance.
Sharing good music with others is always a great thing (whether the music is obscure or not). The point was that the simple fact that something is "obscure" does not effect the quality of the music nor the relative "coolness" of the people that like it.
Sharing good music with others is always a great thing (whether the music is obscure or not). The point was that the simple fact that something is "obscure" does not effect the quality of the music nor the relative "coolness" of the people that like it.
I think it should also be noted that obscurity is relative - for example, off the top of my head, I can think of at least ten Aussie bands that you guys have never heard of, but back home(and to me), they're as mainstream as Vegemite and tim-tams. Seriously, we didn't just cease playing music between AC/DC and Wolfmother, despite how it appears from the outside.
Another example: Most (if not all) of us have heard of MC Frontalot and Johnathan Coulton. However, you ask people on the street how many people have heard of them, you're shit out of luck. Hell, I think that 80-90% of people don't even know those genres of music exist - but among most geeks, you're hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't heard of them.
Many bands disguise their lack of actual musical talent by attempting to remain as obscure as possible. This creates an air of mystery about that band that dupes many fans into overlooking the otherwise lackluster music. This also, as Mrs. Macross pointed out, enables those fans to maintain an air of snobbery and superiority, allowing that person to pretend that their otherwise meaningless existence has merit.
However, the only reason black metal bands are obscure is because the masses are too ignorant to understand the depth and complexity of a clearly superior form of music.
However, the only reason black metal bands are obscure is because the masses are too ignorant to understand the depth and complexity of a clearly superior form of music.
Or, they understand and appreciate the music, but do not enjoy it as there is point where their generic ibuprofen supplies run dry and their searing headaches cause their heads to explode.
Many bands disguise their lack of actual musical talent by attempting to remain as obscure as possible. This creates an air of mystery about that band that dupes many fans into overlooking the otherwise lackluster music.
Really? I can't think of one local band that I knw of in the greater LA area that doesn't try to play every single show they have the opportunity to. Seriously, obscurity is all on the fan side.
I know we're talking about "indie" music, so this isn't necessarily applicable, because punk is kind of a different animal, but here's what I've noticed. When I was younger, growing up in the punk scene, I loved all these obscure bands that no one had ever heard of. I liked the more well-known bands too (by which I mean Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Crass, Subhumans, stuff like that -- not talking Face To Face or anything), but I was REALLY into those little bands that no one outside of our little scene had ever heard of. Now, 15 years later, I realize that most of those bands are just awful. They were obscure for a reason. I don't listen to tons of punk anymore, but the bands that I do still listen to are mostly better-known ones -- the ones you could've bought a t-shirt of at Hot Topic. And you know why? Because those bands just played better music.
I know we're talking about "indie" music, so this isn't necessarily applicable, because punk is kind of a different animal, but here's what I've noticed. When I was younger, growing up in the punk scene, I loved all these obscure bands that no one had ever heard of. I liked the more well-known bands too (by which I mean Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Crass, Subhumans, stuff like that -- not talking Face To Face or anything), but I was REALLY into those little bands that no one outside of our little scene had ever heard of. Now, 15 years later, I realize that most of those bands are just awful. They were obscure for a reason. I don't listen to tons of punk anymore, but the bands that I do still listen to are mostly better-known ones -- the ones you could've bought a t-shirt of at Hot Topic. And you know why? Because those bands just played better music.
That's my argument for why Metallica is a far better band than most people admit. You know why Kerry King (guitarist for Slayer) hates on Metallica? Because they make better music than his band.
Sometimes, music is popular because it's watered down to have mass appeal. Sometimes, it's popular because it's fucking awesome. Likewise, sometimes a band is obscure because the music is very cerebral, difficult to approach, and directed at a specific audience. Sometimes, it's because you blow.
EDIT:
Seriously, obscurity is all on the fan side.
Not always. Deathspell Omega, an avant-garde French black metal project, has no website and no bandmember information. That's a band that is intentionally creating obscurity.
Eh, I still stand by my statement that this thread had to be one for obscure bands, because otherwise we would just be recommended stuff that we always know. I know we're talking about different obscures, and know there's little merit to knowing a band that is not popular, but I still think you can do a lot more by introducing someone to Superchunk than helping them realize the song they liked on the radio was The Killers (Even though both bands are decent... and I will admit casually namedropping Superchunk may not be helping my anti-pretentious argument...).
If this rant on obscurity was based on my thread title, I was being facetious with that.
I'm blown away every time I listen to BARR. His album Summary is a collection of spoken-word pieces and some of them are incredibly powerful. I almost want to call some of his work similar to metaphysical poetry because of the way he argues and reasons with himself through each piece. This song is probably the worst example of his work, since it is the only actual "song" on the album, but it's still enjoyable.
The first time I heard the lightbulb joke was from some person I was conversing with heavily about music on Omegle. It's still funny.
One of my favorite sites for music that is obscure to English-speaking audiences but likely not to its intended group is the Voodoo Funk blog. It's the blog a man who traveled West Africa for three years, record-hunting (yes, actual vinyl. He's a DJ in NYC) and assembling downloadable mixtapes of his finds, mostly 60s-70s-early 80s African disco, funk, soul, and dance. His blog provides the mixtape and the chronicles of his travels, which included getting robbed at gunpoint and getting a bizarre fungal lung infection, as well as crossing an African border out of Guinea during an uprising. Good stuff.
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They're pretty good, although a lot of their songs sound very similar to one another, and I can't understand a word of the lyrics.
There's also Jin, who's fairly unknown, but I enjoy it. Beware, 'cause while I like him, some people really hate him:
Think of it this way. Let's say you read one of those books filled with random trivia and you somehow lodge one particularly interesting fact into your brain. Later, you're out having lunch with your friends and eventually relate this fact to them through the course of regular conversation, which provokes much amusement. You haven't really done anything special, yet you still feel some weird sense of pride for having done this.
But let's say, rather than naturally coming upon a situation where you can relay your fact, you instead begin the conversation with your random trivia. All of a sudden, your friends are confused and irritated because of your contrived way of working your obscure knowledge into the conversation.
Now, there's two possibilities in this situation. The first is that you're addicted to the false sense of superiority it gives you, so you try to show off as much as possible. These are the hipsters and the name-droppers. The second is that you're genuinely excited about what you have to share. These are people that I'm hoping most of us are. Yet, regardless, people will still get the impression that you're trying to name-drop anyway. Thus is the dilemma of the independent music enthusiast.
EDIT: speckospock, you are out of your bloody mind.
Also, sure, this could just be a thread for posting music, and maybe a reader would find a few artists he doesn't know, but it would get plagued with stuff everyone knows. By specifically asking for obscure music, people are much more likely to find things that they have never heard of, or would never consider searching for.
*I will, however, qualify that statement by saying many of those bands are crappy NJ metalcore bands that are an acquired taste. They're good people, and there's some talent amongst a bunch of garage bands in the scene, but there's plenty of groups who need a reality check if they believe they can make it by growling into a microphone and playing three chords.
One of the better of these bands is The Mongoloids, shown below:
The Command Radio is a more mainstream sound that definitely has some potential:
But, for pitching two bands I know, I feel like I should also give some quality stuff. The Cold War Kids got some radio time last summer (at least on satellite radio), but their first album is a favorite of mine:
Faraquet is just incredible:
Edit: Let's say 9 - 12 years. I keep forgetting how old I am.
Seriously, we didn't just cease playing music between AC/DC and Wolfmother, despite how it appears from the outside.
Another example: Most (if not all) of us have heard of MC Frontalot and Johnathan Coulton. However, you ask people on the street how many people have heard of them, you're shit out of luck. Hell, I think that 80-90% of people don't even know those genres of music exist - but among most geeks, you're hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't heard of them.
However, the only reason black metal bands are obscure is because the masses are too ignorant to understand the depth and complexity of a clearly superior form of music.
... wait, they have English songs, so you crazy folks might know them.
Don't worry, it's a really obscure number, you wouldn't have heard of it.
Sometimes, music is popular because it's watered down to have mass appeal. Sometimes, it's popular because it's fucking awesome. Likewise, sometimes a band is obscure because the music is very cerebral, difficult to approach, and directed at a specific audience. Sometimes, it's because you blow.
EDIT: Not always. Deathspell Omega, an avant-garde French black metal project, has no website and no bandmember information. That's a band that is intentionally creating obscurity.
If this rant on obscurity was based on my thread title, I was being facetious with that.
One of my favorite sites for music that is obscure to English-speaking audiences but likely not to its intended group is the Voodoo Funk blog. It's the blog a man who traveled West Africa for three years, record-hunting (yes, actual vinyl. He's a DJ in NYC) and assembling downloadable mixtapes of his finds, mostly 60s-70s-early 80s African disco, funk, soul, and dance. His blog provides the mixtape and the chronicles of his travels, which included getting robbed at gunpoint and getting a bizarre fungal lung infection, as well as crossing an African border out of Guinea during an uprising. Good stuff.
The blog: Voodoo Funk
One of my favorite mixes, which the author refers to as "extra funky": Everybody Get Down!