I'd say at the moment it seems like the whole "emo" kid thing typified by Good Charlotte, My Chemical Romance, Thursday, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Hawthorne Heights, et. al. has turned into a really commercial mainstream movement that's picked up the ex-Avril clones between the ages of eleven and sixteen into its grasp. But the music has probably lost its energy since peaking in 2005. Then there's the whole situation of the American indie rock scene, which I've never been too crazy about. Arcade Fire, Iron and Wine, The Postal Service, Architecture in Helsinki, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cursive, all seem to be more popular now, in a very "groomed/refined" indie yuppie way (get this image of 16-year olds drinking aged wine)...the whole original Strokes, Hives, Interpol, Coldplay, White Stripes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Libertines, Raveonettes, Hot Hot Heat, Bright Eyes thing is fading away a bit from say 2004. And now there's the Arctic Monkeys, who are leading the new British invasion. So, my question is, what direction is the whole indie/emo thing heading in at the moment? I think we're going to see increasingly twee and diffuse indie rock combined with a brief strain of new minimalist rock coming back, but the whole movement will get annoyingly elitist and start to lose alot of fans in 2007, and emo will start falling apart as the people graduate high school and move on.

It's just barely below it's peak I'd say.  We're starting to get back into post-grunge territory again, until the Tens rock trend shows up.

It's just barely below it's peak I'd say.  We're starting to get back into post-grunge territory again, until the Tens rock trend shows up.


What I see now as popular is alot of very A/C sounding, R.E.M-ish but less rock, twee stuff that sounds good in a Volvo.

The direction both genres are taking is simple: commercialization.  Indie Rock, for example, takes it meaning from independent rock, meaning bands that are, or used to be on, independent labels.  Before long though, we'll see Indie Rock bands that have never even been signed to a independent label and were never underground to begin with, being promoted as Indie Rock.  

A similar thing will happen to Emo in that it'll get commercialized.  Commercialized Emo already exists in the form of bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic At The Disco.  I've seen more than one person label Fall Out Boy as Emo, despite the fact that a band that made a song called "Dance, Dance" can't possibly be Emo.  Another example is Hawthorne Heights.  They have a commercial out right now where it says "Destroy Pop Music!  Support Real Music!" or something like that.  Yet, they were on their website a few weeks ago telling people to vote for their new song on TRL.

The direction both genres are taking is simple: commercialization.  Indie Rock, for example, takes it meaning from independent rock, meaning bands that are, or used to be on, independent labels.  Before long though, we'll see Indie Rock bands that have never even been signed to a independent label and were never underground to begin with, being promoted as Indie Rock.  

A similar thing will happen to Emo in that it'll get commercialized.  Commercialized Emo already exists in the form of bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic At The Disco.  I've seen more than one person label Fall Out Boy as Emo, despite the fact that a band that made a song called "Dance, Dance" can't possibly be Emo.  Another example is Hawthorne Heights.  They have a commercial out right now where it says "Destroy Pop Music!  Support Real Music!" or something like that.  Yet, they were on their website a few weeks ago telling people to vote for their new song on TRL.


The Hawthorne Heights thing you described is just about as clear as the "Die Yuppie Scum" T-shirts at a place like Urban Outfitters.

It's dying down. 2007 will be its last big year and a noticble decline in popularity will begin in 2008/2009.

What you just described in the first post is hardly real Indie.. but you got half-mainstreamed Indie rock fairly well.

I have a feeling that stuff's gonna have some sudden orgasm of popularity in the near future, and everyone will be too weirded out when they get exposed to genuine Indie.

What you just described in the first post is hardly real Indie.. but you got half-mainstreamed Indie rock fairly well.

I have a feeling that stuff's gonna have some sudden orgasm of popularity in the near future, and everyone will be too weirded out when they get exposed to genuine Indie.


I think "indie", whatever the hell it is will be the rock music of the tens.

I think "indie", whatever the hell it is will be the rock music of the tens.


I'll find it funny when the hipsters and elitist snobs snub what's now known as Indie because it's too mainstream and then they embrace Pop Punk and R&B.  ;D

I'll find it funny when the hipsters and elitist snobs snub what's now known as Indie because it's too mainstream and then they embrace Pop Punk and R&B.  ;D


I think what the indie scene currently holds is largely not what will be the rock music of the tens, it'll probably be something beginning over the next few years. And half-mainstreamed indie rock as you put it will probably go down the tube as the elitist snobs become less popular. I do agree that the whole popularity of '00s "indie" rock is seriously dying down in alot of ways from 2004.

I'll find it funny when the hipsters and elitist snobs snub what's now known as Indie because it's too mainstream and then they embrace Pop Punk and R&B.  ;D


;D

Posted by: velveteen  Posted on: March 27, 2006, 07:46:29 PM
I think what the Indie scene currently holds is largely not what will be the rock music of the tens, it'll probably be something beginning over the next few years. And half-mainstreamed Andie rock as you put it will probably go down the tube as the elitist snobs become less popular. I do agree that the whole popularity of '00s "Andie" rock is seriously dying down in alto of ways from 2004.

Actually, I'd say it's not dying down.  In fact, I'd say it's popularity is actually up, in some ways, from 2004.  In 2005, we saw bands such as The Mars Volta and Death Cab For Cutie actually debut in the top 5 on the billboard charts.  We never saw that in 2004.  Moreover, I believe it may just become slightly more popular.  Rap is clearly in decline, and with Rock is on the rise (Rock music is in a much better position today than it was in 2003), Indie Rock may gain yet more fans.

I think the popularity of Indie Rock, as well as Emo, will definitely continue into the late 00's.  They'll definitely be around in 2007.  As for 2008, they'll definitely be around, but will be declining in popularity.  This will be due to the commercial forces that will inevitably completely commercialize both genres by that time.  It won't be as "new" as it was in 2005 and will have tons of copycat bands that all sound alike (Gee, Emo sounds like that already).  Anyway, I think the two styles will decline in popularity in 2007, but will still be really popular.  Similar to how Rap is still popular right now, even though its sales are declining.

I think the popularity of Indie Rock, as well as Emo, will definitely continue into the late 00's.  They'll definitely be around in 2007.  As for 2008, they'll definitely be around, but will be declining in popularity.  This will be due to the commercial forces that will inevitably completely commercialize both genres by that time.  It won't be as "new" as it was in 2005 and will have tons of copycat bands that all sound alike (Gee, Emo sounds like that already).  Anyway, I think the two styles will decline in popularity in 2007, but will still be really popular.  Similar to how Rap is still popular right now, even though its sales are declining.



I agree. Emo is still very popular now(although not as popular as it has been) and it will continue into the late 00's but it will not be the force it was even last year. 2007 will be the beginning of its decline but 2008 will be the first year its noticable.

As far as rap, is it really in decline? I thought that it was declining somewhat in populairty but not in sales. If that's true that's great news. :)

I agree. Emo is still very popular now(although not as popular as it has been) and it will continue into the late 00's but it will not be the force it was even last year. 2007 will be the beginning of its decline but 2008 will be the first year its noticable.

As far as rap, is it really in decline? I thought that it was declining somewhat in populairty but not in sales. If that's true that's great news. :)


I think stuff like Lil' Jon and 50 Cent that's alot harder is, but Kanye and the Black Eyed Peas don't seem to be.

I agree. Emo is still very popular now(although not as popular as it has been) and it will continue into the late 00's but it will not be the force it was even last year. 2007 will be the beginning of its decline but 2008 will be the first year its noticable.

As far as rap, is it really in decline? I thought that it was declining somewhat in populairty but not in sales. If that's true that's great news. :)


I think the '80s, '90s, and '00s all are structured more or less the same in how similar they are.  To use the zeroes as an example, I would say:

2000-mid 2001: Like the late '90s, but with embryonic elements of the '00s. 
Late 2001 - early 2003: The formative years of the decade, where the defining trends of the '00s popped up.
mid 2003 - early 2005: The honest-to-God '00s.  In fact, the only part of the decade that's truly un '90s-like.
mid 2005 - early 2007: A worn-out version of "2004" culture. Of course this is a prediction for the rest of '06 and early '07.
mid 2007 - 2009: The late '00s, basically mid '00s culture mixed in with the precursors of '10s culture.

Don't know why you would group Indie Rock with Emo (or are you asking two seperate questions??).

As for Emo...I hope it's going straight down.

Yeah, I think we've discovered as "pop culture scientists" how all these decades are structured the same way, give or take a few months.