There is a recent trend arising amongst Western youth to discover previously unknown bands. Music-lovers have drifted away from the radio and headed to the underground world of jazz bands and unknown singer-songwriters. “Underground” blogs are flooded with new groups bearing nonsensical names, and carrying a small but proud fan base. Individualists pride themselves on listening to little-known ensembles, and values have shifted from the catchy choruses and tuneful R&B of 2005 to the endless alternative options of 2011.
In 2005, MySpace blossomed as amateur vocalists and bands took up video sharing as a way to showcase their work. YouTube launched in 2005, allowing members to post videos that anyone, anywhere could view at anytime. In 2006, Facebook opened itself up to the world, and propelled us into a new age of online sharing. Music is no longer limited to what is heard on TV and on the radio. With just a click of a button you can tell all of your 1000+ Facebook friends about a new artist you just stumbled upon.
Prior to this, lesser-known musicians could not achieve the commercialized success of mainstream record-signed bands. Most underground composers are either unsigned or signed to small independent labels that lack the resources necessary to match the aggressive advertising of major music producers. However, social media is starting to facilitate the spread of news with features such as trending topics on Twitter and blog, and in turn are helping to expose fresh new artists to the music world. You used to have to search for underground music but now the “completely amazing” new song your friend “discovered” is one click away.
Death Cab for Cutie, the international indie sensation, is the perfect model of a band that transitioned from basement jam sessions to stardom. What started out as a gang of amateur musicians gathered in a garage, mixing and mashing cymbals and guitars, morphed into Grammy nominations and CDs certified platinum.
Mark Foster, founder of indie pop band Foster the People, says, “A lot of the songs are kind of exploding; they’re kind of dark truths.” Foster the People’s new single “Pumped Up Kicks” has ascended steadily into the #3 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, an astronomical success for a band signed to an independent label. The staggering popularity of Foster the People sets the stage for a new generation of alternative and indie groups.
The allure of underground music has grown and attracted larger and larger crowds because many people want their taste in music to appear progressive and unique. More people are listening to indie rock and heavy metal because of the appeal of those bands not being well known. Ironically, that rise in popularity makes formerly alternative music mainstream.
That’s a disappointment for those who want to listen to something unusual. But if these fervent supporters prize the music for its sincerity, emotional dedication, and determination to pave a path of its own, they’ll continue to savour it-mainstream or not.
