Slanted and Enchanted by Kaya Oakes explains how indie
literature, indie music, and the DIY way of life came to be, and how they
change as Indie culture molds to fit the new generations that take it on. Oakes
starts form the beginning, reviewing how Indie culture got its start in the
west coast during the fifties and sixties, and she makes her reader aware of
the culture’s punk roots. She goes into detail about poets, bands, and
independently owned businesses to provide examples about how DIY and
interconnected the culture is. Oakes strongly believes that networking between
artists, zines, college radio shows, independent printing presses, and
independent record labels are the reason for the spread of Indie awareness and the
growth of the culture itself. It’s incredibly hard to go into detail about the
views displayed in Slanted and Enchanted.
Kaya Oakes clearly knows what she’s talking about and she has an abundant
amount of knowledge on this topic. I’m really glad I was lucky enough to find
such and amazing book that provides so much information on a topic most people
don’t write about.
I intend on
using Oakes’ viewpoints to enforce how Indie rock and the bands associated with
the genre connect to the aspects of Indie culture. Oakes focused on the
importance of independent record labels, so I’ve decided to look into Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the
Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small by Laura Balance. I strongly believe that
independent labels are vital to Indie music (mainly because the artists are
able to stay “independent” while producing their music) and I’m excited to see the story
behind an important Indie label. Some of my favorite bands, such as Spoon and
Neutral Milk Hotel, are Merge Records artists, so I feel like I’ll be able to
focus on one band and connect them to the information provided in Slanted and Enchanted. I love having
knowledge about the bands I listen to, so I’m pretty excited to discover more
about record labels and the bands behind them.
It certainly appears that you are on the right track with your research thus far. I'll be interested to see how you compile all of this data into a paper about the human condition from the lighter indie side as compared to mine. I'd just like to caution you about the only using the history as a supporting factor in the bigger cultural picture (this is a Humanities class after all). Keep up the great work Gabby!
ReplyDeleteI definitely plan on focusing on the music aspect of the culture more than the history aspect of it. I would only use the history to support the philosophy the musicians have behind the music, which is the most important part of the creative process. Thanks for the tip, though! I'll keep it in mind!
DeleteAnytime you need sage advice, MrNicky900 is always available! Haha
DeleteGabby,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your love of indie culture and music evident in love of the research. I feel that it will be interesting to see how you move forward. This book did a great job describing the timeline an I hope you use it to move forward but also look at the way the music and culture go hand in hand. It seems the music isn't a result of the culture but more a vital aspect.
I hope that you look at the way in which the music and the culture effect how people live and look at life. Comparing the culture in Washington with that here. Also how the indie culture spread as you said it started on the west coast but it is gaining popularity across the country not just for its music but also its values.