HIPSTER RUNOFF

I was recently in my car listening to some song by the lead singer of the Yea Ya Yee-ah!s which she apparently wrote for the 'Where the Wild Things Are' soundtrack. From what I understand, they are attempting to make the movie seem meaningful to kids by borrowing the commercialized 'meaningful aesthetic' from modern 'indie aesthetic.'

Please sing the meaningful lyrics along with the kidz in the song:

One, two, ready, GO!

Grow some big feet
Holes in history
is where you'll find me
Is where you'll find

All is Love
Is Love (x4)

L-O-V-E
It's a mystery
Where you'll find me
Where you'll find

All is Love
Is Love (x4)

Hey!
Woo!
Ha!
Wee!
Hey!
Woo!
Wee!

Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh..
All is Love

One, two, ready, GO!

L-O-V-E
It's a mystery
Where you'll find me
Where you'll find

All is Love
Is Love (x4)

Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh..
All is Love
Is Love (x15)

When I heard this song, I seriously felt like 'indie' had officially become everything it could be and it was officially time to 'close the book' modern history's indie era. Much like we have moved on to 'mock' eras like the grunge era, the 80s, emo, posthardcore, bloghouse, disco, and the era where woodstock happened, it seems like a song like this leaves us no choice than to admit that the INDIE era is over. Feeling like this song does not exist as an 'indie song', but possibly as a 'parodied version of an indie song constructed via overproduction', sort of like how Coldplay songs are just parodies of the band Coldplay.

The kid fueled ballad is attempting to 'exploit' modern indie production techniques to build a meaningful experience. Childrens choirs. Lyrics that simple ppl could relate to. Whistling. An overall tone of 'building' towards something more meaningful. Some basic theme that you could put on a mix CD for an entry-level alt. An overall feeling of 'togetherness' since there are so many lil voices singing. Zany 'screams', 'woos', and other 'tribal shit.'

After listening to this kidz song, it makes u feel like Kidz Bop is 'the master art', and the best music in the history of audio recording. Take for instance the song 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley. When a large black man sings it, it is more difficult to identify with, since you imagine that you are living a black man's life, suffering from some sort of social oppression. However, when kids sing it, the song transforms into a zany song that makes u feel kRaZy in a healthy, whimsical way.

I feel troubled by the free-spirited Karen O song, as if it is trying to 'appeal to children', but at the same time, trying to appeal to 'lonely music critic bros.' There is just something very troublesome about indie ballads that attempt to take the listener to a 'far, far away imaginary land' or something.

Honestly feel like this song is the beginning of the end of indie.
Is indie dead/has it been dead/when will indie 'die'?
What other songs could be official songs of the indie apocalypse?

(According to the AltBible, there will be Four Songs of the Indie Apocolypse. There is no way to know if these songs already exist, or if they will soon be composed. We will only know that they exist when indie is dead.)

Is 'kidz bop' the best way for parents to connect with their kids, building their relationship around today's most important pop music? Seems like a 'cash cow', which may explain the aesthetic/business decisions behind Karen O's composition. I think that parents 'actually buy' mp3s/CDs for their kids, so it was important for the WildThingsSoundtrack to have a meaningful kidz singalong anthem.

Feeling troubled by indie music that involves childrens choirs. not sure if I will ever be able to appreciate Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." again. Feel like it might have been exploiting youth, but now that I am older and bitterer-er, I resent how those kids have a perfect life, and still have their whole lives' ahead of themselves.

Not sure if children make music more enjoyable. Seems like I would find it hard to relate to a lil kid singing a song about life since they can only do things like 'play video games', eat products rich in high fructose corn syrup, and worry about 'being kewl.'

Worried that indie is dead.
Worried that indie will be replaced by 'kidz music.'
I can't tell if modern alternative people want to 'be kids again' or if we are looking for complex lyrics and musical arrangements to empathize with.
Not sure if I will have kids. u?

Yall. I <3 music festivals. As I always say, they are the only place where I feel like I am 'home.' I get to chill with people who like like me and have similar interests, and I get to see my fave alt celebs performing/spy on them through the security gate.

Feel like I missed out on a lot of meaningful experiences.

I could have beta tested new Am Appy designs with Karen O of the Ya Yea Yeas.

Photos by Chris Graham via Brooklyn Vegan

Could have seen some zany bro.

Could have made zany faces while singing meaningful Passion Pit songs

Could have made zany faces while singing meaningful AnCo songs [via Avey Tare]

Could have made scary faces while singing with King Of Leon alphabro

Are alt music festivals all going 2 have comedy now? Might watch ADULT SWIM LIVE starring Tim and Eric. I read in a blog that they direct music videos or something.

Could have sang Karaoke with my political science professor/T.A.

Could have made angry faces about TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek about having to play to a crowd of bros even though ur a production genius

Could have talked about music industry issues & channeling ur hurt/anger into transcendent rock anthems with Trent Reznor.

Could have chilled with Kevin 'Bisexual JokerAlt' Barnes during a zany OfMonty set

Could have had 'my junk' eaten out by a tiger

Just coulda chilled with bros, sat in the sun on a blanket, listening to some sweet, sweet alternative tunes.

Might have also met a tuggle of entry-level girls who were just under-18 who u get drunk & 'take advantage' of.

Whenever I miss a music festival within 3000 miles of my own home, am I missing out on one of the most potentially meaningful experiences of my life?

[Photos by Chris Graham via Brooklyn Vegan]

Image via Stereogum

Yall. I'm kinda worried. I saw this picture of a female lead singer of an alternative band. I am sort of scared that all female 'front men' are morphing in2 1 person. Just worried that the 'personal brand' of a female lead singer is becoming 'kinda predictable.' Not sure if this is Lovefoxxx/ Karen O / Bjork / Beth Ditto. Feel like the modern image of a 'female lead singer in an alternative band' is sort of an image that is 'used to peddle clothes and accessories.'

It's like every1 is either 'trying 2 be Madonna', 'trying 2 be Bjork', 'trying to be Stevie Nicks,' or 'trying to be Sheryl Crow.' Scared that women are starting to become marginalized in the alternative music sphere. Hope they can stay around for a while before a big 'backlash' comes. Do yall think that men do everything better?

Does n e 1 know if Lady Gaga is the End of Female Innovation?

Photo via Drunken Stepfather

Does n e 1 know if the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will ever write a song as 'good'/'popular' as "MAPS" again, or will they be a band that is 'very popular' for the next 5-15 years, but no1 is really 'that familiar' with their songs?

Do u feel like the YYYs are a band that got 'grandfathered' into having the relative security + marketing power of record contract and big label backing by being the 'equal opportunity' product acquisition [via female lead singer] of the NYC Garage Band Strokes White Stripes era?

"Wait...They don't <3 u like I <3 u."
-Karen O

This is a recap of popular recent bloggy/bloghouse/conceptual/indie rock music videos.

Music Video: Futurecop! - Karate Kids

Analysis: The song is repetitive and more tolerable than you would expect for a song 'that is rlly repetitive.' The video is an aggregation of meaningful 80s movies that make me wish I was born before 1990 so that I could remember these iconic movies. Kinda sad that movies these days are sooo ghey/predictable/not THAT great. Miss times when movies were 'larger than life' and not just a gimmick that ended up costing u $40 per person after snacks + drinks. The video ends with Jon Candy in 'Uncle Buck.' laters.

Music Video: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

Analysis: I never really listened to this song, just kind of skipped around the video for a few seconds. I remember the YYYs came out with that song about some1 'not loving u like I love u' and it was kinda catchy and good enough to be mainstream. But this video kind of seems like they are 'pretending to be a really popular band' and also 'making music that is aggressive enough to feel like you have to take it seriously, yet unidentifiable for both alternative and mainstream consumers.' Never really got my attention and just felt like generalizing it and 'hoping that I am right.' Will they sell albums? Is Karen O authentic, or just a 'cookie cutter alternative diva'?

Music Video: Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone

Analysis: I remember when Calvin Harris was just a guy with a bloghouse single about 'having all of the girls' or something. I think this song seems like some sort of Euro-techno-bro-house music. While I could be 'impressed' with his 'epic sounds' and 'musical progression as an artist', I will probably not listen to this song again and probably enjoy a remix of the song by an authentic blogcentric remixer more than the original. The video is pretty 'whatever.'

Music Video: Winter Gloves - Let Me Drive

Analysis: I don't really 'like' this song or video or have ever heard of this band/will ever hear of them again. But it sort of just reminds me of alternative life before the internet really 'took over' the indie music landscape. I think a younger, more alternatively naive version of me would have thought that this video was 'cool' and that the song had all of the elements of an 'authentic indie band' (keyboards, bearded bro with glasses, aggressively earnest lyrics). Miss those days. Maybe we were more drawn to bands like this because there was 'less crap' to sift through, so it was less pressure on us and more time to find bands to be 'tolerable.' These days, I only want greatness.

Music Video: Bloody Beetroots (Ft Steve Aoki with original vocals) - WARP

Analysis: I think this song is a 'banger.' I think the brand of the song is supposed to be HARD. There is an angry AZN man yelling at the camera sometimes. I wonder if this new brand of bangerelectro is like the modern, niche version of 'slipknot' for kids who aren't as poor as the kids who got really into hardXcore rock. I sort of wish I lived in the greater Los Angeles area, and had the opportunity to be a slow-motion alt 'partying to this song' in the video. Feel like I probably would have twittered about how much fun I was having while I was at the video shoot. Not sure if I would put this song 'on my iPod' but might play it if I were a bangerrific DJ. For a more critical, well-informed opinion on this music video, visit Big Stereo, where the blogger uses phrases/sentences including "Slo-mo cookie cutter hipsters" and "Bloody Beetroots come off as a pale reflection of better times spent with Vitalic." One time I wrote a blog post about Steve Aoki that was 'epic.' Maybe I should read it again and react to it with my current state of mind. h8 being 's0 fickle/flighty.' just trying 2 stay relevant. but n e ways... I think this video is a 'mockumentary' or something.

Music Video: Smashing Pumpkins - Today (Morgan Freeman + VISA remix)

Analysis: Can't believe the Smashing Pumpkins 'sold out' and let VISA use their song in their commercial. jk. happy 4 them. Billy Corgan seems like a chill bro who has been through a lot [via 1979 tonight, tonight]. Kinda sad how we're all getting older and music 'that was cool during our youth' is being used to encourage us to buy stuff with money that we don't have. h8 marketing. sad on the inside. Need to buy a flat screen tv to cheer myself up. Might also buy 'a wii' and 'some marijuana/lean.'

Have yall seen n e good music videos lately?
Just trying 2 stay relevant and identify

This has been a music video recap by Carles. Carles is a full time student at a high level digital arts graduate program. He is also a Teaching Assistant for Digital Media 101:Lessons in Photoshop, InDesign, and iMovie.

Steve Aoki

Alternative Celebrity, DJ

Steve Aoki is an AZN DJ.

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