Is Indie/Alternative music now the mainstream?
Is it still cool? And alternative compared to what?
Is Indie/Alt music to the 90's and 00's - what Disco music was to the 70's?
If so what could possibly be next?
Edit: What prompts me to think this is that last night I saw the M&M characters waving from Such Great Heights a la The Postal Service.
Nah, at least not in my neck o' the woods.
Most of the goobers in my age group still listen to classic rock and nothing more. I was at a neighbor's house for a party and the music they played was dreadful. We got into a discussion about music and it was like talking to the wall. These people, while being nice and all, are clueless when it comes to music. When I asked their favorites of all time, one guy was ranting about Creed and a woman mentioned Shania Twain, and none of them had ever heard of Radiohead.
Ok, so that was one small circle of people, but it's the same nearly everywhere I go. The younger crowd seem to like DMB and their ilk, but have never heard of many of my favorites, even stuff that's fairly well known like Wilco. I'm getting ready to do some open mic stuff with a friend of mine (at least I hope he's ready), and we're going to hit them with stuff they've never heard, although that's not saying much. My buddy does like some mainstream stuff, but I've convinced him to learn some of my favorite indie stuff. Let's see what they think of Wilco, the Silver Jews, and Radiohead after a steady diet of Jackson Browne, Neil Young and the like. I think they'll appreciate hearing unfamiliar material, but you never know.
Swish