The Indie Kids Aren’t Alright

Story by Daniel Lozano and Michael Quintero Photos by Michael Quintero Design by Michael Quintero

Indie is thrown around so much, to describe hipsters or edgy people. But, at the end of the day an indie artist or musician is an independent artist, so someone who puts out their music themselves without having a label to put out their music. The term indie is weird to throw around but I don’t think anyone has a true definition of it, but this is as close as we can get to it. Anyways we both decided to interview each other on some indie bands and we can tell you some of these answers are going to be highly controversial. Just remember this is our OPINION, so don’t whine when we say an artist lame. Get over it.

Most overrated artist

Daniel: This is going to get super controversial but I think The Garden is overrated. I’m just going to say it. I listen to their music and so much of it is hit or miss. Some are actually really good songs and some are like if I was at a circus, with screaming, barking, you know crazy noises. But, I can appreciate that, I can appreciate that in some songs but I think in some of them it is just like ‘what is this?’ I think I respect their solo projects much more than The Garden. My second overrated artist is Omar Apollo, that guy. His first ep or album that came out was good, it was really good, I liked it. But, everything after that and how much he gets hyped up on Twitter I just don’t know. At this point I think he’s more of like a sex icon than an actual good indie artist. I listened to his new music, not good. Not good at all.

Michael: I also think I will get a lot of hate on this one, but I think Gus Dapperton has just fallen off. I’m still a huge fan of Gus, but his last two albums have just gone to what I would hear on KROC. I just walked into Vans to buy shoes the other day and I heard “First Aid” on the speakers and I was just like really? Not saying he is a shitty artist now, but just the way people hype him up now thinking he is still underground is wack to me. I think Orca and Where Polly People Go To Read both have so many skippable songs compared to Yellow and Such and his older stuff.

(Alexander James O’Connor) are just people who are told to like him. If you truly listen to Rex, so many of his songs are just so skippable or just sound the same. Don’t get me wrong I can throw on a song and it will put me in a good mood and it is really chill music, but I feel ever since he got cool with Tyler the Creator that whole fanbase is like he’s cool. Also please don’t get me started with the Tyler the Creator fanbase, that is a whole other story.

Most Underrated artist

Michael: I have two artists, Goth Babe and SadGirl. I honestly think all indie artists are underrated so these two could be properly rated or whatever, but every show or festival I got to had both these artists super low on the flyer. Which I think is really disrespectful. Goth Babe “Griff Washburn” has changed his music so much but I think he really has kept this vibe of garage rock to a vibey synth sound that is not respected.

Same for SadGirl, I remember seeing them at Viva Pomona back in 2017 and they played early as fuck compared to most the artists. I think they should have blown up way faster than The Frights or SWMRS. But, that is my opinion. Glad to see them get some recognition when Water came out.

Daniel: I think one underrated artist is Frankie Cosmos, I think she pioneered so much of what bedroom pop is right now. And didn’t get any of the credit she deserves. You have Sales, who has similar sounds, and then you had Clario. She really blew up with the bedroom pop and I feel that blow up should have gone to Frankie Cosmos or Sales or someone like that. It just makes me a little upset that Frankie Cosmos has much more quality than Clario and much more depth to her music than Clario.

Who would you have play at your funeral?

Daniel: I think if I really want people to feel depressed, I think maybe Alex G. Yeah let’s go with Alex G and he can play any song. I think any song he plays can really bring the house down and make people start rethinking their life and what they thought of me. I really hope they’d But, also I don’t think I would want anyone too cool their because I would be dead. I want to be there to experience it and not be dead. If my friends are going to enjoy it, I would want to be there too. I’d just be salty about it, like damn they played only because I died.

You know, when I was younger I would imagine if I were to ever start dying and to make a wish, I would always think of what bands I’d want to play. I would tell myself for the longest time if I ever ended up in that situation I would have Inner Wave come to my hospital bed and play the same song for hours until I passed away. I don’t know why I had that in my head but yeah.

Michael: So I don’t consider them an indie band but I think Future Islands fits in for playing at my funeral. I’m just saying on a rainy day thrown on any Future Island song and you’re definitely contemplating why you are living the way you live. Almost the way when you get really high off weed and look in the mirror and contemplate your entire life. Also to hear Samuel T. Herring do his hardcore growl and his stage performance… life changing. I mean I would be dead but still.

But, if I wanted to bring the mood up, I would probably have the Allah-Las play. Mostly because the vibe is really chill and I have some crazy stories about every time I’ve seen them live. But, I’ll leave those stories in my grave.

What artist or band do you think is the smelliest?

Daniel: I don’t think Mac DeMarco showers. I remember watching some interviews where he said he wears the same pants for like five days, same underwear for days and he just flips them out as many times as he could. I think we both mutually agree that Mac DeMarco smells. Like one of the worst artists out there, he just doesn’t look clean. The Frights too. Their lead singer just looks really sweaty all the time.

Michael: I think we both mutually agree that Mac DeMarco is a smelly person. I remember seeing a Nardwuar interview where he put his thumb in his butt at a show and actually sucked on it later in the show. So that goes to show he doesn’t give a shit.

I think FIDLAR probably smells pretty gnarly. But, FIDLAR back on their self titled album and second album era. I think mostly because they are skate rats on top of playing shows, so they don’t really care to smell nice. But I back FIDLAR, fuck it. Also I think Clementine Creevy of Cherry Glazerr might smell. More so she looks like she doesn’t wear deodorant for health reasons. I don’t know but she does go hard on stage too.

Who is/are the biggest posers?

Daniel: I feel the biggest poser could coincide with any industry plant you know? Because that is basically what they are. For me, I’m going with The Wallows. Not that I don’t like their music but, I think they’re just posers.

I think they make music strictly for coming of age movies. They music strictly for when you’re 17 years old, and you think the world revolves around you and you’re in some type of movie. It’s just like teenage moody, whatever this and whatever that.

Michael: I think there are quite a bit of artists that do it just for the fact of getting laid or just to make it by copying other artists. But I see Clario as a poser. I think she is ripped off some artists like you said before, and she just seems like she’s not there for the music and rather cash in on a genre. Also pretty funny you said Wallows, when Clario is a feature on their biggest song.

I have so many others but I also think Slow Hollows is more in it for just that weird hipster vibe now. I liked them when they first came out but ever since Austin Anderson got on that Tyler the Creator track and then they totally changed their sound to this poppy lame sound. Also why do all their songs start out with a question?

We probably hurt some feelings today from fans or bands, but at the end of the day who cares. This is all opinion based and if you want to cry about it, then cry on the Internet and see where that gets you.