In the same way that parents often feel toward their children,
fans of a certain musical genre often see their own as the best.
Indie rockers are particularly notorious for this musical elitism.
San Francisco-based indie rock band Irving, who will play at
Spaceland tonight, doesn’t deny that its peers often look
down their noses at other types of music.
“I think those of us that are in indie bands and those of
us that like indie music, we tend to have a music-snob view on
things,” said Irving drummer Brent Turner.
But despite this self-proclaimed snobbery, Irving is your
humble, boy-next-door band. Signed to the independent label Eenie
Meenie Records, they will not flaunt their indie status or believe
their own genre to be more genuine than major label acts.
“There’s new stuff that’s pushing boundaries
in every single genre, and it’s almost elitist for us to say
something’s not good (because of) the label it’s on, or
the radio station it’s on,” Turner said.
“I mean there’s still people who are sitting in
studios coming up with new sounds that they haven’t heard
before.”
Turner explained that the difference between indie and pop music
is in indie’s accessibility.
“Things that are pop are things that the general public
can actually get their teeth around,” Turner said. “And
with indie pop, all the bands are equally palatable, everyone that
hears them can like them. But they just don’t exist within an
economic structure that allows everyone to like that.”
But how does a musical genre come to be defined by what Turner
calls “economic structure?” Aren’t musical genres
defined by sound?
Well, not so long ago, according to Turner, indie rock music
could be defined by a specific sound.
“I guess the indie mold, indie rock, for a while was
always kind of … an out-of-tune guitar, self-deprecating,
lethargic music,” Turner said. “It seemed like indie
rock was eating itself, that people were trying to sound
“indie rock.”
Turner compared the establishment of this indie sound to the
rise of alternative rock bands in the early ’90s, when
Nirvana trail-blazed the genre with its commercial success.
However, times do change, and Turner sees a new wave of indie
rock on the horizon.
“Now it seems like you’re finding more bands like
Enon, bands that are more willing to perform and give you
energy,” Turner said. “That self-deprecation seems to
be gone. I think now bands are actually trying to be good
old-fashioned rock bands again.”
Irving also embodies this new wave of indie rock. Turner said
the band’s original indie ambitions have evolved into
“just trying to be a rock band.”
For the most part, Irving plays simple, hooky, harmony-laden,
rock-pop songs that almost anyone can enjoy, especially live.
However, Irving also gets experimental, such as in “The
Curious Thing About Leather” on their EP, “I Hope
You’re Feeling Better Now” (2003).
Irving also breaks the possible misconception that indie pop
bands don’t want success and exposure to larger crowds. If he
had the chance to play for 1,000 people instead of 100 people,
Irving guitarist Steven Scott said he “wouldn’t oppose
it.”
Turner feels the same way, and finds it difficult to see how
another indie band could consciously avoid success and have larger
crowds in the audience.
“That seems a little misdirected,” Turner said.
“You know that mind-set: “˜I liked them before everyone
else liked them. Oh, I like their old albums. Oh, people are
listening to them. Oh, I don’t like them anymore.’
It’s misdirected.”
Then why not reach the masses through a major record label?
“Most of the indie bands I know are just more concerned
with retaining control over what they’re doing,” Turner
said. “The larger you go, the less control you have over the
photograph that goes out over the final song list for your
record.
As for the future of rock music and all its genres, Scott and
Turner are optimistic.
“It’s all an evolution that doesn’t die
out,” Scott said.
Turner added, “And if it is indeed dead, then I’m
very excited to see what’s next, for something great to come
out of it.”
Irving plays at Spaceland tonight at 9 p.m. with Low Flying
Owls, Kennedy and Telecast. Visit www.thebandirving.com for more
information.