Sunday, March 14, 2010

HIPSTER RUNOFF

HIPSTER RUNOFF

UNCONFIRMED RUMOR: The Strokes’ next album will attempt to reach Bro Humor/Tween Markets

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 04:06 PM PDT


The Lonely Island is widely known as the modernized bro-ified version of Weird Al Yankovich adapted for the modern world bc they make zany viral videos. Their brand of humor is the ‘it’ style of humor for teens on the internet across the USA. Julian Casablancas, lead singer of the Strokes ‘collab-ed’ with the Lonely Island on a song called ‘Boom box.’ I am not sure if this video is supposed to ‘be funny’ or if it is supposed to be a ‘real song.’ Probs just the opportunity to make a zany video.

The Strokes were widely considered the #1 band of the 2000s, so it will be interesting to see if this viral video promotion hurts or helps the Strokes + JCasablancas solo project. Maybe this was some sort of strategic attempt to be part of the new ‘Dick in a Box’, getting over 100 million viral video views. Wonder if modern tweens who never heard the hit album ‘Is This It’ are becoming familiar with the Strokes brand, or if they will just think they are some weird old band like The Cars.

Wonder if the Strokes next album will be a ‘real album’ that gets authentic praise, or if it will be a parody album. Worried.

Was this video ‘good’ or ‘ghey.’
Is Bro Humor ruining America?
If you were an alt-tween bro, would you mimic the humor of Andy Samberg to get praise from mainstream girls in ur high school English Class?
Will the Strokes create the album of the year?
Is the Lonely Island brand of humor bad for America?

Are the Lonely Island bros trying 2 hard 2 be alt?




Are bands that perform on SNL still ‘indie’ bands?

Wall Street Journal ‘covers’ the chillwave genre

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 02:24 PM PDT

Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/03/13/is-chillwave-the-next-big-music-trend/


The Wall Street Journal did some blog post / article about chill wave. As you already know, chill wave was the first successful genre launch in 10-20 years. The creation of this genre enabled the key artists (and even some undeserving artists) to ‘grab on’ to the massive hypeball, giving all media outlets and ‘interesting angle’ from which to approach their coverage.

This article is historically significant because it credits Carles from the popular weblog HIPSTER RUNOFF as having invented chill wave:

Last July, a blogger named Carles, writing for the site Hipster Runoff, clustered together a handful of up-and-coming bands with a similar sound and recording approach and, by most accounts, birthed a new genre: "." It didn't take long for other music sites to start throwing around the term.

Can’t believe we did it. We invented . One of the most relevant genres in the history of the modern world. The perfect mix of a ’stupid name’, interesting/listenable music, and the opportunity to discuss the framework of the genre.

Whereas musical movements were once determined by a city or venue where the bands congregated, "now it's just a blogger or some journalist that can find three or four random bands around the country and tie together a few commonalities between them and call it a genre," said Alan Palomo of Neon Indian.

Is ‘real’?
Is mainstream?
Is the future of indie music?
Will another great band emerge in 2k10?
Is Carles the most important music critic of the modern world?