SnakeLee: The "best" groups coming out right now are all indie hipster groups, like it or not. My problem with the indie stuff is most of it has no edge to it at all, I wish they weren't all so poppy. I like the emphasis on musicianship that a lot of them have, but I wish they'd dirty it up a bit.

You need more indie garage rock/garage punk. Check out King Khan, Red Mass, Les Sexareenos, CPC Gangbangs, and especially Les Breastfeeders.

I'm losing my indie cred - I've only heard three of these bands.

I must be getting old.

Tennis is really good. Lucky people, too. Not everyone has the luxury of getting song ideas on extended sailing excursions...

I've never heard of any of them.

Fair_Poopsmith:

/too chubby to be a hipster

Haven't you heard? Chubby is the new UberHip.

DPCTED (new window)

Both The Head and the Heart and The Civil Wars get some airtime on Seattle independent/alternative stations. Of course, The Head and the Heart are locals, so they should.

If I had a band, our picture would be in full color with us relaxed, and looking at the camera and smiling. We'd be in studio, wearing our stage clothes, and the only editing would involve making my teeth look slightly less coffee-colored.

That would be "indie."

Based on a quick YT sampling of the list.

The Alabama Shakes hooked me instantly. The rest is just not my cup of tea.

Tatsuma: The best new artist this year is Lana Del Rey

If you disagree, shut up.

Plus, she's got some pretty nice DSLs too.

/First thing I noticed in her video

Tatsuma: The best new artist this year is Lana Del Rey

If you disagree, shut up.

Are you sincere or is it just a lip service?

For a less hipster view of up and coming artists, check BBC's Sound of 2012 (pops) Skrillex alone will tear your ears a new one.

Fair_Poopsmith: Hipsters, according to Fark.

Hipster is just a catch-all term for people someone doesn't like.

I haven't clicked the link yet but I'm guessing there's at least a few male/female duos, several bands with a woman who looks cute and playful, a couple with a woman who looks brooding and serious, one with a woman who plays a violin or other non-rock n roll instrument, several with guys sporting neckbeards, and at least one band with a wacky picture. Almost every indie band these days seems like they've been rolled out of a factory pre-assembled.

Hipster is unfortunately becoming shorthand for "music/culture i haven't heard of yet"

RexTalionis: /Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm not hip.

I did not know about that album. Thank you, sir.

RexTalionis: [ecx.images-amazon.com image 300x300]

/Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm not hip.

HOLY CRAP??!?!!?! When did this come out? Yo-Yo Ma...Chris Thile....MUST GET NOW.

This band's debut album was released in the US in January 2011:
Ghost (they remind me of Sabbath meets some classic NWOBHM).

CZMisfitsFan: I haven't clicked the link yet but I'm guessing there's at least a few male/female duos, several bands with a woman who looks cute and playful, a couple with a woman who looks brooding and serious, one with a woman who plays a violin or other non-rock n roll instrument, several with guys sporting neckbeards, and at least one band with a wacky picture. Almost every indie band these days seems like they've been rolled out of a factory pre-assembled.

Actually there's
5 cases of 1F1M;
3 cases of 1F5M;
1F2M, 1F3M, 0F2M, 0F4M - 2 cases each
0M5M, 2F4M, 1F4M1D, 2F4M and 4F8M1HTTF1L each
/Some of them had beards

Fair_Poopsmith: Hipsters, according to Fark.

People who shop at thrift stores
People who shop at American Apparel
People who shop at local boutiques
People who drink PBR
People who drink expensive microbrews
People who brew their own beer
People who use iPads/iPhones
People who write in notebooks in public
People who write in notebooks or iPads in small local coffee shops
People who write in notebooks or iPads in a Starbucks
Guys who have moustaches
Guys who have beards
People who wear horn-rimmed glasses
People who hang out in shiatty diners
People who hang out at fancy specialty restaurants
Metrosexuals
Slovenly bearded guys who don't give a shiat about how they look
People who like cooking parties
People who listen to "indie rock."
People who have sworn off "indie rock."
...
...
...

/too chubby to be a hipster

Yes. BUT! I can simplify it for you:

"Hipsters are consumers who champion anti-mass-market consumption". Basically, they choose to be different...by, en-masse, cultivating a style of consumption that rejects common consumption standards. Essentially, they spend money - a LOT of money - to cultivate a distinctive bohemian poor look. In the end, it's all "I'm better than you because I buy different than you consumer sheep"

Thus the PBR (but only ironically). Thus the thrift shop t-shirts, trucker hats, indie music. Thus the gourmet cooking parties, since cooking myself with artisan bread bought from the local WholeFoods / farmers market marks me as a sophisticated individual, thus the horn rimmed glasses, etc.

I'm just going to call them "indie consumers". Now, there's another couple groups that seem to fall in with them: the GENUINELY poor, urban, young (never older than late 20's/early 30's), marginally employed service class. Think coffee wenches (I can't bring myself to call a coffee slinger a "barista" and keep a straight face), waiters, bartenders, etc. These people can't afford to buy the trappings of a conventionally successful lifestyle, so the only style they can really afford *is* the hipster one. They don't spend $200 on faded '80s jeans, thick rimmed glasses, or $50 for an authentic vintage t-shirt - they have them actually from the day, or shop for them at flea markets & salvation army / goodwill stores. Cultivating the look is literally the best they can do.

Then there's just the average every day slob who could give two shiats about his appearance. Skinny frame because he can't be bothered to eat, neckbeard because he can't be bothered to shave, disgusting trucker hat because he needs to cover up a bald patch, flannel shirt because he doesn't care that it's the middle of summer, etc.

Lastly, there's the ipad / speciality coffee / prius / microbrew type. They also tend to get lumped in as hipsters, but they're basically the opposite of hipsters. That first class define themselves as being above mass-consumerism and consumption values, and buy all the shiat they can do cultivate the "genuine" look. THESE people also think they're better than the sheep. But instead of ironically cultivating a poor (poor = genuine) look, they buy the premium stuff. And, to be honest, if you're going to think you're better than the masses, you may as well do it this way. Microbrews have more taste and variety than domestics, same with speciality coffees, and ipads, while being massively overpriced, are incredibly sleek and well designed / well engineered. Hybrids and electrics have the dual benefits of being more expensive than the average car, and mark you as a better more conscientious person since you care about the environment.

In the end...it's all assholes who are either too lazy to conform, too elitist to lower themselves to conform, too poor to conform, or so elitist that they choose to not conform by ironically pretending to be poor. Either way: it's a look / style / philosophy of CONSUMPTION based on, ironically, the rejection of whatever the masses consume.

AKA: a bunch of sniveling hypocrites and douchebags.

For Fans Of: ... Fela Kuti, Vampire Weekend

Wha? A venn diagram of this would look like Victoria Beckham's boobs. I haven't heard of any of the bands, of course, but I don't like most of the 'for fans of' which means I'm on my second generation of not caring. But I like Fela Kuti.

moothemagiccow: Fair_Poopsmith: Hipsters, according to Fark.

Hipster is just a catch-all term for people someone doesn't like.

No, then the rest of this tab would be how hipster Nickelback and The Christmas Shoes are.

Accept that "Hipster" is a real thing. Over-cliched, sure, but this "please notice how clever and ironically earnest we are by our use of cloying melodies and unpolished voices" thing is played out. So is everyone trying to sound like an 80s garage band with no budget and a 4-track player.

There's a sameness to most of the list. Here's the few that stick out and don't sound like "Me Too" scenesters: (better?)

The Joy Formidable
The Civil Wars
Alabama Shakes (Best on the list!)
Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, sort of..

/If "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr." can have a cutesy name for a band and not get sued, a Screamo band called "For Fans Of: Mumford and Sons" should get a chance.

Phanotogram isn't bad, but they also aren't "new." I'm lame and I even know about them.

csi_yellowknife: /If "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr." can have a cutesy name for a band and not get sued, a Screamo band called "For Fans Of: Mumford and Sons" should get a chance.

I'll play that band.