Indie music populates the music scene this September
The 1975’s, MGMT’s, and Arctic Monkeys’ use somewhat abstract cover art for their new work — all of which dropped into the music scene in September.
A collection of popular indie music artists decided to release their music all within the same month, draining many of their fans’ bank accounts.
We are slightly over halfway through September, and a trend has appeared in the iTunes accounts of many students here. Every week, those that appreciate music that deters from the mainstream have had a new album available to them. Recent memory fails to recall a time when so many popular indie artists released new music all around the same time.
The 1975, Arctic Monkeys and MGMT are just a few artists that have given their fans new music to jam to in their rooms so far this month. By the end of September, new music will be heard from over a dozen or more well-known indie artists.
The collective excitement surrounding the release of new material from popular indie bands is reflected by the current Billboard charts. For example, the Arctic Monkeys’ latest effort, “AM,” currently resides at #1 on the Billboard UK Album chart and at #6 on the Billboard US Album chart. The 1975 previously enjoyed the #1 on the Billboard UK album charts and the 28th spot on the US Album chart with their self-titled debut.
But why insist on all releasing music around the same time?
For almost two years, indie music has enjoyed a significant rise in popularity among mainstream audiences. Artists such as Lana Del Rey, Fun and Foster the People garnered immense popularity on the radio, giving birth to what some music critics note as the “Indie Music Trend.” Indie artists that “hit it big” typically do so by releasing a summer anthem. The breakthrough songs of Lana Del Rey, Fun and Foster the People all trickled into the mainstream during the summer and became a part of the soundtrack of many young people’s summer.
However, many indie artists desire little for the Lana Del Rey levels of fame. They still want to bring in new fans though. By releasing new music towards the end of summer, indie artists possibly feel they are close enough to the summer anthem crowd to gain more notice, but far enough to not become “breakthrough artists.” They remain coveted by their fans and garner a few new listeners, yet still remain somewhat clandestine to the public at large.
Hopefully McIntosh students that listen indie music do not spend all their money stocking up new material from their favorite artists.
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