Why do people praise non-mainstream music here so much?

I don't get it. :? It seems like people here, for one hipster reason or another, think that if they like a band that no one's heard of, it makes them 10x cooler or something. And then they assume that if you like one somewhat mainstream band (i.e. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rise Against), it means you also listen to Ke$ha or Justin Bieber. What's up with that?

I've been listening to mainstream music since before it became mainstream.

Have you heard alot of mainstream music? It's bloody awful.

Foreign music for me.

Is it maybe because the majority of mainstream music is garbage. My opinion of course... I think OP doesn't get it because he probably loves the mainstream.

Have you heard alot of mainstream music? It's bloody awful.

turtlethetaffer

[QUOTE="turtlethetaffer"]

Have you heard alot of mainstream music? It's bloody awful.

Engrish_Major

Well, it is pretty bad. The occasionaly good thing just like anything but I turn on the radio to a Hit Music station and it's awful.

... Ok mainstream music AKA extremely popular songs are so diverse just in genre I can't see how some one cannot like one or a few of the songs at least.. I mean really.. sSubZerOo

... Ok mainstream music AKA extremely popular songs are so diverse just in genre I can't see how some one cannot like one or a few of the songs at least.. I mean really.. sSubZerOo

I like mainstream music. I hate the "more mainstream" music.

cause most of it is horrible

"Non-mainstream music" is not a genre. It's music that isn't mainstream. It encompasses millions of pieces of art in a huge range of styles.

Why someone would limit themselves to only what marketers put in from of them is a mystery to me.

I'll also say that I think the likelihood of someone listening to a large variety of music choosing only to listen to mainstream music is very low. Thus, I assume people who only listen to mainstream music are fairly ignorant about music in general. There's nothing morally wrong about that, but it is what it is.

Maybe...

It's been proven that the less well known a band is, the cooler it is. So go try and find the band that only one guy has heard of and you'll be awesome.

"Non-mainstream music" is not a genre. It's music that isn't mainstream. It encompasses millions of pieces of art in a huge range of styles.

Why someone would limit themselves to only what marketers put in from of them is a mystery to me.

I'll also say that I think the likelihood of someone listening to a large variety of music choosing only to listen to mainstream music is very low. Thus, I assume people who only listen to mainstream music are fairly ignorant about music in general. There's nothing morally wrong about that, but it is what it is.

[QUOTE="superfluidity"]

"Non-mainstream music" is not a genre. It's music that isn't mainstream. It encompasses millions of pieces of art in a huge range of styles.

Why someone would limit themselves to only what marketers put in from of them is a mystery to me.

I'll also say that I think the likelihood of someone listening to a large variety of music choosing only to listen to mainstream music is very low. Thus, I assume people who only listen to mainstream music are fairly ignorant about music in general. There's nothing morally wrong about that, but it is what it is.

the_plan_man

If it feels like work to find new music, you just don't care about/like music very much. That's fine, but please don't judge people who do.

Your opinion that non-mainstream music "most of the time" sounds like something mainstream is baffling. You're talking about millions of pieces of music that can come from places, cultures or styles completely alien to you. It sounds like you need to widen your horizons quite a bit, because you've barely scratched the surface of the residue covering what's out there.

[QUOTE="the_plan_man"][QUOTE="superfluidity"]

"Non-mainstream music" is not a genre. It's music that isn't mainstream. It encompasses millions of pieces of art in a huge range of styles.

Why someone would limit themselves to only what marketers put in from of them is a mystery to me.

I'll also say that I think the likelihood of someone listening to a large variety of music choosing only to listen to mainstream music is very low. Thus, I assume people who only listen to mainstream music are fairly ignorant about music in general. There's nothing morally wrong about that, but it is what it is.

superfluidity

If it feels like work to find new music, you just don't care about/like music very much. That's fine, but please don't judge people who do.

Your opinion that non-mainstream music "most of the time" sounds like something mainstream is baffling. You're talking about millions of pieces of music that can come from places, cultures or styles completely alien to you. It sounds like you need to widen your horizons quite a bit, because you've barely scratched the surface of the residue covering what's out there.

No, it feels like work because the majority of the music I dig through that "isn't mainstream" sounds just as bad or worse than what I hear on the radio on a regular basis. Only occasionally when I sift through all the "non-mainstream" music do I find something I actually enjoy. :? And yeah, usually non-mainstream bands sound similar to a band that is already a whole lot bigger.the_plan_man

Where are you digging through music? I can't relate to your difficulty finding literally anything that sounds unique, it sounds like you're limiting yourself to mainstream genres.

If you want a strategy for finding new music, take a genre and look it up on wikipedia. Start clicking on links to specific artists, then click on links to artists who influenced them. Choose genres you aren't familiar with, nothing will be similar to what you currently know of.

[QUOTE="the_plan_man"] No, it feels like work because the majority of the music I dig through that "isn't mainstream" sounds just as bad or worse than what I hear on the radio on a regular basis. Only occasionally when I sift through all the "non-mainstream" music do I find something I actually enjoy. :? And yeah, usually non-mainstream bands sound similar to a band that is already a whole lot bigger.superfluidity

Where are you digging through music? I can't relate to your difficulty finding literally anything that sounds unique, it sounds like you're limiting yourself to mainstream genres.

Mainstream...genres...what? :? I've listened to a lot of music, and I've found there's as much (if not more) crap outside the mainstream than there is inside it. You can't just say that EVERYTHING MAINSTREAM=CRAP, EVERYTHING NON-MAINSTREAM=GREAT. It doesn't work that way.the_plan_man

Where did I say everything non-mainstream was great? You're getting this concept completely confused.

I would certainly agree that there's more crappy non-mainstream music than mainstream music, because theres a million times more of it.

That's the point, you're only sampling a tiny fraction of what's out there and making the incredibly arrogant claim that all that stuff marketers didn't shove in your face isn't worthwhile.

Many of the bands I like tend to be less accessible to the average listener. I like underground music simply because the majority of the stuff I listen to tends to be less known. How else do you want me to put it? I like honest music, I don't like it when people treat music like a fashion accessory, I like what I like. Please don't lump people like me into the same catagory with hipsters. Hipsters pretend to like things, I don't.

It's the internet: what's the probability that with pretty much equal access to all the world's music that you'ld end up liking the very small percentage that makes up western mainstream pop? markop2003

[QUOTE="superfluidity"]

[QUOTE="the_plan_man"] But, what I don't get is why people go through tons and tons of work to find some obscure band, that, most of the time, sounds somewhat similar to something that's already bigger than it is. Maybe it's just me, though...the_plan_man

If it feels like work to find new music, you just don't care about/like music very much. That's fine, but please don't judge people who do.

Your opinion that non-mainstream music "most of the time" sounds like something mainstream is baffling. You're talking about millions of pieces of music that can come from places, cultures or styles completely alien to you. It sounds like you need to widen your horizons quite a bit, because you've barely scratched the surface of the residue covering what's out there.

Underground artists generally have more freedom than mainstream ones, they can do pretty much anything with their music without an idiot telling them to write generic 4 cord acoustic love songs an order to appeal to more people. Nobody should get in the way of an artist's goals and visions. You obviously weren't listening to the right bands.

Because we're on the internet, probably looking for music we like, and it just so happens a lot of it isn't 'mainstream'? It doesn't mean mainstream music is bad( I listen to a ton of radio/well known music), it just means there's a lot more to music than what gets played on the radio

"Non-mainstream music" is not a genre. It's music that isn't mainstream. It encompasses millions of pieces of art in a huge range of styles.

Why someone would limit themselves to only what marketers put in from of them is a mystery to me.

I'll also say that I think the likelihood of someone listening to a large variety of music choosing only to listen to mainstream music is very low. Thus, I assume people who only listen to mainstream music are fairly ignorant about music in general. There's nothing morally wrong about that, but it is what it is.

superfluidity

[QUOTE="markop2003"]It's the internet: what's the probability that with pretty much equal access to all the world's music that you'ld end up liking the very small percentage that makes up western mainstream pop? -DirtySanchez-

[QUOTE="-DirtySanchez-"][QUOTE="markop2003"]It's the internet: what's the probability that with pretty much equal access to all the world's music that you'ld end up liking the very small percentage that makes up western mainstream pop? markop2003

You can still find good music in mainstream artists, though very rare.

People hate on mainstream things b/c it's the "cool" thing to do. I don't get it either.

What I don't get is why some people act like "non-mainstream" somehow is not filled with crap while mainstream music is. There plenty of crap in both.

Depends on the genre/artists....some bands don't seek popularity but it finds them.....they generally make music because they like doing so. Then there are those making music for money....that music is generally the music categorized as mainstream....and it isn't very interesting. IMO.LJS9502_basic

Those two things are not mutually exclusive.

One can make music money and enjoy doing it.

Also, I find many people anti-mainstream crowd to be really superficial when it comes to music. Many of them care about alot of superficial **** that has nothing to do with the way that the music sounds, but has more to do with carving out a little cultural niche.

I'm neither pro-mainstream or anti-mainstream. If the songwriting is good and if the actual songs sound good and resonate, then I like it regardless of any other factors like genre, popularity, authorship, etc.

Mainstream music is too repetetive; you hear it all the time in shops, on TV, from your friend's iPod, in clubs, etc.

same reason they bash the mainstream music or games or music, they somehow think it makes them cool, meanwhile no one other then them gives a flying f*** mainstream music/games/movies/etc do so well for a reason, and its not because people are sheep, its because the stuff is catchy/addictive/fun-DirtySanchez-

The people that act like people who like mainstream stuff are sheep have childish mentalities IMO. They are trying to feel intellectually superior without actually being intellectual.

Mainstream music is too repetetive; you hear it all the time in shops, on TV, from your friend's iPod, in clubs, etc.

cyborg100000

Also, I find many people anti-mainstream crowd to be really superficial when it comes to music. Many of them care about alot of superficial **** that has nothing to do with the way that the music sounds, but has more to do with carving out a little cultural niche.

I'm neither pro-mainstream or anti-mainstream. If the songwriting is good and if the actual songs sound good and resonate, then I like it regardless of any other factors like genre, popularity, authorship, etc.

GreySeal9

I Agree, Half the Bands/Songs posters on here listen to are bands that leave me scratching my head saying...what band is that? while at the same time saying everything not indie basically is horrible.

Hate To Break It to you guys and gals but the same bands you worship for being non-mainstream will eventually sell out and become mainstream

Mainstream music of awful. And when I say mainstream, I mean the autotuned pop electrotrash that get's voiced over by the flavour of the day. Awful.