Arcade Fire PLUG'd

Published by Toronto Mike on November 16, 2007 @ 17:07 in Music

cdI just read that Montreal's Arcade Fire trail only Of Montreal and Battles in nominations for the 2008 PLUG Independent Music Awards, which recognize the best indie acts from around the world. Canadians Emily Haines, Sunset Rubdown, The New Pornographers, Caribou, Chromeo, A-Trak and the profanely named Toronto acts Fucked Up and Holy Fuck received one nomination each.

That's great, because I really like Neon Bible and Arcade Fire in general, but what does indie really mean these days? Neon Bible was released by Merge Records here in North America, and Merge Records is an independent record label. According to Wikipedia, "an independent record label (or indie record label) is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels". Maybe I'm a little dim, but I'm not sure I fully grasp the difference between an indie record label and a major record label, but maybe you can help me.

Here are the nominations for best album.

  • Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
  • Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
  • Battles - Mirrored
  • Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
  • El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
  • Justice - †
  • Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
  • Panda Bear - Person Pitch
  • Radiohead - In Rainbows
  • Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
  • Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
  • The National - Boxer
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4 Responses to "Arcade Fire PLUG'd"

Ajax Mike
November 17, 2007 / 09:38

Well, the Big 4 are Warner, EMI, Sony BMG & Universal. Those are the major record labels. They each own a bunch of subsidiary labels as well. An Indie record label would be one that is independant of all that and runs on it's own.

Thank you Alan Cross. :)

Jason | GetYourOJ.com
November 17, 2007 / 10:37

correct.. although sometimes they turn to the majors for distribution reasons

Toronto Mike
November 17, 2007 / 10:42

So if your label is not owned by one of the big four, you're indie.

Knowing is half the battle...

Jason | GetYourOJ.com
November 18, 2007 / 09:50

Yes but keep in mind "indie rock" and "indie" bands are often not techically "indie" at all... other than their "indie" sound... remember when R.E.M. signed to Warner? It as still argued since they began as "college rock" they were still "indie" or has an "indie" sound...

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