Indie
Sights
Cool indie websites that
clue you in on subterranean online culture. By Ramesh
William
Stripped of over-moneyed pretensions, indie has
always had a gritty-cool, underdog vibe attached to it. Indie
films, music, fashion and art have been around for yonks but under
a different guise; only in recent years has it evolved into a
serious genre and adopted its present label. The success of movies
like Juno and Little Miss Sunshine has pushed the indie envelope in
the past couple of years; while The Cure was an indie outfit all
those years ago. Simply put: Indie refers to anything that doesn’t
have a big name studio, record label or fashion house backing it.
It is usually obscure, mostly underground, always underfunded but
almost always interesting. We select some choice picks online for
you to get a pretty rough lowdown on indie culture.
Film
Independent Film Channel (www.ifc.com/film/)
The online arm of US-based cable TV channel IFC.
You’ll be able to watch episodes online and also get a heads-up on
the latest indie film happenings. The website’s integration with
music and politics lends it a credible voice on socio-cultural
contemporary issues.
Highlight: Watch a video interview of Flaming
Lips frontman Wayne Coyne speaking about directing his first
film.
Indiepix (www.indiepixfilms.com)
Packed with blogs, downloads and filmmaker
interviews, this is the true epitome of indie-cool online. With an
extensive catalogue, it covers new releases of some of the best
unheard-of talent in the world.
Highlight: You can download movies from its
sizeable archive; in DVD format. Two of the best indie sleeper
hits, Tangier Treehouse and Pies, are available for download. It
ain’t free, of course; struggling artists need food too.
Film Independent (www.filmindependent.org/)
The home of the Spirit Awards, the Oscars of the
indie film world, is choc-full of blog links, podcasts, industry
news and talent development advice. If you’re thinking of breaking
into the American indie film scene, then this is your pit
stop.
Highlight: An interesting choice of film shorts
and advice on the filmmaking craft.
Art
Deviant Art (www.deviantart.com)
This online treasure chest of digital,
traditional and manga art is a wonderful repository of all things
unusual, dark and eclectic. You can buy the art and support the
cause, or pick a print and impose it upon a T-shirt. Either way,
you can get lost for hours on this site.
Highlight: The cool street art page.
Juxtapoz (www.juxtapoz.com)
An online art and cultural magazine featuring a
whole slew of unclassifiable and uncategorizable artworks,
drawings, comics and sculptures. Being presented as a blog may give
it a wordy feel, but the psychedelic colors alongside will not make
for dry reading.
Highlight: Feature stories on emerging new
artists.
Bornmagazine (www.bornmagazine.org)
Perhaps the most unique entry of those presented
here. This website marries cool art with literature. Presented in
flash animation, you can read short stories accompanied by some
uber-funky art and illustrations.
Highlight: Snowbound by Elizabeth Tornes and Josh
Spivey.
Fashion
Fashion indie (www.fashionindie.com)
With a tagline of “Fearless Fu*king Fashion,”
this is may not be to the taste of some fashionistas out there.
Yet, you’ll find avant-garde, glam-funk options here. There are
enough mainstream fashion musings here, just in case you get tired
of opinions of underground fashion.
Highlight: The On the Street page; a window on
stylish, grungy sartorial trends on sidewalks the world
over.
Indie fixx
(indiefixx.com/category/indie-fashion/)
OK this blog site is very girlie. Nothing wrong
with that; it’s safe and different without being too underground or
goth-inspired and (if you are so inclined) there are enough
interesting picks that’ll have you punching in your credit card
details in no time.
Highlight: Blog links to similarly girlie-type
indiewear.
Indieshopper (www.indieshopper.com)
A website that features skaterboy, hip hoppy
stuff alongside some very classic haute coutre. Go figure indeed,
but very interesting.
Highlight: A Japanese style kimono dress.
Warning: Prices are not very indie.
Music
Soma fm (somafm.net)
The music you’ll hear on this online music
streaming site is not entirely made of independent labels; acts
like Dzihan & Kamien, Thievery Corporation and Bebel Gilberto
feature heavily. But you’ll also find some absolutely obscure but
delightful pieces from a range of unsigned garage acts. The fact
that this in-depth, multi-genre site is entirely user supported
makes it one of the most honest, independent music sites out
there.
Highlight: The Groovesalad streamcast. In its own
words: A nicely chilled plate of ambient beats and
grooves.
Winston’s Zen (www.winstonszen.com)
Zen yourself out on this indie music site and
discover some really awesome musical gems like Lowline and
Melbourne-based Skipping Girl Vinegar. MP3 (legal, of course)
downloads of single tracks are available. Zen’s CD reviews are also
a worthwhile read.
Highlight: Embedded YouTube videos of various
indie acts; boredom killer at worst, enlightening and endearing
experience at best.
Indiesurfer (indiesurfer.blogspot.com)
The blog that does the most to big-up indie music
is back and kicking after having removed most of its copyrighted
downloadable links. What’s really interesting about this blog is
that it documents the trials and tribulations of the (usually
struggling) artists, and includes interviews with them.
Downloadable MP3s of many an unsigned act are also found on the
site. So click away.
Highlight: February Album of the Month, the
self-titled album from The Dogs. Free to download.
Unsigned (www.unsigned.com)
Chance upon some really smooth unsigned acts
classified according to genre on this site.
Highlight: Much like myspace, you can create an
artist page and upload your material for the world to hear on this
site. And it’s free.
And finally ... a local site
Big O (www.bigozine2.com)
Documenting Singapore’s underground culture, the
institution that once was now thrives solely on the web-o-sphere.
Thankfully, it is no less engaging as it once was. Musings of
contemporary Singapore sit alongside music reviews, and the
occasional X’ho piece is worthy of a drop-in now and
then.