Paper Bag Records

When looking for awesome music, it's well know that sometimes it helps to stick to one label. In a somewhat related topic, most Canadian bands are quite awesome as well. So, when we find a Canadian indie label, we've struck indie gold.

Indie labels only sign cool bands, and Paper Bag Records are a fine example. Bands like Broken Social Scene, Tokyo Police Club and Stars have all graced the Paper Bag Records label, but the more obscure ones are usual where to find some awesome.



FemBots are a fine example of indie musicians, performing most of their songs on toys or powertools or whatever happens to be lying around. And they've been playing their toys and powertools for eight years... These guys make awesome music. Also, they're usually found playing as backing musicians for The Weakerthans.

So let's all thank Paper Bag Records, for keeping the indie awesome alive and well. If you need suggestions on how, I hear they like cookies.

Today's fine photo comes from Lenny Wu who "takes photos for enjoyment and being in photos as well."

Don't get left behind!

Being indie is about being one step ahead of everyone else. Yep, it's a competition and if you don't fight back you'll get left behind and fade away into the popular music loving masses. But how can you stay one step ahead of the commercial wave? Well, here's how...

Use the interweb

The lazy indie person's option. Myspace, Purevolume and Last.fm are all invaluable resources if you're looking for awesome new unheard of bands. Last.fm is by far the easiest to use, least commercial and therefore indiest.

Go to a few gigs

You favorite indie bands will be usually supported by other awesome indie bands. If you favorite indie band is playing half way around the world (which they usually do), there is another option.

Pick a venue close to you (one of those bars where all the cool indie or unsigned bands play) and just go. Regardless of who's playing. The less knowledge you have of who's playing the better. Go with an open mind and you're bound to be surprised and low and behold you've found a new awesome band.

Trawl the music shops

The smaller the music shop the better, though the big chains do occasionally have some cool indie bands Cd's in, you usually have to look quite hard. The best option is to go to you local independent record store and ask the guy with long hair (he always has long hair) working behind the counter.

One of these ideas should work... In case of an emergengy when all of the above fails and you feel yourself being compelled to listen to Rihanna's new CD, email Seb or myself and we'll send you an emergency indie mix tape. We never leave a man behind.

How indie are you REALLY?

If you really want to know the cold hard truth then here's what you need to do...

step 1)

Create a last.fm account, it'll only take a few seconds.. go here

step 2)

listen to music as you normally would for a week. with the last.fm plug-in on your music player be it iTunes or Windows Media thingy.

step 3)

go here to the "Mainstream-O-Meter" and it'll calculate how "Mainstream" you are.. and give you a handy little percentage, the lower it is the more indie you are (probably)
best of luck folks
post your results as a comment when you get them

here is one i did earlier