birth of the flattened cool: the origins of the indie voice?

Why All Indie Singers Sound Weirdly The Same

I think the sound of indie-rock as we know it today was created by the Red Krayola on their 2nd album. Listen to The Jewels of the Madonna. If that isn't an scarrily accurate precurser to what indie-rock would sound like in the 80s/90s I don't know what is.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), zondag 18 april 2004 17:49 (twelve years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Holy shit.

makes you wonder if they had similar sensibilites to the indie scene or if they just stumbled upon a sound that wld become influential 15 years later

I think Dan beat me to it but...

Red Krayola: 2nd album (I think I said somewhere else that this is the album that invented indie rock! In other words, you probably wouldn't want to listen to it too often)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 22 April 2005 09:10 (eleven years ago) Permalink

"Children of Danger" by the Memphis Goons was recorded around 70, that always seemed v proto indie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXnoWb88Jr4

What is an example of a singer who is being spoofed in sleeve's video? I think I have an idea of what she is talking about but I think it is probably different from the singers the OP was thinking of.

This is the first thing I thought of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyASdjZE0R0

Well, yeah, if anything, it sounded more like she was talking about pop singers. Rozes totally sounds like that, though, I agree.

FWIW around 2000/2001 when I was first really becoming aware of "indie", some of the indie heads I knew were really into Red Krayola. Probably by then it had already been cited by some Wire-type mag as proto-indie though.

I find it incredible how Ray Davies has yet to be mentioned here.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, December 29, 2007 2:50 PM (eight years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

imo he's too dynamic and Kinks songs move around melodically a whole lot. same with Syd Barrett as mentioned way above.

instinctually i want to trace cool indie voice to Lou Reed but he seems to have too much fun w his singing. it needs to be performative and bored. the vocal in "Sunday Morning" is kind of relaxed but a bit too dreamy. "Who Loves the Sun" could be a source, certainly lyrics-wise, but again it sounds too fun.

the early takes of "Strawberry Fields Forever" kind of fit. the vocal melody is pretty relaxed and obviously bored. it's just kind of one-note murmuring for a bit ("No one i think is in my tree") and then becomes self-conscious about that for the rest of it and starts gliding around sort of at random ("I mean i think I know..."). maybe? then there's "Revolution 1" on the White Album where the vocals were recording while lying on the floor for that bored/relaxed effect to counter the lyrics.

the root of indie cool voice is imo in that era of psychedelic pop, variety shows where the hosts put on sunglasses and "acted cool" introducing the Strawberry Alarm Clock or whoever. maybe the most high-profile form is in Monkees songs, that bored inflection used to the sing the verses of the theme song, the indie cool hinted at in that affected sigh after "We've got something to say ..... aww"

this seems like it should be a big influence on later folks, but i don't think anyone heard it until the 2006 archival release:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYB26-cqMMo

wait, not manfred mann, this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syVOWmLWFys&t=434s

ugh i don't know if that is showing up. the sibylle baier record. recorded in the early 70's.

ALSO, since i notice that dan brought up red krayola above, i was playing corky's debt to his father recently and man oh man its hard to believe that came out in 1970. could have been yesterday.

"Who Loves the Sun" could be a source, certainly lyrics-wise, but again it sounds too fun.

Also it's sung by Doug Yule.