Why claim indie as the centerpiece?

For mainstream rock fans, the more mainstream forms of indie rock are more accessible than, say, extreme metal. True, but kinda self-evident.

No, I'm just trying to say that the more accessible the music is, the easier it is to see as a centerpiece, in the same way that I look at classic rock as the centerpiece of my listening world, not black metal.

indie rock does get a lot more artful and daring than the shins though, who admittedly i like quite a bit

and the reason I got into class-based stuff is that what's accessible is gonna depend on who you're talking to. If we're talking accessible to the vast majority of Americans, then let's use record sales as a measure and compare, say, the Shins to Metallica.

Why is it so important to indie fans that everyone be so broadminded?

This isn't something that is exclusive to indie fans. Fans of classic rock or classic pop (that is, non hip-hop-influenced 60s/70s/80s-style pop) also tend to have this need to be broadminded. In fact, fans of all "white" genres other than metal/hard rock (and to some extent dance, if dance can be counted as "white")

That's not a bad point, Geir, though it does threaten to turn this into a "race thing".

there's no answer to the question "what type of music do you listen to?" that won't make you come off like kind of a choad, if you're giving a shorthand answer that is. (possible exception: "everything", but even there...)

"Metal" is a good answer to that question, 'cuz the "no, fuck you" is sorta built in.

The "What type of music do you listen to" question is rather easy to respond to for fans of hip-hop, metal or electronica. Or to the kind of braindead people who respond "I like all kinds of music" and then usually means mainstream hits only. Indie fans will never answer "indie".

Personally, I think "Do you have 10 minutes?" is the best answer ;)

"Indie fans will never answer "indie"."

You've obviously never met my girlfriend's sister, who (along with her boyfriend) I use as my default indie strawman. And when I was in high school, I definitely used to say that I listened mostly to indie rock, even though that both was and wasn't true (indie rock and industrial, and that industrial was almost all on indie labels and was a form of rock, but wasn't indie rock, know'm'sayin'?).

As for the question, I usually go with either whatever I've been listening to most recently (today, Notorious Byrds) or a made-up answer like "Fartcore."

Regarding the amoeba-like grasp of "indie," I remember feeling confused one day when my neighbors, all recent immigrants from various SE Asian countries, were playing reggaeton loudly. They'd only ever played, like, Canto-pop (and Vietnamese versions of the same), and I was stuck between thinking "How odd—it's all in Spanish," and castigating myself for racist assumptions.

Indie fans will never answer "indie".

obviously RONG

indie = punks got into the 60s (but you know, before all the trippy stuff)