Beach Fossils
Mon 1 Jun 2009
Could Lo-Fi Be Popular Music?
Lo-fi recordings seem to be popping up everywhere nowadays. Is it because the artists like the sound that a lo-fi recording produces, or is it that us music bloggers can’t wait to jump all over a new artist, so we put the lo-fi recordings out for them? Which ever it is, there’s been some fantastic lo-fi recordings recently that I far prefer over polished studio recordings. Some good examples are right on our doorstep; Nevernudes, Moron Says What?!, Sets and Damsels are all far more appealing because of their scrappy lo-fi quality recordings.
It’s a global trend and it could soon become a part of popular culture. Unlike other subcultures that adapt and evolve from one another, often quickly, lo-fi has been patiently waiting its turn. It has been around since the beginning of time, since the day humans decided to first record music. But it has always been uncool; inaccessible to the masses and never taken seriously. Until now! With the rebellious drum banging down on the door of major record labels and revolt against MTV’s mass produced popular culture gaining speed, people are starting to turn to lo-fi as a new rebel subculture.
Already we have a number of lo-fi bands gaining mass popularity; Wavves, Vivian Girls and Mika Miko, to name just a few. The latest to capture my attention (and a number of other bloggers) is Beach Fossils, a one man band from Brooklyn, New York. He’s already been compared to Wavves (perhaps it’s the solo thing), but in contrast he has a much cleaner guitar sound without the use of distortion to cover it up. Beach Fossils actually sounds more like a lo-fi version of Tom Vek crossed with The Cure, creating a preppy pop sound that bares itself as a strange mix of upbeat pop melodies and weeping vocals. Beach Fossils’ big point of difference lies in a strange vocal effect, used to make his voice sound cross-faded like a wavering vibrato. Initially it’s a little bit dodgy, but it warms up pretty quickly.
So is lo-fi becoming ingrained in popular music, or is it just an illusion created by music on the internet becoming a huge part of our everyday lives?
Posted by Nick Fulton under New York
June 1st, 2009 at 4:09 pm
WHUT??????
June 1st, 2009 at 4:26 pm
I don’t quite understand why you are trying to make a big statement with this…
June 1st, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Sonic Youth, Pavement, the Clean, Modest Mouse, Yo La Tengo, Lou Reed.
That shits been popular since the dawn of time, and the quality of your recording is simply that, it doesn’t make you part of some sub culture.
A pretty grandiose view on something so insignificant.
June 1st, 2009 at 6:58 pm
not sure what you’re getting at…
lo-fi has always been a part of pop culture; it’s a recording process. there have always been lo-fi recordings, primitive garage bands from the ’60s all the way to early ’90s indies like pavement or GBV. it’s not like this sudden trend that happened over night.
if by popular you’re asking if it’s going to appear on the top 40 charts, then obviously no it’s not going to take the world by storm.
if you mean more popular in indie music, then i’m just going to say it’s not going to matter if it’s lo-fi or not, things are going to be popular because it’s good music not just because it’s no lo-fi.
June 1st, 2009 at 7:41 pm
yeah i don’t really get it eh. also, wavves sux dix. and that damsels ep’s recorded real clean-ly. don’t get it. maybe stop listening to things on myspace? (I FROWN ON YR 96 KBPS HA HA HA)
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:38 am
yeah i thought damsels was recorded quite well too
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I always thought the sucess of lo-fi music was often the fact that the music itself transcended its recording quality, or just that there was a synergy between the music and the production standards that meant if you recorded the same music with say U2 production standards the music itself would lose something.
I also think that the nature of the the music industry has necessitated a turn toward the lo-fi production standard as a result of the technology boom (i.e. home recording becoming more accessible) and the fact that in the age of free downloading of music where record companies aren’t prepared to shell out advances for high quality recordings artists have no choice but to have a crack at recording themselves.
There is also the romance associated with a lo-fi recording which sets the recording in a social context, i.e early blues recordings, or Daniel Johnston in his parents basement.
That said lo-fi production standards can be a barrier to a lot of people who find it difficult to get past the hiss or strangely mixed instrumentation. This is also usually the same thing that attracts lo-fi enthusiasts to it as well.
I don’t know about whether it is growing as a movement or not, everything has its day in the sun I suppose, but if it is you know it will end as soon the phoneys start recording themselves lo-fi to try and jump on the band wagon. The key to lo-fi as a style is and always will be its authenticity.
June 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I GOT A COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT WHEN I POSTED THIS SONG
June 30th, 2009 at 5:02 am
you are a perfect example of the stupid blogger you were describing that’s just sucking that lo-fi dick cuz everyone is. doood. wavves sux. vivian girls sux.
“But it has always been uncool; inaccessible to the masses and never taken seriously. Until now! With the rebellious drum banging down on the door of major record labels and revolt against MTV’s mass produced popular culture gaining speed, people are starting to turn to lo-fi as a new rebel subculture.”
wtf
you have no idea what youre talking about