Indie Aesthetics

A friend of mine sent along this interesting post the other day from Kathy Sierra, one of two people who run a blog called "Creating Passionate Users". The blog is mostly focused on marketing issues and is not really my bag, but the above graph caught my attention.

Sierra describes the fine line in music and film between low production values as an aesthetic positive or simply low-budget. It's an argument that is easier to make now in the world of podcasts, video blogs and YouTube. Lo-fi, at least in music, is a major basis for many authenticity arguments.

I would like to add another axis to this graph, one based on popularity. That is, as an artist or film gains popularity or recognition, user happiness increases to a point and then decreases until it has "lost its edge". This doesn't apply to all genres of music equally, and I am speaking primarily of rock/indie-rock/alternative/whatever label you prefer.

We'll use the new Arcade Fire album as a test case. It's due out soon (check out the single by clicking on the "Black Mirror" link here). Funeral took the band from indie to mainstream and there are incredible expectations for the new release. There are rumours of secret shows at high schools and their 5 night stand here in Montreal sold out in 3 minutes. But will the sheer existence of a swollen fan base lead to tepid reception of the new album?

Stay tuned.