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Originally Posted by Glice
I think that's a bit of it - but I also think there's the fact that there's a real premium on what it takes to make a decent record. I don't care what anyone from the lo-fi brigade says - and bear in mind I own EVERYTHING Urusei Yatsura put out on every format - to sell a moderate amount of records, it takes time and decent recording. Someone like Nurse With Wound or Faust were given studio time, and lots of it, to experiment and see what they could do. In Faust's case, this was financed by what turned out to be an absolutely massive label. Even something patently commercially viable - say, early-mid REM - would struggle to be afforded the time and patience that existed when the industry was flush with money in today's climate.
Oddly though, I think this only really affects the sort of commercial indie/ rock that has a pop at the mainstream. A band like Times New Viking or whatever can do ok (in a manner of speaking) out of minimal fidelity because they're never seriously going to trouble the charts. They're kind of left to their own devices. I can't stand them, but bands like them seem to be doing alright out of the sort of people who frequent this forum. Obviously, the money that could've sent them on a European tour isn't really there any more, but that's a different matter.
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Times New Viking play in Europe frequently, though. Vivian Girls are over here enough a lot too.