“Indiepop: a story” by writer Ricardo Martínez, is a work that transmits admiration and knowledge for a little explored musical genre. Already in its first lines we can glimpse the intention of opening the doors to a world where music alone is not enough, since it goes hand in hand with an aesthetic proposal, which to this day has been able to position itself in those spaces. alternatives that the underground scene offers us.
Frank Zappa said: “Official culture comes to meet you, but you have to go to the underground.” In this phrase, in my opinion, the purpose of this work is concentrated: to direct us towards those little-traveled places of a musical scene that is characterized by living from the margins.
In this sense, the author manages to group distinctive elements of this genre, developing a vision that positions indiepop as an unpretentious style, under the wing of a counterculture that wants to distance itself from the industry, and open itself towards those people who understand the subtleties of everyday life: the popkidz or indiepopers.
In twenty-seven chapters, “Indiepop: a history” traces the early stages of indiepop, starting from its origins in the Rough Trade store in west London, passing through the influences of postpunk and new wave sounds, which gave life to its own melodic compositions. of the genre, along with the music labels that were fundamental to its development, such as Elefant, 53rd & 3rd and the iconic Sarah Records. The latter described as a fundamental pillar to understand the musical historiography that is woven around the genre.
Likewise, iconic bands take a significant place, such as The Pastels, The Wedding Present, Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura, to name just a few. And others that have known how to stand out within the nuances that this style proposes. This is the case of Niza with Donosti Sound, La Casa Azul with tontipop or the English chamber pop of Pocketbooks, among others.
In this sense, reading the work becomes an immersive journey, supported by images and songs that can be scanned using QR codes, facilitating inquiry through a skillful combination of historical data, personal anecdotes and passages. of life.
We see in “Indiepop: a story”, a wide assortment of data and references, which, apart from being just that, interact with the author’s own experience, offering an intimate and emotional perspective that can only come from someone who has lived and breathed indiepop music deeply.
From here we understand the proposal that makes this book more than just an informative compendium; the author’s closeness to the unique sensitivity of this genre, where not only the melodies are embraced, but also all the elements that entail a lifestyle based on authenticity and the love of creating and expressing genuinely, from creativity, exalting the different and different as a bastion of the movement.
Through the passages, Ricardo Martínez honors indiepop from his music and also from the community that surrounds him: the cafes, the squares, the winter afternoons, the toys, the nostalgia of childhood and the rebellion of adolescence. That singular and characteristic charm that resonates in the popkidz, the nerdiest fandom of the scene, which goes out of its way to be part of this world on the margins, where the masks of the industry are displaced by brilliant harmonies, intimate lyrics and aesthetics of yesteryear, hidden under the eaves of the underground, and materialized in “Indiepop: a story”. A complete, close, authentic and heartfelt record of independent pop.
