yvynyl:

This post seems to be generating some interesting discussion, so I figure it warrants some extra thought. 

To clarify: I have nothing against microgenres.  I toss out the terms glo-fi and surf garage with reckless abandon.  I am amused by the creative naming, and it serves a purpose in describing music in a 140-characters-or-less world.

Anyone can invent a genre. All it takes is a little bit of social muscle to pull it off.  And why not?  Folks are looking for new authentic meme or the latest trends and I don’t see anything wrong with labeling them for ease of coagulation and discovery. 

The problem comes, I think, that microgenres have too much an air of ‘insider elitism’ to them.  I refuse to say the word “chillwave” at a party because I know too many people will look at me with a blank stare, and I feel like a douche.  

Here - in our nerdy little music playground of the innerwebs - we can banter about the nuanced differences between blog haus and electrowave.  But hey, on the internet, everyone’s an elitist. So there.

As tinyfolk put it, “H▲ters gonn▲ h▲te.”

Speaking of chillwave. I was at a party this weekend and I slipped in some Washed Out and early Toro Y Moi into a party playlist. Some intro ‘chillwave’ if you will. It went over well overall but like usual got some “WTF is this?”. The exchange went like this:

Them: WTF is this?
Me: It’s chillwave. (jokingly)
Them: What’s chillwave.
Me: It’s indie (Not knowing how to explain)
Them: Like Death Cab for Cutie?