The February 2010 edition of Paste Magazine features a black cover with the question, “Is Indie Dead?” in bold red letters. The cover is an homage to the iconic 1966 Time Magazine cover that reads, “Is God Dead?” Inside, John T. Elson’s controversial article studied the history and philosophy of religion and atheism. In 1966, America was facing a cultural crossroads of sorts with almost half a million troops in Vietnam and race riots at home. With its cover and subsequent ten-page article, Paste Magazine questions the cultural implications of the term “indie.” Now that a Grizzly Bear song can appear in a Volkswagon commercial or a Bon Iver song in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, it seems as though the world of independent music is at a crossroads as well.
