Interstellar Discussion, Part Three

Show Me the Way, O Lord (Part 2 of 2)

Fluency with the work of an artist is the result of collection of and immersion in the artist’s body of work. Because popular music is almost entirely commodified, the acquisition of the artist’s work takes place largely in the economic sector. Fans differ greatly on what they consider to be the ‘complete’ collection of saleable items for any given artist, but items for purchase will include albums, singles, import releases, different formats of releases (7”, 12”, tape), t-shirts, posters, tickets and stickers, and even magazine and newspaper clippings.

In addition to commodified items there exist a range of non-commodified items, some of them ‘artifacts,’ which are distributed among fan communities. The most frequent non-commodified item of music communities is the bootleg: an audio or video recording of concerts, or an audio recording of unreleased demos or studio tracks. As technology advances, the distribution of bootlegs through file-type protocol servers and Bit Torrent sites renders most of these bootlegs as simply ‘non-commodities’ – items that people share instead of purchase. The artifact, then, is the item that has not been disseminated in the wider community. Obtaining an artifact is thus often an extensive and emotional process. An autograph acquired in person becomes an artifact; if this autograph is put up for sale on eBay it becomes a commodity. The non-commodity is a work distributed by and for the community; an artifact becomes a personal relic of fandom.

Identifying with an artist becomes the ultimate defining process for fans. While many listeners identify with artists without becoming fans, the particular dialect of identity that fans engage in with the objects of their devotion is pivotal to their experience as fans. Cavicchi relies heavily on the identity theory of William James, who proposes that identity is constructed through a ‘process of self-continuity’ in which the self always recognizes the same ‘me,’ despite changes in behavior and norms (Cavicchi 1998:136). Therefore, if a fan identifies not only with the music of a particular artist but also the artist himself, the fan becomes dependent on the identity of the artist as a means of reinforcing his own identity.

By using the artist to reinforce his or her own identity, the listener first engages in the ‘endlessly deferred narrative’ of fan cultures. Matt Hills describes this phenomenon as a discourse perpetuated by the creator of the text that ‘remains focused on particular themes and issues of (character) identity’ (2001:134). Hills discusses these narratives within the context of science fiction television shows: Doctor Who? The truth is out where? And what is the truth? With popular musicians, however, fans are dealing with the tumultuous narratives of actual, unpredictable people. Because fan identity is reliant on artist identity, then a discussion about Ani Difranco’s sexuality or Bruce Springsteen’s Hollywood marriage becomes legitimate discourse in the fan community.

They Told Me About You

The two most basic differences between popular and outsider music fans are exposure and access to music. Outsider musicians literally exist outside the discourse of popular press; lack of exposure coincides with (but is not necessarily a direct result of) difficulty in acquiring the music. The work of many outsider musicians is out of print; some of them do not even release records on record labels, but simply distribute home-recordings. Others exist on labels that may have no method or mechanism for distribution, and rely largely on word of mouth for record sales. While websites like Forced Exposure seek to introduce the world to outsider music, they remain fixed in the discourse of the outsider community – people that are not inspired to find this music will not.

In addition to the physical inaccessibility of their music, outsider music fans take pride in the perceived un-listenability of their music. The regression of listening, according to Adorno, is ‘the arrogantly ignorant rejection of everything unfamiliar’ (2002:51). Whether one is enjoying the vocal stylings of Kathy McGinty, the static ambiance of The Conet Project, Jandek’s ‘deliberate’ tunings or Daniel Johnston’s heartfelt chord organ, outsider music – novelty or serious – is not for the regressive listener. In ‘getting’ the message of such inaccessible music, outsider music fans identify themselves superior to those who listen to mainstream music. Maintaining distance from the tasteless masses then becomes a crucial to outsider listeners in the same way distance is important for indie rock listeners: if the tasteless masses whom they have distinguished themselves from begin liking the outsider music they listen to, then this means either outsider listeners have no taste, or their music is not superior (Hibbett 2005:70).

The most significant differentiating feature of the outsider fan is that curiosity, not conversion, is often the primary introduction to the music. Popular musicians are just that – they receive publicity and are easy to come by in the press. Even ‘indie’ rock is rarely difficult to find anymore, as it has grown in popularity and receives increased public exposure through blogs and indie music review sites such as Pitchfork Media, Glorious Noise, and Tiny Mix Tapes. Thus, fans are frequently introduced to an artist long before they become a fan; the point at which they transition from listener to fan becomes their conversion.