Ron came accross Moistworks a year ago while looking at the intarwebs and they're still going strong in covering writers on their music blog. On Friday, Alex asked a few writer friends "to provide their own definitions of indie" in this fascinating column. Among those weighing in on indie music were Wesley Stace/John Wesley Harding

"now Indie, or Alternative, is a "branding tool" that annoys. But those who still use the word in conversations (rather than marketing meetings) are generally understood to refer to music made regardless of the mainstream, for the love of doing it, regardless of technical perfection, profit etc...."

Carl Wilson, author/critic:

"everyone please abandon ship on the word "indie" just as happened with "alternative." The principle of autonomy doesn't have to go with it."

Jonathan Lethem, novelist pontificates about the difference between "in-die" as opposed to "out-die," which I'm having a tough time wrapping my head around.

Should publishing take note on the death of "indie?" While "indie" certainly has changed in the music world, how has it in the book world? There is no conglomeration buying up all the successful indie bookstores out there (though we've seen a slew of them fold this year), however the same can't be said for the indie publishers who's success leads to their demise.

Novelist Christopher Sorrentino had this to say about indie and its spread to publishing:

Indie, anyway, does appear often to be a marketing term (albeit an intrinsically fraudulent one) referring more to a certain flavor of product issued by the majors (whether labels or studios) than to independently produced and released works. As far as the aesthetic it espouses or implicitly promises, it seems generally to be a tepid one, at least by my lights (same with the average "indie" movie). (I think, incidentally, that the idea may be spreading to publishing as well -- look at Soft Skull's acquisition by Counterpoint. They're really acquiring an attitude, not necessarily just a backlist.)

BTW, I come across the strangest and most wonderful things while doing research, like the Moist Towelette Museum. How awesome is that?