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About This Quiz
The music. The movies. The clothes. It may be impossible to describe what indie is, but the look and sound are unmistakable. More than anything, being indie means being independent of companies trying to get you to spend money to dress a certain way and listen to certain bands. It's an ethos that embraces finding and deciding your own tastes and preferences, rather than just listening to what is on the radio or watching whatever movies are in the theater.
The term "indie rock" came into being during the 1980s and was used to describe independent music labels offering local and alternative sounds to what was being played on the radio. This DIY movement blossomed into new modes of fashion that recycled timeless looks from the past rather than embracing what was "in style" at the moment. Movies by undiscovered filmmakers with tiny budgets and big ideas challenged the norm.
All of these years after the movement started, there is no way to describe what counts as indie anymore. But anywhere there are people marching to the beat of their own drum, creating for the sake of expression and lifting up others who are doing the same, the indie movement continues. So time to throw open your closet, check your record collection and learn how indie you really are.
Empty your pockets and look for the last movie tickets you purchased. What is closest to the show you went to see?
The latest Disney, superhero or Star Wars flick
It was a selection from Sundance or Cannes or one of those big film festivals that made it to the big theater near me.
A foreign language film at the local arts theater
I produced a small film festival with entries exploring the breakdown of communication in the digital age.
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What prints or decor do you have on your walls to make your house feel like home?
A combination of nice stylized photographs from Ikea and Target
I went on Etsy and ordered watercolors from an artist out of South Carolina.
My walls are covered with a pastiche of finds from markets and stalls that I've gathered on my journeys around the world.
Everything on my wall I commissioned from friends in the local arts community.
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A sudden snowstorm hits your city and no one has to attend work or school. How do you spend the day?
Grab a coffee and then go out and have a snowball fight until I am too cold. Then I'll go home and turn on Netflix.
Candles: lit. Tea: brewed. Book: open. Hunker in for a cozy day.
I grab the 1940s sled out of the garage that I re-sanded and sealed during the summer and head for the biggest hill I can find.
Create a webcam chatroom and invite all my stranded friends in so we can recite poetry to each other.
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You don't just listen to contemporary music, do you? How old is the oldest record in your collection?
I don't own any records.
I have re-issues of lots of 1980s and 1990s records.
I have quite a few record store finds dating back to the 1960s.
The oldest functional record is a Weimar jazz album from the 1920s.
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Everyone has a favorite coffee spot. What's yours?
Starbucks is my favorite, but I will sometimes grab Dunkin' Donuts if it's closer.
There is a nice local coffee shop in my neighborhood that has plenty of seating.
I've been really into single origin pour over coffee, so I travel around town to try them all out.
There is this retired anthropology professor who has turned her house into a literary salon. For $2 you can have unlimited drip coffee and converse with the artists and intellectuals hanging out there.
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Music is a big part of being indie. How many instruments can you play?
None, unless you count the recorder ...
I am getting better at the acoustic guitar.
Drums are my first passion, but I've been getting better at a lot of modular synth stuff lately.
At least 10. I spent years traveling around and learning how to play folk instruments from different parts of the world
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Sticking to music, how would you describe the typical music venue that you can be found at?
Mostly big arenas, sometimes the House of Blues
There's a great venue that hosts smaller acts when they tour in my city.
All over, from ballrooms to pop-up shows in old warehouses
There's a punk house on the outskirts of town that hosts local artists in the living room. Everyone knows me there.
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Be honest. How many of the following bands have you listened to: Washed Out, LCD Soundsystem, The Microphones, Sonic Youth, Bloc Party, Joanna Newsom, The Smiths, Bikini Kill, Neko Case, Joy Division?
0-2
3-6
6-9
All 10
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Everyone needs a way to pass the time. When was the last time you picked up a new hobby?
It's been too long.
I started one last year that I still keep up with.
I've started a couple this year.
I have a journal with all the hobbies I want to try, there just is never enough time!
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Do you have a garden where you grow vegetables?
No
I have a few pots with some herbs and peppers growing in the kitchen windows.
Yes, I try and keep up with growing the essentials.
I don't have a garden in my backyard, but I share an urban community garden.
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Let's talk fashion. Where do you get your fashion inspo?
Fashion magazines and Instagram influencers
I follow a couple of bloggers who I think have great taste and a similar look to me.
I love people watching, so I go to fashionable neighborhoods whenever I travel and jot down notes on outfits and styles I like.
I've gone through hundreds of old fashion mags, photos albums, and movies to create a mood board that translates into the timeless style I find fits me best.
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Which of these is the one holiday that stands out from all the rest?
Christmas
New Year's Eve
Halloween
May Day
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You find yourself on a dance floor. What dance are you doing?
I would do some typical dancing.
Maybe two-stepping or salsa
Ballet, waltz or another classical dance
I have a great interpretive dance routine.
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You need a new outfit. What do you do?
Head to the mall
Hit up my favorite boutiques
See if the vintage stores have anything good in
I make a DIY outfit or have one of my friends make one for me.
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You've got a vacation coming up. Where would you like to go?
A resort or a cruise, somewhere I can zone out and relax.
I'll head to a big global city like Paris or NYC to soak in the culture.
I'd head somewhere a bit off the beaten path that has tons to explore, like Copenhagen or Asheville.
Well, I'd get on Couchsurfing and start some conversations with people all over the world and try and string an itinerary together from there.
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Do you watch films by directors like Xavier Dolan, Sofia Coppola, Ben Wheatley and Chloe Zhao?
I don't know, probably not?
I loved "Lost in Translation." I try and watch some indie films now and then.
Yes! Dolan is my spirit animal.
Of course, but those guys already hit it big! I try and seek out new directors before they have any wide releases.
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Time for food politics. Are you a vegan?
I am not.
No, but I try and eat locally sourced meat from more reputable places.
I am a vegetarian, but I cannot give up my delicious cheese.
Yes! And you should be as well.
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When you're at a party, what is the topic of conversation you find insufferable?
Anything too serious or intellectual. I'm just here to have fun, tbh.
When people start talking about people I don't know.
I have yet to have a productive conversation about religion at a party.
Anything overly banal and superficial. A party has such creative energy that should be used to explore new and exciting ideas.
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All the world's a stage. Do you go to the theater often?
No, I'd rather just see a movie.
I try and catch an off-Broadway show whenever I'm in Manhattan.
I follow a few theater companies in my town; it's great to support the local arts.
I participate in a local theater group either as an actor, stagehand or volunteer.
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Which of the following activities sounds like the most fun?
Tailgating for my favorite sports team and then going to the game
Strolling through an art museum and then reading in a nearby bistro
An extended jam session with some friends followed by a house party
Organizing a local music and art exhibition to showcase all my friends' amazing talent
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On the flip side, what sounds the most unpleasant?
Getting dragged along to a literary lecture
Being in a really crowded and loud bar
A date at a kitschy chain restaurant with low-quality, overpriced food
A "vacation" to a major theme park or commercialized tourist destination
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Reading is important to the indie lifestyle. What's your bookcase look like?
I don't have a bookcase, just a few old textbooks and a random book or two.
I use an e-reader because I find physical book collections cumbersome.
My bookshelf has it all. The classics, contemporary fiction, books of photography and art ...
My carpenter friend built me a bookcase to the custom specifications of my living room. It is filled with dozens of different genres of book, as well as small sculptures, plants, and other decorations.
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What is your favorite Wes Anderson movie?
I don't have an opinion.
"The Royal Tenenbaums"
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"The Life Aquatic"
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In this crazy world, how do you keep in contact with old friends?
Social media
Phone calls or long emails
We will take a road trip together or meet up at some cool location to catch up once a year.
I write letters or postcards when I am on vacation catching up since I last wrote.
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How often do you spend time outside?
I go to the park every now and then.
When it gets nice, I try and go hiking or spend time outside.
I'm big into camping, so I will travel around and go to great locations.
I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail so I was outside for three months.
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If you had to describe where you currently lived, what would you say?
The suburbs
Downtown
In the university district
In the arts district
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How would you describe your photography setup?
I just take pictures with my phone's camera.
I have a DSLR camera, and I edit my photos in Photoshop.
Most of the time I use a film SLR camera, and I send the pictures in to be processed.
It depends on the situation. I sometimes shoot digital but mostly shoot film, and I process all my film in my bathroom.
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Time to relax with a good book. What do you like to read?
Young adult fiction
A contemporary novel
Nonfiction in my favorite subject
A little-known foreign novel from the early 20th century
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Summer means music festivals. What are you going to go to?
Coachella
Pitchfork Music Festival
SXSW
Local record label block party
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You Got: