A D Jameson said of New Sincerity, “And yet all of these seem to be immanent critiques of irony: if irony is the black, rich bed of dirt out of which these movements blossom, to what degree does the sincerity they anticipate remain within its magnetic poles? To what extent are these artists anticipating a telos of irony, even while operating within its present field of influence and drawing on its (bottomless) history.”
New Sincerity in indie music is at an all time high. What previously was filled with snark has been replaced with a plethora of younger folks reinvestigating the authenticity of their grandparent’s lives. In this way, a lot of the younger generation are rejecting many aspects of what makes our present day so unique––identity technology. Just like the rebirth of records, tapes, and the protests that outbreak when people hear of the end of VCR or polaroid manufacturing––we aren’t ready to let go of the past. In fact, in many ways we dislike class, race and the present.
We want something more grounding and tangible. In music, we can see In Instagram, it is trending for people to take solo wilderness expeditions, learn permaculture, and shop only local. This is a good thing, but it is also very much a middle finger to our global economic system that asks for international trade and constant communication. So, in this new wave of earnesty, rebellion CAN be as simple as becoming a farmer, or not buying the newest iPhone. Indie music, in the same way, harkens back to life’s simple pleasures as a way to reject this onslaught of information.
Jameson complicates things. “So what is the New Sincerity? Is it everyone I’ve mentioned and no one else? … I think that’s all very open to debate—we’re debating it right now!—and, in the end, no single one of us will decide that. Honestly, it depends on whether people find the term useful for collectively referring to some or all or none of these writers. Me, I think there’s something to it, and the term’s worth having around. But maybe there’s some better name or names for identity? Or maybe it doesn’t make sense to lasso such disparate folks together?”
By this he means that this term is still in flux. We are still having to tug and pull at ‘New Sincerity’ like trying on new hats to see if it will work with our constantly changing cultural landscape. That’s why this is so important to talk about. Each day is a new lesson in what works and doesn’t work in how we create art, talk with each other, and critique each other.
Think about this. Paul Bowers is a self-proclaimed ‘hipster’. Hipsters are generally known to be snarky and sway towards irony as a form of self expression. What Bowers says is that in his town of North Charleston, South Carolina, hipsters are rampant. But he talks about the honest conversations he has with people in his community. He says, “Hipsters have the ability to redeem themselves, ushering in a renaissance of the Greatest Generation’s open belief and single-entendre. They can lead the way down divergent paths: activism or apathy, modesty or haughtiness, emotional honesty or smirking insincerity.” At the very least, they are open to continuing dialogue. That is the most important part.
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New Sincerity in indie music is at an all time high. What previously was filled with snark has been replaced with a plethora of younger folks reinvestigating the authenticity of their grandparent’s lives. In this way, a lot of the younger generation are rejecting many aspects of what makes our present day so unique––identity technology. Just like the rebirth of records, tapes, and the protests that outbreak when people hear of the end of VCR or polaroid manufacturing––we aren’t ready to let go of the past. In fact, in many ways we dislike class, race and the present.
We want something more grounding and tangible. In music, we can see In Instagram, it is trending for people to take solo wilderness expeditions, learn permaculture, and shop only local. This is a good thing, but it is also very much a middle finger to our global economic system that asks for international trade and constant communication. So, in this new wave of earnesty, rebellion CAN be as simple as becoming a farmer, or not buying the newest iPhone. Indie music, in the same way, harkens back to life’s simple pleasures as a way to reject this onslaught of information.
Jameson complicates things. “So what is the New Sincerity? Is it everyone I’ve mentioned and no one else? … I think that’s all very open to debate—we’re debating it right now!—and, in the end, no single one of us will decide that. Honestly, it depends on whether people find the term useful for collectively referring to some or all or none of these writers. Me, I think there’s something to it, and the term’s worth having around. But maybe there’s some better name or names for identity? Or maybe it doesn’t make sense to lasso such disparate folks together?”
By this he means that this term is still in flux. We are still having to tug and pull at ‘New Sincerity’ like trying on new hats to see if it will work with our constantly changing cultural landscape. That’s why this is so important to talk about. Each day is a new lesson in what works and doesn’t work in how we create art, talk with each other, and critique each other.
Think about this. Paul Bowers is a self-proclaimed ‘hipster’. Hipsters are generally known to be snarky and sway towards irony as a form of self expression. What Bowers says is that in his town of North Charleston, South Carolina, hipsters are rampant. But he talks about the honest conversations he has with people in his community. He says, “Hipsters have the ability to redeem themselves, ushering in a renaissance of the Greatest Generation’s open belief and single-entendre. They can lead the way down divergent paths: activism or apathy, modesty or haughtiness, emotional honesty or smirking insincerity.” At the very least, they are open to continuing dialogue. That is the most important part.
Subscribe New Sincerity brings you stories with more heart.
