I wrote this as a reply to this, somewhat unbelievable, discussion. It grew longer and longer (possibly because I should be writing an assignment instead) so in the end I decided to post it here too.

a) It seems to be a fact of life that people will have different definitions of indiepop.

b) It also seems that those who don’t “get” a certain side of indiepop, or indiepop all together, will enjoy making fun of it.

c) This actually happens to some perfectly intelligent and nice people too. Go figure.

d) However, people who do this too seriously should better get a life.

e) I actually like Los Campesinos. I saw them live in Exeter –Exeter!– in October and I greatly enjoyed it.

f) While there are several Cloudberry releases that I am not that crazy about.

g) In fact I only own one of their releases so far, and that’s because I was involved in its release somehow.

h) Still, a year ago I told Roque that he would save indiepop in the year 2007

i) And I am very proud to see that he did, and that a lot of other people think so, too.

j) People who argue that Roque should be promoting the bands, or that 100 handmade cd-rs do not a label make just don’t get it.

k) I don’t think Roque ever wanted a “label” in the way that they define it.

l) In fact I don’t think he ever wanted anything other than a happy happy heart, to give bands something they can hold in their hands and give to their friends, and an opportunity to be heard by a few more people.

m) Being friends with a few “Cloudberry bands,” because Roque has an uncanny ability to unearth all my music-making friends, I find that they are very happy with that. They like Roque, they like the idea, they like some or most or all of the other bands, and so they say yes.

n) And then one day they get a few cds in the post, and they might even get an email from somebody across the world saying they like their song which they downloaded off the Cloudberry site, and that makes their day.

o) And that’s what indiepop –as the people who have been defending/advertising Cloudberry here undestand it– is all about.

p) I’m sure I’ve said this before, but it can not be stressed enough: Cloudberry is a project, a statement about indiepop today and a community of like-minded people, and it should be judged –or, better still, celebrated– as such.

q) In fact that the fact that Roque created all this –this scene, this fuss, you can call it what you want– out of nothing but “Myspace bands”, my friends’ long lost bedsit songs and back-yard side-projects is nothing short of remarkable.

r) In other words, I don’t think he did anything for indiepop other than cause us to sit up and look at what was already there with different eyes. But isn’t that amazing?

s) I think it is.

t) This is my antfucker-trap (Thank you, Alistair!)

u) I appreciate his dedication and his enthusiasm and I love seeing all the things that they make happen.

v) Like the release of six Pinefox songs (in the First Division and Arc Lamps eps). Getting some Pinefox songs released was one of my last year’s resolutions. And, thanks to Roque, it came true.

w) And that’s all there is to it. Radio, charts, even memorability are irrelevant.

x) Although I am sure that in ten, or fifteen, or twenty years I will remember Cloudberry.

y) I will remember the way ‘Lifetime in the sun’ was October’s hit in my front room, the way the line “how many paperbacks can you fit in a rucksack?” made me smile, the way Blind Terry stole my heart.

z) And I will be telling my children that they should follow their dreams even if they sound silly or small. Because it can be fun, and it can touch other people’s hearts.