Grindstone Redux

Take a trip back to the 1980s, when amateur electronic musicians embraced the DIY aesthetic to create some of the most interesting, challenging, and original music of a decade defined by mainstream consumerism. Years before the internet made trading music easy, underground musicians across the United States were recording their own songs, and self-marketing their music to the masses. They may not have gotten any airplay, but their enthusiasm was genuine, and passion for making music was infectious. Before long, cassette tapes were being sold, traded, and given away coast to coast. Much unlike the profit-driven record industry, however, the underground artists at the center of this scene were more interested in expressing their creativity than getting exposure on MTV. Their influence can still be seen today on networking sites that allow musicians direct contact with their fans, and afford them the freedom to explore their own creativity without the intrusion of meddling executives.