Independents Day

This year’s July 4 holiday will finally bring music fans more than the local orchestra’s version “America the Beautiful.” Independents Day, slated to be celebrated at the same time as the more traditional Independence Day, will be the first annual celebration of all things indie. In the same grassroots vein as April’s Record Store Day, Independents Day hopes to raise money and awareness for the independent music community.

This year’s July 4 holiday will finally bring music fans more than the local orchestra’s version “America the Beautiful.” Independents Day, slated to be celebrated at the same time as the more traditional Independence Day, will be the first annual celebration of all things indie. In the same grassroots vein as April’s Record Store Day, Independents Day hopes to raise money and awareness for the independent music community.

A key factor of Independents weekend will be an online auction hosted by eBay lasting from now until July 6. The auction will include, but certainly isn’t limited to, a chance to play guitar with the Cult, an early copy of the Arctic Monkey’s upcoming album “Favourite Worst Nightmare,” and a chance to be an advertising supervisor for a day in London.

In addition to the auction, there will be two commemorative Independents Day compilations (one, digital, for the U.S. and one on vinyl in the U.K.). The compilations will include music from Frank Black, Ani DiFranco, Maximo Park, Editors, British Sea Power, and… Slipknot? Well, as the old saying goes, don’t let one bad apple ruin the bunch. To find out more about Independents Day or to flex your online auction skills (I’m already battling it out for Vampire Weekend’s original album artwork), go HERE.