The indiepop list is abuzz about the Benno-fest, which apparently isn't going to happen this year. The site, however, does have some nice audio clips and samples of Swedish pop music and Benno-style bands. According to a former Benno-ite, the proprieters were just bored with the whole operation. Apparently the Bennoistes were much more organized than we here in America are. Another listee described it as "the Benno organizaton"--just a few steps away from "the Benno conglomerate" and "Benno Amalgamated, Inc."

Organizations and conglomerates made me think of another "organization" closer to home, the Belgian Waffles! New stuff going on at that site too, including recipes and tongue in cheek song descriptions. Nice to see this operation, or conglomerate, or amalgamation, carrying on.

But let's not change subcultures in midstream. The admittedly nostalgia-ridden indiepop generation is aging now, in addition to just getting old. Digital cameras and GUI at least make this fun. I always enjoyed Alistair Fitchett and friends' writings about music and popular culture and see now he's started a companion site revisiting the places and indiepop lore of his past. Hope to see more....

One site we won't be seeing more of is the excellent Dooce.com. It had funny writing and good photos and, apparently, is history. The archives are still up, though, to remind us of what once was.

And speaking of things past, I enjoyed "Burning Down the House" at Zero Format this week. Tobias's fiction is usually a little Raymond Chandler for me, but this story is right up my alley.