This is an open-secret strategy with roots in hip-hop — Wiz Khalifa allegedly released his critically beloved 2010 mixtape “Kush and Orange Juice” after he’d already signed with Atlantic, under the guise of an indie rapper — that has crept into other realms, particularly the world of female pop.

There is a semi-official name for this breed of artist: “a ‘mindie’ act — a major artist with indie bonafides,” The Fader explained in a recent story about Kehlani, a promising young R. & B. talent from the Bay Area.

Ok, you got me, it's true. The first thing I thought when I heard Vic had signed to the Roc wasn't "Is the label a good fit for him?" or "I wonder how this will affect his music?" The first thing I wondered was, "Was he mindie, and if so, for how long?"

And why does music need to be so black and white? Millenials [sic] have been making a statement in decade two of the Y2Ks that you can be both, a mainstream/indie hybrid, or "mindie" if you will. What's wrong with fitting nicely in the middle, making deep and meaningful music that also makes a healthy profit?

Fun Fun Fun Fest (FFFF) has just plowed all other 2011 music festivals into the ground with their bangin' line-up! Not only focusing on today’s indie buzz bands and mindie (mainstream indie) heavy hitters, but FFFF keep it real by bringing a lot of classic bands and musicians into the forefront.

As we enter the post-Vampy Weekend #1 album in the World era, we must mentally prepare ourselves for this 'charting' phenomenon 3-5 more times in the next year. It seems like when a band 'charts' in the top 10 upon their album release, we should call them "MINDIE" bands, short for Mainstream INDIE.