I once tricked someone in desperate search of Indie Cred into purchasing the floppy little third-term abortion that is Razorblade Suitcase "...because Steve Albini had recorded it."
Ouch.
I tried to get my brother to buy the Nelly Furtado album, because Paul Leary (producer of Sublime and Tweaker) produced.
He was wise though.
And, I guess, your mention of indie reminding me, that is the issue.
Coldplay are the current holders of the indie crown. And that is what became indie in the UK - BritPop.
I swear, indie mags and labels were dying by the hundred when Oasis became all that was indie. When Stone Roses were second in line to being the most noted indie band around. When, jesus christ, Blur were competing with Oasis to be the number 1 indie band that week.
The independent chart disappeared.
It was horrible!
But now Coldplay are the replacement for what Oasis did, for what Blur were, and for what Radiohead always managed to avoid being.
And I'm not even that fond of Radiohead anymore. I still like them, though haven't heard much of the last two albums.
I still thing The Bends was a seminal album of its time and place, and bits of OK Computer are stunning.
But basically, I'm more into rock than I ever was anything else.
So basically all that was saying - instead of going for indie cred, I always avoided rock cred, because that was like the uncool way of having rock cred. If you know what I mean.
It's not really possible to have world music cred is it?