In a
conversation, the act of referring to something for the
sole purpose of implying to everyone that you know of or like said object.
Alternatively, especially in
music,
film, or other
modern arts, it is the use of totally unknown names to imply (whether intentionally or not) that
others involved in the conversation are simply not as informed or up-to-date in the field as is the speaker. The speaker gains a feeling of
superiority and
confidence from this in a conversation, which is no doubt part of the perpetuation of the concept of being "
underground" or "
indie".
This is perhaps the driving force behind
indie rock, which consists largely of a multitude of bands that sound remarkably like one another and are generally very musically
generic, but which maintain
popularity by appealing to people who will alter their
tastes to suit whatever new no-name
CD they forked over
$10 for at their local
college music retailer at the recommendation of their more
musically competent friend.