Ray Raposa loathes all things indie. Unfortunately for him, that’s what most people label his music.
The singer-songwriter of the musical project the Castanets, Raposa is an unusual fellow. He has trotted throughout the country’s major cities – never settling for too long – and once his current tour finishes, his general indifference about his habitat lingers like smoke, begging for some air.

So, if Raposa’s music isn’t indie, what is it? Well, that is a categorization even he refuses to answer. The Castanets’ MySpace page, into which he says he does not put “too much stock or credence,” defines the band’s genre as “Other/Blues/Other.” The band’s music label, Asthmatic Kitty, is truly indie, and Pitchfork reviews the Castanets as indie-folk.
For Raposa, this is no compliment.
“I think indie is a foul, abominable word,” he said.
He pities the ubiquitous indie band for not having much of a spine, and he lumps together most of the genre’s modern artists as “kids with problems” who express themselves over the course of four records.
When asked to define the Castanets’ most recent album, “In the Vines,” Raposa answers with a relentless “other.” But the Castanets really produces psychedelic, electronic folk.
Its bizareness may come as no surprise. Raposa is the only permanent band member, collaborating with different music artists who join his side for each live performance.
“As a framework, a three-quarters folk song is a really malleable form, so having someone come in and impart their sensibilities and their vibe on that canvas is exciting for me,” he said.
While recording with random musicians, Raposa doesn’t worry because he can always edit the songs, but while on tour, he only brings along those he trusts.
Overall, Raposa doesn’t let much interfere with his work. He traveled from city to city by Greyhound when a teen yet doesn’t let his environment – currently the artsy Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn – play into his music. He also faced a somewhat bitter year of depression while recording “In the Vines,” yet, when asked, he shrugged it off as propaganda fabricated by his record label.
“I am a grown-ass man,” he said. “I can handle my business. I don’t think it shows up on the record.”
What influences his creative thinking is everyday life, that of others and his own. “It’s there in the songs, rooted in someone’s experiences,” he said.
[email protected]