The hipster lifestyle is loosely based around the search for irony (whatever that really means). But hipsters can’t be expected to mock traditional culture and stay on top of pop ‘indy’ culture, all on their lonesome. That’s why the iPhone is a hipster’s golden ticket to hipster glory. And perhaps not surprisingly, there are many apps that form the bedrock of a typical hipster’s software library and help him or her navigate through the absurd culture in which they live: a culture self-obsessed with seeming interesting, cool and unique. Below are the eleven apps that we thought could turn even the most normal individual to an aspiring hipster, Buddy Holly glasses and bike messenger hat not included.
PBRmeASAP
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Hipsters often feel uneasy in unfamiliar locations because they don’t know where to go for a Pabst Blue Ribbon (the official beer of true hipsters). And God forbid they drink a Rolling Rock. PBRmeASAP is an app that uses GPS to locate bars and stores around you where PBR is sold, ensuring that no hipster should ever have to risk ordering a dull, ordinary beer and end up looking like all the “other” college folk ever again. Putting the panic to rest, hipsters can focus on whether to take the baby blue Schwin or the old AMC Pacer to the bar to purchase the aforementioned PBR, most likely from money transferred into their accounts earlier in the day by their parents.
Shazam
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Nothing is worse to a Hipster than being out at a bar (or a feminist, vegan food bazaar) and hearing a great song that they don’t know yet. Especially when someone else in earshot obviously knows it, and lets out a “I love this song!” With Shazam, the hipster can hold his iPhone discretely under the table (or in front of them — while pretending to check email, of course), record a few seconds of the song, and the app will reveal the artist and song name they’re listening to. Within fifteen seconds, the hipster can then quip, “They certainly don’t make music like Big Star any more.” Then they can go back to their house and download every CD the band ever made so that they can claim to really appreciate the “old stuff” before that hit song.
NPR Mobile
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Where would any hipster be in this world without a constant stream of leftish-wing social commentary to listen to and regurgitate in future conversation? NPR Mobile gives 24 hour access to the latest news updates from NPR, and even provides the user with Facebook and Twitter sharing buttons. This way everyone on the user’s friend’s list can clearly see how deeply concerned he or she is with world affairs – after all, they went through all the trouble of clicking a button.
Daytrotter
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To a hipster, knowing the latest basement-brand indie bands is just as important as knowing the socially-conscious news headlines NPR puts out. Hipsters consider it a strike against their individuality if more than one or two people at a party knows the music on their iPod. For this reason, Daytrotter is a hipster’s wet dream – an app that makes available the entire musical collection of The Horseshack Studios in Rock Island, Illinois.
This recording studio is a hub of indie music, with bands pulling up in their old vans as they travel across the country to record a few new tracks. The app plugs you right into their listening room, so you get the latest cuts from bands nobody has ever heard of before the band “sells out” (translation: the band members make enough money to pay their cell phone bills).
Near+Now
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Naturally, hipsters can never be caught anywhere near the popular college spots on a friday night. Any sign of mainstream music or clothing from this decade is like the plague, and must be avoided at all costs. Near+Now is a gateway to the all the coffee shops, bars, restaurants and music venues in a user’s area, and best of all they come with pictures, descriptions, and reviews of the environment at each establishment.
BandNamer
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Hipsters only maintain regular day jobs for money, but deep down inside their true dream is to rock that fedora and cardigan sweater on stage in a small basement juice bar and play experimental music for crowds of 15-20 onlookers. Smoking lucky strikes outside of the independent movie theater might land you several offers to start such a band, but what will you call yourselves? BandNamer is programmed to put random words together and spit out band names that sound ironic, hip, and sometimes downright foolish – which is exactly what you need to make it.
iDrink
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What happens when the supply of Pabst Blue Ribbon runs out? Hipsters must scramble to find new ironic drinks to sip on for the rest of the night, and thats where iDrink comes in handy. The iDrink application features over 32,000 drink recipes, allowing them to tilt their stunna shades at the bartender and order something involving liquor he or she may not even carry.
How To Text A Girl
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One big concern of a hipster is to appear as interesting and different as possible. With that in mind, texting the girl you like with a simple “Hey cutie, whats up? 
” would never do – theres simply no irony in that. That’s why all hipsters need “How To Text A Girl,” the only flirting app for guys, authored by girls. Using its pick up line’s, ice breakers, and flirtatious texts, no hipster will never make the mistake of sending a “normal person” text again.
Stanza
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Stanza is the ultimate solution for the hipster who doesn’t have any more shoulder-bag room for all the poetry and novels he or she wants to read. Essentially a shrunken down version of the Amazon Kindle, Stanza allows you read digital books and magazines from your iPhone. Now when you approach a hipster at the coffee house, he can share some select paragraphs from the Nick Hornby or Rick Moody catalogue.
CycleMeter
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The transportation of choice for most hipsters is the fixie. Before the days of iPhones, a fitness-conscious hipster would have had to cramp his style with a very uncool bike computer stuck to his handlebars to track distance. CycleMeter is the solution – an app that uses the iPhone’s motion-sensing and GPS capabilities track your speed, distance, elevation and more. Best of all, you can easily share all of this data on Facebook and Twitter, using Google maps to show all of your friends how you took the alternate route through the art district this morning.
Rimshot Pro
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Rimshot Pro plays a high-quality rim shot that lets people around you know, “Hey, I just made a funny!” Since it has become nearly impossible to tell when a hipster is making a joke, being ironic, or actually just talking to you, this application helps you know when should laugh, and when you should hold it in.
Header image courtesy of kwilms
