Indie Rock
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Indie rock is an umbrella term to reference rock artists that are or were unsigned, or have signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels. Originally the term was not a reference to a specific genre of rock music; however, it has come to be used often to reference the sound of particular bands and the bands they have influenced. "Indie rock" is used as an umbrella term covering a wide range of artists and styles close to rock music, connected by some degree of allegiance to the values of underground culture and counterculture. Genres or subgenres often associated with indie rock include lo-fi, post-rock, sadcore, C86, and math rock, to list but a few; other related (and sometimes overlapping) categories include shoegazing and indie pop.
Indie rock artists place a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, releasing albums on independent record labels (sometimes their own) and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and airplay on independent or college radio stations for promotion. Some end up moving to major labels, often on favorable terms won by their prior independent success.
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History
UK 1980s
In the United Kingdom, indie music charts have been compiled since the early 1980s. Initially, the charts featured bands that emerged with a form of guitar-based alternative rock that dominated the indie charts, particularly indie pop artists such as Aztec Camera and Orange Juice, the C86 jangle-pop movement and the twee pop of Sarah Records artists. Some definitive British indie rock bands of the 1980s were The Smiths, The Stone Roses and The Jesus and Mary Chain, whose music directly influenced 1990s alternative movements such as shoegazing and Britpop.
U.S. 1980s
In the United States, the music commonly regarded as indie rock is descended from an alternative rock scene largely influenced by the movements of the 1970s and early 1980s and their DIY ethos. In the 1980s the term "indie rock" was particularly associated with the abrasive, distortion-heavy sounds of Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, Big Black, and others that populated American indie labels, separating them from jangly college rock bands like R.E.M. and 10,000 Maniacs, who, by the end of the decade, were signed to major labels. The late eighties band Pixies is said to be the main influence in 1990s-present indie rock.
UK 1990s
In the 1990's, Indie music and culture became a much larger aspect of music and not simply the underground sound of a very mirrored music scene of the 1990s. The two bands considered to have had the greatest influence over the Indie music genre were Oasis and Blur. Blur was part of a change in British music, commonly referred as the Britpop movement. Oasis became the famous band it is now after producing the album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? and "Wonderwall". The 1990s was the decade in which indie rock grew from a very underground rock genre to one of the biggest and most widely spread genres in modern music.
U.S. 1990s
During the first half of the 1990s, alternative music, led by grunge bands such as Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana broke into the mainstream, achieving commercial chart success and widespread exposure. Shortly thereafter the alternative genre became commercialized as mainstream success attracted major-label investment and commercially-oriented or manufactured acts with a formulaic, conservative approach. With this, the meaning of the label "alternative" changed away from its original, more counter-cultural meaning to refer to alternative music that achieved mainstream success and the term "indie rock" was used to refer to the bands and genres that remained underground. One of the defining movements of 1990s American indie rock was the lo-fi movement spearheaded by Guided by Voices, Pavement, Sebadoh, The Grifters, Liz Phair, The Elephant 6 Recording Co., and others, which placed a premium on rough recording techniques, ironic detachment, and disinterest in "selling out" to the mainstream alternative rock scene.
Main indie rock genres of the 1990s
- Lo fi, as already mentioned above
- Noise rock, (continuing with Unwound, Shellac, Blonde Redhead)
- Riot Grrl, (Bikini Kill, Bratmobile)
- Math rock, (Chavez, June of '44)
- Post rock, (Slint, Mogwai)
- Indie pop, (Belle & Sebastian
After 2000
Indie bands have attracted many amongst the age demographic of college students. Many indie bands have launched their careers by offering to perform at free concerts hosted by universities and colleges. Bands such as Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong, Silversun Pickups and Tokyo Police Club have found their way on to charts this way.
Main indie rock genres after 2000
- Post-punk revival: The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Maxïmo Park, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, Editors, Interpol, The Cribs, We Are Scientists, The Futureheads, Babyshambles, The Killers.
- Garage rock revival: The Moog, The Strokes, Kings of Leon, The Hives, Ikara Colt, Mclusky, Mooney Suzuki, The White Stripes, The Vines, The Von Bondies, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Keys, The Horrors
- Dance-Punk: The Rapture, Klaxons, Death From Above 1979, Out Hud, Shitdisco, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Liars, New Young Pony Club, !!!, Q and Not U, Foals, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Cansei de Ser Sexy, Radio 4.
Additional, less clearly defined genres include:
- Baroque pop: Arcade Fire, Danielson Famile, Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, John Vanderslice, Broken Social Scene, Islands, Stars, Cloud Cult
- New Weird America or freak folk: Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Animal Collective, Six Organs of Admittance
- Psych folk: No-Neck Blues Band, Brightblack Morning Light, Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, Entrance
