Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music. However, as with many terms applied to popular culture, the precise meaning can be hard to define. Indie rock is often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that aren't on labels at all. In that sense, indie rock can be seen as the follower to the Punk and New Wave movements of the late 1970s and early 1980s, as a counter-culture movement opposed to mainstream corporate rock.
In the 1980s, these bands were referred to as "alternative", since they were an alternative to mainstream rock at that time. However, indie rock was effectively launched when Nirvana broke into the mainstream along with several other bands, taking the "alternative" label with them, ironically enough. "Indie rock" tends to be an umbrella term covering a wide range of musical styles - everyone from the Elephant 6 collective to the Pixies to the Cocteau Twins; the main thing tying these bands together is their existence in the underground. Some related genres include emo, lo-fi, retroist, alternative rock, twee pop (sub pop) and Britpop.
In the mid-90s, following the lead of Pearl Jam, many acts who, by choice or fate, remained outside the commercial mainstream, became part of the indie rock movement. Indie rock acts placed a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, often releasing albums on their own independent record labels and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and airplay on independent or college radio stations for promotion. Linked by an ethos more than a musical approach, the indie rock movement encompasses a wide range of styles, from hard-edged, grunge influenced bands like Superchunk to punk-folk singers such as Ani DiFranco.
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Indie: status or genre?
In the UK, indie music charts have been compiled since at least the 1980s. These charts initially featured independent bands that emerged from punk and post punk, as well as the indie pop artists such as Aztec Camera, Orange Juice the C86 jangle-pop movement and the twee pop of Sarah Records artists. The 1980s indie scene directly influenced 1990s Britpop artists such as Blur and Suede (though many of these were technically not indie artists, being signed to major labels). Currently, the term "indie rock" is popularly used to refer to art-rock covered by the media on the music channel MTV2 and in the rock music tabloid NME. Printed in the 8th January 2005 issue of NME, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand authored an article championing the genre, saying independent labels 'have character', how they are 'run by people who are passionate about music' and stressing 'why independent record labels are so important' as the saviour of good music.
The core of this movement has mostly been the resurgence of spiky 80s post-punk rhythms akin to those played by Gang Of Four and Wire. Current bands who are often referred to as indie include Franz Ferdinand, possibly the most popular among the general public, along with Bloc Party, The Futureheads, Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs and Moving Units. Often this style has been blended with other even more alternative genres such as synth rock (The Killers), Dance (Bloc Party), and Post-Punk (Interpol). 'Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll' by The Killers further cemented 'indie' as the term denoting this movement; ironically, though, The Killers are signed to Universal Music, a major label. Indie labels include Fierce Panda, Matador, 679, Angular, Wichita and Domino.
Over the past few years, Omaha, Nebraska has been noted by various observers and fans as the unofficial capital of indie rock in the United States; some comparisons have been made with Seattle's role in the grunge scene of the early 1990s. This is largely due to the Omaha-based Saddle Creek Records, which is home to several highly regarded indie rock acts, most notably Bright Eyes and The Faint. Bright Eyes singer/songwriter and Omaha native Conor Oberst, who started the label, has been called the "King of Indie Rock" by Rolling Stone magazine, although his status among the indie community isn't normally this title.
See also
Bands: 0-9
Bands: A-C
- ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
- The (International) Noise Conspiracy
- Abagnale
- Absolute Whores
- The Apples (In Stereo)
- The Afghan Whigs
- Air Miami
- Akira
- Alkaline Trio
- Ani DiFranco
- The Animit
- The Anix
- Arab Strap
- Arab On Radar
- Arcade Fire
- Architecture In Helsinki
- Archers of Loaf
- Arctic Monkeys
- Arm Of Roger
- Artbox
- Ashtabula
- At the Drive-In
- Augie March
- Azure Ray
- The Bamboo Kids
- The Baptist Generals
- Beat Happening
- Belle & Sebastian
- The Bevis Frond
- Beta Band
- Bettie Serveert
- Beulah
- Big Black
- Big Flame
- Billy Childish
- Bitch Magnet
- Blacktop
- The Black Eyes
- The Black Heart Procession
- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- Bloc Party
- Blonde Redhead
- The Blood Brothers
- Blur
- Blood Thirsty Lovers
- Bob Log III
- Boss Hog
- Boxhead Ensemble
- Braid
- Brainiac
- The Breeders
- Brian Jonestown Massacre
- Broken Social Scene
- Bright Eyes
- British Sea Power
- Built to Spill
- Bumpiss
- Butterglory
- Butthole Surfers
- Buzzcocks
- Calabi Yau
- Calexico
- Camper Van Beethoven
- Carter USM
- Cat Power
- Cave-in
- Champ!
- Chavez
- Alex Chilton
- The Clears
- Compulsive Gamblers
- The Cramps
- Crass
- Christopher Isaak
- The Coctails
- The Cocteau Twins
- Codeine
- Colleen
- The Comas
- Come
- Conflict
- The Constantines
- The Cool Jerks
- The Cramps
- Cub
- Cursive
Bands: D-G
- The Dandy Warhols
- Dashboard Confessional
- The Daycare Swindlers
- The Dears
- Death Cab for Cutie
- The Decemberists
- Deerhoof
- Denali
- Desaparecidos
- Despistado
- The Dinner is Ruined
- Dinosaur Jr.
- Drive Like Jehu
- Dolour
- The Donner Party
- Doves
- Dressy Bessy
- Dwarves
- Editors
- Eels
- Eggs
- Electric Six
- Eleventh Dream Day
- Elliott Smith
- Elytra
- The Empires
- Engine Down
- Enon
- Eric's Trip
- Escanaba Firing Line
- The Faint
- Faraway Places
- The Fastbacks
- Felt
- Feeder
- Fiery Furnaces
- Flaming Lips
- Folk Implosion
- Fountains of Wayne
- The Frames
- Franz Ferdinand
- The Frogs
- Fuck
- Fugazi
- The Futureheads
- Ganesha
- The Girl Pool ('95-98 Athens, GA)
- Girls Against Boys
- Graham Coxon
- Grandaddy
- Grifters
- Guided By Voices
- The Gun Club
Bands: H-L
- Hydrophonica
- Half Japanese
- The Halo Benders
- Hard Candy
- Heavenly
- Helium
- Hella
- Helmet
- Her Space Holiday
- He's A Cop?!
- The Hidden Cameras
- The Hippos
- Hot Hot Heat
- The Hot Monkey
- HORSE The Band
- The House Of Love
- Hüsker Dü
- Icewater Scandal
- The Internet Fetishes
- Interpol
- The Invisibles
- Iron & Wine
- J Mascis and the Fog
- J*A*N feat. U.D.S.S.R
- Jale
- Jason Frost
- Jawbox
- The Jesus & Mary Chain
- The Jesus Lizard
- Jets to Brazil
- Jimmy Eat World
- Joan of Arc
- The Joggers
- Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
- Karate
- Kasabian
- The Kills
- The Killers
- King Cobb Steelie
- Kings of Leon
- King of the Slums
- Koufax
- Les Savy Fav
- Letters to Cleo
- Levitation
- Liam Lynch
- Liars
- The Little Killers
- Liz Phair
- The Long Winters
- Low
Bands: M-P
- Mae
- Magnetic Fields
- The Make-Up
- Marcy Playground
- Marine Research
- The Mars Volta
- Maximo Park
- Edwin McCain
- Metric
- Mercury Rev
- The Microphones
- The Minus 5
- Minus The Bear
- The Miracle Workers
- Modest Mouse
- Mogwai
- The Moldy Peaches
- Moonbabies
- The Mooseheart Faith Stellar Groove Band
- The Mountain Goats
- Moving Units
- Morcheeba
- Mudhoney
- Murder By Death
- Muse
- My Bloody Valentine
- The Music
- Napalm Enema
- Nate Denver's Neck
- Nation of Ulysses
- Negativeland
- Neutral Milk Hotel
- The New Pornographers
- The New Year
- Of Montreal
- Olivia Tremor Control
- Orange Drink
- Owls
- Palace
- The Palace Brothers
- The Pastels
- Patterson's Curse
- Pavement
- Pearl Jam
- Pedro The Lion
- Piano Magic
- Piebald
- Pilate
- Pinback
- Pixies
- Polyphonic Spree
- Portastatic
- The Postal Service
- The Primitives
- Protein
- Pussy Galore
Bands: Q-S
- Q And Not U
- Quasi
- Rachel's
- Radiohead
- The Rapture
- Ratatat
- Red House Painters
- Red Monday
- Refused
- The Reigning Sound
- R.E.M.
- The Replacements
- Rheostatics
- Reeve Oliver
- Ride
- Rilo Kiley
- The Robot Ate Me
- Rocket from the Crypt
- Rodan
- Rooftop Suicide Club
- Royal City
- Royal Trux
- Sarge
- Saucy Monky
- The Sea And Cake
- Scrawl
- The Screws
- Sebadoh
- Servotron
- The Shins
- Shudder to Think
- The Sick Lipstick
- Sigur Rós
- Silkworm
- The Silver Jews
- Simple Kid
- The Simple Ones
- Sinombre
- The Skate Party
- Skydiggers
- Sleater-Kinney
- Slint
- Small Factory
- The Softies
- Smog
- Snow Patrol
- Soltero
- Sonic Youth
- Sons and Daughters
- Soular
- South Filthy
- Space
- Spaceshits
- Sparklehorse
- The Spinanes
- Spoon
- Stars
- Stereolab
- Strapping Fieldhands
- Sugar
- Sun Kil Moon
- Superchunk
- The Swirlies
- Stephanie Sadowski
Bands: T-Z
- Tav Falco's Panther Burns
- Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
- These Arms Are Snakes
- Thinking Fellers Union Local #282
- Thursday
- Three Mile Pilot
- Throwing Muses
- Thrush Hermit
- Tiger Trap
- Tortoise
- Tree People
- Tsunami
- TV On the Radio
- Twothirtyeight
- Ugly Casanova
- Uncle Tupelo
- The Unicorns
- Unrest
- Unsane
- U.S. Maple
- Velocity Girl
- Versus
- Veruca Salt
- Violent Femmes
- The Walkmen
- Waterdeep
- Wckr Spgt
- The Weakerthans
- The Wedding Present
- The White Stripes
- Wilco
- Ween
- Weezer
- The Wrens
- Xiu Xiu
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Yo La Tengo
- Zero7
- Zoobombs
- Zwan
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