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. .

Indie: Status Or Genre?

In Britain, 'indie' is a term recognised by the BBC's Top Of The Pops and used to refer to a new wave of British rock bands who mostly rose to prominence during 2004 in the alternative music charts, following the New York explosion by bands such as The Strokes and Interpol in the first three years of the new millenium. They are covered by the media on the music channel MTV2 and in the rock music magazine 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. Bands who are often referred to as indie include Franz Ferdinand, possibly the most popular among the general public, along with The Killers, 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. 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.