Indie (culture)

Indie, an abbreviation of independent, is a term regarding a trend seen in music, film, business and subculture originating in the late 20th century.

The most general definition of the word is to be independent from the mainstream. The word has become most often associated with a subculture defined by its associated music, fashion, behavior and beliefs. Indie culture is an avant-garde lifestyle which follows social trends that are considered to consciously deviate from the mainstream. One common belief within indie culture is anti-conformity, even though indie has become a well known and conformist subculture in itself. The major influence for the indie culture came out of the indie music scene, associated with the DIY culture to the arts. Many followers of the indie culture are associated with local independent art and music scenes.

Since its emergence in the early 1980s, increasing numbers of youths have been drawn to the beliefs and trends of indie culture. Like many subcultures before it, the indie culture has become part of mainstream youth culture, in some ways earning the conformist status that it initially rejected. In the 2000s, the indie culture has had crossovers with other subcultures, including alternative, hipster, art school, hippie, emo, grungers, and mods. However, many indie followers are offended that such links are made between the indie subculture and some of those listed above, including emo because of their differing philosophies and emo's links to mainstream culture. The indie culture in recent years has adopted many traits of the hippie culture and that of the 1960s counterculture.

Music

Main article: Indie music

Bands such as Pixies and Sonic Youth, who were not given as much mainstream success up to that point, found themselves adored by new fans, assembling a strong indie following. New York City, notably Williamsburg, Brooklyn, also became a major scene for indie rock, with bands such as The Walkmen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TalkRadio, Interpol, They Might Be Giants and The Strokes. Los Angeles' indie scene rode the wave of gentrification through eastside neighborhoods like Los Feliz, Silverlake, and Echo Park, which have given rise to such bands as Moving Units, Autolux, Shiny Toy Guns, Earlimart, Minus The Bear, Silversun Pickups, We Are Scientists, and Giant Drag. The indie culture not only accepts music of the current era but also accepts classic music from the United States especially from the 1960s; however such bands existed largely prior to the philosophy of 'indie'.

Britain's indie music scene can be traced back to the early 1960s mod era, with rock and roll bands like The Who and The Kinks made a large imprint on indie culture. Their views were seen as rebellions and spoke out for the nation. These bands greatly influenced many of the indie rock bands of the 1980s (The Smiths, Joy Division) and 1990s (post-punk and Britpop bands such as Oasis, Blur, and Ocean Colour Scene). The recent indie rock revival (roughly (2002-present) was spear-headed by bands such as The Libertines, but received mainstream appeal with bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Bright Eyes, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Katy Rose, Kasabian, Razorlight, Atlantic, M.I.A. and many others.

Contemporary "indie" culture is perceived by many as an oxymoron, with "indie" being a label given to guitar pop by mainstream publications such as the NME.

Fashion

A key characteristic of clothing trends within the modern indie culture is focus on uniqueness and individuality, which is often achieved by appealing to fashion trends associated with music from the 1970s (rock, punk and country) and the 1980s (New Wave). Common clothing items include band T-shirts, vintage clothing, striped tops, blazers, distressed jeans, waistcoats, ties, cardigans, scarves and aviators. Some of the most popular footwear choices include Converse or other plimsolls, slip-on shoes of all manners, and various styles of dress shoes. A somewhat counterintuitive result of this is that though individuality is prized, or at least vocally espoused, indie culture does have an identifiable look, making it less than truly individual and more like any other subculture. This is particularly evident in the case of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes which has become the most successful brand of shoe in history, as a result of the make being prized for its "independent" style. Surprisingly, the increase in demand for "Chucks" has, as of late, driven up the market price for the once-inexpensive footwear.

Brand labels are sometimes rejected as an exemplification of mainstream culture, and several small companies cater to the indie style, including Tourist Attraction and Artus. American Apparel, however, has broken this mold and is one of the few brand labels that is accepted amongst the indie culture. A few products that are a favorite in the indie culture include low cut v-neck shirts, drain-pipe jeans, lip, nose, and septum piercings, short cut-off jean shorts or short athletic shorts, cardigans, any sort of small slip-on shoe, and an emergence of early 90's culture such as cartoon T-Shirts and Jumpers, hats and high waisted jeans have also become very popular. There are counterintuitive consequences here as well: though adherents to indie culture would criticize those who patronize mainstream retail outlets for spending too much on mass-produced items, the retailers that cater to indie culture tend to be at least as expensive, if not significantly more so. The clothing chain Urban Outfitters is one example.

Indie fashion has become popular on the highstreet as the subculture grows. Stores such as TopShop, Miss Selfridge and especially H&M stock more vintage inspired quirky pieces- that, ironically, wouldn't have necessarily sold so well 10 years ago.

The fashion of the Indie Subculture also features a wide variety of hairstyles, ranging from very stylized and shaped haircuts to hair that is intended to appear as though very little, if any, effort has gone into its arrangement. In some particular groups associated with the Indie scene, backcombing is also quite popular.

Film

Main article: Indie film

Like the indie music scene, independent films are an art form produced without the funding, and thus adjustment, from a major movie studio, which thus allows appreciative fans to discover purer or more avant-garde qualities within the movies. As these films have recently seen an upsurge in popularity some satellite networks have launched devoted indie film channels, bringing independent film to a wider television audience.

See also

• Indie rock
• Indie pop
• List of indie rock artists
• Lo-fi music
• Hipster (contemporary subculture)
• No Wave
• Punk
• Indie folk
• Indie design

External links

• CNN.com article about Indie culture
• Indie Krush - Indie Art & Music Collective in Las Vegas.
• Hipster Hunter - Guide to understanding indie hipster scene
• 'Beauty Bar - Indie, Dance, Nu-Rave, Hipster & Scenester Bar'