Independent music

In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by (real or perceived) independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach.

Definitions of "indie"

The term "indie" is often used to mean a sound that a musician presents, but when interpreted more literally, it is the way that sound is presented or made. "Indie" often refers to an artist or band that is not part of the mainstream culture and/or making music outside its influence. Though the sound of these bands may differ greatly, the "indie" definition comes from the do-it-yourself attitude and ability to work outside large corporations.

Indie meaning "not major-label"

One of the most common and simplest definitions of "indie" is the definition of not being connected with a major recording label (currently one of the "Big Four" recording companies: Warner, Universal, Sony BMG and EMI). This is the definition used by NME's indie music charts in the UK, among others.

The problem with this definition is that there is often little correlation between the commerciality or creative freedom offered by major labels and those outside the "big four". Most of the larger independent labels are run along the same business principles as the major labels, with A&R departments, marketing budgets and commercial considerations guiding their operations. Meanwhile, major labels often retain independently-oriented artists who are given greater creative independence, and who receive considerable critical acclaim. Some notable major-label artists of this sort include Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Pulp and The Flaming Lips.

Indie and commerciality

A more puristic structural definition of "indie" would draw the line further down, not between the "big 4" major labels and others but between the "big indie" labels and smaller labels, considered by purists to be true indie labels. These small labels are typically run by a few people, often out of their home or garage, and often coupled with a mail-order service representing other labels. The people running the labels have a close connection to a certain scene; many labels are run partially or wholly by musicians in bands on them. A concern for the purity of the creative mission of the label takes precedence over commercial concerns; many labels close down or go on hiatus when the owners lose interest or (as often happens) run out of money (or sometimes close down when the owners feel their mission has been fulfilled, as happened with Sarah Records). Archetypal examples of such labels include the aforementioned Sarah Records, Factory Records, Dischord, Kindercore Records, SST and Kill Rock Stars.

The converse of this are independent labels that have been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being overly "commercial" or exploitative of certain artists or trends. Examples at various times include Fat Wreck Chords, Matador Records and Sub Pop. Epitaph was often the focus of similar accusations, however in 2005 label management signed an agreement with RIAA arguably making them no longer "independent".

Once again, this is not so much a dichotomy as a continuum; some labels grow from such independent status and gradually become more commercially oriented (often prompted by the success of one of their acts), eventually becoming subsumed by a larger conglomeration or a major label. One example of this was Creation Records, a label Alan McGee started in the 1980s on a small scale, which, in the 1990s had success with Oasis, subsequently becoming much more commercially oriented before being acquired by Sony.

Indie and genres

The word "indie" is often used to refer specifically to various genres or sounds. During the 1980s, "indie" was synonymous in Great Britain with jangly guitar pop of the C-86 movement. During the 1990s a lot of Britpop bands were referred to as "indie", despite most of the movement being signed to major labels and dominating sales charts. More recently, the word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for new wave revivalist bands such as Franz Ferdinand and The Killers. The word "indie" is sometimes used as a synonym for alternative, a word which often bears the stigma of being associated with cynically manufactured mass-market teen-rebellion music from major labels. Such usages of "indie" may be considered inaccurate for various reasons: for one, stylistic qualities are often not accurately correlated to commercial independence or adherence to indie principles (this is particularly true when a sound becomes popular, its leading exponents are signed by major labels and more success-oriented bands and production teams attempt to imitate the style; this ultimately culminates in commercially driven artists sporting the same stylistic traits the "indie" artists of a year ago had). Secondly, however pervasive any style of music (even one as broadly defined as "guitar pop" or "post-punk rock") may become at a particular time, it by definition cannot embody all of indie music, as, by indie's nature, there will be indie artists, labels and entire local scenes operating outside of this style and its definitions.

Cultural and philosophical attributes of indie

There are a number of cultural and philosophical traits which could be more useful in pinpointing what "indie" is about than specific musical styles or commercial ownership. Indie artists are concerned more with self-expression than commercial considerations (though, again, this is a stance that is affected by many artists, including hugely commercially successful ones). A do-it-yourself sensibility, which originated with punk in the 1970s, is often associated with indie, with people in the scene being involved in bands, labels, nights and zines. Indie often has an internationalist outlook, which stems from a sense of solidarity with other fans, bands and labels in other countries who share one's particular sensibilities; small indie labels will often distribute records for similar labels from abroad, and indie bands will often go on self-funded tours of other cities and countries, where those in the local indie scenes will invariably help organise gigs and often provide accommodation and other support.

Indie artists of any particular time often go against the prevailing trends (for example, the twee pop movement that started in the 1980s was a reaction against the testosterone-fuelled swagger of rock). A 'lo-fi' aesthetic (i.e., an often deliberate lack of polish and a more "authentic" roughness and imperfection) has often been associated with indie, particularly when slick, polished recordings were the preserve of the commercial music industry; this line has since become blurred, in a world where high-quality recordings can be made increasingly easily with inexpensive computer-based recording systems and where commercial production teams often deliberately affect a fashionably "lo-fi" sound.

In terms of music, many adherents of indie collect vinyl records, and consider them to be more "authentic" than more recent and convenient music formats such as CDs. Paradoxically, items such as MP3 players have also become popular, if only to some of the adherents of indie music, because of the practical benefit of carrying one's record collection in one's pocket. In such cases, the cachet gained by being able to express one's taste in music sometimes trumps the value of the authenticity of vinyl.

People into the indie lifestyle are commonly referred to as "indie kids", regardless of age, and often use that term for themselves. Other terms exist; the term "hipster" has, in recent years, become somewhat synonymous with this subculture.

Subcategories of indie

There are several subcategories indie music is often grouped broadly into. Indie rock and indie pop are the most common ones. The difference between these is difficult to pick up from the instrumentation or sound, as both genres include distorted guitar-based music based on pop-song conventions. If anything, the key distinction comes not from instrumentation or structure but from how strictly they follow cultural constructions of rockist "authenticity". There is also indie dance, which comes from a fusion of indie pop and electronic/dance music. Crossover between electronica (mostly glitch) resulted in so-called indietronic, electronic indie or indie electronic, for example some artists on the German Morr Music label, or The Postal Service. Another type is Post Rock, which includes bands like Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, or Sigur Rós. The idea behind Post Rock is that there are very few (if any) lyrics, yet the songs are long (sometimes upwards of 20 minutes), and the point of the songs are to paint an emotional landscape with just music and no words. Further expanding the original meaning of the term, when used in the independent sense, Blog-Rock has come to encapsulate the wave of upcoming artists in the mid-2000s.

Indie scenes in North America

"Scenes" are localized music-oriented communities that exist in many cities, especially in the U.S. and Canada. These have existed for decades now, in one way or another, but it is now commonplace for a city or town to have a punk scene, a metal scene, or many other scenes based on other forms of art. Indie music scenes became important in the early 1980s, when the rest of the country caught up with punk rock music from New York and London. Scenes are important in keeping indie and punk rock fresh and inventive, because it allows people from a wide audience to hear new independent music and contribute their own talents to it. Obviously, depending on what town one is in, the feel of the scene (and therefore the music that comes out of it) may change significantly.

Arguably, the 1980s indie scene in Washington D.C. was pivotal in changing the outcome of punk and indie rock for decades to come. Bands like Minor Threat, the Bad Brains, Fugazi, and Rites of Spring helped to shape the sound of underground music for years to come. Los Angeles was important around this this time as well, producing bands like the Descendents, Bad Religion, and Black Flag.

Around the mid-1980s, as punk and New-Wave's mainstream influence died down considerably, there rose a couple of other important movements. Minneapolis was very important around this time. Bands like Hüsker Dü, and the Replacements would influence many alternative bands after them. People involved in these bands, such as Bob Mould and Paul Westerberg still contribute to the music scene today. During the late 1980s in the Bay Area of California, bands like Operation Ivy, Green Day, The Offspring, and later, Rancid would take form to give a new sound to punk rock. On the opposite end of the country, Frank Black, Kim Deal, and Kristin Hersh were forming bands like the Pixies, Throwing Muses, and eventually The Breeders. These bands would influence the next wave of indie rock, which came from Seattle.

Notable local scenes

Vancouver: Home of the much revered Frog Eyes, Destroyer (Dan Bejar), The New Pornographers, and Black Mountain.

The Seattle scene became popular in the early 1990s, when bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and the Screaming Trees had immense success with their music. This was unique since it signaled the first time in a long time that punk-influenece rock had become once again in vogue with the masses. Bands such as Pixies and Sonic Youth, who were not given much mainstream credibility up to this point, found themselves adored by new fans.

As of the new millenium, there are many new scenes appearing on the radar in North America, all with unique sounds. One is the Omaha-based Saddle Creek Records, which is home to several highly regarded indie rock acts, most notably Bright Eyes and Cursive. 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 "indie cred" is often less than high. Some publications such as Pitchfork Media are now claiming Montreal as North America's indie rock capital, due to bands such as The Arcade Fire, The Unicorns, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Wolf Parade.

Portland, Oregon has also become a hot spot for indie bands, being the home of such acts as The Decemberists, The Shins, The Dandy Warhols, and the late Elliott Smith. San Diego has bred its fair share of influential bands such as The Locust, The Black Heart Procession, and The Album Leaf.

New York City (notably the neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn) has also been cited as a major scene for recent indie rock music with such bands as The Walkmen, TV on the Radio, Interpol, and The Strokes. Los Angeles' indie scene rides the wave of gentrification through Eastside neighborhoods like Koreatown, Silverlake, and Echo Park, which have given rise to such bands as Moving Units, Autolux, and Giant Drag.

The Washington, DC area has also re-emerged as a hotbed of indie music. The area gained notoriety in the 1980s when it became one of the flagship cities of the American hardcore punk movement, with bands such as Minor Threat, Government Issue and Rites of Spring. All of these bands were on Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye's own record label, Dischord Records. Several newer bands have gained popularity since the rise of MacKaye's later band Fugazi, including Q and Not U, Black Eyes, Decahedron, and many others.

Chicago has become known for indie rockers following in the paths of the Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill, Wilco, and the Jesus Lizard; bands like Califone, Ok Go, and Umphrey's McGee hail from the city. Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces, who now reside in Brooklyn, New York are originally from Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Chicago is also home to many independent labels like Thrill Jockey, Drag City, and others, and to the popular music-news website Pitchfork Media.

Denver is known for producing the Elephant Six Collective, a group of indie pop bands, including The Apples in Stereo and Dressy Bessy. Denver also has produced a scene sometimes labeled "country gothic" [1], [2] for its stark combinations of American country and gospel music with unusual or morbid lyrical themes. The approach ranges from solemn, sometimes wrenching religious contemplation by 16 Horsepower, twisted Americana murder ballads by Munly, to rollicking, drunken, apocalyptic Southern gospel by Slim Cessna's Auto Club, all of whom have released albums on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles Records.

Athens, Georgia is known for being the birthplace of R.E.M., The B-52's, and Pylon, with much of the scene focused around the famed 40 Watt Club. In later years, the area spawned many member bands of the Elephant Six collective, including Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and Of Montreal. While perhaps indie only in the "status" sense, Athens was also the home to the jam band Widespread Panic and producer/remixer DJ Dangermouse.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina has had a strong indie rock scene since the 1980s. With three major colleges (UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, and Duke University) in its vicinity, the area has been fertile ground for music. In the 1980s, the region saw the debut of bands like The Connells. Bands such as Superchunk, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Archers of Loaf, Polvo, and Southern Culture on the Skids formed the core of the indie scene in the area in the 1990s. (The Ben Folds Five got their start in the area, as well, albeit slightly removed from the main indie scene.) Much of the activity in the scene focused on longtime indie club the Cat's Cradle (which relocated to adjacent Carrboro in 1993). Labels also emerged in the area, including Merge Records, founded by members of Superchunk, and the now-defunct Mammoth Records.

Newark, Delaware is the home of Jade Tree Records, formed in 1990 by Tim Owen and Darren Walters. Jade Tree started with bands such as Railhed, Walleye, Lifetime, and the short-lived DC band, Swiz. The label sat in obsecurity for about 5 years until singing The Promise Ring in 1996. Since, Jade Tree has released countless albums from many staples of the indie rock scene. Today, Newark, Delaware and surrounding areas has become a hotbed for traveling independant bands, with one noteable punk rock venue, The Harmony Grange, which has hosted shows for over 5 years now. While not producing too many memorable acts in the past, Delaware has a notable music scene growing around the University of Delaware campus, and surrounding areas.

See also

• Alternative rock
• Punk ideology
• Britpop
• Selling out

External links

• Pitchfork Media, a well-known online music magazine covering the indie scene
• Trouserpress: Massively influential 1980s indie publication, now an online record guide
• Mummy Short Arms: Glasgow based indie music magazine focusing primarily on the Glasgow indie scene - the Delgados, Bis, Mother and the Addicts, Teenage Fanclub etc.