Indie music encompasses many diverse genres – from folk to grunge and beyond – yet all indie bands share a similar punk aesthetic of independence and authenticity.
Independent record labels who supported punk’s DIY aesthetic helped shape its alternative indie sound, with bands like REM, the Replacements and Husker Du combining punk with rock, country and electronic elements into their sound.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. helped shape the indie sound during the 1980s by breaking away from major record labels and creating their own paradigm. Their debut album Murmur released in 1983 was an influential work which set a trend. Concurrently, US bands such as Replacements and Husker Du helped foster more of an underground punk sound.
In the UK, indie music was propelled forward by independent record labels like Rough Trade, Stiff Records and 2 Tone that promoted a DIY ethos and fostered creativity and personal expression through bands. Unfortunately, however, commercial success often hindered these bands’ creative processes and failed them from fully embodying their alternative roots.
Grunge in the late ’90s brought indie music to mainstream attention through bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden; Britpop and shoegaze then followed suit in the UK, leading to bands like My Bloody Valentine and Ride.
These bands were an influence to many contemporary indie musicians and helped pave the way for more angst-driven pop-punk bands such as My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Paramore that combined alt-rock raw emotion with catchy hooks and high energy performances.
Though some might look to bands like The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys as the epitome of indie music, these acts are only the most recent iterations of a genre that’s been around for decades. Real indie rockers are those who refused to compromise their artistic integrity for financial gain – the ones who stood firm against a music industry increasingly driven by corporate greed and popularity.
The Smiths
The Smiths were an alternative indie rock band that defined the genre during the early 1980s. Their unique musical style and Morrissey’s emotive lyrics set them apart from other bands at that time, creating an indelible sound which has inspired artists such as Weezer and Nirvana – not to mention shaping aesthetics and philosophy of indie scene scene as well.
The Smiths stood apart from both synth-pop and new wave music in that their songs emphasized harmony and lyrics over synthsynthsynthsynths by emphasizing harmony, lyrics, and themes such as unrequited love, social alienation, political disillusionment. Their songs explored topics like unrequited love, social isolation, political disillusionment and political alienation which resonated strongly with young people – creating a sense of belonging among non-conformists while influencing visual aesthetics such as trench coats or leather jackets – breaking down barriers between rock and pop music genres.
The Smiths were instrumental in pioneering the indie music genre with their distinctive style and lyrics, which eventually expanded to encompass multiple subgenres. “Indie” no longer refers to one specific music genre but rather is now understood to encompass an umbrella movement that promotes social and artistic independence – an idealism the band embodied well when they rejected mainstream culture as they made for an ideal band to represent it.
Classic indie has not always been beneficial to marginalized communities. Riot Grrl was a feminist movement that dominated the indie scene but has been accused of only considering white cis women when making decisions and overlooking other genders and races’ experiences. Therefore, many critics have called for an end to classic indie’s rigid conservatism; as a response some indie bands are beginning to embrace diversity by pushing back against such narrow-mindedness.
The Cure
The Cure were one of the pioneering bands to move away from punk music and embrace gothic sound, pioneering an entirely different musical direction with their Three Imaginary Boys debut album featuring post-punk with influences from Wire and Gang of Four; over time however their sound became darker and eerier; their songs often dealt with death or depression themes.
In the mid 1980s, The Cure released albums with more danceable tunes while still exploring their sound’s possibilities. This resulted in an innovative hybrid of rock and synthpop that became immensely successful. Their combination of angst and danceability would later influence an entire generation of indie music artists.
Though there were multiple line up changes throughout their career, The Cure never sounding alike any other band. Their desire to break from Joy Division’s grip saw them explore post-punk territory through albums like Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography; always keeping their sound original despite these shifts – it’s what helped cement their popularity and influence as an influential group.
At this time, they played numerous major European festivals – such as 25th Glastonbury – as well as releasing their singles collection album Mixed Up. Following an intensive year of touring, the band returned to the studio to record their 13th album 4:13 Dream; which proved immensely popular worldwide and in August all four Cure singles hit Top 20 simultaneously! These extraordinary success was then culminated by sold out shows at Olympia Theatre and Barclays Centre in NYC.
Nirvana
Nirvana helped bring youth culture back into focus during the early nineties with its grunge sound and Kurt Cobain’s conflicted persona resonating with young people who felt they didn’t belong in pop music and teen culture. Their raw authenticity and emotive songwriting established an indelible legacy that continues to influence countless bands and musicians today.
Nevermind was the band’s second album and launched them into mainstream culture with chart-topping single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, credited with popularizing grunge music and pushing alternative into the mainstream – giving rise to new generations of alternative bands including Green Day, My Chemical Romance and Weezer.
Nirvana made a deliberate shift away from Bleach’s drone-heavy riffing in Nevermind towards Pixies-influenced power chord pop and slurred vocal attacks, striving for more polished production as they also experimented with melodic/pounding/spacey saturation/sung vocal attacks juxtaposition that perfectly fit their pop music environment of the time.
Nirvana made history when they embraced their raw authenticity to reach mainstream culture and revolutionise how music production and promotion occurred; setting an important precedent for alternative music’s continued development in future decades.
Grunge was more than just a musical movement – it was a cultural revolution that took everyone by surprise. Sub Pop’s decision to release Nirvana was a bold move that disproved expectations placed upon both record labels and music industry professionals alike, with their raw authenticity and emotive songs shaking the foundation of mainstream music and leading it in new directions. Today, indie is used not just to refer to independently released music but also as a general term referring to resistance against mainstream culture, and providing an edge through authenticity that mainstream culture cannot match.
Weezer
It’s hard to think of another indie rock band with as much divisive power as Weezer. On one hand, it’s impressive that decades past their prime, they remain popular enough to inspire an SNL sketch and sell T-shirts; on the other, it can be hard to take them seriously when their shtick takes precedence over new songs being released onto an album.
When the Blue Album debuted in 1994, it proved an instantaneous hit and helped establish Weezer on the scene. Unfortunately, however, its release coincided with grunge losing steam, leaving Weezer struggling to keep up with changing tastes within music culture.
Pinkerton, the band’s 1996 follow-up album, is widely considered their finest work–or at least the one to come closest to matching the excitement and thrill of their debut. Sonically raw yet still filled with hooks, the record delves deeply into Cuomo’s inner life without holding anything back; an intimate and sincere reflection that rivals anything they have done since.
After the release of Pinkerton, the band experienced some growing pains. Drummer Matt Sharp left, and vocalist Rivers Cuomo chose Mikey Welsh as his replacement. With their new lineup rehearsing and recording demos for a follow-up album until reaching an impasse of frustration and creative differences that necessitated taking a break – these changes forced a break to regroup creatively before beginning work again on it.
After taking time away, Weezer came back together and began work on their next album Harvey. Although only reaching number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart, many consider this release by them the finest work ever.