Indie Alternative Italian Music

indie alternative italian music

Italy has long been known for producing some wonderful indie alternative music. Here we highlight a few of our favourite Italian bands from both past and present eras.

CCCP are one of the most distinctive and original Italian new wave bands. While their style was heavily influenced by English bass-driven post-punk classic bands (think Umberto Negri’s bass lines in Affinita Divergenze…), they nonetheless managed to forge their own distinct sound through innovative songwriting.

Verdena

Verdena, an Italian band that creates its own brand of indie alternative music. Their eclectic a cappella tracks are sure to keep you moving and feel good!

Pasta Rosso is their debut single and showcases Angelica Gori’s soulful vocals to maximum effect, while guitarist Marco Belotti adds another layer of appeal.

The band embodies Cape Verdean music through their songs, and this passion is clearly visible in their selections. Morna and coladeira genres are two of the most prominent styles, often associated with Cesaria Evora who has taken these musical genres on an international stage.

Cesaria Evora was an instrumental figure in popularizing Cape Verdean music worldwide, leading to other female traditional artists like Lura. She can be credited for setting this path.

Cape Verdeans who have moved abroad for better opportunities often still miss their home country’s music, which blends African, Portuguese and Brazilian elements into one beautiful soundscape.

One of the most beloved Cape Verdean songs is known as morna, an emotional dance tune often performed in creole language. Another Cape Verdean tune known as coladeira features both jokes and social criticism in its lyrics.

Cape Verdean musicians incorporate various instruments – accordion, cavaquinho, clarinet, guitar and piano – into their compositions whether singing in Creole or Portuguese; their music has often been likened to that of American Blues music.

Music provides another form of communication among family members, which is why they prefer singing in their native tongue. By singing together in song they hope it can bring their loved ones closer.

Their music consists of both contemporary and traditional Cape Verdean sounds, sometimes even featuring vocalists from outside their region. Their musical inspiration comes from local culture and environment.

Coez are another group worth listening to; since releasing their first single Nella Casa in 2009 and winning various national competitions. Their smooth raps and melodies brim with emotion. Most recently they have released the heart-wrenching Come nelle canzione which shows their knack for mixing hip-hop with traditional melodies.

Limoni

Limoni, formed in Milan in 1999, have garnered a strong cult following since their formation. Their music blends rock and electronica for an exuberant Italian sound similar to Depeche Mode or British bands The Smiths or Pulp.

Federico Zampaglione founded this band and created an introspective repertoire with both acoustic and electronic songs, featuring introspective lyrics. Over time their sound evolved into more commercial Pop-Rock styles while maintaining core influences. By mid 2000s they had established themselves as an extremely successful live act while producing several excellent albums.

They are an Italian band composed of members from Rome and Milan and have been described as a mix of pop rock, alternative rock and glam rock music. Their look and sound have been likened to that of 1970s rock music; additionally they collaborated with Mariah Carey on her singles “Fantasy” and Electroshock”.

Their music has been heavily influenced by American rock bands like Depeche Mode, The Smiths and Pulp as well as English bands The Stone Roses and Television. However, their focus lies primarily on singing and harmony arrangements.

Lino Capra Vaccina, an Italian percussionist and composer renowned for his avant-garde works. He has produced many albums under different aliases including Rovi, M. Zalla, The Soundwork Shoppers and Moggi.

He is well known for his expansive discography that spans works for ensembles, orchestras and solo recordings involving percussion instruments, synthesizers, voice and electronics combined with jazz and classical composition elements.

One key component of their music is its experimentation with loops, tape recordings and electronic textures. Their sound melds neoclassicism with minimalism, contemporary a cappella singing and free jazz to produce something truly distinctive and captivating.

Music by this ensemble is distinguished by an exceptionally high level of musicianship and is highly sophisticated. All musicians involved have been professionally trained, having years of experience playing various musical ensembles – this results in an outstandingly professional performance from these musicians.

They have produced several high-quality albums and are an extremely talented group of musicians with the ability to craft engaging songs with dynamic guitar melodies and harmonious vocal harmonies, writing them to perfection and making for enjoyable listening experience. Touring throughout Italy has proven them successful while their music has garnered them an ever-expanding cult following that continues to find new listeners!

Coez

Indie alternative Italian music is an expansive genre encompassing everything from neo-soul and shoegaze to electronica, all the way through to unique local traditions like folk songs.

There are numerous indie bands from Italy who have gained worldwide popularity, some drawing inspiration from American rock while others having more Mediterranean flavour.

Al Darawish are a multicultural band from Sicily who combine North African rhythms and instruments into their music, while Luigi Cinque Tarantula Hypertext Orchestra are popular musicians from Neapolitan area of Sicily who combine Italian canzone with Arabic and Turkish musical elements to produce dynamic performances.

Coez, another band from the region, have made quite an impression since their debut in 2009. Already established as one of the top acts in Italian hip-hop scene, this group’s skill at writing captivating, honest lyrics makes Coez stand out amongst the competition – their most recent single “Come nelle canzione (Like in songs)” showcases this feat beautifully.

Chemical Brothers-esque in sound, they have released two albums since 1996 and enjoy strong support in live performances – Immanuel Casto even invited them on Rai Uno last year to perform Piena on live.

As a band, they are known for using loops and effects to add depth and intensity to their music, making for a very exciting band to watch live or listen to!

Over time, their lineup has undergone drastic transformation, yet their core remains the same. Their sound features hard-hitting guitars and thunderous bass lines for an exciting mix.

Later this year, this band will release their latest album. Their sound carries many influences such as Depeche Mode from America.

They channel The Smiths and Pulp through electronica influences in their sound, drawing strong fans at European festivals while they prepare to release a new album this year.

Rrunori Sas

Italian indie alternative music is an ever-evolving genre. Some of its most acclaimed artists, such as Maneskin and Coez, may be international popstars but there are numerous lesser-known acts who deserve your consideration as well.

Limoni (meaning lemons) from Ferrara made his debut this year as an emerging singer-songwriter with his distinctive blend of punk and synth pop, featuring ringing synths, grungy guitars and an instantly catchy chorus. His singles have been warmly received; now he is working on his albums series release schedule.

Rrunori Sas was formed in Salerno in 1996 with Rosario Runes Reina on guitar and Gennaro Rino Balletta on bass drum to create metal songs with inedited metal sounds infused in them, yet over the years have made many stylistic shifts that resulted in some truly unique albums like Contaminazione which boasts innovative ideas making it one of the more significant Italian progressive rock releases of recent times.

Lyrically, their songs often represent travels through both real and fictional landscapes. Drawing upon influences as varied as afrofunk, bossanova, R&B, latin nu jazz and experimental electromusic for inspiration they offer an exciting journey for listeners to explore.

They possess a warm and distinctive voice when writing songs about their struggles or those of others, clearly connecting their lyrics to their emotions and personal experiences.

Afrofunk is the primary influence in their style, while they also incorporate elements from ska, reggae, pop, and other genres into their songs. Their songs range from high energy dance numbers to deeper explorations with lyrics written both in Italian and English.

This album’s music is extremely diverse, ranging from its title track – September – which combines symphonic sound with pop sensibilities – to lighter pieces such as Jubel-Trubel and Minuetta that feature more delicate sounds.

Run the World was released by this band in 2018, and is an exceptional album that showcases their versatility by compiling some of their greatest tracks into a cohesive yet exciting collection of tunes. Their sound will appeal to fans of many different musical styles – so make sure you check them out!