Famous indie rock bands. Indie rock - an independent direction of alternative music
Indie rock(English Indie rock) is an alternative rock genre that exists mainly in the underground, in an independent information and commercial space. Takes its name from english word Independent. This is not peculiar separate style music, but an umbrella term for a wide range of musicians and styles, united by involvement with the underground, counterculture, and (usually) having some relation to rock music.
Independence
Creative and Financial independence musicians are provided, as a rule, either by the absence of a contract at all or by a contract with an indie label. Major label contracts are not typical for indie rock. And although the largest indie labels can use the help of major labels for distribution, the decision-making process itself remains autonomous. So, for example, in indie rock there is complete freedom to explore and experiment with sound, emotions or lyrics, which is not very similar to methods
Record companies targeting the mainstream, where music is driven by the preferences of a mass audience.
Development of the genre
The emergence of a new indie subculture in Great Britain in the mid-70s was due to several factors at once:
1. The end of the era of punks. Temporary dominance in the music market of popular music, mainly dance music, which offered nothing but an empty but pleasant pastime.
2. The beginning of the next "style war" - the predominance in the "Image of the Other" of the noble ideas of the "New Romantics", which assumed the style of Dressing Up. The introduction of this image to the mainstream market presupposes an immediate search for an “alternative”. Moreover, "The War of Styles", namely the style confrontation between indie kids and ravers, is the first in history within the middle class subcultures.
3. Among the economic reasons - the continuing rise in unemployment among young people.
4. A keen understanding of the fact that London has ceased to be the musical capital of the world, and England again returned to the times of the fifties - constant import and borrowing of cultural trends from overseas.
The "cultural mirror", the main driving force for the emerging subculture has become new wave British rock bands that were recorded on small, little-known labels. They turned the chronic lack of money into an object of pride, representing in a stylistic respect Dressing Down in both respects - anti-elegance, simplicity, like the "Broken", awareness of their own unprivileged. The secret to their next success was that they were the flesh of their audience - middle class, college students. They are their own guys, who had nothing to do with the arrogance of the "new romantics", the aloofness of the ready and the thoughtlessness of the ravers. Having eliminated the very notion of personality, the image of a cult rock hero, they put forward their own alternative - a group (The Smiths, Joy Division, Ride, My Bloody Valentine). Outwardly "Indies", that is, "independent" looked like a mixture of "broken", "hippies" and "punks" at the same time - mannered relaxation, hairstyles in the spirit of "Swinging London", jeans, punk boots, sometimes an army uniform. In the choice of clothes, preference is given to second-hand, that is, second-hand clothes. From the "broken" they borrowed a mocking and apolitical humor, melancholy and pessimism, but they resolutely refused to deliberately flaunt their education. The music of the "independent" was based on the piercing guitar "noise" (noise) of the "Manchester school", through which the mournful and melodic vocals could hardly break through. By the end of the eighties, this sound had spawned a mass of imitators in British rock, and Manchester became the new subcultural capital.
Almost everyone who first comes across the term "indie rock" associates it with India, sacred cows and traditional Indian music. In fact, this is not entirely true. This is a sub-style that emerged from the direction of alternative rock and takes its name from the word "independent". Previously, this concept was taken literally: rock musicians were not subject to major labels and record companies, they were given complete freedom to experiment with sound, regardless of the preferences of the mass audience. Due to changes in the music industry and the development of the Internet in the 2000s, the concept of "independent" began to blur and indie rock acquired financial success, which led to questions about the correctness of the term. Today, this style means a mixture of guitar and electronic music, also the use of melodic vocals, quality arrangements and easy-to-read lyrics. We've put together the most popular indie rock bands for you.
The Killers are an American indie rock band formed in 2002. Popularity came to them after graduation debut album"Hot Fuss". The first single "Somebody Told Me" did not gain popularity at first, soon these guys were noticed by NME magazine after their performance in England. The next single, "Mr. Brightside ”, hit the UK Top 10, and the re-release of the song“ Somebody Told Me ”became a hit in Europe.
Two Door Cinema Club is an Irish indie rock band founded in 2007. It consists of three members: Sam Halliday, Alex Trimble and Kevin Baird. The group's labels are Kitsuné (in Europe) and Glassnote Records (in the US). They have four albums to their credit: Next Year (2013), Changing Of The Seasons (2013), Bad Decisions (2016), Are We Ready? (Wreck)
The Wombats are an indie rock band from Liverpool. It includes: Matthew Murphy (vocals, guitar), Dan Haggis (drums) and Tord Overland-Knudsen (bass). Albums: Girls, Boys and Marsupials (Japan Only) (2006), Go Pop! Pop! Pop! (Japan only) (2007), The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation # 11 UK, # 35 Aus (2007), This Modern Glitch (2011)
Of Monsters and Men - Icelandic indie folk band The group debuted on music competition Músíktilraunir in 2010 and became the winner. Then they went on a tour of Iceland and two more joined the four-member band. The performance at music festival Iceland Airwaves, after which the group released their first hit "Little Talks. The guys later signed to Record Records for recording.
This article is doomed if only because a good half of the indie bands are not listed here. And some will foaming at the mouth to prove that half of the bands are not indie at all, but a notorious alternative. But the indie itself spilled out from the alternative, and there is no big difference between the sound. In any case, the musicians themselves cannot find it. Indie was synonymous with alternative and was used to separate performers by geography: while alternative rock was preferred by American performers and indie rock by British. But over the years, everything got mixed up.
The range of indie music itself is so wide that everything is blamed on it. If Nadezhda Kadysheva recorded for independent labels and added more drums and guitar to her sound, she could also be considered an indie folk singer. Anyone who writes original music automatically becomes an indie musician.
An indie musician should record for independent labels, but nowadays even this once fundamental fact has ceased to be considered. So don't be surprised to see some of the bands on this list. We chose solely for the sound and quality of the music. We hope you agree with us. Sorry that there is no Kasabian, Oasis, imagine Dragons, OK Go, Florence and the Machine and Two Door Cinema Club. We will write about them, but a little later, just in our hit-parade the place is only ten.
1. Beirut
It is very difficult to characterize their music. Of course, this is indie folk, but it is impossible to say which musical tradition can be traced in their work. The group itself is from snuffed out, populated by Hispanics in more than half of the state of New Mexico. Consider that this is Mexico, the real one, with deserts, cacti, Spanish speech, traditional solemn trumpets and sultry mariachi. Then the thirst for travel took vocalist Zach Condon to Europe, where he became imbued with Balkan brass music and gypsy folklore. This is how the group got signature rhythms and recognizable winds. And then Condon visited French Brittany, and the songs were characteristic of French chanson notes. Now mix all these musical traditions, add a pinch of ukulele, Condon's characteristic "feline" vocals, and you have a dish called Beirut.
All their creativity is like big Adventure, from city to city, from country to country. Therefore, the music is always different, but with recognizable Beirut features. You can't confuse them with anyone. Their songs can be compared to cumulus clouds: they are just as airy and unreal. Strongly recommended for those who love good winds, great music and have a thirst for travel.
2. Mac DeMarco
Mac DeMarco is a full-blown "magic" guy, with very strange relaxing music, very strange outlooks on life and a wide gap between the upper front teeth. But as soon as he starts singing or throwing his trademark "full of holes" smile, you are thoroughly imbued with his charm, and the music and soulful vocals begin to act on you like a drug addiction. Even hysterical cuts on a homemade electric guitar do not spoil the experience, on the contrary, they add zest to the sound. There is in his compositions something from surf rock, something from Doors - a little bit of everything, but at the same time his music is difficult to confuse with something, like a chipped smile. In what genre DeMarco plays, DeMarco himself does not know. And what do critics do when a musician plays original music and is not comparable in fame to Kanye West? It is classified as an indie. They did the same with Mack.
But the main highlight of his songs is humor. So, recently the Canadian has released an instrumental album, recorded by him in just 4 days, consisting of the compositions "Little Pepper", "Onion Guy", "Young Coconut" - these and other songs, according to Mack, are the perfect soundtrack for a barbecue.
And Mack finishes off with his always extravagant clips. Look what a pretty lady she turned out to be.
3. Chad Van Gaalen
There is no greater joy than adding Chad Van Gaalen. This very well-mannered and absolutely adequate young man makes very strange music, which not everyone understands. But if you like Vangaalen's work, you will not be able to tear yourself away, but become a slave to his songs and listen to them every single day until the songs get tired of it.
And Chad is also an artist, his, as they say, "addict" drawings and animation raise almost more questions than songs. However, evil magic does not allow one to break away from the amazing "arts" of the Canadian, they are too strange and attractive.
Van Gaalen also managed to compose an infernal indie anthem, which was sung by everyone who could. It's about the song "Molten Light". Simple in structure, it mesmerizes with a demonic accordion, disturbing chords and a clip drawn by the author. The first impression after watching was as if you were chewed and spat out by Satan. But it was worth it.
4. Smiths
Let's devote a little time to the founding fathers, because many are sure: if it weren't for the Smiths, then indie pop in the usual sense would not exist. And the whole point is not even Morrissey's poetry, which was in a fever and flung from sublime metaphors like "tea with the taste of the Thames" to outright snot: "If a double-decker bus crashes into us ... Oh, what a wonderful way to die!" It's all about the laconic, catchy guitar parts of Johnny Marr, who managed to create a truly exciting underground pop sound. The group disbanded in 86, but their music is still loved. Marr and Morrissey continue to work in the genre, but separately, however, Morrissey's suffering lamentations sell better. Probably because the voice became more courageous, and poetry became firmer.
Marilyn Manson wrote in her book that if you love the Smiths, then you are definitely gay. In principle, many said this, but do not listen to them and get acquainted with the works of both the Smiths and Morrissey and Mar, if for some reason you do not know what they are talking about.
5. Pixies
The world is divided between those who classify Pixies as an alternative and those who classify them as indie. Given that the line between these genres is very, very thin, we thought that Pixies deserved a place on this list, especially since they made a huge contribution to the development of the genre, spawning a lot of followers after themselves, for which they do not want to say thanks. They worked in those distant times when indie rock was the music of outcasts, and not the anthem of aggressive progressive youth. And it is not surprising that they gained their cult status after the collapse in the 90s. David Bowie said they are one of the most underrated bands in the history of music. And this becomes clear when, after a bunch of great songs, after a reunion, after getting into a hipster music library when asked: "Do you know the Pixies?" - they answer you: "Oh, these are the ones who wrote the soundtrack for fight club." It's a pity. They should be listened to at least because of surreal texts about mental illness and physical vices, UFOs, insects and endless allusions to avant-garde works.
6. Gotye
In 2011 an Australian singer Belgian origin Wouter de Becker wrote a song that whole year sounded from every teapot. It sounded from phones and cars, from radios and televisions, even from irons! She was terribly tired of everyone, but could not dislike it. It's about the song "Somebody that I used to know". Perhaps this is the last one on this moment a hit that would be liked by people with different musical preferences: rockers, rappers, and even boys said that the song was clear. Of course, after such a composition it was difficult to write something stronger. So far, Gaultier has failed, but nothing, let's wait. In the meantime, we are waiting, we advise you to familiarize yourself with his rest of work, fortunately, there are a lot of interesting songs like worms in black soil after rain. Mostly indie pop, but very high quality indie pop. By the way, "Somebody that I used to know" also belongs to this genre. Some compositions multi-instrumentalist Gaultier recorded without the help of outside musicians, so it's definitely worth listening to.
7. Killers
It feels like the Killers are at least 30 years old, and it's time for them to give anniversary concert... In fact, they are only 13, at this age they are not even issued a passport. But despite this, they have a very mature indie with which they have won the hearts of millions of fans around the world. Sometimes it seems that there is nothing special in their music, especially since initially the guys tried to mow under Oasis and Duran Duran. But it turned out that each of their albums has its own distinctive and recognizable character, which distinguishes them from many other bands that have sunk into the thick of musical triviality. Flowers' loud vocals, confident guitars and signature presentation captivate. It would seem that you can come up with something new in 13 years of work in one line-up? And they succeed.
Some argue that if you don't have the money to go to the Killers concert, you can wait for Latvians from Brainstorm to come to your city, they are painfully similar, even in vocals. But interestingly, the Latvian band appeared earlier. So who else is a plagiarist!
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The first album, released in 2003, became one of the best-selling albums in the world and sold 750,000 copies. Well, after him the released single "Maps" became a real hit on the air of alternative radio. As for the sound of the band itself, there is a classic jumble of retro, synthetics, punk and blues, as well as screams - all this created quite unique sound, which has not appeared in the music industry until now. Let them continue to shout, this cry is called a song for us.
9. Arctic Monkeys
My heart feels that if there are no "Arctic monkeys" on this list, the article will be blown to shreds. Here are some arctic monkeys for you. One of those bands that showed how you can make indie rock commercially successful without signing contracts with famous labels and keeping the tradition of the original indie, when musicians sang in lousy clubs and made music for their own pleasure. In addition, the Arctic Monkeys were among the first teams to achieve great success without traditional media support. Their music is distributed over the Internet. Quite a good way to revive traditions.
They appeared just when indie was just picking up steam in old Britain. Vocals, two regular guitarists and one bass guitarist and a drummer have created a group that is leading in the current British and world charts. Unexpected success the group brought the first album, released in 2006. And their first single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" became a worldwide hit.
10. Foster the People
Actually the band was originally called "Foster & the people", and everything was logical. The band's keyboardist and vocalist Mark Foster gathered around him some people with musical instruments in hand. But the people stubbornly did not notice and, as a result, the group, under the onslaught of fan love, gave up and reduced the name to the familiar and slightly more laconic Foster the People. For 6 years they have become indie gods, they are loved by girls all over the world and almost as many boys. "Pumped-Up Kicks" pulled the band to the top of the universe, and since then the guys have not given up momentum. What will happen next? Wait and see.
Indie rock originated in the 1980s in the UK and USA. In those years, punk went out of fashion, and the record labels that had been publishing it for years became irrelevant and went underground. Such studios began to be called independent, that is, indie. However, part of the music market in those days belonged to major music labels, which published exclusively artists of commercial value. Over time, indie studios began to appear everywhere, and informal young performers had practically no problems publishing albums. You could always contact one of the indie studios, which happily took on the release of an alternative. However, there was one serious drawback - independent studios did not pursue the profits and commercial success of their wards. The maximum that could be counted on was several dozen discs recorded by the performers themselves.
In the 80s of the last century, a whole galaxy of young musicians was formed, whose music was called college rock. These bands played music in the style of post-rock, noise-rock, shoe-gazing and other non-format styles. From such groups, such groups as The Smiths, Pixies, R.E.M. later became very popular. and New Order. The compositions of these performers sounded on low-budget radio stations, and the bulk of the listeners were also classmates.
However, over time, bands that played in the underground hit the mainstream. Bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and The Offspring became the epitome of the punk wave, and Oasis became iconic in the British Isles. The breakthrough of these musical groups turned everything upside down. All the bands that a few years ago belonged to the indie style have ceased to be so. Indie rock performers now include only those who did not want to cooperate with big labels and refused to show videos on music TV channels.
What bands can be classified as indie rock now?
Indie rock includes individual bands that openly emphasize their independence from the surrounding styles. These are bands that play the music they like. Often ranked among the indie rock performers The White Sptripes, The Strokes, The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys. However, the popularity of these bands, the number of albums sold and videos released refute these claims.
Nowadays indie rock is little-known bands that don't chase
Indie (abbr. from the English indipendent - independent) - a style that has become a part of the culture of the same name. Indy kids are often confused with, because both externally and in terms of views, both of them strive for independence from the mainstream, mass culture... They oppose their views and aspirations to the consumer society, and their independence from the material component opposes the desire for enrichment. Representatives of the indie subculture are called "indie kids".
Representatives of the indie subculture differ from hipsters in that indie people have retained their original constituent in their views. Simply put, if hipsters tend to be in, then indie kids really try to distance themselves from everything that is imposed from the outside by advertising.
England is considered to be the homeland of indie. Angolan-speaking countries most often become the ancestors of all kinds of youth movements. The style of indie music (rock, pop) appeared in England in the late 70s of the last century. These styles were distinguished from the usual pop by sound. The main rule of indie music, as well as of culture in general, has become the motto "no rules".
Style Attributes
All that is inherent in the style of hipsters can be ranked as attributes of the indie style. This is love for old film cameras, like Zenit or FED, Polaroid with its snapshots, and lomography, and adoration vinyl records with their special sound, and a passionate love for arthouse in any of its manifestations.
Indie kids also love their own special music. Critics often criticize bands of this style for their monotony, and sometimes for mediocrity, carefully disguised as a lack of rules.
Indie clothing style
Indie kids, like hipsters, love the same budget ones: Pull & Bear, etc. All the same love for old, vintage things a la "grandmother's chest". All the same narrowed, hats,. All the same bright colors. Often, indie kids are freaky young people in at first glance very strange clothes, who are simply impossible not to notice in the crowd.
Among the indie kids, arafat and grandmother's scarves with characteristic patterns, large, checkered, made of leatherette over the shoulder are extremely popular. It is impossible to distinguish a hipster from an indie kid visually. Most sources will tell you that hipster and indie kid are the same thing.
About indie kids and hipsters
Some people joke that the hipster is the rich indie kid. In adolescence, when children are still in school and do not work (and if they do part-time, their earnings are usually very small), they cannot afford to dress smartly, unless their parents give them the opportunity to do so. Therefore, the way out for them is budget clothing stores, old things that sometimes sit on them strangely, but look lurid.
But when an indie kid has the opportunity to buy expensive things for himself (and we are talking not only about clothes, but also about technology, etc.), he often begins to use this opportunity. So, for example, the Apple brand has been elevated to the rank of a cult among hipsters. We can say that a real indie kid will not make such a purchase even if he has free funds. A hipster, on the other hand, will never miss the opportunity to purchase the very latest model.
How to create an indie look?
Most people at first glance are unlikely to be able to tell the difference between an indie kid and a hipster. These directions are not only similar, they are related. The only difference between them is that hipsters are susceptible to "brand mania", while indi-kids in every possible way emphasize their independence from external influences. Therefore, if you are going to create an indie look, you should completely avoid using expensive things.
