The Rise of Indie Music
Indie music used to mean independent, underground music that was untouched by the corporate world and was listened to only by the people with bizarre music tastes. Now, “indie” artists and bands play to crowds of thousands at widely popular music festivals like Bonnaroo and Hangout Fest. This transition may seem like it came out of nowhere, but there are distinct causes that pushed indie to the headlines of music festivals and the top of the Billboard 500. Many people have tried to tackle the question of “What is indie music?” Few, however, have tried to see how it gained the following that it has over the years. Indie became one of the most popular music “genres” due to the vast number of subgenres, allowing it to
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In the 2016 edition of the book “Understanding Popular Music Culture,” Roy Shuker says that “the term ‘indie’ denotes not just a type of economic entity, but a musical attitude.” Indie has broken off from the old definition, and formed its own genre. Like I said before, many people have tried to answer the question of what indie is, and no clear definition has arisen, but there is a very broad consensus. Stuart Murdoch of “Belle and Sebastian” recently said in a Guardian article that indie nowadays encompasses “anything with a guitar or a softer sensibility.” James Dean Bradfield of “Manic Street Preachers” said in the same article that indie bands are allowed to become big and stay “indie.” Both men are correct in their own ways. What used to be considered alternative music in the 90s and earlier is now a part of the indie genre, and alternative music is essentially just dudes with guitars that sing and play …show more content…
On this list, one word appears to be missing, “indie.” That just leads into the question, what does the word “indie” even mean as a genre? The fact that the word indie is added to the front of the already innumerable music genres shows that it’s hard to pin down to fit one distinct formula or recipe. Indie has a seemingly endless list of subgenres, taking all of the subgenres of pop and rock and making them its own, from art-pop to zamrock. Because of this, indie music has a large area of interest. In a 2009 New York Times article, Ben Sisario jokes “when indie-rock genres outnumber the bands.” That obvious hyperbole contains a nice truth within it, there’s more variety in our music than ever before. The perfect subgenre for everyone exists out there somewhere, be it shoegaze or crab-core (real subgenres). This fact makes it hard for indie to not appeal to someone in some way. Indie’s wide variability is one of the main reasons for its success, as anyone can go to a music festival and find a weird little band that they really
Our entire lives have been shaped by the events happening around us. Along with us many factors in our day to day lives have evolved too, including musical genre. One such genre is rock. Rock is a genre for the youth, by the youth, it has evolved to stay with the times and stand up for what’s right. In this essay I will prove why rock is a good example to show how genre has been defined, maintained, constructed and negotiated through the past 60-70 years since the very first Proto Rock song came out.
Although considered the day Rock ‘n’ Roll was born, many other events in American history have given foundation to this much loved idea. Rock ‘n’ Roll is much more than just music, rather it is the movement which underlines cultural imperialism. Rock had been promoting a culture of comfort and freedom from social constraints as well. Although the style of ‘Rock music’ is easily adaptable into many different sounds, it is still thoroughly identified by its definingly amplified rhythm. The sudden worldwide popularity of rock and roll resulted in an unparalleled social impact. Rock ‘n’ Roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language in a way few other social developments have equaled. The social impact is so large that rock stars are worshipped worldwide. In its early years, many adults condemned the style of music, placing a stigma on its name, and forbid their children from listening and following its ways. Many considered Rock ‘n’ Roll culture as a bad influence to all people, but as the genre aged and the now not-so-young crowds had matured, Rock was respected and
As with any trend, grunge began to lose its followers within a relatively short period of time, or perhaps it simply became excepted to the extent that its label changed from “fad” to “mainstream“. Grunge, much like most trends or fashions, relied upon commercialization to exist as such. When newness fades, replacements are sought and new titles created that are designed to draw popularity to address the apparent human need to represent uniqueness, but at the same time fulfill a desire to be accepted by others with similar likes and dislikes. If one (1) views history with regard to fads, it may be observed that fads do not exist unless there is mass-marketing of a concept or series of events to attain the popular interest of people.
Rock is derived from the genre Rock and Roll, and in the 1960’s passed through what many called the “golden age”. During this decade was when rock was reassured as a musical genre, and became due to the advances in the radio technologies on the last decade. During this period, several of the best rock bands and artists appeared like The Beatles or Jimmy Hendrix.
What has been great for the underground scene is its ability to sell more records now, and that is by and large due to the increase of smaller, independent record labels(see chapter 1). Labels such as Rawkus, Fondle ‘Em, Stones Throw, Goodvibe, ABB Records, and others can compete with majors like Bad Boy and Def Jam now because they are backed by people who have money and want to see hip-hop culture survive.
Music in America in the late 1980s saw a revolution in the form of a whole new genre, which would later be known as ‘grunge’. It is perhaps one of America’s most notable contributions to the music world. Grunge originated in Seattle and spread through the United States over the 1990s. It also influenced the international music scene, inspiring artists, and creating a huge world-wide fan base. The music was inspired by punk rock, but had more edgy riffs coupled with emotive, sometimes heavy lyrics. This type of music reached out to and addressed an oppressed and often abused audience. The angry musical riffs, paired with lyrics that most young Americans could relate to, or had even experienced, made grunge instantly popular. Grunge revolutionized not only music in America, but also left its mark on American culture. Grunge, as a genre of music and as a lifestyle, broke away from the glamour of the mainstream music world, allowing people to express themselves through music that was relatable and real.
...le genres of music have been accused of selling out during the 80's Heavy Metal and Glam Rock were fused by bands such as Motley Crue and Poison to make Glam Metal which hardcore metal fans hated as it was not deemed authentic due to its over the top and feminine feel.
Rock ‘n’ roll and 20th Century Culture According to Philip Ennis, rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the convergence of social transformations which resulted from World War II (Ryan 927). Despite its pop culture origins, rock music is arguably one of the strongest cultural factors to develop in this century. Artists such as Lennon, McCartney and Dylan defined the emotions of a generation and, in the last decade, it as even been acknowledged by members of the establishment which it hoped to change as a major influence in the country. In order to understand how rock went from a sign of rebellion to a cultural icon, it is necessary to understand where it came from.
By the late ‘70s, punk had finished and become an amazing genre with a following triple the size from when it was just garage musicians. Becoming the solid musical force no one in that time saw coming. With this rise in popularity comes many sub-genres of punk. New musicians embraced the DIY movement and began to create their own individual scenes with specific sounds.
Perhaps the greatest association of alternative rock is the underground music scene, which can be described as an ideological concept where commercialization and legal contracts are non-existent, and mainstream coverage is severely lacking if present. Simply performing somewhere low key with these traits can label the performers as underground music artists. Groups that were truly categorized as alternative rock began performing in the scene at these low key venues and any fame and popularity gained generally stayed within the underground music scene. Popular acts could inevitably receive outside media coverage and be approached by companies in the music industry with a legally binding contract, but does that break their categorization as an alternative rock group? Or does the simple humble beginnings in the underground music scene fulfill that criteria of definition?
Think about the most laid back, independent, self-sufficient, and wild or extreme music movement. What is it? The answer to that is DIY punk. DIY punk began in the mid 70’s and had a huge impact on that time period. These punk bands were ones that did not follow societal norms and did not necessarily care about making a profit from their music. In the article “Do It Yourself… and the Movement Beyond Capitalism,” Ben Holztman et al states that DIY members were collective individuals going against capitalism (45). They did not want to be involved in that sort of atmosphere. Instead, DIY music addressed value and social relationships (Holtzman et al 45). It was very important for these bands to form new friendships with others that had the same
Underground rock was a term for a style of music that was different from the popular sounds of British rock bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. During the Golden Age of rock music which lasted from 1962 to the late 1970s, several distinct subgenres of rock music emerged- folk rock, blues rock, country rock, and garage rock. Garage rock became the basis for underground rock, and although it was not commercially successful, it would become the base for the punk rock movement. The underground rock scene started in 1965 as a reaction to the social and political injustices of the time period. Resentment of American involvement in the Vietnam War and the African American civil rights movement created an angry and rebellious youth culture. At the same time, America was impaired by high unemployment rates and increasing poverty levels. Music from the underground scene reflected the way the youth felt about the state of the world....
...congregations of grunge believers. This is where the most amateur alternative bands debut and discover their little local fame. Obviously, most of them don’t make it to the top. Our society is still very commercially oriented and the grunge phenomenon is not as large as to promote all but very few bands to be the representatives of the movement.
The term genre in music can be used to describe different forms and styles of music all over the world, whether it be country, rock, jazz, pop, and so on. But the terms used for genres can be considered broad and/or vague, so music that is commonly classified in any given genre can be categorized more specifically. For example, jazz can be a broad term for other subgenres such as Cool jazz, Free jazz, Dixieland, Ragtime and numerous other examples. This general rule applies to many different genres of music, and metal music is no exception.
The story of subcultures in and through modern music has to start in the 1920’s America. In the wake of prohibition, popular nightclubs were closing down and music fell by the wayside. However, a strong underground scene reared its head during that time as well. Well-dressed men and flapper girls swarmed speakeasies in search of music, liquor and a good time. Mainstream America looked down on these rebels. They were often thought of as no good young people with loose morals and no respect for authority. Little did mainstream America know, however, exactly how important those few rebels were during the roaring Twenties and how their actions helped mold musical societies for the rest of the millennium.