Indie rock
| Indie rock | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early to mid-1980s, United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand |
| Derivative forms | |
| Subgenres | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Local scenes | |
| Other topics | |
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent record labels, by the 1990s it became more widely associated with the music such bands produced.
The sound of indie rock has its origins in the UK DIY music of the Buzzcocks, Desperate Bicycles[1] and Television Personalities[2][3] and the New Zealand Dunedin sound of the Chills, Tall Dwarfs,[4] the Clean[5] and the Verlaines, alongside Australia's the Go-Betweens[6] and early 1980s college rock radio stations who would frequently play jangle pop bands like the Smiths and R.E.M. The genre solidified itself during the mid–1980s with NME's C86 cassette in the United Kingdom and the underground success of Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Unrest in the United States. During the 1990s, indie rock bands like Sonic Youth, the Pixies and Radiohead all released albums on major labels and subgenres like slowcore, Midwest emo, slacker rock and space rock began. By this time, "indie" had evolved to refer to bands whose music was released on independent record labels, in addition to the record labels themselves. As the decade progressed many individual local scenes developed their own distinct takes on the genre: baggy in Manchester; grebo in Stourbridge and Leicester; and shoegaze in London and the Thames Valley.
During the 1990s, the mainstream success of grunge and Britpop, two movements influenced by indie rock, brought increased attention to the genre and saw record labels use their independent status as a marketing tactic. This led to a split within indie rock: one side conforming to mainstream radio; the other becoming increasingly experimental. By this point, "indie rock" referred to the musical style rather than ties to the independent music scene. In the 2000s, indie rock reentered the mainstream through the garage rock and post-punk revival and the influence of the Strokes, the White Stripes and the Libertines. This success was exacerbated in the middle of the decade by Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys and the Killers, while indie rock further proliferated into the 2000s blog rock era and the British landfill indie movement, as well as the indie sleaze aesthetic.
Etymology and characteristics
[edit]Lately we've been hearing the tag "'90s indie rock" used to describe bands ranging from Waxahatchee to Speedy Ortiz to Yuck, and while our brain immediately turns a switch that associates the phrase with "sounds like Pavement", '90s indie rock was really as eclectic and undefinable as, well, contemporary indie rock.
The terms "independent record label" or "independent music" were originally used in the 1930s to 1950s for American artists associated with jazz, rhythm and blues and early rock and roll, who were predominantly Black musicians initially sidelined by major labels, therefore relied on independent distribution to release their work.[7]
By the early 1980s, the earliest known use of the term "indie rock" was made in an article of Billboard magazine, titled "Despite Hard Times, Indie Rock Labels Survive" on 15 January 1983 by writer Roman Kozak, in which he used a short-hand for the term "independent rock", to describe a growing trend of successful independent record labels in New York that primarily focused on the emerging alternative rock music scene.[8] Indie rock originally described a style of alternative rock that was associated with small and relatively low-budget independent labels a do-it-yourself attitude. Drawing influences from punk, psychedelia and post-punk.[9] Although record deals were later often struck with major corporate companies, "indie rock" became more closely associated with a specific style of rock music rather than its mode of distribution.[10][11]
Indie, in the beginning, was simply short for "independent" – the term was first applied to a bunch of British bands operating through independent record labels in the 1980s, most notably The Smiths. But indie-coded bands quickly became very, very popular. Defining indie as something commercially niche then made little sense, especially in the 2000s, when indie bands competed with rappers and pop stars for the top chart positions. So what are we left with? A songwriting sensibility that's a little weirder than down-the-line rock. Guitar work that often (but not always) tends towards the sharp and angular. A lot of blazers about too, but indie bands like to break rules.
AllMusic identifies indie rock as including a number of "varying musical approaches [not] compatible with mainstream tastes".[12] Linked by an ethos more than a musical approach, the indie rock movement encompassed a wide range of styles, from hard-edged, grunge-influenced bands, through do-it-yourself experimental bands like Pavement, to punk-folk singers such as Ani DiFranco.[13] In his book DIY Style: Fashion, Music and Global Digital Cultures, Brent Luvaas described the genre as rooted in nostalgia, citing the influence of garage rock and psychedelic rock of the 1960s in progenitors the Stone Roses and the Smiths, in addition to a lyrical preoccupation with literature.[14]
In this same vein, Matthew Bannister defined indie rock as "small groups of white men playing guitars, influenced by punks and 1960s white pop/rock, within a broader discourse and practice of (degrees of) independence from mainstream musical values."[15] According to anthropologist Wendy Fonarow, a key element of indie is the dichotomy between a "puritan ethos" and a "romantic one", with the former using austere ethics, and the latter being eccentric. This is best seen in the contrast between the indie music of United States and the United Kingdom in the 1990s, with British acts being flamboyant performers, while American acts used their lack of virtuosity as a mark of authenticity.[16]
Indie rock is noted for having a relatively high proportion of female artists compared with preceding rock genres, a tendency exemplified by the development of the feminist-informed riot grrrl music of acts like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, 7 Year Bitch, Team Dresch and Huggy Bear.[17] However, Cortney Harding pointed out that this sense of equality is not reflected in the number of women running indie labels.[18]
Influences
[edit]1960s–1970s
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The Velvet Underground and the Kinks have been cited as early musical influences on indie rock, with David Lowery of the band Cracker stating: "The Kinks were like the first indie rock band, in a weird way".[19] Furthermore, Pitchfork cited the Beach Boys,[20] as well as the Byrds as pivotal influences, noting that "without the Byrds, the entirety of college rock—and, from it, indie rock—wouldn't exist".[21] Other influences include Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd and Alex Chilton's[22] Big Star, with the Guardian noting that Barrett's "influence became built into the music we now know as indie rock",[23] and describing Big Star as the "ur-band" for "emotionally acute indie-rock".[24] Alongside, ex-Roxy Music member, Brian Eno's debut and sophomore albums.[25]
In New York's CBGB scene, Patti Smith[26] became the first punk artist to self-release a single with her 1974 cover of "Hey Joe", featuring "Piss Factory" as the B-side. This was later followed by Television's "Little Johnny Jewel" in October 1975, their melodic guitar interplay on Marquee Moon proved influential to the early indie scene.[27] Pere Ubu also self-released their debut single in December 1975.[28] Other influences included proto-punk artists the Stooges[29] and the Modern Lovers.[30]
Late 1970s
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During the advent of punk rock in the late 1970s, bands began to embrace and popularize a DIY ethic that encouraged anyone, regardless of skill or musical background,[31] to form a band. On June 4 and July 20, 1976, the Sex Pistols, performed at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, which inspired the formation of influential groups like the Smiths, Buzzcocks, the Fall and Joy Division as well as the launch of influential independent record labels such as Factory and Creation Records, as Tony Wilson and Alan McGee cited the performance as inspiring their interest in British alternative music.[32]
Furthermore, independent record labels became integral to the early years of punk rock musical distribution, as seen with Beserkley Records in the US, who put out the debut album of The Modern Lovers which was recorded years earlier. In the UK, indie label Stiff Records released the first UK punk single "New Rose" by the Damned. In Australia, Brisbane band the Saints had their first punk release outside the US, "(I'm) Stranded", on their own "Fatal Records" label. This was followed by the Go-Betweens releasing "Lee Remick" a few months later.[33]
By the late 1970s, the post-punk scene emerged in the UK, encapsulating bands that while retaining the DIY ethos of punk, began to push its boundaries. Artists such as the Cure, the Monochrome Set,[34] Felt, the Raincoats and Young Marble Giants who were mostly signed to independent labels like Rough Trade, Factory Records and Cherry Red, served as a foundational influence on indie rock and later alternative music. Additionally, art punk band Wire influenced later acts such as Guided by Voices and Hüsker Dü.[35][36] Likewise, the Soft Boys, became cult favorites in the US where bands like R.E.M. and the Replacements "memorized every lick".[37]
Scottish post-punk bands, Orange Juice, Josef K and later the Vaselines also proved to be influential.[38]
American groups like the Feelies,[39] Mission of Burma,[40] Talking Heads[41] and the Embarrassment[42]—the latter an influence on R.E.M.[43] were also important to the development of indie rock.
Background
[edit]Before punk rock and the independent music boom of the late 1970s to early 1980s, independent music already had a rich history of promoting developments in popular music, particularly in genres overlooked by major labels. Prior to the late 1970s, major record companies held so much power that independent labels struggled to establish themselves, as they often failed commercially or were eventually absorbed by major labels. However, this dynamic began to change in 1979 when Rough Trade released the album Inflammable Material by Stiff Little Fingers which went on to be the first independently-released album to sell over 100,000 copies and enter the UK Top 20. This success sparked major record companies' interest in independent music and by the end of the decade, the establishment of the UK indie charts signaled the growing popularity of the movement.[44] The BBC documentary "Do it Yourself: The Story of Rough Trade"[45] stated that:
"[...] when Rough Trade began in 1976 there were about a dozen independent labels in Britain, by the end of the decade there were over 800."
Other notable early indie labels include Mute, 4AD, Factory, Beggars Banquet and Creation Records.[31]
Early UK DIY movement
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The BBC documentary Music for Misfits: The Story of Indie remarks that the self-publication of the Spiral Scratch EP by Manchester punk rock band the Buzzcocks, on their independent record label New Hormones on 29 January 1977, was a pivotal moment in the development of indie rock, as well as the wider English independent music scene.[46][47] Writer Kevin Dunn's Global Punk highlights how the Buzzcocks' debut EP inspired a wave of independent DIY releases across the United Kingdom: "...the EP literally showed how one could make a record, with the details of the recording process (e.g., number of takes and over-dubs) and pressing costs printed right on the record cover."[48]
Similarly, the earliest releases by the Desperate Bicycles[1] showed listeners how to produce and distribute their own records independently at very low cost, with the sole objective of undermining the monopoly that major record labels held over the wider music industry. Both the Buzzcocks and Desperate Bicycles helped inspire a wave of DIY punk bands like 'O' Level, Television Personalities, Swell Maps, and others—who followed suit in producing and distributing their own records.[49][50] Distribution was further improved with the establishment of 'The Cartel', an association of companies like Red Rhino and Rough Trade Records who would take the releases from these small labels and get them into record shops nationwide.[51] Stephen Malkmus later cited the British DIY era as a foundational influence on Pavement.[52]
Dunedin sound
[edit]
The city of Dunedin, New Zealand, produced many of the bands that formed the cornerstone of the independent record label Flying Nun Records. These artists defined the Dunedin sound, which would be particularly influential on the development of indie rock's sound.[53][54][55] According to Audioculture, one of the earliest Dunedin Sound band was Chris Knox's band the Enemy, which emerged as a post-punk group, whose members also included Alec Bathgate. Although the group was only around for a short time, their shows impressed the teenage musicians that came to see them, including a young Shayne Carter, who went on to form Bored Games, the DoubleHappys and Straitjacket Fits. Knox later formed another short-lived punk band called Toy Love, and after it broke up, he went on to start the influential band Tall Dwarfs, who were an integral influence on the emergence of home-recorded lo-fi indie.[56] The punk-inspired aspects of the scene were often inspired by opposition to Robert Muldoon and his government, which prompted satire or outright criticism.[57] The scene saw bands take influence from punk rock, but strip away its aggression for a reverb heavy, pop–influenced sound. Marked by the Clean's 1981 debut single "Tally-Ho!" and 1982's Dunedin Double EP featuring the Chills, Sneaky Feelings, the Verlaines and the Stones, its guitars were often jangly and droning and vocals indistinct.[58] The following years, the Dunedin sound spread to other New Zealand cities such as Christchurch or Auckland.[59][55][60][54]
History
[edit]Origins
[edit]
The early to mid–1980s saw the growing popularity of college radio stations, primarily in the United States, who would play independent artists of various genres, including alternative rock, new wave, post-hardcore and post-punk. The bands broadcast on these stations became dubbed "college rock" by fans, another term which lacked any stylistic implication. The most prominent college rock bands were jangle pop groups R.E.M., from the US, and the Smiths, from the UK, who Matthew Bannister states were the earliest indie rock groups.[61] These bands' influence was quickly seen in the formation of Let's Active, the Housemartins and the La's.[62] By this time, the term "indie rock" had begun to be used to describe the bands who produced music on independent record labels, rather than simply the record labels themselves. This made it the only genre at the time which was defined by the methods by which the music was distributed rather than the sound of said music.[9]
Journalist Steve Taylor also cited the bands involved in the Paisley Underground scene as early indie groups.[63] In the following years the Jesus and Mary Chain and Flying Nun Records bands like the Jean-Paul Sartre Experience morphed the genre into a slower, darker and more hypnotic style.[61] The number of college radio stations in the US decreased significantly following NPR's lobbying against noncommercial station during the 1980s. In turn, the name "college rock" fell into disfavour, soon being replaced by "indie".[64]
Development
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In the United Kingdom, NME released the C86 compilation cassette, which consisted of tracks by groups including Primal Scream, the Pastels and the Wedding Present. Intended to showcase the UK's current independent music scene, the album was made up of groups combining elements of jangle pop, post-punk and Phil Spector indebted Walls of Sound. In 2006, Bob Stanley called it "the beginning of indie music".[65] C86 became a descriptor in its own right, describing not only the bands on the tape but also bands who it influenced, often used alongside terms like "anorak pop" and "shambling".[66] Some C86 bands found significant commercial success: the Soup Dragons went on to sell out Madison Square Garden; Primal Scream were critically acclaimed, receiving the first ever Mercury Prize in 1992; the Wedding Present charted eighteen times in the Top 40; however many bands in its twenty-two track runtime also fell into obscurity.[67]
In the United States, the popularity of R.E.M. allowed those disliking of hardcore punk's aggression and militancy to become a part of the underground music scene. This empowered an array of musicians, particularly those in what would become the post-hardcore scene as led by the Minutemen[68] who in the hardcore scene were often met with hostility, with Pitchfork[69] citing "the first time they opened for Black Flag, the Minutemen were showered with spit from the crowd", further stating that "they just weren't that hardcore". Despite this, they've been credited with providing "the life blood of indie rock for decades".[68][70][71] Similarly, Wipers, who with their melodic riffs and emphasis on guitar leads and solos, also stood out in the hardcore scene, influencing emerging indie artists such as J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, helping re-introduce guitar virtuosity back into alternative music.[72][73]
Furthermore, major labels began to pursue underground bands, with both Hüsker Dü and the Replacements releasing albums on majors in the middle of the decade. While these albums did not see the same success as R.E.M., and major labels soon lost interest in the scene, they did have a large impact on younger bands. Some groups like Camper Van Beethoven,[74] the Dead Milkmen[75] and Violent Femmes[76] infused the scene with sardonic humor and irony. In the following years, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Unrest began to release music on independent labels indebted to these bands, and soon too picked up the categorisation of indie rock.[77] As the 1980s closed, both Sonic Youth and the Pixies signed to major labels.[78]
In the late 1980s, the indie rock subgenre shoegaze emerged, as a continuation of the wall of sound production being used by groups like the Jesus and Mary Chain. The genre merged this with influences from Dinosaur Jr. and the Cocteau Twins, to create a dark and droning style so cacophonous that instruments were often indistinguishable. The genre was pioneered by My Bloody Valentine on their early EPs and debut album Isn't Anything.[79] The band's style influenced a wave of bands in London and the Thames Valley area including Chapterhouse, Moose and Lush. This scene was collectively termed "the Scene That Celebrates Itself" by Melody Maker's Steve Sutherland in 1990.[80]
Madchester was another style and scene that originated in the late 1980s. Defined by its merger of C86 indie rock, dance music and Hedonist rave culture, particularly its emphasis on the use of psychedelic drugs, the scene was centred in Manchester.[81][82] The scene was based around the Haçienda nightclub, which opened in May 1982 as an initiative of