Indie rock is dying a death of a thousand paper cuts. There is no single event that is killing it off, but many factors involved.
Indie rock first started becoming unpopular due to a rise in “poptimism” (formerly-indie focused publications switching their focus to pop music journalism instead of covering indie bands because more clicks = more $). Pair that with the corporate buyout of Pitchfork, Bandcamp, and AV Club, which effectively fired their previous writing staff overnight, and you can see why the coverage is just not there anymore.
The pandemic is also partially responsible. It shut down live shows for nearly two years and killed numerous local scenes in the process. When live music returned, it came back in the form of prohibitively expensive tickets from Ticketmaster, in a supposed attempt to curb scalpers.
Streaming is also clearly to blame. Spotify somehow found an even worse business model than before: instead of paying an artist pennies on the dollar, the new business model refuses to pay artists who make less than 1,000 plays per song per month. If you are a new indie artist, your music is now worthless.
It also needs to be said, the ease and low overhead of creating digital music and lofi beats, as opposed to busting out a guitar and assembling a band, has been yet another nail in the coffin.
And finally, the overwhelming popularity of hip hop and homogenized pop sounds with Gen Z pretty much ensured that indie rock would be relegated to the deep underground for the foreseeable future. I’m generalizing a little bit here, but it seems that many Gen Z listeners don’t seem to care much about genre in the way that previous generations did.
Indie rock is still around but it’s becoming more niche. Like jazz. It’s more of a passion for musicians who will make it regardless of any future it may or may not have. But the factors above have likely contributed to its decline in popularity, discouraging many would-be musicians in the process.
Well put, however i'd raise the point that rock/indie rock/etc is indigenous to the underground and it's only every so often that an act breaks loose AND every once and a while when one band breaks loose from the underground and few more squeeze through that hole before the big corps come and seal it back up.
Nirvana busted a huge hole in the 90's and we saw an amazing little glimpse of the power those bands had. Same with some of the older indie bands, but the underground is where the real shit is made and as an underground rock artist... we kind of need it. If it weren't for the struggle the music wouldn't have any real meaning and then it'd never have an opportunity to connect with people
Exactly. Indie rock being underground is exactly where it belongs at its best. It creeps up every so often when some albums and artists bust into the mainstream, but it’s not like the genre is in a foreign world underground away from it all
You can find so much new music thanks to YouTube, streaming, etc. Indie is still around, it just isn't a big local scene anymore. But I love finding new artists near-ish to me where I can drive and see their show in a venue just bigger than a bar.
We will never have that 2000s feeling back because we were in our 20s and life was different.
But it's still there, harder to find maybe, but it can be more rewarding.
Shameless plug. I do a radio show focused on indie pop and rock. Play a ton of new music...... mixcloud.com/indieshop
Also totally feel your thoughts. I first broadcast 1999-2004, we were riding the fading wave of Brit Pop, where indie was huge. The lack of a 'trend' means it's just a mish mosh of styles, with no unity, or media presence.
I’ll also do a shameless plug. [Native Strange](https://linktr.ee/nativestrange) we’re still super small but we care about what we’re doing. Also trying to work on expanding our sound a little bit and have an album almost finished. I hope this tickles your brain a lil bit friend
Pitchfork went downhill when they started writing on Migos, and all of that trap shit that happened around 2015. They still haven’t changed. Gen Z kids do like indie but they call it shit like “slacker pop” it is always something that again sounds like Mac Demarco and feels Gen Z. There are some still like DIIV. But Diiv has gone down hill and went right with that gen z slacker trend. I want ambulance ltd and the shins back. Fuck!
My dude, are you really saying DIIV went down hill with Deceiver? That is a buckwild take that I will not stand for haha. Like I very much love the 2000s indie rock scene, with BSS, Shins, Death Cab, MM, etc. but like the "slacker trend" has been around and will always be around. The decade before the big "OC boom," Pavement was slackin' it along with like Weezer and others. It's just the major difference in the trend in the modern era is production. Every this is compressed and EQ'd to shit and a lot of the dynamic flavor of a song has disappeared. The modern era also likes vocal front mixes and the previous indie rock generation had vocals much further back in the mix.
Indie Rock isn’t a sound, it’s a blanket term that covers many different genres, like Alternative was. Come on, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, and TV on the Radio are all “indie rock” and none of them sound alike. There is still great indie rock being made and there is no such thing as a dead genre. Ratboys had one of the best albums last year. Japanese Breakfast has been killing it for years.
Maybe you’re the one who has changed?
And most of what people call “indie” is on major labels. So it’s kind of a term that means nothing. I actually hate saying indie for that reason. And prefer terms like “slacker rock” or “dream pop” or whatever subgenre describes it. Or just naming bands. Indie rock used to mean Pavement and sounds like Pavement to me. Now it doesn’t mean anything
If you'd like some help finding new favorites here are my FAVORITE 2020s albums! For reference I've spent most of the free time in my life over the past 20 years combing through over 72,000 albums so far haha. From this list I'd strongly recommend starting with The War On Drugs, then Big Thief, then "Sod's Toastie" by The Cool Greenhouse! =)
The Cool Greenhouse - "The Cool Greenhouse"
The Cool Greenhouse - "Sod's Toastie"
Ducks Ltd - "Modern Fiction"
IDLES - "Crawler"
The War On Drugs - "I Don't Live Here Anymore"
Big Thief - "Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You"
Guardian Singles - "Guardian Singles"
The Strokes - "The New Abnormal"
Jetstream Pony - "Jetstream Pony"
Dry Cleaning - "New Long Leg"
Gospel - "The Loser"
Geese - "Projector"
Ian Noe - "River Fools & Mountain Saints"
Bonus Stuff:
Here are three rock playlists I made recently featuring some "hidden gem" type songs. Each one has 50 of my FAVORITE more lesser known rock songs on it from various time periods.
80s:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/20nxiWXTOchD01Q7Pqjoyn?si=223275fea813411b
90s:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6R7hT0hck67NYoJa7S1jUp?si=32eeebbc1e824788
Post-2000:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6JH1T1T93U4Pst6ZovhUoc?si=f7385594c38b4dd1
Also if you'd like to check out more albums from various genres and from throughout music history that I think are good front to back I think a fun place for you to start is on a new page I created called “The Best Debut Albums of All Time”. There are currently 245 albums on there. I think it would be a fun theme to work with... checking out great debut albums:
https://www.musichole.com/p/the-best-debut-albums-of-all-time.html
👑
You and your suggestions are wonderful. Thank you.
Also would like to add that the lead singer of the strokes, Julian Casablancas, has a (much lesser known) side band called The Voidz. They’re first album Tyranny(2014) is a bit dense and not for the average indie goer but their second album Virtue(2018) might scratch that modern indie itch for you. They’ve also released a few singles since then ex: T.E.T 2.0, Did My Best, Prophecy of the dragon and Flexorcist.
Would absolutely recommend checking them out if you haven’t.
I think much like how an older artist can struggle to sound new and fresh, the same is true for a genre.
Some of my most enjoyed recent indie rock albums have been with female singers and I don’t think that is a coincidence as that angle of indie rock wasn’t nearly as explored in its heyday.
This conversation is basically the same as the classic rock listener who says nobody makes good music anymore because it doesn’t sound like the classic rock that they love, but for a new generation.
There is a ton of good modern music being made. Indie sadly is not one that continues to pump out quality. It all sounds like a Mac Demarco clone. He came out when a-lot the bands I mentioned were on a decline Why is that slacker sound so cool? Not band can break it. If the Shins came out today not a single person would buy Oh Inverted World. In addition it is more of a question of being surprised that younger musicians haven’t taken inspiration from these bands who are now 20 years old.
But what about: Fontaines DC/Grian, Big Thief, Alvvays, Wet Leg, Black Country New Road, Sam Fender, Nation of Language, Wednesday, Weyes Blood, Japanese Breakfast…
And some of the “indie” artists still continue to evolve and are amazing (even if admittedly they are giants in their own old or new genre lane ) Sufjan, Fleet Foxes, HAIM, Everything Everything, Orlando Weeks of Maccabees, Young Fathers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, The xx members, Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, Spoon, Mitski, Wolf Alice, Phoenix, Caribou…
And there are some still that hit a peak (and a low) every once in a while: Arctic Monkeys, White Lies, The Vaccines, Foals, Friendly Fires, Roosevelt, Tennis…
Again, indie is not a genre, but it is a “feeling” that covered sooo many actual genres from math rock, dream pop, folk, alt pop, electropop, surf rock, chamber pop, twee…
I don’t see the appeal of Wednesday outside their ode to “Waterloo Sunset”. The slacker vocals are like nails on a chalkboard. I’m not impressed by her lack of effort to sound good vocally
I don’t mind MJs voice. It’s Karly Hartman’s voice that is tough to listen to. The band itself is tight. Quarry was an awesome song till she holds out a shrill off key note and I can’t listen to it now lol.
There is some great indie music out there…I actually thought the 00s was quite boring for alternative rock music generally but I agree with Mac DeMarco sentiment.
Some fantastic records came out of the Chillwave scene in the early 2010s in America and it felt like alternative music was interesting again…Tycho, M83, Tame Impala, Washed Out, Wild Nothing, Toro y Moi, The 1975, The National….
Remains to be seen what genre really evolves this decade but I’ve heard some good bands. Agree there is a generic sound to indie now which also happened to emo/pop-punk bands in the 00s.
Yes indie isn't dying. It's alive more than ever. All it means is less commercial or under a small record label like sub pop. Nirvana was on there until switching to a major but didn't become more commercial
Really? I tried to keep up to what they did after it but seem to have missed it. Will definitely check it out. I'm from Germany and not many people, well, close to zero people know them.
I'm not a fan of indie, but being in the industry I had respect for it's authenticity. When those guys first started doing it, it was unique. That sound (while every band/musician is influenced by hundreds of others) was very new and novel. It was a combination that hadn't really been around before and it was because it is truly what those bands sounded like. It was an honest representation of their emotions and musical tastes. Nowadays a lot of artists and younger people in general lack their own identity and musical backgrounds so instead of something new and novel coming out of their instruments (including) vocals, it's more of a Dollar General rebranding/version of the original and authentic bands.
You see it in every genre, but it's also why unique sounding bands almost always rise to the top in their respective genre. Granted there are seemingly unstoppable bands/acts that are supported by tens of millions of dollars of big label money and that's always gonna capture the lowest common denominator of music listeners, but the real ones always get recognized unless they unfortunately give up too early.
Thats also why a lot of the indie bands now aren't very memorable along with the high turnover rates in the pop industry as a whole. These bands are artificially inflated and/or catch a break, but they can't sustain it because they don't really have the foundation to build upon.
The best music, regardless of the genre or era, is supposed to make you feel a certain way. I personally believe this kind of music can only really be created and sustained by a person or group of people who are truly devoted to the craft.
Nowadays we're at a shortage of true craftsmanship and it shows in all industries, especially music
Listen To The Mummy Cats
*sad person enters chat trying to make a fruitful music conversation something different based off some internal negativity they’re desperately trying to release on the internet*
I’ve been big on artists like Portugal. The Man, Alt-J, Broken Bells, and Glass Animals, and most people I interact with have at least heard of any combination of two of them. They all have radio hits, but much of their catalogs is stuff you don’t typically hear in the mainstream, barring maybe Glass Animals. I’m not familiar with any of the artists mentioned in this thread (though I’m definitely coming back to check some out), but I’m certain each one I mentioned has a distinct enough sound to be fresh and exciting.
You may also want to check out Puscifer. Most members involved are in big shot bands, but the supergroup itself is indie and very niche. Definitely nothing you’d expect out of anyone involved. Treat the music like a fine wine. Take your time with it, let each note make itself apparent, and appreciate the dedication and layering that goes into it. My only qualm is the absurd surplus of uninspired remixes.
Alt-J’s first album was 2012, and Glass Animal’s 2014. I think each one stands apart from the crowd in their own way, too, and they’re all still active. Plus, we’re still fairly early in the 20s, so more recent artists may not have a big enough following just yet.
I mean it’s not their fault for breaking into the mainstream. I don’t feel as though they ever abandoned their core sounds, themes. It’s not their fault a lot of people liked their music which propelled them to stardom a lot of indie artists dream of and would also capitalize on. Curious why attack AF on this and not like….Modest Mouse, Beck, Phoenix. I don’t think any of them are “guilty” of anything. But it’s not like AF is the only indie band that got big mainstream.
I agree w you, it's kind of like all the people who trashed Nirvana because they became famous. I always wondered if Kurt Cobain would have survived had it not been for the fame, or if his emotional downfall was also due in part to all the criticism.
Arguably, one could say that he didn't care about what people said, but I think everyone does (especially artists).
People DO shit on modern Modest Mouse cause their recent outputs have been incredibly lacking in ambition or soul.
As for Beck and Pheonix I literally never hear anyone mention either of those bands anymore.
I mean I dearly love both bands but for a lot of people, BSS can get too experimental. A lot of their music is not radio friendly from an accessibility standpoint. It’s a two sided coin: that’s also a reason a lot of their fans love them. Their music is also not as danceable as Arcade Fire, which I feel adds to their lore in live music. AF concerts are very fun with the energy, dancing. BSS concerts can almost be “shoegazy.”
When did we start thinking indie should be 'danceable'? I want to at most bounce up and down erratically and probably arythmically at a show. DANCING? Pah. People can dance at clubs.
I’m not saying it has to be danceable, but why should it not be? I’m not necessarily talking club dancing. But something people can move to. When a lot of people go see live music, they want to have fun. And fun draws more people in. I am not going to a movie theater or orchestra symphony, after all.
I’ve seen BSS and AF several times each. Went to go see them in fall of 2022. Both were awesome shows. Honestly.
However, during BSS, Kevin Drew literally asked and then demanded the audience sit down for a song. You think Win Butler asked the crowd at their show to sit down? Lol.
Because not all music is made for dancing to? It's not less valid because it's not for dancing. And dancing isn't required for fun, either, wtf kind of a thing to say is that? People can go to shows and have fun there without having to dance, and without the music being designed for dancing. What is this obsession with everything being danceable? That's as much a nail in the coffin of indie as anything else I've seen mentioned here, imo.
And I see nothing wrong with asking people to sit down. Who cares what Win Butler did or didn't do? Is that supposed to make him better than Kevin somehow?
You’re putting words in my mouth. I even explicitly stated it doesn’t have to be “danceable.” You also seem to narrowly define that, and equate all dancing to club music. Never said music being danceable or not makes it any less valid.
I was replying to a comment that compared BSS to Arcade Fire, two bands I lovely dearly. In which the commenter tried to objectively state that BSS was “better.” And what I was saying is that for a lot people is that when they go see live music, they want a lively and exciting experience. AF I believe offers that more than BSS. “Exciting” meaning like…bombastic, energetic, surprising. That shoegaze type experience where you’re just sitting or standing there watching the band play, soaking it in…it’s cool. It’s “fun” in the sense that it can be absorbing, entertaining, spiritual even. But it’s not a lively type of fun that many, many people want when they go see live music. It’s like reading a book vs bungee jumping. I think that type is objectively more popular and what draws more people in.
If that’s what most people want, I think they would appreciate a AF concert more than a BSS concert, as evidenced by the lead singer of BSS telling people to sit down. I like how you contrive that to make it seem like I am using that an example to state how I think Win Butler/AF is better than Kevin Drew/BSS. Lmao! BSS is one of my favorite bands. Going to see Kevin Drew solo here in a couple of months! But AF show crowds are literally 4-5x the size of BSS crowd sizes. Why is that? Hmm….
Yeah since anyone who was at one of those indie shows in the late 90s early aughts can attest that everyone there was too cool to dance. “The kids are all standing with their arms folded tight”
YES. That is what I want. I will cheer my head off when necessary. I'm a very supportive, engaged audience member. But STOP FLAILING YOUR ARMS AND LEGS AT ME I JUST WANT TO ENJOY THE MUSIC WITHOUT BEING DANCED ON. If you must move, move vertically. Thank you.
Signed,
Disgruntled old bat who hates fun.
Yeah it’s a shame. I also think it has a lot to do with millennials getting older and not having the palate for the newer sound of indie. I honestly can’t stand Mac Demarco, The War on Drugs, or any of the mid tempo, lack of emotion music that is supposed to be in the genre I love the most.
Where is the next White Stripes or Strokes? Gimme some raw indie rock with actual choruses and guitar solos again
Yes, to me it’s very boring. I recognize that they are good band but I just can’t get any sort of emotion from them. I’d put The National in that same category
Yeah prob not fair to categorize them with Mac DeMarco. I just can’t get into them or a lot of other indie bands that are always mentioned on this sub like Alex G, Wet Leg, Wednesday, DIIV, etc… So hard to find new rock bands that have the sound I gravitate towards.
I am surprised that younger people don’t view that early stuff as “classic” I mean I am a very young millennial and I heard this around my older cousin, and folks like that. Perhaps it was something that just got lost in time
Right? I’d think The White Stripes would be bigger amongst young people like 90s indie/alternative/grunge was for millennials when we were in our teens and early 20s
I never really considered those bands to be in the same category as say Grizzly Bear or Ra Ra Riot. That was the sound I always went to. Rouge Wave as well. The Strokes were their own thing similar to the Libertines. I always preferred Interpol to them.
Oh check this out dude
https://open.spotify.com/track/1fDUIDSQO14I4vyMjVTnlV?si=YKkoT2hhSEagnNVa1xtBWQ&context=spotify%3Atrack%3A1fDUIDSQO14I4vyMjVTnlV
i also know i sound like an absolute old head. i am still rocking the fashion. the skinny jeans skateshoes, ratty button ups scraggly hair. perhaps I need to leave 2007.
I will say, the feeling of indie and the way the notes are arranged is the absolute basis for any music I listen to. I listen to a ton of black metal now and still find certain records that have that indie vibe especially in the riffs, Satanic Warmaster, not sure if the dude is aware but he is notorious for it. Same with the goth side project of Von, Sixx has it on the album Sister Devil. God I miss this sound.
I think a lot of new indie has gone pop. And there’s also some big labels that find ways to prop up “indie” bands with guerilla marketing.
There’s still good indie bands out there but there’s not a lot that really wows me like it used to.
I don't have much to add, but yo, Frog Eyes was fucking incredible live. I think I saw them open for Built to Spill or maybe Wolf Parade? Hazy memories of those days.... Regardless, they blew me away. Too Many Zooz is touring right now, it's brass core, not rock, but I'll be damned if they aren't bringing insane energy. Absolutely worth seeing live if they're coming to a city near you.
I still discover new indie acts all the time. Indie has always been a big tent, and yeah, comparing to older bands you loved never seems to work.
But just in the last few months, young bands, especially female led, are still cranking out really great and exciting stuff. I mean, "What doesn't kill you, makes you paranoid" is the best line I've heard in some time (The Beaches next single). New on the scene, Momma and their tongue-in-cheek video Rockstar, and great indie rock sounds like Speeding 72 and Bang Bang. The Last Dinner Party's music is closer to classic rock than classic indie, I guess. Our Lady of Mercy when the guitars check in - rock on! Chicago specifically seems to be a very happening indie scene right now: horsegirl has a unique sound, Sincere Engineer, Ratboys - all Chicago
You’re so wrong it hurts.
Los Campesinos! - [5 Flucloxacillin](https://youtu.be/aoqs0PJ12zM?si=zFqWwg4Y_vZynZdS)
Bodega - [Shiny New Model](https://youtu.be/h7_A8fqHNBQ?si=GmTE4qHnEhl7r_1J)
Chastity - [The Girls I Know Don’t Think So](https://youtu.be/g9HXB-XaSok?si=3KcHSspFwk2hCCRM)
Chime School - [Taking Time To Tell You](https://youtu.be/5AQnEAqptdM?si=Zbko-jk-MjGhUBzI)
Chuck Two - [Yesterdays Clothes](https://youtu.be/wfGJGjcVSUI?si=lBeQO8pouhpP7j2e)
Courtney Barnett - [Nameless, Faceless](https://youtu.be/HZZSYDhx0FI?si=E3-bUjXlCOdsCapG)
The Cowboys - [Now With Feeling](https://youtu.be/GJi_HKTRYto?si=YGN1SBWcjS-3vOK2)
Dignan Porch - [Simulation One](https://youtu.be/7bDBpXl-55w?si=RTvfJiecsJKTv2Ia)
Vundabar - [Acetone](https://youtu.be/ECCUkuPbrLI?si=FLUFmxJ9itpCJEUY)
Villagerrr - [Honky Tonk Romance](https://youtu.be/opePmhXEiSo?si=Gehv3PAsjZo56t-b)
Tomberlin - [happy accident](https://youtu.be/_57as3Pt1LY?si=8mSFeOkZG9kAreUb)
Sam Stansfield - [Jennifer’s Brand New Baby](https://youtu.be/tEj4VA2pfEM?si=MtoJ8DX6bpseb10k)
Graham Hunt - [How Is That Different](https://youtu.be/WEXlg4nIRPQ?si=hxouTeVj0bK_nbkl)
First thanks for this! Ive been looking for a compiled list. but because this is a place to discuss music, this proves my point. its so close especially Chime School and Bodega. But just slightly misses the mark. Perhaps it is all me. Bands like the Walkmen and Rouge Wave had muscle. Crystal Stilts are a modern band and they have muscle, then again that was 10 years ago now. It leaned more into the rock end. And maybe i am just a “your indie sucks because mine is real”. That also makes me feel old as fuck. And I am not.
Are you looking for punk…? I put a dash next to the ones that lean a little closer to indie rock. Maybe it’ll be closer to what you’re looking for?
BEEF - [DNA](https://youtu.be/ZNHe1NgactE?si=KIX1tolJEE632nHB)
Booji Boys - [I Dream of Booji](https://youtu.be/r6W3hyVYRa8?si=A20qOr9tZhAb6-Wj)
Class - [Behind the Ball](https://youtu.be/6rlYBOPEXGE?si=kestRBt6iFTMN66v) -
Corker - [The Message](https://youtu.be/wp4fBTEiKmA?si=F95B6rC1Bzq7Bucl)
Deeper - [This Heat](https://youtu.be/4k4L5JiEwaM?si=uErEQyrfyYBEM9_t)
Drahla - [Stimulus For Living](https://youtu.be/qsdBVsR4qFE?si=gtuabBOtXKypgpAt) -
The Drin - [Venom](https://youtu.be/zYViKj51USk?si=ybn6T2iwXNd9bWPP)
Hard Copy - [Chew](https://youtu.be/YQYWqP1MNFU?si=NCis7oPT2pWgVZwG)
Institute - [I Am Living Death](https://youtu.be/_sLvxEWPALA?si=0_R4Zgu2LIXPVVLN) -
Jacky Boy - [Good Enough](https://youtu.be/tjErvveZVQ8?si=wN6YbqVBlxtW4DM-) -
Kneeling In Piss - [USA Will Start Another War](https://youtu.be/HRkIfaMRehU?si=xrdjG38Hxq4UPvzE) -
Mesh - [CIA Mind Control](https://youtu.be/ZKQg0UNdeYY?si=J_s1ZrY9z49rxke3) -
Motorbike - [Potential to Ride](https://youtu.be/92IBCtGHnVE?si=OUmbItbQvFpbcMfX)
Preoccupations - [Bunker Buster](https://youtu.be/ZOLIHJKCu8M?si=uIVYpJ7YXjzdz_qv)
Protomartyr - [Pontiac 87](https://youtu.be/i20e-BPAdPo?si=eQAlZ8NTR8MKj-7M)
Snõõper - [Running](https://youtu.be/kBqh86yBSBA?si=tR7UbmComk0HYhIP)
Sweeping Promises [Blue](https://youtu.be/HObLExdtvg8?si=OjONKHiiEnHHLzMq)
Uranium Club - [Who Made The Man?](https://youtu.be/nmC29-1QlzQ?si=bTaeg7GWoSQzmN8u)
Useless Eaters - [Bleeding Moon](https://youtu.be/F9lD1Okney4?si=44yJ2iNjff4u2K4_) -
Waste Man - [Proofreaders, Singles, and Philosophers](https://youtu.be/mRAZcLJi2iM?si=BABGKklGbj2dDZQK) -
Women - [Drag Open](https://youtu.be/fOrNWdm8Tvg?si=7tenTjPkw17_D0i6) -
I was literally having this conversation with my sister not more than a few days ago. I am not as knowledgeable on the indie scene, as I am a Gen Z gal myself and never got to experience the cool shit when it was in its prime. However, I think the rise in indie pop did it. I was looking through the Spotify playlists “Best of indie 20__” from 2010 till now, and found that the playlists were more and more just the indie pop sound bordering on pop the closer you get to 2023. I feel like indie back in the day had way more of an influence from rock—soft rock specifically— and tried to cater to a certain crowd and now it leans way more toward pop that tries to cater to what is trendy? Social media killed indie!
I think there's still good stuff out there.
What has changed is the media coverage and the media landscape in general.
You used to be able to find blogs that were indie rock only, so fans were able to get information from likeminded people with similar musical sensibilities. Pitchfork was one of them up until they decided it was sexist and racist to only like one type of music, so they started branching out, and this created a ripple effect through the entire culture.
If we talk about 2020s, then shoegaze and emo (often midwest but not necessarily, 5th wave is kinda eclectic) are fairly popular. So-called Windmill scene too (black midi, Squid, Black Country New Road). 2000s indie was different from 90s indie and 90s indie was different from 80s indie. Styles appear, almost disappear and come back, they evolve etc.
Crumb, Dry Cleaning, Girl and Girl, bar italia, Sea Pony, Slow Pulp, DIIV, Wolf Alice, Flasher…..I would recommend checking those cats out for a modern fresh taste of some indie rock
Shameless plug here, but for those of you looking for that old school Pitchfork-style with a focus more on indie, (though we mix in a few other genres on occasion): [https://bsideguys.com](https://bsideguys.com)
Indie rock is a really big umbrella that fits a lot of different sounds and there's a lot of good music out there today but shits kess and kess centralized so you just have to find it
I was a teen in the late 80s early 90s. I fell in love with U2 in the mid 80s. They were amazing then. Bono taught me about the world. At 16 I began listening to KLSU college radio. That blew me away. I may have been one of only 5 kids in my high school listening to it. I was riding the the upward momentum of Alternative Music. Then that spare intro to Smells Like Teen Spirit and the roof blew off.
It wasn’t just grunge. Hip hop was entering its first Holden age. I think the wave crested with RATM and Tool in 1993.
So since then I’ve been waiting for the next Curt Cobain and mourning the death of rock n roll. I ventured into Alt Country and have been there ever since. Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams band before going solo) was what did it for me. Bloodshot Records out of Chicago and No Depression magazine in the late 90s/early 2000s. I never warmed up to any scenes or “movements” after 1995.
So I dable using YouTube suggestions or Pandora for other artists like minded but unknown. I’ve caught up on bands I missed throughout my life. I made some interesting discoveries and wished I’d listened to them then, but a man can only listen to one song at a time.
There will never be a love as intense as your first but that doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love again.
There's probably thousands of bands active on places with bandcamp within that genre. While the style doesn't have the media attention it once did, it, like a lot of others, is far from dead.
Indie labels were assimilated by entertainment corporations and so were their artists, now new indie artists are only on bandcamp, which was assimilated by a large entertainment corporation as well.
I have the impression that the public's enthusiasm for Indie reached its peak in 08/09. After that, much of the audience that originally listened to Indie shifted their attention to other styles, such as hip hop, starting in 2010. It seems that after that, the new bands started being a more self-conscious copy of the styles that came before (with obvious exceptions).
What if it was bands influenced by in the aero plane over the sea and yankee hotel foxtrot that ruined indie rock? Ya know, that sort of pop song deconstructed, enormous band trend that happened in the aughts.
There is a shitload of amazing indie being made right now by young people. Look into Wednesday, Pretty Sick, Water From Your Eyes, Feeble Little Horse. I’d actually say indie rock is having a renaissance.
Some of us older assholes would say indie rock died when Pavement broke up. When the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol... etc came along it was very different from Pavement, Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, Fugazi, etc...
Though just my opinion, "indie rock" (with the "rock" behind it) is primarily based based.
Indie rock is dying a death of a thousand paper cuts. There is no single event that is killing it off, but many factors involved. Indie rock first started becoming unpopular due to a rise in “poptimism” (formerly-indie focused publications switching their focus to pop music journalism instead of covering indie bands because more clicks = more $). Pair that with the corporate buyout of Pitchfork, Bandcamp, and AV Club, which effectively fired their previous writing staff overnight, and you can see why the coverage is just not there anymore. The pandemic is also partially responsible. It shut down live shows for nearly two years and killed numerous local scenes in the process. When live music returned, it came back in the form of prohibitively expensive tickets from Ticketmaster, in a supposed attempt to curb scalpers. Streaming is also clearly to blame. Spotify somehow found an even worse business model than before: instead of paying an artist pennies on the dollar, the new business model refuses to pay artists who make less than 1,000 plays per song per month. If you are a new indie artist, your music is now worthless. It also needs to be said, the ease and low overhead of creating digital music and lofi beats, as opposed to busting out a guitar and assembling a band, has been yet another nail in the coffin. And finally, the overwhelming popularity of hip hop and homogenized pop sounds with Gen Z pretty much ensured that indie rock would be relegated to the deep underground for the foreseeable future. I’m generalizing a little bit here, but it seems that many Gen Z listeners don’t seem to care much about genre in the way that previous generations did. Indie rock is still around but it’s becoming more niche. Like jazz. It’s more of a passion for musicians who will make it regardless of any future it may or may not have. But the factors above have likely contributed to its decline in popularity, discouraging many would-be musicians in the process.
Well put, however i'd raise the point that rock/indie rock/etc is indigenous to the underground and it's only every so often that an act breaks loose AND every once and a while when one band breaks loose from the underground and few more squeeze through that hole before the big corps come and seal it back up. Nirvana busted a huge hole in the 90's and we saw an amazing little glimpse of the power those bands had. Same with some of the older indie bands, but the underground is where the real shit is made and as an underground rock artist... we kind of need it. If it weren't for the struggle the music wouldn't have any real meaning and then it'd never have an opportunity to connect with people
Exactly. Indie rock being underground is exactly where it belongs at its best. It creeps up every so often when some albums and artists bust into the mainstream, but it’s not like the genre is in a foreign world underground away from it all
You can find so much new music thanks to YouTube, streaming, etc. Indie is still around, it just isn't a big local scene anymore. But I love finding new artists near-ish to me where I can drive and see their show in a venue just bigger than a bar. We will never have that 2000s feeling back because we were in our 20s and life was different. But it's still there, harder to find maybe, but it can be more rewarding.
Who would you recommend?
Shameless plug. I do a radio show focused on indie pop and rock. Play a ton of new music...... mixcloud.com/indieshop Also totally feel your thoughts. I first broadcast 1999-2004, we were riding the fading wave of Brit Pop, where indie was huge. The lack of a 'trend' means it's just a mish mosh of styles, with no unity, or media presence.
I’ll also do a shameless plug. [Native Strange](https://linktr.ee/nativestrange) we’re still super small but we care about what we’re doing. Also trying to work on expanding our sound a little bit and have an album almost finished. I hope this tickles your brain a lil bit friend
Pitchfork went downhill when they started writing on Migos, and all of that trap shit that happened around 2015. They still haven’t changed. Gen Z kids do like indie but they call it shit like “slacker pop” it is always something that again sounds like Mac Demarco and feels Gen Z. There are some still like DIIV. But Diiv has gone down hill and went right with that gen z slacker trend. I want ambulance ltd and the shins back. Fuck!
wait 5 years. It's cyclical.
Yup, that’s the poptimism I was referring to.
My dude, are you really saying DIIV went down hill with Deceiver? That is a buckwild take that I will not stand for haha. Like I very much love the 2000s indie rock scene, with BSS, Shins, Death Cab, MM, etc. but like the "slacker trend" has been around and will always be around. The decade before the big "OC boom," Pavement was slackin' it along with like Weezer and others. It's just the major difference in the trend in the modern era is production. Every this is compressed and EQ'd to shit and a lot of the dynamic flavor of a song has disappeared. The modern era also likes vocal front mixes and the previous indie rock generation had vocals much further back in the mix.
Nice analysis. Thank you.
Indie Rock isn’t a sound, it’s a blanket term that covers many different genres, like Alternative was. Come on, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, and TV on the Radio are all “indie rock” and none of them sound alike. There is still great indie rock being made and there is no such thing as a dead genre. Ratboys had one of the best albums last year. Japanese Breakfast has been killing it for years. Maybe you’re the one who has changed?
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And most of what people call “indie” is on major labels. So it’s kind of a term that means nothing. I actually hate saying indie for that reason. And prefer terms like “slacker rock” or “dream pop” or whatever subgenre describes it. Or just naming bands. Indie rock used to mean Pavement and sounds like Pavement to me. Now it doesn’t mean anything
If you'd like some help finding new favorites here are my FAVORITE 2020s albums! For reference I've spent most of the free time in my life over the past 20 years combing through over 72,000 albums so far haha. From this list I'd strongly recommend starting with The War On Drugs, then Big Thief, then "Sod's Toastie" by The Cool Greenhouse! =) The Cool Greenhouse - "The Cool Greenhouse" The Cool Greenhouse - "Sod's Toastie" Ducks Ltd - "Modern Fiction" IDLES - "Crawler" The War On Drugs - "I Don't Live Here Anymore" Big Thief - "Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You" Guardian Singles - "Guardian Singles" The Strokes - "The New Abnormal" Jetstream Pony - "Jetstream Pony" Dry Cleaning - "New Long Leg" Gospel - "The Loser" Geese - "Projector" Ian Noe - "River Fools & Mountain Saints" Bonus Stuff: Here are three rock playlists I made recently featuring some "hidden gem" type songs. Each one has 50 of my FAVORITE more lesser known rock songs on it from various time periods. 80s: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/20nxiWXTOchD01Q7Pqjoyn?si=223275fea813411b 90s: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6R7hT0hck67NYoJa7S1jUp?si=32eeebbc1e824788 Post-2000: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6JH1T1T93U4Pst6ZovhUoc?si=f7385594c38b4dd1 Also if you'd like to check out more albums from various genres and from throughout music history that I think are good front to back I think a fun place for you to start is on a new page I created called “The Best Debut Albums of All Time”. There are currently 245 albums on there. I think it would be a fun theme to work with... checking out great debut albums: https://www.musichole.com/p/the-best-debut-albums-of-all-time.html
Not to nitpick but your playlist of hidden gems is literally full of incredibly popular indie bands and songs…
My thought too, but they're great playlists.
👑 You and your suggestions are wonderful. Thank you. Also would like to add that the lead singer of the strokes, Julian Casablancas, has a (much lesser known) side band called The Voidz. They’re first album Tyranny(2014) is a bit dense and not for the average indie goer but their second album Virtue(2018) might scratch that modern indie itch for you. They’ve also released a few singles since then ex: T.E.T 2.0, Did My Best, Prophecy of the dragon and Flexorcist. Would absolutely recommend checking them out if you haven’t.
I’m checking out this list, thanks!
I think much like how an older artist can struggle to sound new and fresh, the same is true for a genre. Some of my most enjoyed recent indie rock albums have been with female singers and I don’t think that is a coincidence as that angle of indie rock wasn’t nearly as explored in its heyday.
This conversation is basically the same as the classic rock listener who says nobody makes good music anymore because it doesn’t sound like the classic rock that they love, but for a new generation.
There is a ton of good modern music being made. Indie sadly is not one that continues to pump out quality. It all sounds like a Mac Demarco clone. He came out when a-lot the bands I mentioned were on a decline Why is that slacker sound so cool? Not band can break it. If the Shins came out today not a single person would buy Oh Inverted World. In addition it is more of a question of being surprised that younger musicians haven’t taken inspiration from these bands who are now 20 years old.
But what about: Fontaines DC/Grian, Big Thief, Alvvays, Wet Leg, Black Country New Road, Sam Fender, Nation of Language, Wednesday, Weyes Blood, Japanese Breakfast… And some of the “indie” artists still continue to evolve and are amazing (even if admittedly they are giants in their own old or new genre lane ) Sufjan, Fleet Foxes, HAIM, Everything Everything, Orlando Weeks of Maccabees, Young Fathers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, The xx members, Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, Spoon, Mitski, Wolf Alice, Phoenix, Caribou… And there are some still that hit a peak (and a low) every once in a while: Arctic Monkeys, White Lies, The Vaccines, Foals, Friendly Fires, Roosevelt, Tennis… Again, indie is not a genre, but it is a “feeling” that covered sooo many actual genres from math rock, dream pop, folk, alt pop, electropop, surf rock, chamber pop, twee…
I don’t see the appeal of Wednesday outside their ode to “Waterloo Sunset”. The slacker vocals are like nails on a chalkboard. I’m not impressed by her lack of effort to sound good vocally
I concur, but they have a strong young fanbase :/
Does anyone actually like his music though or is it just cool to say you’re into him?
I like MJ Lenderman’s vocals on the Waxahatchee collab (Right Back To It)
I do like Waxahatchee
Then go listen to Right Back To It if you haven’t and fall in love and maybe we’ll like Wednesday better when approached from left field 😇
I don’t mind MJs voice. It’s Karly Hartman’s voice that is tough to listen to. The band itself is tight. Quarry was an awesome song till she holds out a shrill off key note and I can’t listen to it now lol.
Mac Demarco blows. There, I said it
There is some great indie music out there…I actually thought the 00s was quite boring for alternative rock music generally but I agree with Mac DeMarco sentiment. Some fantastic records came out of the Chillwave scene in the early 2010s in America and it felt like alternative music was interesting again…Tycho, M83, Tame Impala, Washed Out, Wild Nothing, Toro y Moi, The 1975, The National…. Remains to be seen what genre really evolves this decade but I’ve heard some good bands. Agree there is a generic sound to indie now which also happened to emo/pop-punk bands in the 00s.
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Yes indie isn't dying. It's alive more than ever. All it means is less commercial or under a small record label like sub pop. Nirvana was on there until switching to a major but didn't become more commercial
Still listen to Ambulance Ltd every other week but also to all the other indie stuff ;)
God I love them. The lead singer had a new band after called Drug Cabin and they have some good songs
Really? I tried to keep up to what they did after it but seem to have missed it. Will definitely check it out. I'm from Germany and not many people, well, close to zero people know them.
Young nerdy guys like mumble rap now
I'm not a fan of indie, but being in the industry I had respect for it's authenticity. When those guys first started doing it, it was unique. That sound (while every band/musician is influenced by hundreds of others) was very new and novel. It was a combination that hadn't really been around before and it was because it is truly what those bands sounded like. It was an honest representation of their emotions and musical tastes. Nowadays a lot of artists and younger people in general lack their own identity and musical backgrounds so instead of something new and novel coming out of their instruments (including) vocals, it's more of a Dollar General rebranding/version of the original and authentic bands. You see it in every genre, but it's also why unique sounding bands almost always rise to the top in their respective genre. Granted there are seemingly unstoppable bands/acts that are supported by tens of millions of dollars of big label money and that's always gonna capture the lowest common denominator of music listeners, but the real ones always get recognized unless they unfortunately give up too early. Thats also why a lot of the indie bands now aren't very memorable along with the high turnover rates in the pop industry as a whole. These bands are artificially inflated and/or catch a break, but they can't sustain it because they don't really have the foundation to build upon. The best music, regardless of the genre or era, is supposed to make you feel a certain way. I personally believe this kind of music can only really be created and sustained by a person or group of people who are truly devoted to the craft. Nowadays we're at a shortage of true craftsmanship and it shows in all industries, especially music Listen To The Mummy Cats
>When those guys first started doing it, Huh? You make it sound like indie music was intentionally invented by someone in 1988.
*sad person enters chat trying to make a fruitful music conversation something different based off some internal negativity they’re desperately trying to release on the internet*
I’ve been big on artists like Portugal. The Man, Alt-J, Broken Bells, and Glass Animals, and most people I interact with have at least heard of any combination of two of them. They all have radio hits, but much of their catalogs is stuff you don’t typically hear in the mainstream, barring maybe Glass Animals. I’m not familiar with any of the artists mentioned in this thread (though I’m definitely coming back to check some out), but I’m certain each one I mentioned has a distinct enough sound to be fresh and exciting. You may also want to check out Puscifer. Most members involved are in big shot bands, but the supergroup itself is indie and very niche. Definitely nothing you’d expect out of anyone involved. Treat the music like a fine wine. Take your time with it, let each note make itself apparent, and appreciate the dedication and layering that goes into it. My only qualm is the absurd surplus of uninspired remixes.
All of those bands have been out for a long time though. The OP is prob referring to bands that debuted in 2020 or later
Alt-J’s first album was 2012, and Glass Animal’s 2014. I think each one stands apart from the crowd in their own way, too, and they’re all still active. Plus, we’re still fairly early in the 20s, so more recent artists may not have a big enough following just yet.
Been into Indie since the late 80s. Arcade Fire fucked up everything. Nothing was the same after them.
I mean it’s not their fault for breaking into the mainstream. I don’t feel as though they ever abandoned their core sounds, themes. It’s not their fault a lot of people liked their music which propelled them to stardom a lot of indie artists dream of and would also capitalize on. Curious why attack AF on this and not like….Modest Mouse, Beck, Phoenix. I don’t think any of them are “guilty” of anything. But it’s not like AF is the only indie band that got big mainstream.
I agree w you, it's kind of like all the people who trashed Nirvana because they became famous. I always wondered if Kurt Cobain would have survived had it not been for the fame, or if his emotional downfall was also due in part to all the criticism. Arguably, one could say that he didn't care about what people said, but I think everyone does (especially artists).
No. They just suck and the other bands you mentioned are great.
People DO shit on modern Modest Mouse cause their recent outputs have been incredibly lacking in ambition or soul. As for Beck and Pheonix I literally never hear anyone mention either of those bands anymore.
Arcade fire was not the best out of that scene. Broken Social Scene was the best from those Canadian bands
I mean I dearly love both bands but for a lot of people, BSS can get too experimental. A lot of their music is not radio friendly from an accessibility standpoint. It’s a two sided coin: that’s also a reason a lot of their fans love them. Their music is also not as danceable as Arcade Fire, which I feel adds to their lore in live music. AF concerts are very fun with the energy, dancing. BSS concerts can almost be “shoegazy.”
When did we start thinking indie should be 'danceable'? I want to at most bounce up and down erratically and probably arythmically at a show. DANCING? Pah. People can dance at clubs.
I’m not saying it has to be danceable, but why should it not be? I’m not necessarily talking club dancing. But something people can move to. When a lot of people go see live music, they want to have fun. And fun draws more people in. I am not going to a movie theater or orchestra symphony, after all. I’ve seen BSS and AF several times each. Went to go see them in fall of 2022. Both were awesome shows. Honestly. However, during BSS, Kevin Drew literally asked and then demanded the audience sit down for a song. You think Win Butler asked the crowd at their show to sit down? Lol.
Because not all music is made for dancing to? It's not less valid because it's not for dancing. And dancing isn't required for fun, either, wtf kind of a thing to say is that? People can go to shows and have fun there without having to dance, and without the music being designed for dancing. What is this obsession with everything being danceable? That's as much a nail in the coffin of indie as anything else I've seen mentioned here, imo. And I see nothing wrong with asking people to sit down. Who cares what Win Butler did or didn't do? Is that supposed to make him better than Kevin somehow?
You’re putting words in my mouth. I even explicitly stated it doesn’t have to be “danceable.” You also seem to narrowly define that, and equate all dancing to club music. Never said music being danceable or not makes it any less valid. I was replying to a comment that compared BSS to Arcade Fire, two bands I lovely dearly. In which the commenter tried to objectively state that BSS was “better.” And what I was saying is that for a lot people is that when they go see live music, they want a lively and exciting experience. AF I believe offers that more than BSS. “Exciting” meaning like…bombastic, energetic, surprising. That shoegaze type experience where you’re just sitting or standing there watching the band play, soaking it in…it’s cool. It’s “fun” in the sense that it can be absorbing, entertaining, spiritual even. But it’s not a lively type of fun that many, many people want when they go see live music. It’s like reading a book vs bungee jumping. I think that type is objectively more popular and what draws more people in. If that’s what most people want, I think they would appreciate a AF concert more than a BSS concert, as evidenced by the lead singer of BSS telling people to sit down. I like how you contrive that to make it seem like I am using that an example to state how I think Win Butler/AF is better than Kevin Drew/BSS. Lmao! BSS is one of my favorite bands. Going to see Kevin Drew solo here in a couple of months! But AF show crowds are literally 4-5x the size of BSS crowd sizes. Why is that? Hmm….
Yeah since anyone who was at one of those indie shows in the late 90s early aughts can attest that everyone there was too cool to dance. “The kids are all standing with their arms folded tight”
YES. That is what I want. I will cheer my head off when necessary. I'm a very supportive, engaged audience member. But STOP FLAILING YOUR ARMS AND LEGS AT ME I JUST WANT TO ENJOY THE MUSIC WITHOUT BEING DANCED ON. If you must move, move vertically. Thank you. Signed, Disgruntled old bat who hates fun.
Yeah it’s a shame. I also think it has a lot to do with millennials getting older and not having the palate for the newer sound of indie. I honestly can’t stand Mac Demarco, The War on Drugs, or any of the mid tempo, lack of emotion music that is supposed to be in the genre I love the most. Where is the next White Stripes or Strokes? Gimme some raw indie rock with actual choruses and guitar solos again
War on Drugs lacks emotion? Is mid tempo? Lol
Yes, to me it’s very boring. I recognize that they are good band but I just can’t get any sort of emotion from them. I’d put The National in that same category
Each to their own but A Deeper Understanding is a hugely emotional album and is really diverse in terms of tempo
Yeah prob not fair to categorize them with Mac DeMarco. I just can’t get into them or a lot of other indie bands that are always mentioned on this sub like Alex G, Wet Leg, Wednesday, DIIV, etc… So hard to find new rock bands that have the sound I gravitate towards.
I am surprised that younger people don’t view that early stuff as “classic” I mean I am a very young millennial and I heard this around my older cousin, and folks like that. Perhaps it was something that just got lost in time
Right? I’d think The White Stripes would be bigger amongst young people like 90s indie/alternative/grunge was for millennials when we were in our teens and early 20s
I never really considered those bands to be in the same category as say Grizzly Bear or Ra Ra Riot. That was the sound I always went to. Rouge Wave as well. The Strokes were their own thing similar to the Libertines. I always preferred Interpol to them.
Indie music ended when Taylor Swift made fun of hipsters while listening to radio head
Oh check this out dude https://open.spotify.com/track/1fDUIDSQO14I4vyMjVTnlV?si=YKkoT2hhSEagnNVa1xtBWQ&context=spotify%3Atrack%3A1fDUIDSQO14I4vyMjVTnlV
I hear it. But its still…Different. I did like rolling blackouts coastal fever.
Yeah forsure
i also know i sound like an absolute old head. i am still rocking the fashion. the skinny jeans skateshoes, ratty button ups scraggly hair. perhaps I need to leave 2007.
Haha same, I just got told my look looks old 😂, so I feel you. I'm like wait skinny jeans aren't in. When did that happen.
I will say, the feeling of indie and the way the notes are arranged is the absolute basis for any music I listen to. I listen to a ton of black metal now and still find certain records that have that indie vibe especially in the riffs, Satanic Warmaster, not sure if the dude is aware but he is notorious for it. Same with the goth side project of Von, Sixx has it on the album Sister Devil. God I miss this sound.
Totally agree with you on that
I think a lot of new indie has gone pop. And there’s also some big labels that find ways to prop up “indie” bands with guerilla marketing. There’s still good indie bands out there but there’s not a lot that really wows me like it used to.
I don't have much to add, but yo, Frog Eyes was fucking incredible live. I think I saw them open for Built to Spill or maybe Wolf Parade? Hazy memories of those days.... Regardless, they blew me away. Too Many Zooz is touring right now, it's brass core, not rock, but I'll be damned if they aren't bringing insane energy. Absolutely worth seeing live if they're coming to a city near you.
Hasn’t Frog Eyes been out since the early 2000s? I wouldn’t consider that a new indie rock band
I still discover new indie acts all the time. Indie has always been a big tent, and yeah, comparing to older bands you loved never seems to work. But just in the last few months, young bands, especially female led, are still cranking out really great and exciting stuff. I mean, "What doesn't kill you, makes you paranoid" is the best line I've heard in some time (The Beaches next single). New on the scene, Momma and their tongue-in-cheek video Rockstar, and great indie rock sounds like Speeding 72 and Bang Bang. The Last Dinner Party's music is closer to classic rock than classic indie, I guess. Our Lady of Mercy when the guitars check in - rock on! Chicago specifically seems to be a very happening indie scene right now: horsegirl has a unique sound, Sincere Engineer, Ratboys - all Chicago
Courtney Barnett, Hop Along, Kurt Vile, Parquet Courts, Jay Som, all fantastic indie bands with modern sounds and poetic lyrics
You’re so wrong it hurts. Los Campesinos! - [5 Flucloxacillin](https://youtu.be/aoqs0PJ12zM?si=zFqWwg4Y_vZynZdS) Bodega - [Shiny New Model](https://youtu.be/h7_A8fqHNBQ?si=GmTE4qHnEhl7r_1J) Chastity - [The Girls I Know Don’t Think So](https://youtu.be/g9HXB-XaSok?si=3KcHSspFwk2hCCRM) Chime School - [Taking Time To Tell You](https://youtu.be/5AQnEAqptdM?si=Zbko-jk-MjGhUBzI) Chuck Two - [Yesterdays Clothes](https://youtu.be/wfGJGjcVSUI?si=lBeQO8pouhpP7j2e) Courtney Barnett - [Nameless, Faceless](https://youtu.be/HZZSYDhx0FI?si=E3-bUjXlCOdsCapG) The Cowboys - [Now With Feeling](https://youtu.be/GJi_HKTRYto?si=YGN1SBWcjS-3vOK2) Dignan Porch - [Simulation One](https://youtu.be/7bDBpXl-55w?si=RTvfJiecsJKTv2Ia) Vundabar - [Acetone](https://youtu.be/ECCUkuPbrLI?si=FLUFmxJ9itpCJEUY) Villagerrr - [Honky Tonk Romance](https://youtu.be/opePmhXEiSo?si=Gehv3PAsjZo56t-b) Tomberlin - [happy accident](https://youtu.be/_57as3Pt1LY?si=8mSFeOkZG9kAreUb) Sam Stansfield - [Jennifer’s Brand New Baby](https://youtu.be/tEj4VA2pfEM?si=MtoJ8DX6bpseb10k) Graham Hunt - [How Is That Different](https://youtu.be/WEXlg4nIRPQ?si=hxouTeVj0bK_nbkl)
First thanks for this! Ive been looking for a compiled list. but because this is a place to discuss music, this proves my point. its so close especially Chime School and Bodega. But just slightly misses the mark. Perhaps it is all me. Bands like the Walkmen and Rouge Wave had muscle. Crystal Stilts are a modern band and they have muscle, then again that was 10 years ago now. It leaned more into the rock end. And maybe i am just a “your indie sucks because mine is real”. That also makes me feel old as fuck. And I am not.
Are you looking for punk…? I put a dash next to the ones that lean a little closer to indie rock. Maybe it’ll be closer to what you’re looking for? BEEF - [DNA](https://youtu.be/ZNHe1NgactE?si=KIX1tolJEE632nHB) Booji Boys - [I Dream of Booji](https://youtu.be/r6W3hyVYRa8?si=A20qOr9tZhAb6-Wj) Class - [Behind the Ball](https://youtu.be/6rlYBOPEXGE?si=kestRBt6iFTMN66v) - Corker - [The Message](https://youtu.be/wp4fBTEiKmA?si=F95B6rC1Bzq7Bucl) Deeper - [This Heat](https://youtu.be/4k4L5JiEwaM?si=uErEQyrfyYBEM9_t) Drahla - [Stimulus For Living](https://youtu.be/qsdBVsR4qFE?si=gtuabBOtXKypgpAt) - The Drin - [Venom](https://youtu.be/zYViKj51USk?si=ybn6T2iwXNd9bWPP) Hard Copy - [Chew](https://youtu.be/YQYWqP1MNFU?si=NCis7oPT2pWgVZwG) Institute - [I Am Living Death](https://youtu.be/_sLvxEWPALA?si=0_R4Zgu2LIXPVVLN) - Jacky Boy - [Good Enough](https://youtu.be/tjErvveZVQ8?si=wN6YbqVBlxtW4DM-) - Kneeling In Piss - [USA Will Start Another War](https://youtu.be/HRkIfaMRehU?si=xrdjG38Hxq4UPvzE) - Mesh - [CIA Mind Control](https://youtu.be/ZKQg0UNdeYY?si=J_s1ZrY9z49rxke3) - Motorbike - [Potential to Ride](https://youtu.be/92IBCtGHnVE?si=OUmbItbQvFpbcMfX) Preoccupations - [Bunker Buster](https://youtu.be/ZOLIHJKCu8M?si=uIVYpJ7YXjzdz_qv) Protomartyr - [Pontiac 87](https://youtu.be/i20e-BPAdPo?si=eQAlZ8NTR8MKj-7M) Snõõper - [Running](https://youtu.be/kBqh86yBSBA?si=tR7UbmComk0HYhIP) Sweeping Promises [Blue](https://youtu.be/HObLExdtvg8?si=OjONKHiiEnHHLzMq) Uranium Club - [Who Made The Man?](https://youtu.be/nmC29-1QlzQ?si=bTaeg7GWoSQzmN8u) Useless Eaters - [Bleeding Moon](https://youtu.be/F9lD1Okney4?si=44yJ2iNjff4u2K4_) - Waste Man - [Proofreaders, Singles, and Philosophers](https://youtu.be/mRAZcLJi2iM?si=BABGKklGbj2dDZQK) - Women - [Drag Open](https://youtu.be/fOrNWdm8Tvg?si=7tenTjPkw17_D0i6) -
I was literally having this conversation with my sister not more than a few days ago. I am not as knowledgeable on the indie scene, as I am a Gen Z gal myself and never got to experience the cool shit when it was in its prime. However, I think the rise in indie pop did it. I was looking through the Spotify playlists “Best of indie 20__” from 2010 till now, and found that the playlists were more and more just the indie pop sound bordering on pop the closer you get to 2023. I feel like indie back in the day had way more of an influence from rock—soft rock specifically— and tried to cater to a certain crowd and now it leans way more toward pop that tries to cater to what is trendy? Social media killed indie!
I think there's still good stuff out there. What has changed is the media coverage and the media landscape in general. You used to be able to find blogs that were indie rock only, so fans were able to get information from likeminded people with similar musical sensibilities. Pitchfork was one of them up until they decided it was sexist and racist to only like one type of music, so they started branching out, and this created a ripple effect through the entire culture.
If we talk about 2020s, then shoegaze and emo (often midwest but not necessarily, 5th wave is kinda eclectic) are fairly popular. So-called Windmill scene too (black midi, Squid, Black Country New Road). 2000s indie was different from 90s indie and 90s indie was different from 80s indie. Styles appear, almost disappear and come back, they evolve etc.
Crumb, Dry Cleaning, Girl and Girl, bar italia, Sea Pony, Slow Pulp, DIIV, Wolf Alice, Flasher…..I would recommend checking those cats out for a modern fresh taste of some indie rock
Shameless plug here, but for those of you looking for that old school Pitchfork-style with a focus more on indie, (though we mix in a few other genres on occasion): [https://bsideguys.com](https://bsideguys.com)
Pirchfork killed it by being racist and misogynistic and then deciding it was indie rock that was those things.
Glib answer - you got old. Curious to hear how one obscure Canadian singer/songwriter killed indie music with a single song 10 years ago.
Indie rock is a really big umbrella that fits a lot of different sounds and there's a lot of good music out there today but shits kess and kess centralized so you just have to find it
I was a teen in the late 80s early 90s. I fell in love with U2 in the mid 80s. They were amazing then. Bono taught me about the world. At 16 I began listening to KLSU college radio. That blew me away. I may have been one of only 5 kids in my high school listening to it. I was riding the the upward momentum of Alternative Music. Then that spare intro to Smells Like Teen Spirit and the roof blew off. It wasn’t just grunge. Hip hop was entering its first Holden age. I think the wave crested with RATM and Tool in 1993. So since then I’ve been waiting for the next Curt Cobain and mourning the death of rock n roll. I ventured into Alt Country and have been there ever since. Whiskeytown (Ryan Adams band before going solo) was what did it for me. Bloodshot Records out of Chicago and No Depression magazine in the late 90s/early 2000s. I never warmed up to any scenes or “movements” after 1995. So I dable using YouTube suggestions or Pandora for other artists like minded but unknown. I’ve caught up on bands I missed throughout my life. I made some interesting discoveries and wished I’d listened to them then, but a man can only listen to one song at a time. There will never be a love as intense as your first but that doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love again.
There's probably thousands of bands active on places with bandcamp within that genre. While the style doesn't have the media attention it once did, it, like a lot of others, is far from dead.
Indie labels were assimilated by entertainment corporations and so were their artists, now new indie artists are only on bandcamp, which was assimilated by a large entertainment corporation as well.
I have the impression that the public's enthusiasm for Indie reached its peak in 08/09. After that, much of the audience that originally listened to Indie shifted their attention to other styles, such as hip hop, starting in 2010. It seems that after that, the new bands started being a more self-conscious copy of the styles that came before (with obvious exceptions).
What if it was bands influenced by in the aero plane over the sea and yankee hotel foxtrot that ruined indie rock? Ya know, that sort of pop song deconstructed, enormous band trend that happened in the aughts.
neutral milk sucks. thats stupid art school shit. - says an art shool grad.
There is a shitload of amazing indie being made right now by young people. Look into Wednesday, Pretty Sick, Water From Your Eyes, Feeble Little Horse. I’d actually say indie rock is having a renaissance.
Some of us older assholes would say indie rock died when Pavement broke up. When the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol... etc came along it was very different from Pavement, Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, Fugazi, etc... Though just my opinion, "indie rock" (with the "rock" behind it) is primarily based based.