“With the lights out, it's less dangerous, Here we are now, entertain us,” screamed Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana, in Paris, in February of 1994. If somebody had told the rebellious teenager a few years before that his band would have mainstream success and that it would forever change their lives, and that he would be touring the world, and playing concerts on each and every continent (excluding Antarctica) he would have laughed in their face, but their songs went mainstream and they did go touring the world playing concerts and gigs wherever they went. And it was this exact mainstream success that forever changed the dynamics of the genre known as indie/alternative rock. In the last forty or so years, indie rock has transformed
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Indie rock, unlike other genres has no single, definable sound. In a sense, that is the whole point. The term “indie rock” refers more to the mentality behind the music rather than the sound itself. The do-it-yourself ethic, mentioned earlier, was at the very centre of the punk movement, and remains at the core of Indie Rock. Indie artists unlike pop and mainstream artists, are focused on production and their preferences rather than profit (though profit is always a motivation). For this reason, the genre includes many musical styles. Like ice cream, there are lots of different flavours/genres that tickle the taste buds of each and every person. Also like ice cream, there are also some flavours/genres that are more appealing than others (in the Indie rock case, the most popular flavour is punk rock). Overall, the bands usually feature some sort of guitarist and the songs are usually lyrical. Many sub-genres are quite focused on the beat of songs, like math rock, a genre that experiments with different tempos and time signatures. As an “underground” genre, its general sound evolves depending on the circumstances and also based on the movement of the mainstream. The types of indie rock that have gotten the most attention are punk, grunge, and heavy metal styles. This kind of music is usually made less for the musicality of it, and more so for the artists to have a chance to speak their minds. The songs are often rhythm focused, with amplified and distorted guitars. Distortion adds a fuzzy sound over the notes, like a layer of white noise. The lyrics are often political and cynical. However, on the other side of the spectrum there is a vein of indie rock that is much closer to folk. This other extreme usually features acoustic guitars, and percussion instruments like tambourines, rather than drum sets. The lyrics are usually calmer musings, religious, or loving. The main thing that separates this
Indie rock, unlike other genres has no single, definable sound. In a sense, that is the whole point. The term “indie rock” refers more to the mentality behind the music rather than the sound itself. The do-it-yourself ethic, mentioned earlier, was at the very centre of the punk movement, and remains at the core of Indie Rock. Indie artists unlike pop and mainstream artists, are focused on production and their preferences rather than profit (though profit is always a motivation). For this reason, the genre includes many musical styles. Like ice cream, there are lots of different flavours/genres that tickle the taste buds of each and every person. Also like ice cream, there are also some flavours/genres that are more appealing than others (in the Indie rock case, the most popular flavour is punk rock). Overall, the bands usually feature some sort of guitarist and the songs are usually lyrical. Many sub-genres are quite focused on the beat of songs, like math rock, a genre that experiments with different tempos and time signatures. As an “underground” genre, its general sound evolves depending on the circumstances and also based on the movement of the mainstream. The types of indie rock that have gotten the most attention are punk, grunge, and heavy metal styles. This kind of music is usually made less for the musicality of it, and more so for the artists to have a chance to speak their minds. The songs are often rhythm focused, with amplified and distorted guitars. Distortion adds a fuzzy sound over the notes, like a layer of white noise. The lyrics are often political and cynical. However, on the other side of the spectrum there is a vein of indie rock that is much closer to folk. This other extreme usually features acoustic guitars, and percussion instruments like tambourines, rather than drum sets. The lyrics are usually calmer musings, religious, or loving. The main thing that separates this