American Roots Music

     Indie-Rock music is a subgenre of music that originated in America from the 1970s-1980s. The word 'indie' is derived from 'independent', which was a way to describe record labels that operated independently from mainstream record companies. It is derived from post-punk and is a new take on alternative rock. But, when looking at indie rock today, we see a wide range of subgenres and styles. The main reason as to why I chose this particular genre is because I enjoy listening to artists and songs with from this genre.

    To start off, we should take a deeper dive into the history and emergence of indie-rock. It started in the late 1960's and early 70's when well known bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones started to break away from commercial records to create their own independent labels. Then, in the 1970s, when punk rock emerged, bands in this genre were assigned to independent labels. When post-punk grew, indie rock slowly emerged. Post-punk was a style that was more dark and edgy and went beyond just the typical rock and roll. Bands of post-punk include U2, Talking Heads and The Cure. Finally, around the 80s was when indie-rock was really on the rise, with the band such as R.E.M becoming a big hit. Then, in the 1990's when grunge grew popular, indie-rock bands grew to success, such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. One of my favorite songs from early indie-rock is "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. When you listen to this song, try to notice certain characteristics that you may hear now, but may not hear later when listening to new indie-rock. For example, it has a lot of drumming, guitar, punk aspects and some groove to it. The vocals are understated and the song is kind of long and structured loosely. While these are common characteristics in all types of indie-rock, the songs from this era will sound a little more different from the indie-rock we hear now. 

    When looking at the sounds and characteristics of indie-rock we can see many different styles, instruments and pieces within the genre. To take a closer look at analyzing the sound, we can start by looking at main characteristics. For example, it has sort of a DIY aesthetic to it. When indie-rock really started it was because the artists were doing their own thing on their own. With that being said, they didn't have advances that other genres had from record companies. They had to finance their own record sessions or record at home. This is important because it makes the music less flashy with a more do it yourself vibe to it. Another characteristic is lo-fi sonics or production values. Indie-rock artists did not have access to production tools and cool equipment, so what emerged was lo-fi aesthetics. This includes muted tones that create a calm feeling and nostalgia, and there is no polished sheen on recordings. Another big characteristic of indie-rock is that the songs are written by the band itself. They didn't have songwriters and producers to do it for them, so all the music, recording and writing is all done by the artists. This ties in with the last characteristic of indie-rock, the emphasis on authenticity. You don't hear a lot of crazy guitar solos and wide ranges of vocals, but instead you hear the music like you would be hearing it live. With those characteristics in mind, let's look at the instruments included in indie-rock. From the electric and bass guitar, keyboards, drum kit, sitar and even the cello, indie-rock includes a wide range of instruments. A great song that really emphasizes the use of a lot of instruments is "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve. When listening to this song, really take into consideration the characteristics and instruments we looked into. 

  

    Now that we've looked at what makes up indie-rock, let's look into the influence it has had on America. What started around in young college towns, and moved around the US, indie-rock is now a genre of music that appeals to a wide range of ages. Not only this, but it started an idea that anyone can get a band together and create music. This particular genre was built on independence and not needing a big shot producer to create and sell music. It created a subculture that, according to Deborah Cohen from "The Atlantic", says allowed "outsiders to become insiders and find one another". Teenage boys were creating bands, tuning their guitars and performing at hole in the wall venues. Indie-rock had a major influence on the younger generations of the 80's and 90's. It was their way of creating a social network and community, and it wasn't through social media like we do today, but instead it was through music. A particular song band that shows this sense of community is the Pixies. A band that they started in college is a prime example of who indie-rock was, young people that just wanted to make music together. The song "Monkey Gone to Heaven" is about how the destruction of the environment will lead to dead monkeys, which shows a common theme that the band cares about and wants to spread to people through their music. 

    Lastly, let's take a look at what indie-rock looks like today. There is no doubt that this genre has evolved over the years. So, when looking at what we hear today and comparing it to what was popular in the 80's and 90's we can spot a few differences. For example, listen to the song "All I Want" by Kodaline and compare it to the previous songs we have listened to. It is more calm and brings a sad and quiet tone. 

Another modern indie-rock band that comes to mind is Cage the Elephant. The particular song, "Cigarette Daydreams" differs from the other modern day indie-rock song, "All I Want". It's more upbeat, you can hear more drumming and the guitar, and the singing is less vocal. 

    Overall, indie-rock has had a great influence on American music. From what started as certain spin-offs of rock and roll, it is now its own subgenre that has paved many ways for different artists. It has so much variety and different characteristics which has created a unique genre for generations. 

Citations

Cohen, Deborah. “How Indie Rock Changed the World.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 20 May 2015, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/06/how-indie-rock-changed-the-world/392057/.

“Indie Rock Music: History and Artists of Independent Rock - 2023.” MasterClass, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/indie-rock-music-guide.

Samantha Bennett Senior Lecturer in Music. “Explainer: Indie Music.” The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2023, https://theconversation.com/explainer-indie-music-28321.

“What Is Indie Music and Its Characteristics in 2023?: Music Expert Guide.” Gemtracks Beats, https://www.gemtracks.com/guides/view.php?title=indie-music-characteristics&id=550.