indie Simply put, "indie" means independent from the mainstream. While some may say that a fan of indie culture, otherwise known as an "indie kid" or "hipster," is merely a cultural elitist in an ironic t-shirt, others would argue that being indie means embracing a noble set of values--namely authenticity, experimentalism, anti-commercialism, DIY and appreciation of the world beyond American pop culture. While indie enthusiasts do sometimes adopt a "cooler than thou" posture when bragging about, er...discussing their obscure interests, the overall attitude is admirable--"it's cool to be different." Although the indie label has been applied to politics (the Green Party), fashion (threadless.com), magazines (BUST) and even computer game companies (Rockstar Games), the label most likely originated in the music and film industries. Ostensibly, indie rock does not have the financial support and is therefore not subject to the control of a major record label. Whether or not indie music has a specific style: new wave revivalist, Britpop jangly guitars, etc., is not agreed upon. According to urbandictionary.com, indie rock, such as Modest Mouse, Le Tigre and Stellastar, evolved from "lo-fi" experimental 1960's rock, the 1970's punk scene and the "alternative" rock movement of the early 90's. After the mainstream adopted "alternative" music such as No Doubt and REM, indie rock became the new alternative. Like indie music, indie films are not tied to a major movie studio; therefore, they are typically more experimental and cutting edge. Independent movie making gained popularity in the late 1990's when major advances in digital video technology made filmmaking more affordable, allowing individuals to finance their films without corporations. Not surprisingly, big chain stores like Barnes & Noble don't typically carry music and films produced by independent artists, therefore fans must spread the indie gospel on their own. This may explain the borderline obsessive collecting and cataloging of hard to find records and videos that are so rampant in indie circles. In addition, fans rely heavily on the web to promote their favorite underground projects and artists. As you can imagine, with so many passionate fans of indie culture, who and what is truly "indie" is often in dispute. Musicians, such as Avril Lavigne and The Killers, are sometimes accused of being manufactured by record companies to look indie to capitalize on the credibility of the genre. Others who were once legitimately independent, such as The Strokes and Interpol, are later accused of selling out--trading artistic independence for commercial gain--when they sign with a major record label. Thankfully, not all indie artists sacrifice their reputation when they get rich and famous. Peter Jackson, for example, went from being a low-budget horror moviemaker to the acclaimed director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy without losing the admiration of his indie fans. As you can see, individuals tend to prioritize different aspects of the indie label. Some require a total rejection of mainstream commercialism, while others emphasize authenticity and experimentalism. And certainly, there are those who think being indie simply requires a rare record collection and a haughty attitude.

Comments

[ash]

indie music is the best

[alexia]

i'm not against "indie" kids or anything..
but it's funny how they all want to meet conor oberst from bright eyes.

[gerardine]

WHOA!
Go Indie Go!!!

[Becca]

I'm Indie and proud of it. ♥

[angie]

hey i love the indie music culture it's awesome!

[Niki]

Here's something I've noticed:
The whole point of being emo or goth or indie is to be different and individualistic. But the fact that they can even be labeled with one of these terms is that really, they aren't very different from eachother. So they're just following another trend.

[Sarah]

ohhhh, I know the soure is "urban dictionary," so anyone can edit it, but really? indie music was not formed in the 90s when alternative split! That is simply when it became more obvious to mainstream culture! the pixies were not the first indie band!
Indie Pop can be traced back to the late 70's in London as a contrast to the punk scene. Heavenly and Tallulah Gosh, as early as Television Personalities, and the whole DIY Sarah Records aesthetic.
puhlease do a little research before trying to define something like "indie," which even those so involved in the scene cannot find a valid definition for.

[zoe_breeze]

indie, scene, emo, goth, whats the difference?
all of these lables basically mean "trying to be different"
yeah, different like everyone else.
dont lable yourself.
just try and actually be yourself.
i wonder if you can..

[Kelly]

Indie's cool, but some people try to be SO anticonformist that they're really just conforming to their own image. Refusing to listen to music, watch movies, read books, or wear clothes simply because they're mainstream, regardless of whether or not you like them isn't exactly being true to yourself, either. Personally, I mix it up--some alternative/independent stuff and some mainstream. And I don't apologize or feel bad for it. I don't care how many other people like it or who liked it first--I still like it.

[Rachael]

Hey you guys...
labels are for soup cans
right?
wrong!
no matter how much youre against them theyll always be there.
sorry to say this but...
EVERYONE is labeled as something.
even if you try to be different...
youre labeled as "that weird different kid that does her own thing."
get over yourselves and shut up.
theres no stopping it.
conformity comes no matter what.
you try to do your own thing but...
it turns out someone else has already done it...
or people will see you doing it and like it and follow.
so it doesnt matter what you guyts think about labels.
theyre there
and everybody has one.

[G]

Is it indie to mix your punk and prep clothes with a bit of vintage pants

[rae rae]

indie kids & hipsters aren't the same thing. hipsters are like, the scene kids of independant music. indie kids hate hipsters.

[Amy]

i absolutely agree with NIA,besides,i like the indie style whether it's music or clothes..

[babygurl]

ppl just cause you listen to a certain type of music or you drees a certain way doesn't mean you're indie. being indie is being original and outside what other ppl think. i may be judgistic but hey i am who i am.
ppl may say hey i am indie cause i listen to hard rock but the guy next to them may say i roll with the crowd causse i listen to hard rock. it just says that you're trying to be a stereotype. ppl if you dress, talk, and listen to the same thing as everyone else then you're not indie.

if you go to an american school and everyone talks, dresses and listens to different stuff while you're still listening to stuff from your old school than you're not indie you're just not trying to adapt.
i've gone to the same school but i don't listen to the same stuff, dress, talk, or even wear my hair the same doesn't mean i'm indie. ppl its just a damn stereotype. get over it.

[Nia]

People call me Indie. People call me a hippie. Either way, I am me.

I think it's funny how we all are asked to be a part of some group in society. Why? Ah, because people flock to those just like them.

Differences increase the fun level. Try befriending someone completely different then you, it's a great feeling.

[G]

Indie is a hard label to figure out
if you come right out and say I love indie music
Pple think you're all talk.

[IndieAngel]

I've always been told that I can't be labeled cuz I'm so different from everyone else...and I couldn't really say what music I listened to because it was all indie music and i didn't really know what indie was. but this site and all the comments were really helpfull thanks!

If you guys have any suggestions about good non-mainstream bands I'd love to hear 'em. This Providence is my fav.

[Anonymous]

Hmm, interesting. Indie is actually quite an exquisite subculture, with the Brit-pop kids and twee kids. Yep. I must remind you that if you know the term of indie, you shouldn't listen to Urban Dictionary.

In my terms for indie, it's being DIY's, getting into the music scene (britpop, shoegaze, lo-fi, twee, anti-folk, etc etc etc.), and most importantly, being yourself. You can still drink STARBUCKS, since there really isn't all that much coffee houses, unless you really search.

Nowadays, indie is more defined as a music genre and you rarely find people who are actual indie folks.

And definately, indie shouldn't even BE a stupid label.

[annie hall]

fuck it, life is hard enough, you ain't got to prove nothing to nobody but yourself
if it feels good do it

[Landi]

Indies are what make the world go around! They r like the eccentrics of the world. They r just plain cool.

[Mariah]

Indies are sooo original and I respect that. If you don't know what Indie rock is listen to No Doubt and that hard rock band The Killers. Indie is in now I belive.

[Andi]

Indie's cool. Just don't forget that it doesn't make you better than the rest of the world. My best friend has that superiority complex.

[aFATSHIT]

ey you foos are alll fuckin gay.

[Sara]

First: I changed my name to protect my anonymity.
And second: I get called Indie and a Hipster all the time for how I dress, act, and what I like. But even though I fall into every category of how people describe Indie I can't claim I am. Although I hate the mainstream and throw away bands after they've been featured and rarely watch movies like Hellboy that gross 40 million every weekend, and wear "ironic" shirts and band shirts with converse. I've been like this since I was little though, since I was 7, and I'm now 15. So where do people get off claiming I'm a poser if I say I'm Indie. I'm Indie because I refuse to be anything but me.

[Tsuki]

I hate when people debate over whether indie is truly indie if more than one person likes something classified as "indie"--it just ends up being irrelevant, anyway. I mean, it's good to express your views, but...anyway. There are sort of two groups of "indie" people: those who like independently-labeled and label-free music, and those who are sorta pretentious about liking anything popular. Indie can mean popular, too! *sigh* I wish people could just like what they like, whatever it is, without people criticizing them or without having to worry about people mocking them. I think that you should be able to like indie stuff and totally mainstream stuff at the same time, without being called a "poser" or anything.

Anyway, this sort of thing just evolves into something stupid, usually. It's like if you had to hide from someone, and you think that they wouldn't think that you'd hide somewhere obvious, so you do. But then the person trying to find you realizes you'd think that, so they'd look there. But you'd realize they think that, so you'd do the opposite, and they would, and everyone'd end up standing around, not hiding or seeking, ruining a game of hide-and-seek, and probably pissing off the other people playing it with you.

(Oh dear...I suck with metaphors. ^^)