Indie Pop
| Indie pop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1970s, United Kingdom |
| Subgenres | |
| Local scenes | |
| Dunedin | |
| Other topics | |
Indie pop is a subgenre and subculture of alternative/indie rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The style is inspired by punk's DIY ethic and related ideologies, and it generated a thriving fanzine, label, and club and gig circuit. Indie pop differs from indie rock to the extent that it is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free. Its substyles include chamber pop and twee pop.
Indie pop is not just "indie" that is "pop." Not too many people realize this, or really care either way. But you can be sure indie pop's fans know it. They have their own names for themselves ... the music they listen to ... their own canon of legendary bands ... and legendary labels ... their own pop stars ... their own zines ... websites ... mailing lists ... aesthetics ... festivals ... iconography ... fashion accessories ... and in-jokes ... in short, their own culture.
Within indie genres, issues of authenticity are especially prominent: indie was born in a Utopian attempt to stop the inevitable cycle of bands being co-opted - and, it is assumed, corrupted - by the mainstream.
The term "indie" had been used for some time to describe artists on independent labels (and the labels themselves). Both "indie" and "indie pop" had originally referred to the same thing during the late 1970s. According to Emily Dolan, indie is predicated on the distorted music of the Velvet Underground, the "rebellious screaming" of early punk, and "some of rock's more quirky and eccentric figures", such as Jonathon Richman. Indie pop is distinguished from indie rock; the majority of indie pop borrows not only the "rawness" of punk, but also "the sweetness and catchiness of mainstream pop".
The concept of "indie music" did not crystalize until the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most of the modern notion of indie music stems from NME's 1986 compilation C86, which collects many guitar bands who were inspired by the early psychedelic sounds of 1960s garage rock. American indie pop band Beat Happening's 1985 eponymous debut album was also influential in the development of the indie pop sound, particularly in North America.
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