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Indie Music By Definition

Defining Indie music can be like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree, it’s just not the easiest thing to do. Categorizing it can be just as difficult because so much of Indie music made out on the fringes and new genres are created in a desperate attempt to classify a certain band or a certain sound. If you have gripes about what we call Indie or which genre a particular band should fall under, let us know and we’ll give it as much consideration as we can possibly muster and then probably just leave things the way they are!

Indie (abbreviated from Independent) is a term that has been used to classify music for quite some time. Indie music in the 80’s was much different than the Indie music of the 90’s which are both very different from what is deemed “Indie” today.

The Indie Attitude

Indie music is not so much a sound as it is an attitude. Most Indie bands and artists have the Do-It-Yourself attitude, they write their own music, book their own shows, get in with a small record label and distribute their albums on a smaller scale than artists and bands who have some of the huge music moguls backing them up. In many ways Indie musicians are underground, at least initially, and are content to be so.

Some controversy arises when an underground Indie band gains enough popularity and fan base that they are able to headline shows and sign bigger record deals, and maybe even (heaven forbid!) have their music video play on MTV. Truth is, many Indie bands choose to keep it low key and keep to their underground roots.

Others use their popularity to catapult them into a bigger spotlight. It’s up to you to decide whether or not a band is “selling out” if they sign with a big label. However, some of the bands you’ll see on this site were once considered Indie, even if some wouldn’t consider them so now.

Check out our growing list of Indie artists and bands on the Reviewed Artists & Bands page.