Independent music is music produced outside of the control of a commercial record label. This can include autonomous recording and do-it-yourself publishing. Its roots can be traced to the 1960s, and some bands have been around for decades. Today, you can find indie rock bands like The Strokes, The Smiths, R.E.M. and Sex Pistols. If you want to hear some indie rock that you’re sure to like check out She Don’t Know Me by Daneka Nation.
The Strokes
The Strokes are a band that changed the face of modern rock. They pioneered a style that drew heavily on the sound of punk and garage rock, but also looked back to the past for inspiration. They borrowed from The Velvet Underground and The Ramones, but developed their own unique sound.
After the release of their fifth album, The Strokes went on hiatus for a short time. In the meantime, members of the band worked on other projects. Albert Hammond, Jr., recorded a solo album called Yours to Keep in late 2006, and later released an album called Como Te Llama? in 2008. Other members of the band took on solo projects. The Casablancas formed the band Voidz, and released their first album as members of this band in 2012. The Strokes were also involved with projects from other members of the indie rock world.
The Strokes released four more albums after their breakthrough in 2001. Their fourth album, Angles, was a number one album in the UK. In 2013, they released their fifth album, Comedown Machine, which made the UK Album Charts number ten. In 2020, they made a comeback with their sixth album, The New Abnormal, and won the best rock album Grammy in 2021.
The Strokes’ style has evolved from garage rock to punk. In their earliest days, the quintet consisted of Julian Casablancas on vocals, Fabrizio Moretti on drums, and Albert Hammond Jr. on bass. The band’s popularity quickly spread, and they started playing live shows in New York City. Their first live gig was at Spiral, a small club on the Lower East Side. After a few shows, they began playing bigger venues.
The Smiths
The Smiths are regarded as one of the most influential bands of the 1980s British indie rock scene. They influenced many other bands, including The Stone Roses, Radiohead and Suede. Their impact on British alternative rock is comparable to that of R.E.M., which influenced American alternative rock. Their sound is gritty and witty, and many fans have found themselves singing along to their songs.
The Smiths are a band from Manchester, England that formed in 1982. They were a songwriting collaboration between singer-songwriter Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The duo began recording songs on Marr’s TEAC cassette recorder, and later brought on drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke. Their demo was eventually shopped to Rough Trade Records, who released their self-titled debut album in 1984.
Their third studio album, The Queen Is Dead, was released in 1986. The Queen Is Dead was a critical success, reaching number two on the U.K. charts, and further expanding their cult following. The album also featured the rhythm guitar player Craig Gannon, who was a member of Aztec Camera.
The Smiths were prolific and successful songwriters. The band’s singles were commercial hits. They released a number of albums, and one of them, Meat Is Murder, went to number one on the UK charts. They had a unique sound, which grew to be the trademark of their music.
R.E.M.
Indie rock music has a lot of roots, and R.E.M. is no exception. The band, formed in 1980, has spawned numerous hits and sold over 85 million albums. Their disbanding in 2011 was a mutual decision and the band members went on to pursue other ventures. They have evolved their sound over the years, incorporating different strains of indie rock and Byrdsian melodies. While they haven’t slavishly followed fashion and technology, they have continued to make great music that has been appreciated by fans for decades.
In the early days of their career, R.E.M.’s music had a certain charm that would eventually make them a household name. They incorporated evocative phrases to make poetic collages, allowing listeners to assemble meaning for themselves. The band’s second phase of indie rock music was equally as satisfying.
The band had many members at various stages of their careers. Their drummer Berry left the group due to health problems, but the band continued to tour and release albums. They released two more studio albums in the early 2000s, Reveal (2001) and Around the Sun (2004), as well as a handful of live albums.
The band has a vast catalogue of albums, spanning decades. Their enduring influence on indie culture cannot be underestimated. Their 1992 album Automatic For the People is a great example of this. Its singles ‘Radio Song’ and ‘Losing My Religion’ have stayed on the pop charts for more than two decades.
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols’ debut album was a commercial success in the United Kingdom, but record buyers in the U.S. were skeptical. However, McLaren and Warner Bros. arranged a tour to promote the album in America. The tour, however, was cancelled when the band’s members were arrested. The band eventually obtained a visa to visit the U.S., hoping that the country’s bored youth would embrace their music.
While the band’s music wasn’t groundbreaking, its ferocious vocals and pointed accusatory lyrics made it stand out as something new in the genre. In addition, the band’s image spoke to an audience that was desperate for a change. Their music inspired a revolution.
The band was formed in 1975 in London, England. They were influential in the development of punk music in the UK and influenced many subsequent punk artists. Their fashion style was highly stylized and their lyrics were media savvy. The band is widely regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of modern popular music.
Fiction
Fictional indie rock music combines the unique and experimental styles of other genres with the sensibility of contemporary indie music. In the case of Radio Fiction, the band’s psychedelic funk song I Won’t Let You Down (Space Mix) makes the listener fall into a trance. As a result, this album is one of the most intriguing and exciting indie releases of the autumn.
The founding premise of indie music is that anyone can create art, and the more off-center it is, the more interesting it is. This philosophy, which originated in the 1980s, has spread across several new media forms. It democratized the artistic process, blurring the line between critics and audience. Indie music is also the foundation of blogs and other moneymaking apps, like Facebook and Twitter.
Rough Trade
If you’re looking for great indie rock albums, Rough Trade is a good place to start. The store’s eclectic selection includes albums from The Strokes, The Moldy Peaches, The Slits, and more. While the store has always had a penchant for indie rock, its diverse catalog isn’t limited to it.
Rough Trade is a London-based independent record label that was founded 38 years ago by Geoff Travis. He first started a record store in Ladbroke Grove, where he began to distribute punk rock records from bands like The Fall, Stiff Little Fingers, and Robert Wyatt. Geoff Travis later established Rough Trade as a co-operative and serviced independent record stores in the UK. In the 1980s, the label signed the Smiths, who would go on to become successful stars of the indie music scene.
Rough Trade was a major force in the UK indie scene during the late 1980s, but cash flow problems caused the label to go into receivership. After a period of bankruptcy, Travis rescued the label and made it a major player again. His eclectic roster of indie artists has spanned everything from post-punk to garage rock to psychedelic rock and soul.
Rough Trade is home to some of the greatest indie rock bands of the last century. The Smiths, for example, were the definitive band of mid-80s British indie rock. Their songs are political and bookish, but are also brilliant pop. Johnny Marr’s perpetual-motion guitar lines make the band’s music unforgettable. The Smiths’ vast catalogue is an essential purchase for indie music fans, and their albums are all marked with the Rough Trade logo.