Indie rock

Indie rock is a subgenre of Alternative Rock associated with a less mainstream-oriented sound and a DIY ethos to recording and production. It dabbles in Pop-informed songwriting and takes influences from sound palettes ranging from Contemporary Folk to Punk. Indie rock artists often embrace an autonomous approach to achieve a more "authentic" or raw sound and write their music alone without outside help. The term "indie" was coined in the late 1970s to refer to Punk Rock and Post-Punk bands that would release music independently in an industry dominated by major labels. One of the first successful indie releases was Buzzcocks' Spiral Scratch, which after a self-funded recording process, manufacture, and release, promptly sold out its initial run. Those first achievements inspired the creation of independent record labels such as Rough Trade Records, 4AD Records, and Mute Records. Throughout the 1980s, many groups emerged who would greatly influence future indie rock bands, notably The Smiths and R.E.M., who popularised Jangle Pop. The latter was also part of college rock communities developed by local independent scenes. Other significant inspirations include Noise Pop and Noise Rock bands that fused noisier, rawer production with catchy songwriting, including The Jesus and Mary Chain, Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, and Pixies.