What Kind of Music is Indie Pop?
Contents
What exactly is indie pop? It’s a genre that’s hard to define, but you know it when you hear it. Indie pop is characterized by its catchy melodies, often quirky lyrics, and a DIY aesthetic.
If you’re a fan of indie pop, or just curious about the genre, read on to learn more about its history and some of its most iconic artists.
Introduction
Indie pop is a genre of popular music that is typically characterized by simple, catchy melodies and thoughtful, often personal lyrics. Indie pop songs often have a DIY aesthetic and are released on independent record labels or self-released by the artists themselves.
While indie pop first emerged in the 1980s, the term “indie pop” was not coined until the mid-2000s. Since then, the genre has experienced something of a renaissance, with many new artists breaking through in the 2010s.
If you’re wondering what kind of music is indie pop, here are some key characteristicsto look for:
-Simple, catchy melodies: Indie pop songs are typically built around simple, hook-driven melodies. This can make them very easy to sing along to (and remember!).
-Thoughtful, personal lyrics: Many indie pop songs deal with personal topics like love, heartbreak, and friendship. The best ones usually have a relatable emotional core.
-A DIY aesthetic: Indie pop tends to have an underproduced or lo-fi sound, as if it was recorded in a bedroom or garage rather than a professional studio. This gives the music an intimate feel.
-Independent record labels or self-release: Because of their DIY aesthetic, many indie pop bands are signed to independent record labels or choose to self-release their music.
What is Indie Pop?
Indie pop is a genre of music that combines indie rock and pop music. It is typically characterized by its use of synthesizers, drum machines, and guitars. Indie pop is generally seen as more experimental and diverse than mainstream pop music.
The Origins of Indie Pop
Indie pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. Indie pop was originally used to describe a type of music made by independent record labels, but it has since come to encompass a wide range of musical styles.
Indie pop is characterized by simple, often catchy melodies and hooks, as well as lyrics about love, relationships, and other personal topics. The genre is often compared to alternative rock and power pop, but it typically has a lighter, more wistful sound.
Some of the most successful indie pop artists have been Belle and Sebastian, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, Feist, Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, and Arcade Fire.
The Sound of Indie Pop
Indie pop is a genre of music that is typically characterized by its use of independent record labels, DIY production processes, and a focus on melody and hooks. The genre often has a lo-fi or bedroom pop sound, and is heavily influenced by the work of 1960s British Invasion bands like the Beatles and the Kinks.
Indie pop bands often seek to create music that is both accessible and sophisticated, and that captures the sense of longing and nostalgia associated with youth. The genre has been described as “twee pop” for its focus on innocence and child-like themes, though not all indie pop bands fit this description.
Common themes in indie pop lyrics include love, friendship, heartbreak, and regionalism. The genre has also been known to incorporate elements of other genres, such as jangle pop, shoegaze, dream pop, and even electronic music.
Notable Indie Pop Artists
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. Indie pop artists are usually signed to independent record labels. The term “indie pop” was used to describe the music of bands such as The Bubblegum Splits, The Teardrop Explodes, and XTC. These bands were characterized by their use of jangly guitars, catchy melodies, and often quirky lyrics.
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of lead singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce.critically acclaimed and gained a large cult following in the United Kingdom.
The Smiths achieved commercial success with their debut album, The Smiths (1984). The album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and included the singles “Hand in Glove”, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”, “This Charming Man” and “What Difference Does It Make?” all of which reached the top twenty on the UK Singles Chart.
Subsequent releases, Meat Is Murder (1985) and The Queen Is Dead (1986), both reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, and increased their critical acclaim. By 1987, The Smiths had become one of the most prominent indie pop bands of the day; they were nominated for three Brit Awards that year, including Best British Group. However, they experienced personal turmoil during this period; Rourke was fired from the band in mid-1986 due to his heroin addiction, and Marr’s alcohol abuse was causing him increasing concern.
The Smiths’ final album Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) was released to critical acclaim but commercial failure; it reached number two on the UK charts but failed to sell as well as previous albums. By this time Marr had drifted away from Morrissey’s orbit due to disagreements over songwriting credits and creative direction; he left shortly afterwards. Following Marr’s departure, Rourke rejoined as bassist and Joyce resumed drumming duties; touring for Strangeways continued throughout early-1988 without a permanent replacement for Marr.
On 20 August 1987—the first anniversary of Strangeways’ release—Joyce was sacked from the band after a financial dispute; he jointly sued Morrissey and Marr for breach of contract soon afterwards but was ultimately unsuccessful in his claim against them. Morrissey then disbanded The Smiths following Strangeways’ touring schedule by appointing Alan Erasmus manager over Morrissey’s objections; Erasmus then dissolved the group without telling its members that he had done so. In 2014 Rolling Stone ranked The Smiths at number 86 onteir list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.
Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is a Scottish band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Besides the band’s core of Stuart Murdoch and Chris Geddes, multi-instrumentalist Sarah Martin, guitarist Stevie Jackson, and bassist Bobby Kildea, the complete lineup has included significant contributions from other musicians including string section members Mick Cooke, Isobel Campbell, Mick Kenny, Richard Colburn (also drumming), string arranger/conductor John Metcalfe and horn section cornetist Robert Hikite.
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an American indie pop band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitars, harmonica), Chris Funk (guitars, percussion, lap steel), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, melodica), Nate Query (bass guitar), and John Moen (drums).
The Decemberists have released seven studio albums, three extended plays (EPs) and two live albums. Their first album, Castaways and Cutouts, was released in 2002 on the Kill Rock Stars label. The Hunting Party was their second album and was released in 2005 on the same label. The band’s third album, The Crane Wife was released on October 3, 2006 on Capitol Records. The fourth album entitled Hazards of Love was released on March 24, 2009—a concept album about a woman whotransform into a tree. In January 2011 they announced that their fifth studio album would be titled The King Is Dead; it was released on January 18th of the same year. On March 19th remixed version of the song “Calamity Song” from the album was made available as a free download from Capitol Music Group to promote the release of their sixth studio album Long Live The King which debuted at number ten on Billboard 200 upon its release on May 28th that same year; making it their highest debuting album to date.
The Decemberists have toured extensively throughout North America and Europe.
Conclusion
Indie pop is a genre of music that is typically characterized by its independent, DIY spirit and its focus on melodies and hooks. It is often considered to be a more accessible and pop-oriented version of indie rock, and it often features female vocalists.
While early indie pop was informed by eighties jangle pop and twee pop, the genre has since evolved to incorporate elements of folk, synth-pop, and dream pop. In recent years, indie pop has experienced something of a resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to the success of bands like Vampire Weekend and The xx.
