Indie (culture)

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Indie, an abbreviation of independent, is a term regarding a trend seen in music, film, business and subculture originating in the late 20th century.

The most general definition of the word is to be independent from the mainstream. The word has become most often associated with a subculture defined by its associated music, fashion, behavior and beliefs. Indie culture is an avant-garde lifestyle which follows social trends that are considered to consciously deviate from the mainstream. One common belief within indie culture is anti-conformity. The major influence for the indie culture came out of the indie music scene, associated with the DIY culture to the arts. Many followers of the indie culture are associated with local independent art and music scenes.

Since its emergence some time in the 1980s, increasing numbers of youths have been drawn to the beliefs and trends of indie culture. Like many subcultures before it, the indie culture has become part of mainstream youth culture, in some ways earning the conformist status that it initially rejected. In the 2000s, the indie culture has had crossovers with other subcultures, including alternative, art school, hippie, emo, grungers, mods, and recently even metalheads. However, many indie followers are offended that such links are made between the indie subculture and some of those listed above, including emo because of their differing philosophies and emo's links to mainstream culture<ref>Xanga blogring, "That "Indie is not emo" blogring is full of emos."</ref>.

1 Music
2 Fashion
3 Film
4 See also
5 External links
6 Footnotes

[edit] Music

Main article: Indie music

As a main influence on the indie culture, indie music became a driving catalyst, which was shaped by certain indie artists and music scenes. The Seattle grunge music scene became one such setting during the early 1990s, with bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and The Screaming Trees.

Bands such as Pixies and Sonic Youth, who were not given as much mainstream success up to that point, found themselves adored by new fans, assembling a strong indie following. New York City, notably Williamsburg, Brooklyn, also became a major scene for indie rock, with bands such as The Walkmen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, They Might Be Giants and The Strokes. Los Angeles' indie scene rode the wave of gentrification through eastside neighborhoods like Los Feliz, Silverlake, and Echo Park, which have given rise to such bands as Moving Units, Autolux, Shiny Toy Guns, Earlimart, and Giant Drag.

Britain's indie music scene can be traced back to the early 1960s mod era, with rock and roll bands like The Who, The Kinks, The Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones. These bands greatly influenced many of the indie bands of the 1980s and 1990s; post-punk and Britpop bands such as The Smiths, Joy Division, Blur, and Ocean Colour Scene. The recent indie revival (roughly (2004-present) has been spear-headed by bands such as Franz Ferdinand, The Libertines, Bloc Party, Keane and Razorlight.

[edit] Fashion

A key characteristic of clothing trends within the modern indie culture is focus on uniqueness and individuality <ref name="houseofemo">Merely Human (April 23, 2006). "Emo Fashion Whores, Check Out These Bitchin' Shoes" (blog). Retrieved on June 30, 2006, 2006. Retrieved on June 30, 2006.</ref>, which is often achieved by appealing to fashion trends associated with music from the 1970s (rock, punk and country) and the 1980s (New Wave). Common clothing items include band T-shirts, vintage clothing, striped tops, blazers, ties, cardigans, skinny jeans, and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes or phat hi top nike trainers, indie dunlop green flashes, or classic 80's checkered Vans.

Leading figures in indie fashion include George Cohen and Joseph Newman, two of the earliest indie influences. Brand labels are sometimes rejected as an exemplification of mainstream culture, and several small companies cater to the indie style, including Tourist Attraction and Artus<ref>Indie Clothing Blog</ref>.

[edit] Film

Main article: Indie film

Like the indie music scene, independent films are an art form produced without the funding, and thus adjustment, from a major movie studio, which thus allows appreciative fans to discover purer or more avant-garde qualities within the movies. Notable indie films include: