Genre of music, nicknamed after the independent labels which support lesser-known bands. Typically, the independent labels allow more "musical freedom", which results in a truer, less cookie-cutter sound that mainstream listeners do not immediately identify with. Indie rock draws inspiration from bands such as the Beatles, The Velvet Underground, and Radiohead.

Many indie rock bands are characterized by the use of unique or less-popular instruments. Subjectively (since music is subjective), indie rock cds typically sound less "perfect" than mainstream music, which typically grabs the attention of indie rock enthusiasts.

Indie rock is a mixture of many other genres, including alternative rock, folk music, electronica, even pop. It also tends to be very positive music, despite popular opinion.
More well-known rockers that are excellent introductions: The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Arctic Monkeys, Spoon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Others that are popular among indie rockers: The Flaming Lips, The Shins, Bright Eyes, The Decemberists, Wilco, The Magic Numbers, Mates of State, The Essex Green, Calexico, dios (malos), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Rilo Kiley, far too many to list. Find a Paste magazine and dig in.
by GoldLion May 4, 2006
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1.Music not signed to a label or not signed to a major label.
2.Underground, somewhat experimental, music. (modest mouse, sigur ros, the decemberists)
3. A tribe of people, hipsters, indie kids who all try to latch onto the next hip band before their friend does.
Sonic Unyon is an indie rock label.
by julie October 14, 2003
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Indie rock- A genre of music and cult following of younger generation which is striving to be different from pop music followers. Music is often “underground”, not known to popular audiences because of independent record labels. The musical style combines british punk, rock and roll, and heavy metal.
by trista stanley October 27, 2003
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indie rock is a genre of music that is "undeground", thus not many people in the pop culture world know about these music gems. although some indie bands become big (ex. death cab for cutie) then their followers begin to think of them as "sell outs". indie rock is the best music out there, too bad todays shit music blinds the general public.
indie although is very competitive and mos hipsters compete for who knows more "un-known" bands.
some examples of indie rock artists are:
bright eyes
the umbrellas
hot chip
cat power

some indie rock record labels:
crank
saddle creek
by teh.cooper October 14, 2005
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Elitist pop music for people who like to think of themselves as being "artsy" but still want something that adheres to the same general composition formats and harmonic structures of all pop music for the past 70 years, and is sufficiently non-abstract enough to be appreciated without exerting too much intellectual effort.
Indie rock fan: Hey, check out this new vinyl I paid $35 for of the new digitally recorded "Metric" album! They are really pioneering new territory here!

Avant-guard jazz fan: Sigh...
by i_have_feet March 19, 2010
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Alternative Rock music that didn't cross over into the mainstream(by choice or not) after the "alternative revolution" of the 90's. Typically, the music is relased on small "indie" labels. Indie Rock bands do music that doesn't necessarily appeal to wide mainstream audiences. There are a variety of reasons for this but some of the more common examples are the sound being to raw and abrasive(i.e to much distortion/feedback), the lyrics being to cryptic and abstract or the production and musicianship being to amateurish. In more recent years however some indie bands such as Modest Mouse, The Shins and The White Stripes have found some mainstream success. These bands however are still considered indie because they still have a decidedly non-mainstream sound.
90's indie rock-Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Pavement, Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, Neutral Milk Hotel, Fugazi, Modest Mouse, Radiohead(controversially)

2000's indie rock-The White Stripes, The Shins, The Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, The Strokes, Artic Monkeys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Subgenres

90's-lo-fi, emo(went mainstream in 2000's), post-hardcore, noise pop, dream pop, neo-psychedelia, shoegaze, indie pop
2000's-garage rock revival, post-punk/new wave revival, freak folk, new weird America, dance punk, indietronica
by Devmeister July 4, 2009
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indie rock is a sub group and culture of music that is defined by poetic lyrics and instrumentals that follow suit and accent the lyrics.
The thing that many indie rock followers dispute about are posers and sell outs. first i'd like to say that because a band like death cab sign with a big label, their music is still following the same style as it did in their past records.
the other thing that many followers argue about is posers. the indie rock poser is one of two things... 1-the kid who hears about an indie band on tv and begins acting like they have been a follower from the begining... or 2-the indie obbsessor who reads up on bands they don't even like or that don't sound good just because they're indie and they can be added to their iPod to make said kid look more indie.

that being said indie rock is one of the greatest genres of music ever created and i love it.
indie rock bands include... death cab, foals, postal service, wolfparade, explosions in the sky, mogwai, and many others...
by Keon15 July 12, 2008
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