Indie music scenes

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Indie music scenes are localized, independent, music-oriented communities that exist in many countries, especially in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia[citation needed]. These have existed for decades now, in one way or another, but it is now commonplace for a city or town to have a punk scene, a metal scene, or many other scenes based on other forms of art. Indie music scenes became important in the early 1980s, when the rest of the country caught up with punk rock music from New York and London. Scenes are important in keeping indie and punk rock fresh and inventive, because it allows people from a wide audience to hear new independent music and contribute their own talents to it. Obviously, depending on what town one is in, the feel of the scene (and therefore the music that comes out of it) may change significantly.

Arguably, the 1980s indie scene in Washington D.C. was pivotal in changing the outcome of punk and indie rock for decades to come. Bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Fugazi, and Rites of Spring helped to shape the sound of underground music for years. Los Angeles was important around this time as well, producing bands like the Descendents, Bad Religion, and Black Flag.

Around the mid-1980s, as punk and New-Wave's mainstream influence died down considerably, there rose a couple of other important movements. Minneapolis was very important around this time. Bands like Hüsker Dü, and The Replacements would influence many alternative bands after them. People involved in these bands, such as Bob Mould and Paul Westerberg still contribute to the music scene today. During the late 1980s in the Bay Area of California, bands like Operation Ivy, Green Day, The Offspring, and later, Rancid would take form to give a new sound to punk rock. On the opposite end of the country, Frank Black, Kim Deal, and Kristin Hersh were forming bands like the Pixies, Throwing Muses, and eventually The Breeders. These bands would influence the next wave of alternative rock, which due to the massive mainstream success of grunge became divided into mainstream artists and a new wave of indie rock bands who rejected the mainstream in favor of the indie scene.

Contents

[edit] Indie scenes in North America

[edit] Canadian indie scenes

[edit] American indie scenes

[edit] East

  • Newark, Delaware: The home of Jade Tree Records, formed in 1990 by Tim Owen and Darren Walters. Jade Tree started with bands such as Railhed, Walleye, Lifetime, and the short-lived DC band, Swiz. The label sat in obscurity for about 5 years until signing The Promise Ring in 1996. Since, Jade Tree has released countless albums from many staples of the indie rock scene. In the early to mid 90's there were countless shows at church halls and Girls Inc. Bands such as the Bouncing Souls, Plow United, boysetsfire, Network 34, Zen Guerrilla, The Crash, Wally and Ann Beretta frequented these spaces. Newark, Delaware and surrounding areas had become a hotbed (at least by Delaware standards) for traveling independent bands who are typically booking their own tours. Remarkably, for as small as the state of Delaware is, there exists a wide diversity of indie groups and sub-groups. Unfortunately the destruction that frequently attended punk and hardcore shows in the late Eighties and early Nineties has limited the number of willing venues in the area. Many venues have chosen to restrict their musical offerings to cover bands. The handful of indie-friendly venues that do offer live and original music typically admit only those attendees who are over 18 years old. Some of the venues who have historically offered opportunities for indie bands are the East End Cafe, the Pale Dog Tavern, Bank Shots (multiple locations), Rox's Bar and Grill in Wilmington, and Mojo 13 in Claymont. Many of the people who book shows at the clubs will give a new band a chance on their bill, but booking in general tends to be restricted to acquaintances.

[edit] Midwest

  • Murfreesboro, Tennessee: About forty minutes south of Nashville, Murfreesboro is a current hotbed for college music. The town is home to Middle Tennessee State University's Recording Industry program in the Mass Communications department. The most notable band to make it from this scene is the band Self. Spongebath Records, their label, was the heart of the scene and was eventually bought out by Dreamworks Nashville (music division of Dreamworks S.K.G. started by David Geffen). The scene shares much with the artists of Nashville, including Ben Folds, Jonathan Rice, and Be Your Own Pet. Several records shops, such as the Grand Palace, have sprouted up in this area supplying the local scene with obscure records and slightly pretentious charm.
  • Omaha, Nebraska: As of 2000, many new scenes are appearing on the radar in Middle America; all with unique sounds. One is the Omaha-based Saddle Creek Records, home to several highly regarded indie rock acts such as Bright Eyes and Cursive. Bright Eyes singer/songwriter and Omaha native Conor Oberst, who helped start the label, has been called the "King of Indie Rock" by Rolling Stone magazine. Elliott Smith was born here, but raised in Texas and rose to popularity in Portland.

[edit] West

  • Las Vegas: The Las Vegas music scene consists mostly of underground indie rock, shoegaze, freak folk, hard core, grind core, screamo, and various other modernized versions of alternative rock. Bands such as The Killers and Panic! at the Disco, are the first Las Vegas indie bands to receive international attention. Fremont East is the epicenter of Indie music in an area of downtown Las Vegas with bars such as Beauty Bar, The Griffin, and The Bunkhouse regularly showcasing indie music. Indie Krush is a Las Vegas promotions group that books indie bands.

[edit] Southwest

  • Denton, Texas: In the last 20 years Denton's music culture has grown beyond the rigorous and disciplined world of University of North Texas' College of Music. In 2004 and 2005, the roster of the town's performing and touring indie music acts remained between 90 and 100, a high number considering the town's 2000 U.S. census population figure of only 80,537 people. Notable indie bands from Denton include: Lift to Experience, Centro-Matic, Brutal Juice, the Baptist Generals, Midlake, Spoonfed Tribe, the Marked Men, South San Gabriel, and Bosque Brown. Although not quite "indie rock", Denton has also produced unconventional acts such as Brave Combo and Corn Mo, as well as notable producer and promoter DJ Nature, all contributing to the overall scene. Denton's music culture makes the smaller town Texas' only other city, outside of Austin, that could claim such a title as music town, a reflection of city's own creative and progressive dominant cultural base.

[edit] Indie scenes in Britain

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[edit] English indie scenes

[edit] Scottish indie scenes

Bands like Primal Scream Franz Ferdinand, Biffy Clyro, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, The Twilight Sad, My Latest Novel, The Fratellis, The Yummy Fur, Camera Obscura, Aereogramme, The Jesus and Mary Chain, 1990s plus many more.

Bands like Snow Patrol, The View plus many more underground ones..

[edit] Welsh indie scenes

Bands such as Los Campesinos!, Mclusky, Future of the Left, Space In the 80's, Gethin Pearson & the Scenery, Halflight, The Victorian English Gentlemens Club and established acts such as Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Feeder and The Automatic have all come from Cardiff.

[edit] Indie scenes in Australia & New Zealand

[edit] Australian Indie Scenes

  • Melbourne: (See Culture of Melbourne).Hosts a large range of genres, one of the largest independent music scenes outside of North America, abundance of venues such as The Evelyn, The Espy, The Corner, The Tote, Pony, Bar Open, Roxanne Parlour, The Arthouse, Trades Hall, Brown Alley, The Laundry, and many others. The city hosts an abundance of independent labels, a vast street press & community radios such as PBS & 3RRR. Some artists to emerge from Melbourne's indie scene into the mainstream include Augie March, Architecture in Helsinki, Grinderman, H!rtdog, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, My Disco, British India, Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy,Something For Kate and up and coming Pets with Pets. Melbourne is also known for its many alternative/indie clubs such as Click Click, Pogo, Eurotrash, Roxanne, Thirdclass & Next, amongst many others, featuring the popular format of live music before midnight and DJs after midnight.

[edit] New Zealand Indie Scenes