Ladybug Transister, The Good the Bad and the Queen, The Blakes, and my personal favorite band of all time Dntel.
Pyro, if ya like bluesy folk, check out the Geraldine Fibbers from about 9 years ago. They may not be that new, but they still rock rings around the competition.
Have a look at allmusic.com's "spotlight archive". Its long been my favorite source of new indie recommendations. I discovered many of my all time favorites there. Some especially notable entries include:
The Books (found sounds/awesome vocal samples) Devin Davis (one man indierock superproducer) Quintron (voodoo organ disco danceclash) Prototypes (sexy french dace pop) Peter, Bjorn & John (swedish guitar pop/Beatles-ish) Architecture in Helsinki (eclectic, lively indie pop) Neon Blonde (Blood Brothers side project) The Young Tradition (Belle & Sebastian-ish indie pop) Kelley Polar (groovy techno with violins)
Well, but most of them are from this original indieundergroundthing. I do not think that it is so bad that they were now signed on a major. It is even easier to see them on other continents for example.
You are wrong about one thing c72, its more than in this thread. Indie has definitely migrated from a meaning to a "sound," I think. Perhaps so, and there's nothing wrong with it.
So indie is a genre? Like jazz? Classical? What are the defining characteristics of this "sound"? So is independent cinema a genre as well?
Indie, for as long as I've known the term, means on an independent label. A lot of the bands listed here are about as corporate as you can get and just plain old mainstream pop\rock.
I would list some, but then I'd have to go through all my music and find the 5 or so that are with major labels.
But I must say that I do think independent music has a different sound to a certain extent. Because I think they put more effort/love into the music. They really must love what their doing to be independent and go through the trouble of putting out their own stuff.
Whereas if I listen to [insert any random rock group's name here] they all sound the same. Because they all use all that special fancy equipment to make them sound better. And they all scream, and sound like teenage boys. Et cetera et cetera.
Omg, what is wrong with you?? The best Indie band is Tokyo Police Club, winner of BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR from the CASBY awards! USS is good too, but one of the songs I like has a very.. Awkward name that rhymes with.. Cornostartrek..
TOKYO POLICE CLUB TOKYO POLICE CLUB TOKYO POLICE CLUB TOKYO POLICE CLUB TOKYO POLICE CLUB!!! TPC!! Best band ever!! (Super TPC stalker..)
i'm not "into the indie movement" that much, but must agree with gruneeitelkeit, it has a singular sounding, even if it's very "pop", i like the music of Bloc Party and The Rapture (not sure if they're indie, as far as i know, they used to be), ...some mexican bands that deserves a listening: Austin TV (instrumental rock, very similar to Mogwai or Sigur Rós, Lost Acapulco (surf band), and i've just listened to "Quiero Club" a mexican indie band
...any recomendations that sound similar to "Pieces of the People we love" by The Rapture?
c72 and pjdark, I agree completely. It helps to remember that "Indie" became used as a genre by the major labels a few years ago because they were losing market share in CD distribution while true independent labels were staying stable or losing much less. It shows exactly how misled the majors have become. Calling a band indie will not change the fans that follow them.
Ultimately it comes down to the music. Personally, I have a hard time listening to a band I know is selling a dishonest message. There are so many other musicians not doing this…my ears follow them. All that being said, Black Gandhi and The Lewis Larke Band, both from Barcelona, absolutely ROCK!
