Indie Pop is a broad style of Pop music and a subculture that blends guitar-based Pop with a do-it-yourself ethic, contrasting with mainstream Pop in style and tone. Known for its lighthearted melodies, typical Rock instruments, and an overall “authentic” vibe, Indie Pop differs from Indie Rock in that it has a more melodic, accessible sound with catchier production, and it doesn’t strictly adhere to Rock conventions.
The genre originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s, alongside the rise of British Post-Punk. Subsequently, it generated a thriving fanzine, labels, and club-and-gig circuit. The major tradition within that is centered on guitars and personal lyrics, and many groups adopted this style, with many signings to major labels as well. Compared to its counterpart, Indie Rock, the genre is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free.
The term Indie Pop was coined to describe bands on independent labels that embraced a more pop-oriented sound inspired by the 1960s while retaining the DIY, stripped-back approach of Punk. These early branches of overtly melodic Indie Pop would subsequently become known as Twee Pop and C86, a categorization of early Indie Pop named after the 1986 NME compilation cassette of the same name.
In the early Indie Pop, pioneers include Television Personalities, Dolly Mixture, and the Australian band The Go-Betweens. Labels such as Rough Trade Records, Cherry Red Records, and 4AD Records all played a key role in the development of Indie Pop. The Smiths would become one of Indie Pop’s most important and successful bands, helping popularize the genre.
In the 1990s, Indie Pop further incorporated Alternative Rock influences and gradually diverged from its initial Post-Punk roots. However, some artists would oppose these stylistic changes and instead reintroduced the lush, polished sounds of 1960s Lounge, Sunshine Pop, and Baroque Pop, creating a sound known as Chamber Pop.
In the 2000s, Indie Pop continued to embrace a wider range of influences and reached its peak in mainstream success. Bands such as The Postal Service and of Montreal expanded the genre’s influences by combining the melodicism of Indie Pop with Indietronica.
In the 2010s and beyond, online Indie artists such as Mac DeMarco and Sidney Gish have recorded their music outside traditional studio environments, helping create the Bedroom Pop genre and an online subculture.
In later years, the definition of Indie Pop has also bifurcated to include bands from unrelated DIY scenes/movements with Pop leanings.
sources: discogs, wikipedia, rateyourmusic
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