Genre ResearchNoa Lightman

Intro to my genre- Indie Pop

I chose Indie Pop as my genre that I will dedicate my magazine to. I chose this genre as it is one of my favourite genres and so therefore I’m knowledgeable about it. I listen to Indie Pop music quite frequently and I am very passionate about-another reason why I chose this genre. I think it is important to have an interest in the genre one choses as I will be researching it in depth and building my entire magazine around it (cover, contents page and double page spread).

As I listen to a lot of Indie pop, I know a lot of various performers, this will help me as I will have some contextual information, such as music that indie pop artists have produced and the type of aesthetic they go for.

History of the Indie pop genreIndie pop is a sub-genre of alternative rock. Indie pop is also referred to as a subculture that originated in United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The style of Indie music is inspired by the punk movement. Indie pop differs from Indie rock and alternative rock as it is less harsh and much more chilled and melodic.

The term “Indie” has been used for many years, it originated as a way to describe artists who were signed to independent labels-also to describe the labels themselves. Indie Pop usually uses instruments such as guitars, drums, bass and vocals.

The key moment in indie pop music history was the release of NME’s C86 tape in 1986, it featured varying artists and soon became a highly popular tape among fans of alternative music- this helped form indie pop as a movement. Indie pop is still growing today, and not just in the United Kingdom, but it has become a popular genre all across the globe.

Popular Indie Pop artists today…

• Lana Del Rey• Vampire Weekend• Foster the people• The neighbourhood• Bastille• Grimes• Twenty one pilots• The Kooks• Lorde• The wombats• Mumford and sons• MGMT• Marina and the diamonds• Of Monsters and men

What makes Indie pop different to other genres?

Indie pop is different to other genres as it is much more relaxed than Pop, most indie pop music uses various instruments such as guitars, drums and vocals. Although some indie pop uses a techno style (the band MGMT are known for this) most indie pop is calming and can be good to unwind to. Contrasting to this, there are lots of indie songs that are dance songs and that help build anticipation with the bass line and other factors. Lots of music in the present day doesn’t use acoustic instruments, whereas a lot of indie pop does, this further extends the value of indie pop and why it’s such an interesting genre.