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Wikipedia

Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music. However, as with many terms applied to popular culture, the precise meaning can be hard to define. Indie rock is often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that aren't on labels at all. In that sense, indie rock can be seen as the follower to the Punk and New Wave movements of the late 1970s and early 1980s, as a counter-culture movement opposed to mainstream corporate rock.

In the 1980s, these bands were referred to as "alternative", since they were an alternative to mainstream rock at that time. However, indie rock was effectively launched when Nirvana broke into the mainstream along with several other bands, taking the "alternative" label with them, ironically enough. "Indie rock" tends to be an umbrella term covering a wide range of musical styles - everyone from the Elephant 6 collective to the Pixies to the Cocteau Twins; the main thing tying these bands together is their existence in the underground. Some related genres include emo, lo-fi, retroist, alternative rock, twee pop (sub pop) and Britpop.

In the mid-90s, following the lead of Pearl Jam, many acts who, by choice or fate, remained outside the commercial mainstream, became part of the indie rock movement. Indie rock acts placed a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, often releasing albums on their own independent record labels and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, and airplay on independent or college radio stations for promotion. Linked by an ethos more than a musical approach, the indie rock movement encompasses a wide range of styles, from hard-edged, grunge influenced bands like Superchunk to punk-folk singers such as Ani DiFranco.