Topics in Recorded Music: What is "Indie"

Catalog description

In today’s music industry, it has never been easier for DIY artists to self-produce, self-release and self-promote their own music. This has led to a golden age for so-called “independent artists” operating outside of traditional label structures. But as opportunities have emerged for independents, so has a whole industry of middlemen, services and self-appointed experts selling solutions for indie success in the streaming era, as well as mainstream co-optation of indie aesthetics. It all begs the enormous, difficult, hard-to-pin-down question: What is indie? What has indie meant historically? How has the definition changed over time? What does it mean today? Is it a “sound”/“vibe” or a set of politics? In this class, we’ll survey the roots of indie rock (looking at the beginnings of labels like Dischord, Rough Trade, Merge and Kill Rock Stars as examples), chart the trajectory of the term as it became more mainstream through the 2000s, and consider what it means today in the age of streaming. We’ll read about and listen to loads of classic independent releases from the past half century, hear from current indie label operators, and have engaging in-class discussions on the state of “indie” today.