Research: The style of indie rock music

The stylistic fingerprints of Indie Rock music is a short list of features that can be commonly found in Indie rock music.

Instrumentation:

·         Vocals (usually male)

·         Backing Vocals

·         Two guitarists – Lead and Rhythm

·         Keyboards

·         Bass

·         Drums

Performance and Arrangement:                                     ( An example of a rock band, the beatles) 

·         Guitar as the main harmonic instrument

·         Guitar sounds commonly associated with indie are often referred to as jangly – a fairly light tone, often picked, sustained arpeggios with effects

·         Vocals are often fairly understated, with a melancholy or introspective feel

·         Backing vocals are not usually a big feature, so the music tends to be relatively sparse

·         Some songs are long and loosely structured, almost like extended jams around a groove

·         Solos do not form a very important part of the music

Technology and Production:

·         Guitar amplifiers and effects play a big part in the sound of Indie music – The light, sustained tone and use of delays is common in many bands

·         DIY production ethic, low budget recordings based on simple capture of live performances.

Influences:

·         UK Rock (The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks)

·         Velvet Underground and Psychedelic Rock

·         Punk Rock

·         Funk

·         House