A misnomer for a particular style of music. It formerly was used to correctly classify music that was "underground" and not supported by major music labels. Popular thought in recent years has been that it is itself a style of music, usually 80's throwback, alternitive-style music.

Any band in any style of music can be indie by virtue of not being signed.The style is not important; it is independence from major labels that makes a band independent, or "indie". This idea has been lost due to the popularity of the term indie as it is used today.

The reason it became so popular is because to like indie music, in its correct sense, was respectable because you're bypassing the corporate music machine and finding music that you like on your own. As more and more hipster-type kids wanted to appear as deep as possible, they would answer the question "What kind of music do you like?" with "Indie." As time went on, this answer became so popular that the music that many of them listened to started to be referred to as indie. After a while of this, bands that are on major labels started to be absorbed into this pseudo-genre, rendering it an oxymoron.

Since the loosely associated music that is referred to as indie cannot properly be grouped and classified, a more appropriate label for what is erroneously referred to as indie would be "scene." The scene kids are often more concerned with being opinionated and elitist about their music choice than they are about the music itself. Scene fashion trends include tight pants, square-rimmed glasses, tight vintage-looking t-shirts, newsboy caps, military-style caps, and tattoos of stars, guns or bullets, and especially birds. Making the "scene" (i.e. a concert),being popular, and being narcissistic are the main motivations of scene kids. They often do their best to display that they possess these qualities on social networking sites like MySpace.
Jim: You should check out this band.
Frank: Oh yeah? What kind of music are they?
Jim: Indie.
Frank: OK, so they're not signed... I mean what genre are they?
Jim: Dude, I told you. Indie.
Frank: You're such a tool.

Billy: Oasis is like, the coolest indie band ever.
Mark: Man, you are totally clueless.
Billy: Please. Music is my life. I would die without music. My taste is superb. How dare you criticize me?
Mark: Wow. You're hopeless. I'm leaving.
Billy: Good. I have to blog about how awesome the concert I went to last night was and post the 30 pictures I took of myself there on MySpace.
by SmashCrab March 12, 2008
Photos & Videos
Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Rilo Kiley, etc.
by kidAndrew July 19, 2004
indie is cooler than emo.
indie is > emo for sear.
by ace March 23, 2005




just gimme indie rock
by tori January 03, 2004

the state of being "indie":

1)being unable to talk to anyone about your music.

by golden_touch167 March 08, 2005

(Examples of Indie music)

80's- Joy Division, Sonic Youth, The Smiths




Indie Kid- "Fuck"
by The Dude December 18, 2004
1. Music released on an independent label
2. Any music slightly left of mainstream
"Yeah, Im into Indie"
"You don't look it"
"Do I have to?"
by Melchett May 02, 2004


by CraftRevolution June 07, 2005

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