Indie rock is both a mode of production (independent labels, a DIY ethic) and an aesthetic. In place of stadium grandeur — intimacy, melody, experiment, and a personal voice. The sound may be deliberately plain (lo-fi) or refined, but is always “human.”
The tradition was laid by R.E.M., The Smiths, Pixies, and later Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and Radiohead. In Ukraine the independent scene is represented by bands from Okean Elzy to a new generation of indie artists. Indie rock proved that success is possible without the dictate of the major industry. The term itself comes from the British independent charts of the 1980s and the legendary C86 cassette, and the sound was shaped by Sonic Youth, Pixies, and Pavement.
