The World of Underground Music

Underground or independent music represents a breed or style that is far off the beaten path. Often the following will be relatively unknown except for individuals within the city. For example, the White Stripes within the Detroit music scene. Small venues, less than ideal recordings, and a very particular following are what defines the genre and compels many people to embrace it. It's true that virtually every single act was underground music at one time, but the idea has evolved into something much more than simply the manner in which it is recorded.

Indie music or underground music started becoming it's own definitive sound sometime during the 1960s. Artists such as the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and David Bowie took class rock and twisted it into kind of a glam abomination of the popular rock outfits of the time. When many individuals were wearing tie-dye, the underground acts were in eyeliner. The indie/underground movement involved individuals who made their music just as much about performance as the music itself.

Individuals who associated rock with blazing guitar solos and 30 minute songs were absolutely appalled by these freaks dressed in feminine apparel wearing makeup, and feeding back their guitars to almost offensive levels. Like it or hate it, these were the beginnings of what would become an subculture of music, and a common choice of favorites among music lovers.

As the seminal underground bands began gaining popularity and helping shape and invent genres, the appreciate of them spread. Underground band generally live in a world where their popularity spikes about ten years after the band has broken up. Whether it's the raw, often abrasive, and low quality recording, or simply the sound of their music failing to please the masses, the independent sound seems to appeal to a narrow scope of individuals. The phenomenon has actually become better embraced in current times due to the resurgence in popularity of indie bands (Pixies, Pavement, and Sonic Youth) to name a few.

Some of the underground bands who have broken out of their respective cities and made a nationwide and often global impact. Known around the world, these are some of the bands who started off as fledgling garage rock bands and have been catapulted into stardom. Although many of their careers are generally referred to by one or a few songs (mainly played on car commercials), their popularity in the indie music world is well known.

An example of the shift in how underground music is viewed today, the strange direction that indie music has taken is not easily explained. There are many theories as to why the underground music scene has taken off so rapidly and will be discussed in the next section. Here are some of the most popular indie bands; artists that virtually everyone has at least heard the name of, and oftentimes they've heard a song of theirs and not even known it.

• Radiohead
• Band of Horses
• Spoon
• The Shins
• Arcade Fire
• Silversun Pickups
• The Strokes
• The White Stripes
• The Flaming Lips
• Weezer
• Animal Collective
• Modest Mouse
• The Pixies
• Pavement
• Sonic Youth
• Velvet Underground

As technology progresses, the outlets available to broadcast music and share it with others increases greatly. In ye olden times, virtually the only way to communicate your music with others was live performances and word of mouth. As the radio, television, and other outlets were invented, the amount of exposure that bands could receive increased dramatically. The Internet might be the best outlet for individuals to discover music-period. The easy accessibility allows for local artists with limited budgets to upload their music virtually for free and share it with the world.

Users also have a great accessibility to new music due to the ease of pirating music off the Internet. While many view this activity as unsavory, taking money out of the pockets of musicians, many local bands rely on giving their music away in order to receive the initial exposure. The difficulty of breaking into the mainstream in any capacity is truly difficult for any band, especially those working with the bare minimum of equipment and production. The combination of outlets for these bands to showcase their talent is the prime reason that indie music has made its way into a semi-popular position.

Online music sites including Itunes, Rhapsody, CD Baby and others also make it possible to purchase albums legitimately that are unlikely to be found in record stores. Like any underground scene, most of the exposure comes from attending local shows and networking, but technology has played a huge part in getting the bands out there. Blogs have also played a large part, as those passionate about underground music can freely share their experiences and opinions to a wide demographic of individuals who may not initially know anything about each local scene.