Ok, so despite our utmost chagrin, Indie music isn’t for everyone. Everyone has a right to their own music taste, and that’s fine. It doesn’t bother us if some people want to waste their lives listening to grungy techno music with no words and no tune. But there are some Indie tunes that are undisputed bangers, no matter what your music taste is- just try and stop yourself from dancing when these bops start playing.
Spoiler: You can’t.
The power of the unmistakable riff and drums combo that opens Arctic Monkeys’ Fluorescent Adolescent brings with it a sense of premature nostalgia typical of original 70’s indie, which, underlined with Turner’s cynical Northern drawl, and combined with the undisguised sexual focus one might expect from an angsty young band, succeeds in making this song a classic that is guaranteed to get people jumping.
The pervading drum beat and surging bassline of the Fratellis’ popular single, along with colloquial lyrics and the crowd-pleasing “duh duh duh, duh duh duh” you can’t help but bounce to, gives Chelsea Dagger an infectious upbeat positivity that sets the Fratellis apart from their mopey counterparts.
By introducing their catchy melodic riff prior to a foot-tapping drum beat, the Strokes manage to establish a strong memorable tune while still giving Casablancas room to be characteristically semi-shouty and drawling in a way that inspired successors for a decade while still maintaining the “individual VS the world” attitude of classic indie rock.
As soon as we hear the low and slightly menacing guitar/cymbals opening to Take Me Out, we start dancing. Maybe it’s the mad mix of melancholy melody and semi- threatening clashing beat that gets us. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the tune and lyrics we can all sing along to. Who knows? But Franz Ferdinand’s distinctive and inspired single is certainly one of our all-time favourites.
The first bar of Red Hot Chilli Peppers crescendoing drum beat and guitar line and we know what it’s building up to- possibly the best dance guitar riff ever invented. The way that Kiedis semi-speaks, semi-sings, semi-shouts his introspective lyrics and emotionally charged rhythmic vocals gets a crowd pumped up in an insanely short amount of time.
Perhaps this song gets its charm from the fact that it’s an unashamed beg. Young unabashedly yells at us that he’s not ready to let go just yet, and there’s something cathartic about shouting along to the cyclical, catchy chorus with him. With its strong bassline, slamming drum beat and melodic vocals If You Wanna has to be one of the best songs The Vaccines have to offer.
With punky, African-inspired rhythms, crowd-participative “hey, hey, hey, hey”s, and a beat that practically screams jump, this popular single from Vampire Weekend’s eponymous album is one of our playlist essentials.
This is probably Jet’s most well-known song, and it’s clear why- jazzy tambourine entree, steady drum beat and fast-paced bassline, not to mention seductive half-screaming, half drawling vocals… we see the appeal.
Now perhaps it’s unconventional to steer away from Mr. Brightside, which, don’t get us wrong will always have a special place in our hearts, but can mean that some of The Killers’ other songs are overlooked. With When You Were Young’s crashing drum beat, multi-melodic riff, and infectious chorus, coupled with poetic lyrics, and throaty intense vocals from Brandon Flowers that are nothing short of beautiful, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be given the same attention.
In this song, as with many of their others, The Libertines give us a lesson in opposites; contrasting nonchalant optimism with reality, enthusiastic pace with grim content, and giving us almost spoken vocals which somehow still manage to be gorgeously melodic: a talent for paradox which is one of the many reasons why we love them.
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