As we close out a decade, it’s safe to say that the rock world was defined by the indie rock movement. What started out at the beginning of the decade on the heels of the success of bands like The Strokes, the White Stripes, and others, has turned into an entire genre all in its own.

Looking back at the’90s, the alternative rock era began to lose steam at the end of the decade. In fact, it may have very well morphed into the indie movement, as many alternative fans most likely began to show an interest in indie rock as they grew tiresome of the alternative scene.

Bands like The Strokes, Wilco, The White Stripes, and many others quickly made a footprint in the music scene as the decade began. Their lack of regard for a mainstream sound was welcomed by music critics and fans alike.

What exactly is indie rock? Technically speaking, it denotes any band that isn’t tied to a corporate music label, but one could also point to the style of music. There are many bands that have since signed with major labels, but they’re still considered a part of the indie rock movement.

Therefore, the concept of indie music most likely refers to an original sound that isn’t afraid to test the boundaries and challenge the notions of traditional made for radio pop music.

Seeing as how things look as the decade comes to an end, there’s no reason to believe that indie rock won’t continue to be the preferred music genre of many music fans. There’s no letting up at this point as bands continue to explore new ways to express themselves.

The digital age has played a major role in making this possible. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of the fact that the Internet has brought about a much more widespread availability of great music. Maybe this music was always here, but we never knew about it. Whatever it is, I won’t be complaining about it.

It seems like a decade is usually defined by a certain genre of music, but it’s very well possibly that the next decade may also be dominated by indie rock.

This writer also writes about funny labels for wine bottles and old style wine labels.