Genre: Alternative/Indie
Lokomotiv Stockport is the band/format that performs and records the songs of Frank Pelham. Sparkling indie pop from northern England, cracking tunes and sharp lyrics.
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 90s
Formed in Washington, D.C., in 1990, Chisel was one of the first revivalist bands of the denim-clad mod/punk movement that would inspire the likes of the Mooney Susuki and the Delta 72. Under the indomitably energetic songwriting of singer/guitarist Ted Leo, the trio included bassist Chris Norborg and drummer John Dugan. Chisel built a strong... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 90s, 00s
British indie-pop quintet Comet Gain formed in early 1993, influenced as much by the riot-grrrl movement as by the music of the girl-group era; comprised of singer Sarah Bleach, singer/guitarist David Feck, guitarist Sam Pluck, bassist Jax Coombes and drummer Phil Sutton, the group signed to the legendary Wiiija label to debut on the split EP... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 80s, 90s
Bristol, England indie pop icons the Flatmates were formed in mid-1985 by singer/guitarist Martin Whitehead -- also the founder of the famed Subway Organization label -- and drummer Rocker, whose roommate Kath Beach soon signed on to play bass. With the addition of another roommate, singer Deb Haynes, Whitehead relinquished vocal chores, and the... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 90s, 00s
British urban-folk trio Hefner traced its roots to 1992, when singer/guitarist Darren Hayman met drummer Anthony Harding while the two were attending art school in Kent; relocating to London two years later, the duo later added bassist John Morrison, recording their 1996 debut single "Another Better Friend" just the second time all three played... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 90s, 00s
New York's Interpol reminds anyone who has ever heard post-punk bands like Joy Division and the Chameleons of those exact bands, plus a few more. The roots of the band -- as far as its members are considered -- can be traced back to a partnership between Daniel Kessler (a guitarist and vocalist) and a fellow New York University student named... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 90s
While grunge reigned in the early '90s, New Fast Automatic Daffodils made its mark on the indie rock scene in Manchester, England. Bassist Justin Crawford, guitarist Dolan Hewison, and drummer Perry Saunders got together in 1988, and singer Andy Spearpoint joined soon after. Spearpoint's obscure lyrics spoken over repetitive riffs and beats gave... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Pleasantly disheveled and slightly wistful, Red Sea Station has crafted an indie album with a mélange of small, revolving melodic motifs coming from every direction, united with a backbone of sprightly, rubbery beats. Cycling twinkles framed by a fast, glitch-pop electro attack full of...
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Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 80s, 90s, 00s
Perhaps no band was more emblematic of the true spirit of American indie rock during the 1990s than Superchunk, the pride of Chapel Hill, NC. Following the D.I.Y. ethic to the letter, the group operated solely by their own rules, ignoring all passing trends by sticking to their trademark sound -- typified by the buzzing guitars and high,... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 80s, 90s
Avatars of the British twee-pop movement, Talulah Gosh formed in late 1985 when economics student Amelia Fletcher and struggling artist Elizabeth Price met at an Oxford area club; both were wearing Pastels badges, and their common love for indie rock prompted them to immediately found their own group. Originally intending to form a post-punk... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 90s, 00s
Tindersticks were one of the most original and distinctive British acts of the '90s, standing apart from both the British indie scene and the rash of Brit-pop guitar combos that dominated the U.K. charts. Where their contemporaries were often direct and to the point, Tindersticks were obtuse and leisurely, crafting dense, difficult songs layered... [+] Read More
Genre: Rock/Pop
Decades Active: 80s, 90s
The flagship act of frontman Mark Robinson's own TeenBeat label, Unrest was a towering pillar of the American indie rock community throughout the early '90s -- from the tongue-in-cheek garage noise of their earliest efforts to the shimmering, manic pop thrills of their later, most enduring work, the band was a paragon of DIY virtue, perfecting a... [+] Read More
