American Indie Rock - Unit 3 Study Guide

K RECORDS

founded in Olympia, Washington, in 1982 by Calvin Johnson, emerged as one of the most influential labels in the American underground music scene — focusing on a raw, unpolished sound that contrasted with the slick production of mainstream labels

BRATMOBILE

spearheaded the riot grrrl revolution of the early 1990s, battling the long-standing dominance of men within the punk rock community to help empower a new generation of female musicians and fans

BIKINI KILL

Kathleen Hanna sang

BIKINI KILL

credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90's via their political lyrics, zines and confrontational live show

SLEATER KINNEY

music combined punk rock energy with feminist and political ideals.

Fronted by Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein

BUILT TO SPILL

Doug Martsch (singer/songwriter/guitarist)

MODEST MOUSE

Isaac Brock (guitarist and vocalist)

ELLIOTT SMITH

his breakout came when his song "Miss Misery," featured on the *Good Will Hunting* soundtrack, earned him an Academy Award nomination in 1997 — Mystery death

SUB POP RECORDS

Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman — played a pivotal role in defining the sound of the grunge movement and the broader indie rock scene of the late '80s and early '90s

THE WIPERS

Greg Sage

THE FASTBACKS

unknown outside of the Pacific Northwest during the early ‘80s but gained more exposure, opening for Nirvana and Pearl Jam in 1994

GREEN RIVER

one of the first grunge bands and played a key role in shaping the Seattle music scene — Frontman Mark Arm and guitarist Steve Turner

THE MELVINS

King Buzzo (singer/guitarist/mastermind)

THE THROWN UPS

chaotic, improvisational performances, frequently incorporating outrageous visual elements, like throwing raw oysters at the audience, to complement their unpredictable music

MUDHONEY

Mark Arm

TAD

Tad Doyle, a former butcher

NIRVANA

Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar) met Chris Novoselic (bass) in 1985 in Aberdeen, Washington, a small logging town 100 miles away from Seattle

THE AFGHAN WHIGS

Greg Dulli’s (lead singer and songwriter)

THE FLAMING LIPS

Wayne Coyne (guitarist), Michael Ivins (bassist), and Steven Drozd (multi-instrumentalist)

SPOON

Britt Daniel and Jim Eno

BRIGHT EYES

Conor Oberst (producer Mike Mogis)

ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT

John Reis (singer/guitarist)

DRIVE LIKE JEHU

John Reis (guitarist) and Rick Froberg (vocalist/guitarist)

HOT SNAKES

John Reis and Rick Froberg (comeback in 2017, with dual drummers Kourkounis and Rubalcaba)

PINBACK

Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow

THE SHINS

James Mercer (led singer/guitarist) (have a Grammy nomination, and third album debuted at no.2 on Billboard 200)

THE MICROPHONES

Phil Elverum

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

solo project of Ben Gibbard, who later expanded the lineup with guitarist Chris Walla — multiple Grammy nominations

THE POSTAL SERVICE

Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello — platinum-selling 2003 debut, Give Up

THE DEAD MILKMEN

humor-laced punk rock that skewers social trends and pop culture

BARDO POND

leading force in the city’s "Psychedelphia" space rock scene during the '90s, defined by their expansive, drug￾inspired psychedelic soundscapes

CAT POWER

Chan Marshall

DON CABALLERO

Damon Che (virtuosic drummer)

BATTLES

Ian

Ian Williams (guitar) and John Stanier (drums)

DR. DOG

expanded their sound and continued to refine their D.I.Y. approach by building their own studio and founding their label, We Buy Gold Records

STEPHEN MALKMUS/STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS

Stephen Malkmus

BEACH HOUSE

Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally — had an album feature a 24-part choir and another reach number 12 on the Billboard 200

GRIZZLY BEAR

Ed Droste (vocalist/songwriter — later left to become a therapist) — Christopher Bear (multi-instrumentalist/drummer), Chris Taylor (bassist/wind player), Daniel Rossen (guitarist/songwriter)

DIRTY PROJECTORS

Dave Longstreth (songwriter/guitarist)

DEERHOOF

Greg Saunier (drummer), Satomi Matsuzaki (bassist and singer), and John Dieterich (guitarists) and Ed Rodriguez — self-produced albums that combine "noise, sugary [pop] melodies, and an experimental spirit into utterly distinctive music”

DEERHUNTER

Bradford Cox (singer/guitarist) and Moses Archuleta (drummer) — Atlanta, Georgia

ANDREW BIRD

A true renaissance man, virtuosic performer, brilliant songwriter, and poetic lyricist — Chicagoland native — collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Martin Dosh — composed for film, starting with the soundtrack for Norman (2010)