Indie is more than just music... it's a scene.

Abbreviated from "independent," indie has become an entire genre that includes music, movies, clothing styles, and other facets of culture. It is characterized by its separation from commercial institutions and mainstream lines, and is often considered synonymous to alternative styles.

Since its emergence some time in the 1980s, increasing numbers of youths have been drawn to the beliefs and trends of indie culture. Like many subcultures before it, the indie culture has become part of mainstream youth culture, in some ways earning the conformist status that it initially rejected.

In the 2000s, the indie culture has had crossovers with other subcultures, including hippie, emo, grungers, mods, and recently even metalheads. However, many indie followers are offended that such links are made between the indie subculture and some of those listed above, including emo because of their differing philosophies and emo's links to mainstream culture.

The indie culture in recent years has adopted many traits of the hippie culture and that of the 1960s counterculture.

Music

Bands such as Pixies and Sonic Youth, who hadn't had much mainstream success up to that point, found themselves adored by new fans, assembling a strong indie following. New York City, especially Wililamsburg, Brooklyn, also became a big scene for indie rock, with bands such as We Are Scientists, The Walkmen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, They Might Be Giants and The Strokes.

The indie culture not only accepts music of the times but also accepts classic music from the U.S., especially from the 1960s. Bands like Jefferson Airplane, The Zombies, Jethro Tull, The Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix are considered popular classic indie bands and artists.

Britain's indie music scene can be traced back to the early 1960s with rock and roll bands like The Who, The Kinks, and The Clash made a large imprint on indie culture. Their views were seen as rebellions and spoke out for the nation. These bands greatly influenced many of the indie bands of the 1980s and 1990s.

Fashion

A main characteristic of modern indie clothing trends is uniqueness and individuality. Clothing items include band T-shirts, vintage clothes, striped tops, blazers, waistcoats, ties, cardigans, skinny jeans and Converse shoes.

Indie kids often reject brand names and like to make fun of people that shop at big retail chain stores for spending so much money... even though "indie" stores like Urban Outfitters is pretty expensive too.

Indie fashion has become more popular with stores like TopShop, Miss Selfridge and especially H&M stock becoming big.

Film

Like the indie music scene, independent films are an art form produced without the funding, thus adjustment, from a major movie studio, which allows fans to discover purer qualities within the movies.

Indie movies often include "unknowns" and are made with little money. Sundance, Cannes, and other film festivals feature such flicks. Major indie films include "The Science of Sleep," "Volver," "Babel," and "Fast Food Nation."