5 of the Most Popular Indie Music Artists (2011)

Rising Stars:

Independent music is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries.  It is often called “indie music” or simply “indie”. Currently, we already have many indie music artists that are existing trying to make it big in the music industry. Some have already made a name and are now popular while some are still striving to get noticed.

Here is a list of the most popular indie music artists in the United States, based on their play count and “scrobbles” in Last.fm.

1.    Death Cab for Cutie – this band is commonly referred to as “Death Cab”. They are an American Indie rock band from Bellingham, Washington. Formed back in 1997 by the lead singer Ben Gibbard, they have already achieved a loyal following of hipsters and emo kids. Their top songs include “I Will Follow You into The Dark,” “Soul Meets Body,” and “Crooked Teeth.”
2.    Animal Collective – they are a new hip breed of indie rock which is sometimes described as psychedelic folk or noise pop. This band originates from Baltimore, Maryland. Their music is so hard to describe because it is sometimes experimental and changes from show to show. Their popular songs are “My Girls,” “In the Flowers,” and “Summertime Clothes,” while their most popular indie albums are “Feels,” “Sung Tongs,” and “Strawberry Jam.”
3.    The Decemberists - formed in the year 2000, a band that comes from Portland, Oregon. Lead singer Colin Meloy is the one who write most of the band’s whimsical lyrics as the one you hear in “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect.” They are now signed to Capitol Records and have already performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and have eventually gained critical acclaim.
4.     The Shins – this band debuted in 1997 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and after their success with the popular indie rock album “Oh, Invented World”, they moved to Portland, Oregon in 2002. They helped popularize indie music with their “Beach Boy-esque” indie pop sound, and their most popular songs are “New Slang,” “Caring is Creepy,” and “Australia.”
5.    Modest Mouse - formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington by Issac Brock, Jeremiah Green, and Eric Judy. Most indie rock purists mock at Modest Mouse being labeled as indie because of their contract with Sony but in spite of that, they are still categorized as indie rock and are still branded as one of the most popular indie music artists. Modest Mouse got significant mainstream appeal with the help of their song “Float On” from videogames like Guitar Hero and Rock Band.