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33 Issue 72 / 2015 INDIE / ROCK guestlist.net Why indie music isn't dead Following a series of excellent releases last year, and with a load more scheduled for this one, 2015 could be the year of indie music It seems a long time since 1998 when Julian Cassablancas and co formed The Strokes launching indie rock and roll back into the mainstream. It's fair to say that since 2010, indie music has slipped back into the depths of the underground scene. The rise of house, dance and trap music has seen the mainstream shift its taste to a modern brand of music that's supported by the ever-growing electronic scene. However, all is not lost. Artists like Alt-J, FKA Twigs and Forest Swords have embraced the move to electronic sound and caused a reinvention of the term "indie"; this movement has allowed other bands to resurface and place alternative music at the forefront of the underground music scene. Since Alex Turner's controversial speech at 2013's BRIT Awards, where he claimed that rock and roll will always "hibernate" but it must "adhere to some of its rules" and "will never die", many people have questioned the quality of indie music and the whereabouts of good old-fashioned guitar work. Let's be honest, his speech was ridiculous but for indie lovers around the world, the Arctic Monkeys are often seen as the saving grace of rock and roll, so he has every right to come across as a "pretentious bell end". So it's not all as bleak as it initially seems. 2014 was full of excellent indie records - Mac DeMarco lead the way in acoustic indie with Salad Days, Goat produced a stunning album in the shape of Commune, Jungle delivered a stomping debut, Damon Albarn returned with his touching album Everyday Robots, Royal Blood smashed through the mainstream charts with their thumping self-titled debut, and Jamie T gave us the simply breathtaking Carry On The Grudge. This year could prove to be a significant one for the genre, and is littered with huge albums on the horizon. The mighty Foals will return with their third album following the commercially and critically successful Holy Fire. Haim's second album is under construction and psychedelic masters Peace have finally released their second album Happy People. The Vaccines are launching a UK tour this year and their recent single 'Handsome' demonstrates a swaggering, arrogant style of crafted rock and roll. Finally, The Cribs have dropped teaser track 'An Ivory Hand', an early contender for single of the year - check it out, you'll be playing it non-stop. Clearly indie music is far from dead, there's just so much out there. Don't be surprised if 2015 is the year of the guitar, and with acts like Alt-J and SBTRKT breaching the gap between electronic and indie, the oldest noise may once again make the biggest noise, pushing the dance scene back. Stay tuned.