A bit of info on Indie music, and the music scene

Indie Music.

In popular music, independent music, often generally abbreviated as "indie", is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing.

Independent labels have been known to strive for minimal influence on the artist they represent, avoiding the artist-cultivating behavior of many major labels. Artists represented by Independent labels have been known to be focused more on producing music than becoming wealthy and/or well known. These Artists use more off beat styles to create music since they are not hindered by the record label.

Indie Music scene

Many different cities have taken to be an ‘indie music scene’ places such as:

• Yorkshire (Notably Leeds and Sheffield): Sheffield is best known in indie circles for the band Pulp and its front man Jarvis Cocker. Several members of Mercury Prize winners Gomez who hail from Southport, Merseyside, studied at Sheffield University. The rise of Arctic Monkeys has paved the way for new bands such as Milburn, Little Man Tate, The Long Blondes, The Dodgems, Reverend and the Makers and Baby Long Legs. Not as prolific as Sheffield, Leeds has still produced notable indie acts such as Kaiser Chiefs, The Music, Your Vegas, The Cribs, Last Gang, ¡Forward, Russia!, Hadouken! Attended Leeds University although they are originally from Bushey, The Pigeon Detectives and The Wedding Present. These post-millennium bands are associated with the New Yorkshire scene by NME.
• Manchester: Famous for the Manchester scene in the late 80s led by Factory Records artists James and The Happy Mondays as well as Inspiral Carpets and the hugely influential but radically different Stone Roses who are believed to have set the scene for ‘indie’ music. The Manchester scene heavily influenced the Britpop scene in the 90s which included Oasis, The Verve and Doves this was said to be the ‘golden’ era of indie music as Oasis and the verve have over 20 number 1’s between them. Recent bands to emerge include The Courteeners, The Whip and Nine Black Alps. Singer-songwriters Badly Drawn Boy and Jim Noir operate from the suburb of Charlton. Manchester also had a thriving Punk scene inspired by the famous gig in the Manchester Free Trade Hall by The Sex Pistols. In the audience that night was: the Buzzcocks, Factory Records boss Tony Wilson, and post-punk band Stiff Kittens who would later become Joy Division (and ultimately New Order).
• London: Notably the ‘The Scene That Celebrates Itself’, Ikara Colt, Thamesbeat, Klaxons, Bloc Party, M.I.A., The Libertines, Babyshambles, Dirty Pretty Things, The Holloways, The Rakes, New Young Pony Club, The Veils and Razorlight. There are many solo indie acts to emerge from London, such as Jamie T, Jack Penate, Lily Allen, Kate Nash and Adele. The noise rock bands PRE, Part Chimp, Shit and Shine are also from London. A notable label from London is Rough Trade Records. Caribou resides in London.

(a lot of the above bullet point took from Wikipedia.org)