The difference, by ear
Garage revival was the commercially successful wing of early-2000s indie, and shares its labels and press.
Both are sung cleanly, but indie rock is slower: 100 to 140 bpm against 140 to 180. To hear the difference, play The White Stripes next to Pavement. They share a root in rock, and indie rock came first, by fifteen years.
In figures
Garage rock revival
Where it sits
Rock › Rock and roll › Garage rock › Garage rock revival
In short
A reaction to nu metal and radio pop: crisp guitars, plain production, narrow suits. It put guitar rock back on festival bills in the 2000s.
How it sounds
- Deliberately plain production: few tracks, raw guitar tone, no click track.
- Short riffs from blues or 1960s garage, wrapped in pop structures.
- A strict visual code - a colour scheme or a uniform for each band.
Key acts
- The White Stripes
- The Strokes
- The Hives
Start here
The pickThe Strokes - Is This It. Thirty-six minutes without a gram of fat.
Full page →Indie rock
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Indie rock
In short
Originally an economic description - independent labels - that hardened into an aesthetic: modest production and total freedom.
How it sounds
- Modest production, with a small budget treated as an aesthetic choice.
- Clean or lightly saturated guitars; solos are rare.
- Untrained, natural vocals, often deliberately vulnerable.
Key acts
- Pavement
- Sonic Youth
- Arcade Fire
- The National
Start here
The pickPavement - Slanted and Enchanted. Studied indifference, excellent songs.
Full page →