indie music | Winging it

For the past six months or so, I have been thinking about Iceland. I don’t even remember where this Icelandic wanderlust came from. Perhaps I was reading a travel site with beautifully breathtakingly magnificent gorgeous pictures of Iceland. It certainly looks like a photographer’s dream. It’s the kind of place that makes me want to take photos, whilst there.

The flights are generally pretty long, so one would need to go for 3 weeks I would assume. Well, hopefully when I go on leave next year sometime. . . year-endish. . . If I save! These pictures I found on Wikipedia and 123RF have helped to shape my imagination regarding the Icelandic landscape and scenery.

The Northern Lights. . .

. . . Hot Springs

Hues of blue ice bergs at Jökulsárlón

Icelandic Puffin

Icelandic Horses

And reportedly there’s some good Indie music.

I first opened my eyes to Indie Rock back in uni (those were the days…). I listened to a bit of it here and there over the years, with the radio prevailing whilst living in the corporate world; songs from all genres were played. When I arrived in Taiwan last year, I didn’t have access to my so-called commercial stations, so I searched for indie rock playlists, probably a few days after landing. Perhaps I was a bit slow on the uptake, but it wasn’t about seeking trends, it was about finding music for the SOUL. . . and this so happened to be it.

It’s dynamic, I love the creative names of the bands, I love the unique instruments, the lyrics. . . basically, it keeps me sane. It takes me out of the box.

I compiled a list of my favourite indie bands. Some have been around a while, others are relatively new. I don’t know enough about the bands themselves, but I appreciate their music.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Of Monsters and Men

2. Imagine Dragons

3. Passion Pit

4. The Naked and Famous

5. Bastille

6. Two Door Cinema Club

7. Walk the Moon

8. Coldwar Kids

9. The Black Keys

10. Airborne Toxic Effect

I will now fall asleep to the sound of my chill+indie playlists. And tomorrow morning it will be happy+indie. Everyday, everywhere, it has got to be indie.