Indie rock is like pornography in a way: most people can’t tell you exactly what it is, but they know it when they see it. Er, hear it. It’s loud and obnoxious (or quiet and polite), careless and sloppy (or meticulously composed), complex and pretentious (or simple and unassuming), and, to its fans, cooler and more relevant than any other style of music. It’s impossible to list all of the bands who have been influential to indie rock — doing so would require more space than we have here and would undoubtedly start some petulant silent feuds. One thing’s for sure: it’s cool.

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