Why era feels nostalgic — even for people who never lived it

Cardiff University’s Lucy Bennett on the revival of the indie sleaze subculture

- Lucy Bennett

THE original indie sleaze moment emerged in the early to mid-2000s, connecting with music, fashion, nightlife and online culture.

Scrolling through social media, it feels as though “indie sleaze” never went away. Grainy flash photography, smudged eyeliner and a soundtrack of early-2000s indie music are once again dominating feeds.

This revival is more of a reworking than a straightforward comeback.

Today’s indie sleaze - exemplified in the music video for Charli XCX’s new track, Rock Music - is an algorithmically curated version of a once messy, participatory subculture.

Its renewed appeal seems to lie partly in this aesthetic of imperfection, partly in its connection to earlier digital platforms and partly in what it evokes - a specific cultural moment associated with pre-social media digital life.

The original “indie sleaze” moment emerged in the early to mid-2000s, connecting with music, fashion, nightlife and online culture.

It coalesced around a wide mix of genres, including electro and “indie” rock, particularly bands from New York such as The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and in the UK, The Libertines, Long Blondes, Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand.

However, it was it more than just the music - the visuals and lifestyle played a core part.

Equally important were the digital platforms that enabled new forms of fan participation and visibility.

Sites like MySpace, LiveJournal and later Tumblr allowed fans, bloggers and photographers to document and curate the scene in real time.