What makes a band Indie/Alternative -- especially in the 90's

Indie in the 80's/90's was its own thing. Not like today, where it seems more of a mishmash of literally everything out there.

Generally bands/artists who were unsigned, or on small independent labels were indie. Labels like Matador, Sub Pop, Merge, Rough Trade, Kill Rock Stars, 4AD, etc.

Alternative, the way I see it, was this offshoot from postpunk into grunge, and then the angrier shite that came after. But the labels were all big $$$$.

That's just how I always saw it, but it's possible I don't know what the frick I'm talking about.

Correct as necessary.

I thought that Alternative was on college radio, until those bands hit top 40 (U2, R.E.M., The Cure, etc.).

I thought that Indie appeared in the mid-90's with the arrival of better distribution of bands on independent labels.

I thought that Indie/Alternative is just a net that is large enough to catch any band of those threads that are not considered "pop."

Close?

I would argue indie was born in the 80's with bands like Cocteau Twins, The Fall, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., etc

Google says mid-80's. I stand corrected.

Any of you read The Big Takeover?