Many have come through the ranks, but it has always been the case of indie bands relegated to the fringe circuit here. Yet this year has been a strange yet particularly positive one for local niche bands pursuing creative aspirations and challenges in their music. These bands, straddling thoughtful and complex music, while also blurring the lines between black and white, seem to be generating a lot more interest than ever before.  

The lethargy felt in the muscle-bound rap-rock and dire modern rock scene here is blindingly obvious. Cyclic as rock music tends to be, a breath of fresh air is needed to replace the stale. Just like the advent of the independent homegrown filmmaking scene, the wheels are starting to turn for the local indie music community and low-key bands, once shunned by the mainstream, are beginning to seep into the big picture.