noun Pop Culture

Indie Sleaze

/ˈɪndi sliːz/ · noun · slang

The messy, flash-photo, hipster party aesthetic of the late 2000s — American Apparel, eyeliner, and disco-grime.

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Definitions

1

A mood of careless, chaotic, cool-kid grunge-glam decadence.

“We went indie sleaze for the night, eyeliner everywhere and cheap beer.”
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2

An aesthetic reviving 2008-2013 hipster party culture: harsh flash photography, smudged eyeliner, skinny jeans, leather jackets, and a deliberately messy look.

“Grainy flash photos at a sweaty warehouse party — that's indie sleaze.”
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3

Used adjectivally for anything channeling that late-2000s blog-era scene.

“Her smudged makeup look is so indie sleaze.”
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Indie Sleaze In A Sentence

Indie sleaze is just remembering when Tumblr ran on flash photos and bad decisions.
Threw on a leather jacket and ruined my eyeliner on purpose, full indie sleaze.
The indie sleaze revival means American Apparel and disco lights are back, baby.

Origin & Usage

A retroactive label coined around 2021 for the messy late-2000s/early-2010s hipster aesthetic associated with Cobrasnake photography, MGMT, and American Apparel. Popularized on TikTok.

Variants indie sleaze revivalblog era
Tags #gen-z#internet#2000s#music#american

People Also Ask

What does indie sleaze mean?

It's a revival of the messy late-2000s hipster party aesthetic — harsh flash photos, smudged eyeliner, skinny jeans, leather, and chaotic cool-kid energy. The term was coined retroactively around 2021.

What years was indie sleaze?

Roughly 2008 to 2013, the peak of blog-era hipster and electro-party culture.

What music goes with indie sleaze?

Bands like MGMT, LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes, and electro acts like Justice define the indie sleaze soundtrack.

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