AOL, Microsoft court indie-rock crowd

AOL and Microsoft are wooing indie-rock fans to help solidify their digital music strategies.

Corporations seeking indie cred are nothing new. But both bids come at critical times for the technology giants.

AOL, in the midst of shifting from an Internet service provider model to an advertising-driven business, aims to expand its audience at the margins by stretching beyond the pop crowd with new programing aimed at hipsters.