214 replies to this topic

[Leonidus]

Some indie rock is some really good shit, some of it even has some videogame-esque tunes. And probably the best thing about indie rock is that there's so many subgenres there's something for just about everyone. The shit I like the most is the post rock instrumental stuff like pelican and explosions in the sky (which has been shown around on the shizz a good deal), but I also really like some of the lighter stuff. Here's some of my favorite indie rock bands and their songs:

Spinto Band - really light pop rock type stuff
Spinto Band - Oh Mandy
Spinto Band - Japan is an Island
Spinto Band - Summer Grof

Postal Service - light electronica pop stuff (very popular, you guys have probably all heard it already)
Postal Service - Such Great Heights
Postal Service - Nothing Better

Iron And Wine - light acoustic
Iron and Wine - Sunset And Soon Forgotten
Iron And Wine - Such Great Heights Postal Service Acoustic Cover

Mates of State - light electronica pop stuff (like postal service, little more rockish)
Mates of State - So Many Ways
Mates of State - Running Out (live, couldn't find cd version on youtube)

The Shins - light indie pop rock featured in Garden State ("this song will change your life")
The Shins - New Slang
The Shins - Phantom Limb

Arcade Fire - light indie pop rock (but not always uplifting, neon bible album is particularly dark)
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running

Band of Horses - light indie pop rock
Band of Horses - The Funeral
Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost

I'll add more when I have time, enjoy for now, if you guys haven't already heard all of this (which is usually what happens when I try to show the shizz music).

[ryuhayabusa]

Post rock. Yes.

Also, I'll have some good contributions to this thread tomorrow nightish.

In the meantime, this

[ShawnPhase]

all of that is 5th generation indierock. the good stuff is:


sebadoh
pavement
sonic youth
polvo
rodan
don caballero
archers of loaf
superchunk
retsin
jawbreaker
sunny day real estate
milemarker
the dismemberment plan
a minor forest
trans am
rocket from the crypt
slint
tortoise
jawbox (though technically they were on atlantic for like 2 records, they were on desoto for the majority, so NYAH, the atlantic records are the best ones though)
drive like jehu (another one here for you, the bastard cousins of RFTC, and probably the one band that influenced tons of others to get signed to a national, such as jawbox, at the drive in, alkaline trio, afi, the list goes on)
dinosaur jr
melvins
sleepytime trio
built to spill


theres tons more, but this is real indierock. the bands you listed, the only one ive ever heard is mates of state, and i dont even know if they are on an indie label. that leads me to think that the others are not indierock bands. you should listen to each and every band i have listed this week and then start a new thread about indierock.

[ryuhayabusa]

Eh, I couldn't hold off. Heres a bit of the stuff I listen to on occasion. These are mostly Tweepop, Baroque pop, and indie rock. I'll sift through my post rock tomorrow. I have wayyyy too much.

Daydreams



The Hanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2agQrgUTmB4

Fugu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jow8U75Z5k

Funny Little Dream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41176i2JY8w

Self
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CwetL2x1FA

Patrick Wolf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5kMS2q1iww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89yEOAapoMc

Wolfshiem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtMw-fVw6ms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e683mQQhAs

[ShawnPhase]

what the fuck is this shit?

this is not indierock...do you guys even know who doug martsch is? how about jeff meuller?

[Spookmeister C]

So I still have no clue what classifies as Indie.
I'm gonna go to sleep and when I wake up, I better see answers.

[ShawnPhase]

heres my criteria:

1) did it come out before 1997? if no, shutthefuckoff, if yes then:
2) did it come out on touch and go, merge, polyvinyl, subpop, SST, Matador (in before 1997, dont get any smart ideaz), or subpop, but wasnt a lou barlow, eric gaffney, or jason lowenstein sideproject (fuck bob fay)? if no, its not indierock, go back to beginning. if yes, then:
3) do you remember paying 6-8$ to see said band play an awesomely oversold show? if you're still here, then yeah its indierock.

[ryuhayabusa]

lol

[ShawnPhase]

its funny but its true dude. you've got a few distinct movements that made indierock. you've got your chapel hill, hc faction(polvo, rodan to a lesser degree, superchunk, built to spill), your pittsburgh faction (doncab), massachusetts(sebadoh and pavement i believe), and then cali(boilermaker, rocket from the crypt, drive like jehu, etc). then additionally theres dudes like greg ginn who started sst and put out albums by greats like mike watt/fIREHOSE and black flag and shit, i'd consider that just as much indierock as well. this is the real stuff you want to get caught up on rather than listening to andrew bird or whatever the hell's considered indierock now. arcade fire, scmarkade pyre. listen to built to spill or sunny day or superchunk first.

[LordMachino]

Russian Circles are glorious. I don't know if they'd be considered indie, but they're post rockish. Listen.

[Skummel Maske]

I've listened to Pelican, they're awesome.
What the fuck is indie?

[Norrin_Radd]

Jellyfish - musical genius ifnluence by grunge, queen, and just totally wicked music stuff.

Local Rabbits - Canadian funky indie rock http://www.myspace.com/localrabbits

[Wizwars]

Yeah, I agree with a lot of Shawn's points. None of this shit is 'Indie Rock'. I hear the Postal Service every day on KROQ, Los Angeles' most trendy Rock station, how fucking indie is that? And Iron & Wine is on the Twilight soundtrack, which was at number one on the Billboard charts for a long ass time, might still be (don't follow the charts much).

I'm not sure when Indie Rock became a genre, but it seems that every band that has an accoustic guitar or (for some reason) electronica elements is labeled as an "Indie Rock" band these days, nevermind that they're all releasing on major labels, playing huge shows, and getting rotation on MTV and major radio stations. Just the word 'indie' should be enough of an indication that this is total bullshit, considering the point of the term 'indie rock' was to describe music that was independent from the major music scene.

Here's some real shit you should listen to (also some of my favorite albums of all time) -

Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me
Sebadoh - The Freed Man / III / Gimmie Indie Rock
Slint - Spiderland
Neutral Milk Hotel - Hype City Soundtracks / On Avery Island / In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand

This is just a tiny list, Shawn is more knowledgeable and could give more detailed suggestions but I'd say if you really want to listen to INDIE ROCK these albums are great places to start. My introduction to this stuff was Sebadoh III when I was just 11 years old, amazing album.

[ShawnPhase]

Jellyfish - musical genius ifnluence by grunge, queen, and just totally wicked music stuff.

Local Rabbits - Canadian funky indie rock http://www.myspace.com/localrabbits

jellyfish was on virgin/emi, ahah

pelican is on hydra head, which is a seminal stoner metal model label. they put out harvey milk records, and harvey milk was able to survive in the indierock realm without that sound.

[Norrin_Radd]

Hmmm, I guess I never thought about it before. I don't actually care what the bands I listed are going to be labled as then, but they rock big time.