THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: Shinguuji on 28 Nov 2005, 06:09
-
okay, as said in the title, I'm new to the indie scene/music, I wish to try out some Indie music for a change in taste, perhaps you could suggest some songs based on my preference and history below, I listened to Banshee beat as recommended in the front page, simply because its so shocking(the comic i mean...)
A little history about me, I started out listening to grunge/punk rock slightly before the whole scene exploded, and slighly into the beginning of the scene, I listened to it because it sounded nice, yet was loud and angsty enough for my tastes then, listened to bands like limp bizkit, blink 182, etc. i don't listen to them at all now, except for arvil lavinge(i'm a pop whore now, more on that later)
then i progressed to heavy metal, not so much of the heavy genre, but rather, the '70's' rock scene, bands like val halen, iron maiden, black sabbath, aerosmith, ac/dc, led zepplin, etc. loved it because it had a 70's feel, was loud(i was angsty then), and fun, still listen to a little bit of heavy metal...
then comes the part where i turn into a pop whore, heavy metal was too loud for me, and this is the time where the RNB/rap scene is expanding, I hate RNB/rap to the very core of me, and still hate it, the very few that can really do RNB is sidelined by what i consider posuers, so i decide to listen to pop, sure, it has no 'culture' nor 'scene' or whatever, but i've never been in music for the those two things anyway, i like nice sounding songs, and i suddenly become 'one of the masses' with no preference for songs, so what? everyone else is either trying to act like they're black(rap), or that they're cultured clubber(RNB) when in fact they're just one of the masses.... I also listen to chinese pop(which is more pop that pop is, it contains 90% ballards and close to 100% of the songs are love songs)...
I listen to a mix of everything except RNB now, my favourite songs are the really poppy ones like 'behind these hazel eyes' 'if you come to me', most snoop dogg raps(yes, i know its rap, but i like it...he can really do it right) etc.
maybe you could explain the 'indie' type of music to me, seems really interesting and unique, banshee beat was very very nice, i enjoyed it a lot, i'm hoping for more 'nice' music rather than 'interllectual' or whatever rubbish people choose to call bad music, seems to me that many people just pick a popular song out of the radio, try to like it and then, call it great, when in fact it sounds terrible, i just enjoy nice music, that's it, so throw out a few nice songs, if i like them, i'll go deeper, if not, then its ok, at least banshee beat was a blast....
-
I agree with that guy. ^ Indie is such a vague term. But most people are refering to the Indie Rock scene when they say "indie." And also I'm not trying to force my taste on you but in order to suggest something, you have to like it. So I shall suggest these:
(Band - Specific song)
Rilo Kiley - Paints Peeling (this song really made me like the band)
Ben Kweller - Commerce, Tx
Girl In A Coma - Their Cell
Bloc Party - Banquet
Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer
Stars - Ageless Beauty
Bands that I have no specific song for but also recommend:
Hot Hot Heat (They're likable. Alot of people are snobs about them but you should try them out and form your own opinion.)
The New Pornographers (I'm actually in the process of trying these guys out.)
-
hey. i understand where you are coming from, a few years ago i was like that myself. i got into classic rock and that that it was the only music out there. my friend introduced me to more of the "emo" stuff and then i gradually moved to indie. my friend told me about the weakerthans and i loved them so i went on their website and followed the links, see what bands they were connected with. i went to their old label site, saw what bands were there. then i got into clann zu, propagandhi, and greg macpherson. i saw who they played with, listened to them, talked to friends who knew something about music, listened to those bands, found label-mates and tour-dates and eventually a passion for indie rock. look at the label sites (saddle creek, you can find bright eyes, cursive, the faint) and sites like betterpropaganda.com. with that site you can search a band and see what bands are like it, same goes with epitonic.com, though it's never updated anymore.
i hope that helped and it wasn't just me rambling.
i find when i am introducing people to this music they generally like the weakerthans and metric the most, and of course the arcade fire. also sufjan stevens. i force him upon everyone because to me is god. i mean, incredible.
-
I agree with that guy. ^ Indie is such a vague term. But most people are refering to the Indie Rock scene when they say "indie." And also I'm not trying to force my taste on you but in order to suggest something, you have to like it. So I shall suggest these:
(Band - Specific song)
Rilo Kiley - Paints Peeling (this song really made me like the band)
Ben Kweller - Commerce, Tx
Girl In A Coma - Their Cell
Bloc Party - Banquet
Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer
Stars - Ageless Beauty
Bands that I have no specific song for but also recommend:
Hot Hot Heat (They're likable. Alot of people are snobs about them but you should try them out and form your own opinion.)
The New Pornographers (I'm actually in the process of trying these guys out.)
Indie is considered a type of sound now, actually.
The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
Mock Orange - Mind is Not Brain
The Shins (everything)
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (yeah, that's right; I'm eating my words)
Death Cab for Cutie - Something About Airplanes, We Have the Facts, and The Photo Album; the rest, not counting the EP's, are lame)
Built to Spill (everything)
The Ponys (they sound very classic-rockish but do maintain their own identity; plus, they have a great drummer)
-
The Decemberists
Sufjan Stevens
probably all the bands on SubPop.
-
Anyone said The New Pornographers?
er, check out the old Elephant 6 stuff too.
Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control and the like.
-
Re "all the bands on Sub Pop:"
Grab yourself a few label samplers, they're cheap and they're usually aimed at selling you on new bands.
Some good indie rock labels are Sub Pop, Kill Rock Stars, Matador, Touch & Go, DeSoto, Merge, Saddle Creek, K, Up, Kranky, Drag City, Arts & Crafts, Emperor Jones, and Thrill Jockey.
Also, since you have a classic rock background, I'd suggest two bands: the Hold Steady and the Rye Coalition. They are both heavily influenced by Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC and so on.
-
Anyone said The New Pornographers?
er, check out the old Elephant 6 stuff too.
Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control and the like.
I said The New Pornographers. :(
-
I recomend Iron and Wine for mellow guitar goodness, that stuff can be fun as well.
EDIT: And Deerhoof, Deerhoof is the shit.
-
Indie is considered a type of sound now, actually.
Could you explain what type of sound that is? I am really starting to dislike ANYTHING being called Indie, but if there is a legitamate sound (of which, I admit, I am very skeptical) then I guess I can see why people use it.
I saw a freaking CURE record sold on ebay called Indie, for Pete (and Pete)'s sake.
Indie is becoming the new buzzword for "HEY KIDS BUY THIS" by ad execs.. like Alternative became. It's a drag, but it was bound to happen eventually. It's just a word anyways, good music will still come out.
-
Im pretty much new to the indie scene too, but I may have some suggestions. I started out like you, listening to punk, but it wasnt my thing.
Since you like pop, I think you might like Stars and Rilo Kiley. [PS: I love Tegan and Sara (indie or not? whatever)]. Also, some you've already read about, Broken Social Scene, Flaming Lips, The Shins, The Decemberists Talking Heads (an old personal fav). Get a taste of everything. There is plenty to go around.
-
I would suggest
"The Bends" or "OK Compter" by Radiohead (the less weird radiohead albums)
The Dandy Warhols
Beck
Cake
Spoon
-
A self-styled "pop whore" would probably get a kick out of The Notwist's Neon Golden, and perhaps Dntel's "Life is Full of Possibilities."
-
Now, for some nice easy to get into stuff for beginners.
[...]
Modest Mouse Preferably GOod News for People who like bad news)
[...]
Afterwards, you'll want to listen to stuff that could be considerred a bit weirder and maybe more difficult to get into. Try Broken Social Scene. Arcade fire.
Modest Mouse easier to get into than Arcade Fire? Whoa. To me Modest Mouse sound just a tiny bit "odd", while Arcade Fire are definitely relatively easy to get into, and overall pleasant.
-
Go buy The Moon and Antarctica by Modest Mouse. I promise that you will be happy for it.
-
A self-styled "pop whore" would probably get a kick out of The Notwist's Neon Golden, and perhaps Dntel's "Life is Full of Possibilities."
Absolutely on Notwist. Dntel is a little more atmospheric though, except for Evan & Chan.
I add more love for the New Pornographers, and also suggest Sufjan Stevens' Illinois and The Decemberists' Picaresque, both with some excellent "pop" kind of melodies, although with a lot more depth.
Doves, too; Last Broadcast has a lot of great songs.
Oh, and for reviews, I find myself agreeing with Popmatters (http://www.popmatters.com) a lot.
-
well, as far as good music goes, i have fast music and slow music that i like... you cant really group them together because some people like slower songs and some people need fast songs. here's what i suggest
fast-ish:
metric
no knife
bloc party
q and not u
dismemberment plan
cursive
engine down
not as fast:
stephen malkmus and the jicks (pig lib)
pedro the lion
sigur ros
american analog set
neutral milk hotel
pinback
good grief, if you check out a fourth of the bands that everyone has listed, you will have a great taste of what's out there.
-
I thought Good News was okay but not worth owning for months before I changed my mind. Arcade Fire I heard samples of, and wasn't thrilled about, until a few weeks later when I couldn't get the sample for "Neighborhood #1" out of my head. As to the rest of Modest Mouse, I now want to get Moon and Antarctica but it's almost a year later. So I guess my experience sort of backs you up here (the only difference being my preference for Arcade Fire over Modest Mouse in general).
-
True, I find most modest mouse kinda weird. But I found Good News for People Who Like Bad News instantly accessible, as did all the people I played it to. People I played the Arcade Fire to tended not to like it until I'd forced them to listen to it repeatedly.
I've played Arcade Fire to people who haven't listened to similar stuff and everyone instantly liked it. It's among my most successful bands in that respect.
-
seems like 'indie' type of music is more of relaxing and laid back, with more emphasis on the music rather than words, the words give a trance-like effect to the music, its more of a sit back and talk music, i find it rather relaxing, although sometimes it gets too melachonic sounding for my tastes, considering i'm not too happy....oh, and its also rather surreal....
i kinda like it, i don't really see myself as an exclusive indie listener, but i'll have a folder called 'indie' right along side with 'pop' 'rock' and 'chinese' on my MP3 player.....
i thought that these type of music was found only in those surreal opera plays, yeah, i know its a weird comparison, but i've been trying to look for these type of music for a long time.....the only thing i can think of is the song 'deep spirit' which is more trance/dance than anything...so it doesn't really count...thanks for helping me find it....
seems the indie genre has a wide range of music....maybe i haven't listened to all of them yet, it would be a blast if you could list the 'signature song' for each genre, ie. 'november rain' is the signature song for rock ballards, 'behind these hazel eyes' is the theme song for the ever popular heartbroken teen girl pop songs...
suggestions pls~! thx...
-
Indie is considered a type of sound now, actually.
Could you explain what type of sound that is? I am really starting to dislike ANYTHING being called Indie, but if there is a legitamate sound (of which, I admit, I am very skeptical) then I guess I can see why people use it.
I saw a freaking CURE record sold on ebay called Indie, for Pete (and Pete)'s sake.
Indie is becoming the new buzzword for "HEY KIDS BUY THIS" by ad execs.. like Alternative became. It's a drag, but it was bound to happen eventually. It's just a word anyways, good music will still come out.
Well, it's considered a type of music by some people, anyway. I mean, places like allmusic who know what they're talking about use it like that. They have a page on the genre.
-
Hmm, well, I was legitimately asking you what you thought it was, not like yelling 'Hey there's no such thing as an indie genre."
-
(Yelling): Hey there's no such thing as an indie genre.
-
I BELIEVE YELLING IS WHAT "HUGE" FONT SIZE IS FOR
-
DUH
-
The Thermals!
Metric!
The Beta Band!
Death From Above 1979!
Wolf Parade!
Eisley!
Head Automatica!
and for later reference...
Sigur Ros
Do Make Say Think
Of Montreal
The Postal Service
Ratatat
Architecture In Helsinki
-
Try some VHS Or Beta.
-
Head Automatica is considered music?
-
I used to like Head Automatica, so be quiet!
YEAH
I IS WAY INDIER.
-
Hmm, well, I was legitimately asking you what you thought it was, not like yelling 'Hey there's no such thing as an indie genre."
Huh? I wasn't trying to sound like I thought that. I was legitimately trying to answer your question. :P
-
If you want something that's more accessible "pop" fans then give these bands a go. Some of them have already been said, but I figure it's never a problem to add extra support!
The Postal Service
Belle & Sebastian
The Magic Numbers
The Stars
Bloc Party
Frou Frou
Royksopp
But I have more recommendations. They usually take a couple of listens to really get into, but I love it.
Architecture in Helsinki - They're an Australian Indie band. Their latest album, In Case We Die, is excellent if only because it's so much fun.
Deerhoof - I heard of them from the comic, so really, there's not much more to say. Grab Green Cosmos and enjoy.
Ladytron - Who can say no to a bit of Electroclash? Witching Hour, in my opinion is your classic electroclash, well on par with Chicks on Speed and Felix da Housecat.
OK Go - Their album, Oh No, has been on high rotation on my playlist lately. Especially the song, "The House Wins". Great listening.
Now to finish, I can't help but recommend moving towards some post-rock. A lot of people aren't cool with it, but if you ever just want to sit back and listen to something relaxing then this is the way to go.
Sigur Ros - Classic. I've heard it described as "Ambient Icelandic Wailing", which made me sad because I think they're genius. Their latest album, Takk, is decent but I'd recommend Agaetis Byrjun for a first listen.
Dirty Three - Instrumental outfit from Melbourne. Whatever you love you are is on my list of top albums of all time. Absolutely gorgeous.
Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks. The entire album is a story, combining ambient instrumental, spoken prose and mixed sound effects to really draw you into the album. Listen to it when you've got nothing else to do, because it needs your attention.
Rachel's - I've only just gotten hold of the album The Sea and The Bells. Once again, an instrumental album, but this one tells the story of, surprisingly enough, The Sea and the Bells. Absolutely beautiful.
OK, I'm done. Hope you like some of it!
-
How 'bout giving these guys a go?
!!!
1 Mile North
1-Speed Bike
7 Year Rabbit Cycle
13 + God
31 Knots
65daysofstatic
The '89 Cubs
+/-
A Day In Black and White
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
A Minor Forest
A Northern Chorus
A Silver Mt. Zion
A Whisper in the Noise
Aarktica
Abilene
Adem
The Advantage
Aereogramme
Aidan Baker
Aids Wolf
Air
Aix Em Klemm
Akron/Family
Alarm Will Sound
The Album Leaf
Alias & Ehren
Aloha
Alva Noto
American Analog Set
American Football
Amina
Amon Tobin
Amps for Christ
Amusement Parks on Fire
aMute
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
Andrew Pekler
Animal Collective
Annie
Anomoanon
The Antarcticans
Aphex Twim
Apostle of Hustle
Appendix Out
The Arcade Fire
Archer Prewitt
Architecture In Helsinki
Arco
At the Drive-In
August Born
Aurore Rien
Autechre
Autolux
Avalanches
Bardo Pond
Bark Psychosis
Basement Jaxx
Bear vs. Shark
Bearsuit
Beck
Bedhead
Beef Terminal
Bell Orchestre
Bellini
Below the Sea
Bibio
Big Black
Big Business
Bjork
Black Dice
Black Heart Procession
The Black Keys
Black Mountain
Black Ox Orkesta
Black Star
Bloc Party
The Blood Brothers
The Blow
Boards of Canada
The Boats
Boduf Songs
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
The Books
Boom Bip
The Boredoms
Boy In Static
Brainiac
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Brian McBride
British Sea Power
Broken Social Scene
Built to Spill
By the End of Tonight
Calexico
Calla
Caribou
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Caspian
Castanets
Cat Power
Cerberus Shoal
Character
Chin Up Chin Up
Christopher Bissonnette
Christopher o' Riley
Clearlake
Climax Golden Twins
Clinic
Colleen
Comets on Fire
Common
The Concretes
The Conet Project
Converge
The Cooper Temple Clause
Cul de Sac
Cursive
Cyann & Ben
Daft Punk
Damien Jurado
Danger Doom
Daniel Menche
David Pajo
Deadmeadow
The Dead Science
The Dead Texan
Deaf Center
Death Cab for Cutie
Death From Above 1979
The Decemberists
Deerhoof
Destroyalldreamers
Detwiije
Devendra Banhart
Dirty Projectors
Dirty Three
Dntel
Do Make Say Think
Dolorean
Don't Mess With Texas
Doves
Drift
Dungen
Early Day Miners
Earth
Edison Woods
Efterklang
Elliott Smith
Eluvium
Emery Reel
Emperor X
Enon
Envy
Epic45
Esmerine
Et Sans
Evil Pupil
Evpatoria Report
Excepter
Explosions In the Sky
F.S. Blumm
Failure
Faraquet
Feist Femme Fatale
Fennesz
Fifths of Seven
Film School
Final Fantasy
Finn
The Flaming Lips
Fly Pan Am
The Flying Luttenbachers
For Stars
The Four of Us are Dying
Four Tet
Fridge
Friends In the Mountains
Frog Eyes
From Monument to Masses
Fucking Am
Fuck-Off Machete
The Futureheads
Fuzzy Lights
Gang Gang Dance
Gastr del Sol
Ghostface
Guiseppe Ielasi
Glenn Branca
The Go Find
The Go! Team
Goblin Cock
God is an Astronaut
Godflesh
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Goldmund
Gonzales
The Good Life
Gorillaz
Grandaddy
Gravenhurst
Great Lake Swimmers
Gregor Samsa
Grizzly Bear
Growing
Guitar
Guitar Wolf
Hair Police
Hangedup
Happy End
Hauschka
Headlights
Helio Sequence
Hella
Her Space Holiday
Holopaw
Holy Fuck
Hood
Howard Hello
Hrsta
Hrvatski
I am the World Trade Center
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
Interpol
Iron & Wine
Isis
Jackie-O Motherfucker
Jaga Jazzist
Jandek
Jane
Jason Anderson
Jeniferever
Jessica Bailiff
Jesu
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Jim O'Rourke
The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up Johann Johannsson
The Juan Maclean
Julian Fane
Julien Neto
June of 44
Junior Senior
Kammerflimmer Kollektief
Kanye West
Karate
KC Accidental
Keith Fullerton Whitman
Khanate
Khonnor
Kid606
Kill Me Tomorrow
Knife In the Water
Kronos Quartet
Labradford
Landing
Larsen
Lazarus
LCD Soundsystem
Les Savy Fav
Liars
Library Tapes
Lichens
Lift to Experience
Light
Lightning Bolt
Little Wings
Lotus Eaters
Low
The Lucksmiths
Lumen
M83
M. Ward
Madlib
Madvillain
Magnolia Electric Co.
Man Man
Manitoba
Mark Lanegan
The Mars Volta
Marsen Jules
Mates of State
Matmos
Max Richter
Mclusky
Melt-Banana
Menomena
Merzbow
mewithoutyou
MF Doom
MIA
Mice Parade
Michael Gum
The Microphones
Minamo
Minibosses
Mirah
Mirror
Mission of Burma
Modest Mouse
Mogwai
Mono
Moonn D)))
Mos Def
Most Serene Republic
The Mountain Goats
Mountain Men Anonymous
Mu
Mugison
Mum
Murder By Death
My Bloody Valentine
My Cat Is an Alien
My Morning Jacket
Nadja
Namelessnumberheadman
Need New Body
Neurosis
Neutral Milk Hotel
Nice Nice
Nine Inch Nails
No Birds
The Notwist
Oceanographer
The Octopus Project
Okay
Okkervil River
One AM Radio
Out Hud
Outkast
Owen
P.ano
Paik
Pan American
Panda Bear
Papa M
Part Chimp
Patrick Wolf
Pavement
Pelican
Piano Magic
Pig Destroyer
The Pillows
Pinback
Pixies
The Plot to Blow Up the Eifel Tower
Polmo Popo
Polysics
Porn Sword Tobacco
Port-Royal
The Postal Service
Prefuse 73
Pretty Girls Make Graves
Q and not U
Quasimoto
Queens of the Stone Age
Rachel's
Radiohead
Rank Sinatra
Rapeman
The Rapture
Ratatat
Re
Red House Painters
Red Sparowes
Redjetson
Refused
Reindeer Section
Remote Viewer
Ride
Rilo Kiley
Rival Schools
RJD2
Rodan
Rogue Wave
Rothko
Royksopp
Rumah Sakit
Ryan Teague
Satisfact
Saxon Shore
Seascapes of the Interior
Seidenmatt
Self
Semuin
Set Fire to Flames
Shellac
Shining
The Shins
Shipping News
Sigur Ros
Six Organs of Admittance
Skygreen Leopards
Sleater-Kinney
Slint
Slowdive
Smog
Sofa
Something for Rockets
Songs:Ohia
Sonic Youth
Sonna
Sons and Daughters
Sounds Like Braille
Spoon
Squarepusher
Stars
Stars of the Lid
State River Widening
Stephen Malkmus
Stephen o' Malley
Steve Reich
The Streets
The Strokes
Sufjan Stevens
Sun Kil Moon
Sunn O)))
Superchunk
Susumu Yokota
Swod
Swords
Talk Talk
Tape
Tarantual
Ted Leo
Ten In the Swear Jar
Terry Riley
Thanksgiving
The Lights From Here
The Sea, Like Lead
Thee More Shallows
The Thermals
These Arms are Snakes
This Is the Process of a Still Life
Thunderbirds are Now!
Tim Hecker
To Rococo Rot
Tom Waits
Tortoise
Tristeza
Tussle
Ugly Casanova
The Unicorns
Valley of the Giants
Vashti Bunyan
Venetian Snares
Vitalic
The Walkmen
We Versus the Shark
Weezer
Weird Weeds
White Rainbow
Why?
Wilco
William Basinski
Wind-Up Bird
Windy and Carl
Wixel
Wolf Parade
Wooden Spoon
Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice
The Workhorse
Worlds End Girlfriend
Woven Hand
The Wrens
Xiu Xiu
XXL
Yellow6
Yellow Swans
Yndi Halda
Yourcodenameis: Milo
Youth Pictures Of Florence Henderson
Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies
Zeljko McMullen
Pick randomly. You're bound to like one.
-
You just broke the internet. He said suggestions. NOT THE WHOLE INDIE SCENE.
Slowdive - Machine Gun
Sloan - If It Feels Good Do It
-
Ooh, I see we've started whipping the old indie-cocks out.
-
I must chime on on Rilo Kiley. Paint's Peeling is a great song but in particular I think their most recent album is a fantastic and accessible pop record. It led to one of my friends demanding that I start recommending more music to her.
-
How 'bout giving these guys a go?
Alot
Pick randomly. You're bound to like one.
Jesus Christ, did you just open Winamp and list the artists on your playlist or what?
-
How 'bout giving these guys a go?
Alot
Pick randomly. You're bound to like one.
Jesus Christ, did you just open Winamp and list the artists on your playlist or what?
I keep a handy list of bands I like that I add to from time to time. Comes in handy.
Ooh, I see we've started whipping the old indie-cocks out.
No shit.
-
Oh, and don't listen to the Decemberists. Check out Destroyer instead. Of course, I'm only comparing lead singers. As far as nasal voices go, Dan Bejar has a much more appealing voice IMO. Nasality isn't an excuse to sound monotone and suck, Colin Meloy.
Streethawk: A Seduction is one of my favorites. Pick that shit up.
-
PFFT. If you're going to be that picky, don't listen to Destroyer because they're boring. Just try "Execution Day" and "Testament to Youth in Verse" from the New Pornographers.
-
If by Destroyer you mean The Decemberists, then yes. Yes they are.
-
alright, this isn't for discussion on how awesome the decemberists are (becasue it is obviously a lot)
i would advise against deerhoof until you try out a few gateway bands, deerhoof is more for hardcore addicts.
hot hot heat is pretty easy to get into if you have any inkling of a cacophony fetish, which, given your propensity towards pop, you probably don't. it THAT case i definatly back everyone up on the new pornographers, nice indie pop, quite good for a light party too. i just got twin cinema not too long ago and i'm quite pleased.
-
I don't know if anyone mentioned the mountain goats. Maybe they are not for beginners but sweet jesus I love them.
-
Speaking as one who is only a few years into the whole indie scene (whatever that means) himself, I would definetly suggest Spoon. If you're a pop-ish person, Daft Punk's Discovery is an album for you, as is M.I.A's Arular. I just posted a rant about Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over the Sea, so I won't go into it, aside from urging you to listen to it as soon as possible.
Really what it comes down to is finding an album or artist that gets you hooked on the medium of independent music on general. For me, it was CAKE and Spoon (I used to be fat, lol), but the album that really had me by the balls was The Walkmen's Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. Of course, they're not "indie" anymore after appearing on The O.C., and I will admit, tears were shed, but in the end, their music brings me to what can cliche-ly be described as a "special place", and hopefully you'll find an album/artist that will do the same for you.
-
I don't know if anyone mentioned the mountain goats. Maybe they are not for beginners but sweet jesus I love them.
Yeah. I love the goats, but their bare minimalism and acoustic ramblings were a bit of a shock at first. Now I love them for that. There is no "in spite" for that band. :D
Also, person, check out Youth Group. They're like Death Cab for Cutie except with a better singer, less personal lyrics, and more rock. Oh, and they don't sound boring or bored.
-
The Walkmen
The Walkmen as in the band that did the song, 'The Rat'??
They are awesome.
-
May I suggest once again THE PIXIES. That is a good start there. But also the Jesus and Mary Chain, Blonde Redhead, the Replacements, Sonic Youth, Robyn Hitchcock, and PJ Harvey.
-
I dove right in. My friend and I printed off the recommended listening page, pooled our funds, went to the local record store (specializing in indie music and just a few blocks from my house) and splurged. We got: The Flaming Lips, Enon, THe Arcade Fire, Enon, Mogwai, Sonic YOuth, The Decemberists, Modest Mouse, aaand thats it.
-
The Walkmen
The Walkmen as in the band that did the song, 'The Rat'??
They are awesome.
They are a bit wierd, though. They may put off some people new to the genre. Still, Bows and Arrows is accessable enough, I'd say. I think most should wait on Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone. Both of them are great, but, you know, the wierdness.
-
How 'bout giving these guys a go?
<among others>
Death Cab for Cutie
Kanye West
Nine Inch Nails
Outkast
Radiohead
The Strokes
Weezer
Pick randomly. You're bound to like one.
Remind me again what Indie means. I seem to have forgotten.
-
I get why the rest are daft selections, but why not Death Cab For Cutie? I mean what else could they be? And please don't say emo, because, well, they just aren't.
-
How 'bout giving these guys a go?
{Long list}
Pick randomly. You're bound to like one.
He covered most of what I wanted to say, but I'd add TV on the Radio, Fischerspooner, Jawbreaker, Quasi and Slint to that list. They're pretty kicking. Fun stuff!
-
I get why the rest are daft selections, but why not Death Cab For Cutie? I mean what else could they be? And please don't say emo, because, well, they just aren't.
He's just saying that all those people are signed. Haven't you heard DCFC is signed to Atlantic Records? It was like the indie scandal of the century. Just kidding.
But more and more "signed" artist are being described as "indie" it's not technically correct but these mainstream artists are starting to put out a not-so-mainstream sound. Which if you think really hard on it, is bullshit because it's still in the mainstream. AGH, indie hurts my head.
-
Surprised no ones mentioned Nick Cave yet.
also Marriane Faithfull's last album "before the poison" aint too shabby either.
Oh - I tend to use the completely arbitrary means of judging indie as "Is clearchannel playing you? No? Indie."
Accurate? Not wholly, but no more or less so than half the other confused methods ^.^
-
I get why the rest are daft selections, but why not Death Cab For Cutie? I mean what else could they be? And please don't say emo, because, well, they just aren't.
Thank you. :D
Death Cab is getting a lot of press now, but uh...they USED to be Indie. In fact, they used to sound like Built to Spill with more keyboards (Something About Airplanes).
-
Is it just me or are Built to Spill and Modest Mouse the same band?
(Joking obviously, but don't they sound extremly similar?)
-
Uh, no?
Built to Spill and 764-HERO, at times, maybe, are close.
But surely not Modest Mouse. What have you heard by Built to Spill that sounds like MM?
-
Also, since you have a classic rock background, I'd suggest two bands: the Hold Steady and the Rye Coalition. They are both heavily influenced by Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC and so on.
I love how incredibly out of place Springsteen is on that list...
Anyway, I only started getting into indie music about 4 or 5 months ago, so from my experience, here are some of the best groups to start with:
Modest Mouse
The Flaming Lips
The New Pornographers
Broken Social Scene
Stars
Wilco
Sloan
A.C. Newman
Wolf Parade
From there, just keep exploring. Don't be afraid to give things a try if they're recommended is the best advice I can really give.
-
my mums indie
-
I get why the rest are daft selections, but why not Death Cab For Cutie? I mean what else could they be? And please don't say emo, because, well, they just aren't.
He's just saying that all those people are signed. Haven't you heard DCFC is signed to Atlantic Records? It was like the indie scandal of the century. Just kidding.
But more and more "signed" artist are being described as "indie" it's not technically correct but these mainstream artists are starting to put out a not-so-mainstream sound. Which if you think really hard on it, is bullshit because it's still in the mainstream. AGH, indie hurts my head.
Ah, I see. It makes sense now. I don't really read the music press much, and the last thing I read about DCFC was an interview where they said they couldn't see themselves ever signing to a major, so I had no idea they'd actually gone and done it.
-
Is it just me or are Built to Spill and Modest Mouse the same band?
(Joking obviously, but don't they sound extremly similar?)
Here's the thing: Modest Mouse was influenced by The Pixies and Built to Spill, so that may explain some of what you said, but really, I see more Pixies than Built to Spill. I guess you could say that Trailer Trash or a couple of other songs on Lonesome Crowded West sound like BtS, but I see much more Pixies in them.
The most appropriate comparison, I'd say, would be to Pavement.
-
Surprised no ones mentioned Nick Cave yet.
.... marry me? allow me to bear your children?
the birthday party and nick cave and the bad seeds are a good find, though not instantly accessible. but worth it.
-
If I were you I would just start with Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea then work from there. Prefferably via Death Cab For Cutie, Flaming Lips, Belle & Sebastian, Tom Waits, Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire, Jurassic 5, Bloc Party, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens. That way you get a good range of new and old, and lots of different types of music to try out (not that you have to limit yourself to anyone of them, personally I like them all), plus you're bound to like at least one of them, and they're all easy to find at any legal or otherwise source (but if you do download it make sure you buy the album if you like it). And whoever says that Jurassic 5 doesn't count as indie get a boxed ear.
-
Combing the archives... this thread was AWESOME. Where does an "indie beginner" start with this mess??
BUMP
-
Well, you start in 1960s with the Velvet Underground.
Then you follow the roots of the scene along until...
uh - jk.
-
Now, for some nice easy to get into stuff for beginners.
[...]
Modest Mouse Preferably GOod News for People who like bad news)
[...]
Afterwards, you'll want to listen to stuff that could be considerred a bit weirder and maybe more difficult to get into. Try Broken Social Scene. Arcade fire.
Modest Mouse easier to get into than Arcade Fire? Whoa. To me Modest Mouse sound just a tiny bit "odd", while Arcade Fire are definitely relatively easy to get into, and overall pleasant.
Quoted for truth.
I'm a rocker type, and the Arcade Fire was certainly my gateway band but if you're gonna go the modest mouse route, Good News and the Moon and Antarctica are great albums (m and A obviously greater :P)
-
I totally went the modest mouse route way back when. I think it's probably the answer, actually.
-
I myself am pretty new to indie. I started with the Arcade Fire - Funeral. which is a great album. On the top of my list is Broken Social Scene, American Analog Set, Cake, Radiohead, The Decemberists, Architecture in Helsinki. Oh, Mogwai. Guess most of my likes so far are from QC and some friends but it really is nice to hear some music with actual melody and thought put into it.
-
I myself am pretty new to indie. I started with the Arcade Fire - Funeral. which is a great album. On the top of my list is Broken Social Scene, American Analog Set, Cake, Radiohead, The Decemberists, Architecture in Helsinki. Oh, Mogwai. Guess most of my likes so far are from QC and some friends but it really is nice to hear some music with actual melody and thought put into it.
-
-- Warning: This post is long, it rambles like a confused stream, and ultimately has no point. --
Ok, so I found this comic about a week and a half ago. Love it, BTW. Some good writing, and it was awesome to watch the art improve and evolve (Read the whole thing in one sitting, hehe). But, I was noticing myself asking, "Whe the heck are these bands?"
So, I read the Recomended Listening. I started lurking the boards. And I started randomly downloading.
A bit of musical history: I grew up in the middle of nowhere; High School graduating class of 50. If it wasn't Country or Classic Rock, it didn't exist. The kids all watched MTV, of course, so that was where the music I first started listening to was: MTV, and other MTV-watching teens. This is late 90s, so Alt-Rock was all the rage still, but honestly, music was something that wasn't all that interesting to me, so mostly, I went without.
Then, I graduated, and moved to Seattle, WA to do the College thing. For the most part, the music I was exposed to wasn't anything life-changing, except for one album - Beaucoup Fish by Underworld. I still can't put my finger on why, but I LOVE this album, and have probably listened to it more times than anything else, period. I had to go out and find more Underworld, which I also enjoyed, but for the most part, found the Techno scene to be difficult to get into, and more to find stuff I liked. So, again, I dropped into Musical Stasis.
Until recently. A coworker introduced me to some of his faves, bands like System of a Down, Antiflag, NoFX, and Mindless Self Indulgence, all of whom I'm enjoying greatly. Thing is, I'd been feeling agitated and jaded about music for a long time, to the point where I'd leave the radio in the car off rather than listen to the latest Bizkit clone. Finding some new bands that I actually ENJOYED listening to seemed to make it worse, as I pulled up my mp3 collection, and found no desire to listen to anything in it, barring the few latest bands, whom I was starting to overplay. By sheer coincidence, another friend linked me to a funny QC Strip (#527: Those Poor Horsies). I laughed. I clicked "First". And we're back up to the present, hehe.
So, knowing absolutely nothing about any of the bands mentioned, I hit these boards. And this thread. And I started collecting, at random, anything that was listed and praised.
...And I like. I like alot.
So far, I've gotten:
Arcade Fire - Self Titled (Us Kids Know?)
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Broken Social Scene - Self-Titled
Broken Social Scene - Feel Good Lost
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Interpol - Antics
Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Modest Mouse - Interstae 8
Modest Mouse - Sad Sappy Sucker
Modest Mouse - Building Nothing Out of Something
Modest Mouse - Baron Von Bullshit Rides Again
Sigur Ros - ()
Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
Sigur Ros - Takk
The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
The New Pornographers - The Electric Version
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
The Postal Service - Give Up
The Shins - Chutes too Narrow
The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
I know, alot for one week, heh. The best part is, even though I was going into this with no idea what I'd hear, what it would sound like... I like it all. Well, except the Modest Mouse stuff; I enjoy Good News, but just can't get into the rest of it.
So far, the two that have had the biggest impact are:
Postal Service - Give Up
I can't put my finger on why, but this album is awesome. It just sounds good - it's enjoyable to hear. My first run though it, I thought it was a tad whiny, but the more I listened, the more wit I was catching in the lyrics. Sure, some of it's sappy, but he sings it from a very realistic place that I can identify with. Track 4, Nothing Better, blew my mind. I was just about to dismiss it as another "she broke my heart" song, when suddenly, she jumped in and started singing back, and I realized, "Holy crap, he's not singing to the audience, he's singing to her!" I sat completely mesmerized at the surreal interchange between the vocalists, and the eventual unhappy outcome.
Sigur Ros - ()
I have no idea how to even classify what they're doing, but it's good. Real good. I find myself suddenly stopping whatever I'm doing just to listen to it. So subtle and powerful and beautiful all at once.
Anyway, there's no point to this post, other than to share. I figure, you shared something with me, even if you didn't know you were doing it, and I'm finding myself happy about music in a way I've never been, ever since I bought my first cassette tapes as a pre-teen back in the early 90s. So, thank you! Here's to many more great tracks!
*edit - I can't believe I left the Flaming Lips off the first time. If Clouds Taste Metallic, then serve me up a heaping plate of iron filings! =D
-
OMG. Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin.
One of the best albums of the past decade. That's the Lips album you want, not the other two.
Secondly, give the modest mouse stuff more of a chance (lonesome crowded is amazing).
Okay - so, if that's the stuff you ended up liking, give Death Cab for Cutie a try.
Also listen to the Shins.
-
Beaucoup Fish by Underworld
Nice! Born Slippy is my ringtone! Rawks also on the middle-of-nowhere Washington Staters (which i assume since you moved to Seattle). Yea 509.
What was the topic again? Oh yeah, indie 101. Listen to the Velvet Underground, the Pixies, Sonic Youth, the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Talking Heads, Wilco, the better part of the Elephant 6 collective... oh fuck it, there should be a Beginner's Mixes forum.[/quote]
-
I should write the "n00bs guide to intro indie"
Maybe I will. That'd be fun.
-
Spartan Pho3nix:
The Soft Bulletin coming down the pipe. I promise to feel guilty for my evil ways just as soon as piracy goes out of style. ;)
To be fair, I haven't had enough time to give all of it the decent attention it deserves - but throwing it all into one playlist and hitting Random, those two are the ones that immediately caught my attention. But, like I said, so far, I haven't heard anything I DON'T like, heh. I'll give the MM another go around, and I'm loading up that Shins I've got for Personal Attentive Review right now, actually.
*edit* I'd read and appriciate any info you're willing to commit, heh. Seems like a daunting task, seeing how personal tastes account so largely into people's reception to things like music, though.
nescience:
Actually, Middle of Nowhere was Western Montana. Instead of the flat dry farmland you get in *edit*Eastern*edit* Washington, you get rocky mountains and dry, scrubby trees. Only real difference is that Mountains block Radio Reception, where as Farmland does not. And yeah, Underworld rocks. For the longest time Beaucoup Fish was my favorite album, but lately I'm torn between it and Everything Everything (CD Version, I fully intend on purchasing the DVD if I can ever find it).
Lessie... Pixies did that song on the end of Fight Club, no? *Googles* Yup, "Where is My Mind". I'll have to check them out, yeah, along with the rest.
Undirected Question:
Where does one go to learn how to identify all this music? In browsing about, I've already confused myself trying to wrap my head around terms like Indie-rock, Indietronic, Basement, Post-Basement...
Ouch. I think I just sprained my left cortex.
-
Crap. Point number one - NEVER random.
I always play full Albums. It's much better.
Even if you only listen to the full album when you first download it and sort out what tracks you like (i never do this, but you can if you want).
But give em a full through.
Secdonly, the pixies pwn. Doolittle doolittle doolittle. I actually like bossanova after that, but i'd have to recommend surfer rosa just due to commmon preference.
-
Crap. Point number one - NEVER random.
I always play full Albums. It's much better.
Even if you only listen to the full album when you first download it and sort out what tracks you like (i never do this, but you can if you want).
But give em a full through.
Secdonly, the pixies pwn. Doolittle doolittle doolittle. I actually like bossanova after that, but i'd have to recommend surfer rosa just due to commmon preference.
Yeah... Well, seeing as I kinda took a shotgun approach to this, I found myself with a large amount of stuff to listen to very quickly. Seemed appropriate to just Random it and see what shook loose.
Though I'll agree with you, there is something infinately enjoyable about listening to a complete album in it's proper order. Especially when you discover that they link together into a loose narrative of mood and tempo. Or something. I should probably refrain from pretending to know how to describe music, hehe.
Oh, and before I forget, there was another album I came across a few months back that very nearly melted my brain. It's called "Dub Side of the Moon" - a Reggae Revisioning of Pink Floyd's infamous and often laser-accompanied Dark Side of the Moon. I was skeptical at first, but after listening to it, I'm convinced that Dark Side was always intended to be Reggae, and Floyd just had it all wrong. Blod Statement? Perhaps, but sleep deprivation emboldens the n00bs. ;)
-
Okay. While you're downloading music and all, i have to recommend a NEW release for you to download.
Mogwai - Mr. Beast.
Album comes out in March. It's leaked.
Download it. And enjoy, repeatedly. It's amazing.
Also, for a different sort of music, try listening to Explosions in the Sky. I recommend the Album "Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die...Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever". It's pretty amazing. Pretty much no lyrics, but it's more than worth it.
These are more classified as "Post-Rock."
-
Ok, you were right. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow is a good album. Suft Bulletin down, all three Pixies you mentioned in the pipe, as well as that Mogwai.
And searching Wikipedia for post-rock helps very little. I feel I need a degree in Musical History and Studies just to know what's going on in that article, lol.
Anyway, time for me to hit the sack. I'll chat at you all more tomorrow. Thanks for the Recommends!
-
Good luck on your awesome quest.
-
Mornin' all.
I'm starting to feel like I've hijacked this thread. If you all prefer, I can go start a new one. Because I'm totally important enough for my own thread. Totally. =D
Anyway, I listened to Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin. I thought QC#141 was joking, but no - I really DO want to dance around giggling like an idiot. Replace the man in the white suit with a hot chick in a white suit, though. Awesome stuff.
-
By Two, I'm pretty sure he meant the two I'd picked up:
The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
And I've been chillin' out to Broken Social Scene all morning at work. Of course, because I'm at work, it's playing softly and not getting much mental attention, but I'm chillin' all the same.
-
See, I'm generally a nice guy, and a good person. A bit of a jaded cynic, but if given the choice, I'll choose right over wrong with a 95% success rate.
That said, I have evolved beyond mankind into a greater being, unbound by any ethics or morals regarding the purchasing or piracy of content, enlightened by the Goodness of the Most Holy Internet.
(Read: I'm too broke to buy CDs anyway. I LIKE having CDs. That last hard drive failure and loss of everything, MP3s included, really drove home the impermanency of digital media collection, but when you're feeding a family on a single salary, wants for things like CDs typically get shuffled to the back of a long list. A list which seems to primarily consists of infinate permutations of the words "Bill", "Food", and "Diaper"...)
*edit for a spelling error that makes evolved beings cry*
-
Devics are love, as are Rilo Kiley and The Apples In Stereo. Just my three current loves, really.
I'd include the Unicorns but they scared me when I first heard them.
-
I'd include the Unicorns but they scared me when I first heard them.
Hey! Unicorns are people too!
-
I'd include the Unicorns but they scared me when I first heard them.
Hey! Unicorns are people too!
...people with STABBY HORNS! AH, HA HA HA HA HA.... *cough*
Ok, not funny. Who're the Unicorns?
-
They are Canadians who think they are funny. They do not make music as the Unicorns anymore.
-
I've been stuck on The Soft Bulletin all day, heh. Even got the little woman hooked on it now.
I also loaded up all the Pixies I dled once I got home. Surfer Rosa and Bossanova are awesome, but Doolittle is my fav of the three. Listening to it makes me fell, well... happy! Yay, happy!
I started listening to the Mogwai - Mr. Beast, and the first track completely blew my mind. So, I sat down the headphones, turned it off. I'm saving this for later tonight, when I can sit back with zero distractions to listen to it.
-
Ok, Mogwai - Mr Beast.
Forgive my lack of musical terms, but it's like wading through a heavy, thick soup of raw rock emotion. And that's a good thing. I'm definately going to check out some more Mogwai after listening to that.
I'm noticing alot of heavier stuff in my playlist of late. Perhaps I need to find some happy, bouncy stuff to even it out?
-
kepler
everyone needs to listen to this band
-
Offer me a higher paying job, and I'll buy every CD I've ever dled. =D
As it stands, the "lost sales" arguement doesn't apply to me, as I don't have the cash to buy CDs anyway. Not that I don't want to - I prefer having them around, but every CD I own is ripped for digital convenience.
I do enjoy supporting good bands with my wallet, though. ;)
-
Wow Houn.
I bow to your ultimate indieness...
-
*whosh*
I can't tell, was that a joke or not?
-
Well, I only just started getting into the indie scene in September, so I have some recommendations for things that you don't appear to have yet, Houn:
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
The Decemberists - Picaresque
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?
-
Mostly just been trying to go through and absorb the stuff I've gotten, of which I'm sure most/all has already been listed. I find myself flipping most frequently between a combo of Pixies/Flaming Lips/Postal Service when I'm happy and upbeat, and Sigur Ros/Mogwai when I'm feelin' smooth and chill. (No depression here, I'm a pretty happy guy ;) )
And yeah, I don't drink, don't smoke, have a wife and 2 kids (3 years and 4 months), live in an apartment, paying off a car and two people's student loans, some minor CC debt from that unemployment streak, and all on a single salary, hehe.
"Vice" for me is $15 a month for World of Warcraft and a $19 Netflix subscription, lol.
And, just in case you weren't joking, ASturge, I'm not here to be Indie. I'm here to find some good music. ;)
-
*double-post* Horray for Work-lag!
-
Then I recommend you make a trip out to Everyday Music on Broadway and spend a couple hours "browsing" while listening to the stuff they play and asking about it when you hear something you like. The clerks there tend to be pretty eager to spread the word of their favorite music.
-
Then I recommend you make a trip out to Everyday Music on Broadway and spend a couple hours "browsing" while listening to the stuff they play and asking about it when you hear something you like. The clerks there tend to be pretty eager to spread the word of their favorite music.
Sweet, I was looking for a babysitter! You'll be by at noon on Sat, right? ;D
-
Well, I only just started getting into the indie scene in September, so I have some recommendations for things that you don't appear to have yet, Houn:
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder
The Decemberists - Picaresque
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?
Oh, I did actually grab some Decemberists, and was enjoying it at work today, and then was called emo for it and turned it off in shame.
(Not really on the turning off or the shame, but there was copious amounts of mock-sulking and fake LJ posting.)
-
Sweet, I was looking for a babysitter! You'll be by at noon on Sat, right? ;D
HA, don't live in Washington anymore! Sucks to be YOU!
-
Sweet, I was looking for a babysitter! You'll be by at noon on Sat, right? ;D
HA, don't live in Washington anymore! Sucks to be YOU!
Today is the 25th straight day of rain. Ick.
And I'm actually in Renton, so Broadway is a bit of a hop for me these days, but yeah, I know where Everyday is.
-
Wow Houn.
I bow to your ultimate indieness...
....yeah, all i have to say is..
SLOW THE FECK DOWN BILLY there'll be enough peni-..erm i mean indie for everyone.
-
Wow Houn.
I bow to your ultimate indieness...
....yeah, all i have to say is..
SLOW THE FECK DOWN BILLY there'll be enough peni-..erm i mean indie for everyone.
I would just like to state, for the record, that I still have no idea if the two of you are joking, being cruel, or something else entirely, but you, sir or ma'am, have a kick ass avatar, so I will dedicate my next styrofoam cup of oatmeal to a long and happy life for you! ;)
BTW, I'm thinking The Decemberists - Picaresque is a keeper. That first track is amazing, and I'm digging the sound on the rest of the album, too.
-
haha
I'd say I'm the most indie cat in town :p
Are yo cringing yet sucka!??!
aaanyway, good indie eh...
Most of the obvious goodies have been said... er.... maybe some Elliott, Olivia Tremor Control and Q and not U?
yeah!
-
Well, I first got into indie through Bright Eyes. But he's not only a bit weird, but if you want any indie cred whatsoever... I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to listen to him ;)
Next I started listening to Hot Hot Heat and Mae pretty much simultaneously. Kind of a weird combination, but eh. I love Hot Hot Heat (but not so much their newest CD...) but I can only take Mae in small doses. Some of their songs make me super-happy, and some slightly annoy me. After that came The Postal Service, which I loved and...
Then I tried out The Unicorns and hated them.
Then I tried out The Pixies after somebody made fun of me when I didn't know who they were. They took some getting used to.
After that I went into an indie immersion of The Decemberists, Belle & Sebastian, the New Pornographers, and a whole bunch of other bands that have already been listed so I won't bother naming them.
Last week I tried out The Unicorns again and loved them =)
I'll never be a true indie kid. I am not nearly pretentious enough, and I still listen to "awful" music. But I figured I'd share my own experiances.
My main advice is if you don't like something the first time... go back to it later! Chances are you might just need to get used to it or maybe try them again when you're in a different mind set. Just be careful not to let the music suck you in too hard. Indie music seems to have the power to turn you into an elitist prick like ASturge ;)
(Just kidding about the last part, Sturge.)
(Well, okay... only half kidding...)
-
Sometimes I listen to Sonic Youth and just can't be arsed with them.
But other times I cant get enough.
I actually liked NYC Ghosts and Flowers, which sucks according to most people :s
But when I tried to listen to it a few nights ago I wanged off the cd in disgust.
So yeah, Sonic Youth for sure, but if you hate them at first, try them again later on in the week and see how you feel!
Also spinless, There's really nothing wrong with saying "I listen to Indie music"
EDIT: oh you did not just call me Sturgeypoo...
-
do you not like being called sturgeypoo alexy-walexy?
-
Ok, I've been listening to Broken Social Scene's Self-Titled tonight. I was first listening to it on my computer speakers, and was thinking, "WTF? This blows..."
So I turned it off. Went about my night, ran into the new Blog post by "Marten", and thought, "Huh, well, let me bust out my headphones". Nothing spectacular, some Sony Pro Studios (Leftovers from my video-editing days in College), and threw it back on.
A few tracks still sound a bit muddy, (1, 2, and 10 coming to mind), but overall, I'm really enjoying this album. LOTS of great sound melding together, and great energy to it. Good Stuff.
-
Oh, I did actually grab some Decemberists, and was enjoying it at work today, and then was called emo for it and turned it off in shame.
Destroy them.
-
Oh, I did actually grab some Decemberists, and was enjoying it at work today, and then was called emo for it and turned it off in shame.
Destroy them.
Hehe, it was a joke. But, if it's not Punk or at least fast and offensive, the individual in question calls it whiney and emo. ;)
I did get him listening to The Soft Bulletin, though, lol.
-
Just don't start of with Bjork, I mean I had a friend who scared someone else of any sort of indie music by doing that. Bjorks something you've got to ease into slowly.
-
That kind of ignorance deserves torture that would make Quentin Tarantino cringe. I say that genres should describe what a band actually sounds like.
Not that I'm hating on punk, but the whole scene has been very stale for a long time with only a handfull of decent bands.
amen
-
That kind of ignorance deserves torture that would make Quentin Tarantino cringe. I say that genres should describe what a band actually sounds like.
Not that I'm hating on punk, but the whole scene has been very stale for a long time with only a handfull of decent bands.
Again, he was just joking, lol. As a guy who's lost jobs due to his mohawk, he knows better than most about tolerance for taste. Doesn't mean he can't poke fun. ;)
But, yes, I know plenty of people who are d*cks about stuff like music and fashion. "OMG I can't believe you listen to that shit u need some metal man Ozzie's so funny he's like drunk all the time and gets women, and then his wife is like, BAM, but anyway, you're a homo, indie-music boy!"
-
Oh, I did actually grab some Decemberists, and was enjoying it at work today, and then was called emo for it and turned it off in shame.
(Not really on the turning off or the shame, but there was copious amounts of mock-sulking and fake LJ posting.)
Hehe, it was a joke. But, if it's not Punk or at least fast and offensive, the individual in question calls it whiney and emo. ;)
I did get him listening to The Soft Bulletin, though, lol.
I thought I did. Oh well. Miscommunications are WAY funnier, anyway! =D
-
Further following Jeph's Top 20 of 2005, I hit Sufjan Steven's Illinois. I can't stand it. It grinds at my core the same way that Ace of Base's "Sign" does. It's like a big, fat splinter in my soul, begging to be removed, itching and annoying until you finally break down and hit the stop button.
Maybe I'll try again later, though.
-
Haha, seriously? And I though Sufjan was one of the more accessible indie folk artists. To each his own, I guess.
-
Indie.... it's been mentioned lots of times im sure but you can't go wrong with Soft Bulletin by the Flaming Lips.
and of course My Bloody Valentine's Loveless!
-
The Kooks.
I love the Kooks.
Someone please say they've heard of the kooks!
-
The... Kinks?
-
I know the kooks, they were on mtv 2 and I didn't like them because they sounded like every other band that was played that day except the arcade fire, clor, tom vek and bright eyes.
The one time I turn on mtv, for a whole day there was only one band I loved and several I'm indfferent about. The rest were new indie britcrap and old kerrang hits from 2002.
Whattttt?
The Kooks are so good!
Okay they sound slightly like the arctic monkeys
but the arctic monkeys have a heavier sound
and I dunnoooo...
o_O well I like them so there :p
-
Prefuse 73, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Of Montreal, The Apples in Stereo
I know of these guys because they are all from my city, and I like every single one.
On Arcade Fire:
To quote a friend, "You know how in cartoons, when the characters get in a fight, they make this big cloud that's noisy and chaotic with limbs sticking out everywhere? Arcade Fire live is like that, but with guitars."
-
do you not like being called sturgeypoo alexy-walexy?
anggerrrr
-
I saw someone mention Tom Waits. I've been a TW geek for three or four years now -- started with Blood Money/Alice, then progressed (regressed?) all the way back to Swordfishtrombones while also adding in his more current albums. (I'm ignoring his earlier stuff.) I can say with confidence, after trying to get several friends into him, that he is probably not the best place to start. He takes work. Lots of work. The most common reaction is "Eeew!", followed by something like "It sounds like Satan is eating my brain!" (actual words of one friend). He took me some getting used to, too. However once that early period in which all your senses rebel is passed, he is a very very valuable experience; he is continually stretching my musical bounderies with his arrangements and lyrics.
With that said, I'm not sure if he's even indie -- with the exception of a song off of "Good News For People Who Like Bad News", I can't think of anyone he really sounds like. But then, I'm very new to indie myself, so perhaps there are bands on this thread that are Waits-influenced.
No one that I've seen has mentioned Mercury Rev yet, either. I just got Deserter's Songs the other day and it is really, really good. I'm liking it a lot. There's a lot of orchestration, but it doesn't seem syrupy or overbearing. No trouble with accessibility for me, so if a fellow indie neophyte could make a recommendation, I think that'd be it.