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The Indie Thread - Keeping it lo-fi and jangly

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TravisBickle Just like in the movies. from the grit and grime Since: Jan, 2011
Just like in the movies.
#1: Jul 27th 2011 at 1:52:07 PM

I'm actually surprised that this thread doesn't already exist.

So here it goes, let's talk about indie music in all its forms. Indie Rock, Twee Pop, Lo-fi, Post-Rock, Indie Folk, it's all good bro.

Recently, after finishing Moral Orel for the first time (great show btw), I went to check out The Mountain Goats, a folk lo-fi band who had a few songs featured in the show. I'm really loving their melancholy, introspective lyrics and melodic guitars.

I'm also a big fan of Plumtree, Abandoned Pools, and Bloc Party (Well, early BP anyway. When they started doing the electro-dance stuff I lost interest). Also digging Blood or Whiskey, The Postal Service, Faunts, and some others.

And before anyone says "Indie isn't a genre", it totally is. Indie is a type of ethos in writing and sound, it doesn't mean that they're independent - The term for that is "Unsigned", which is just when a band can't catch a break.

So yeah, post away about indie music. It's the only way you can stick it to the man.

Je Suis "Aware"
Litis from Israel Since: Jul, 2009
Saeglopur Resident Hipster from Various places in the UK Since: Jan, 2001
Resident Hipster
#3: Jul 27th 2011 at 4:23:41 PM

[up] Damn you sir!

Yeah, we did have an Indie/Alternative thread back in the day, but it kinda died. Probably because myself, Zudak, Sunshine etc tend to clog up Now Listening To with our pointless hipster bullshit that no one else cares about >_<

BUT ANYWAY - yes, I am a massive 'Indie' fan, that's why the Music board is the only place I ever post around here, because thankfully there are people who share my tastes, while at the same time the discussion is friendly and not constant hipster one-upmanship as tends to be the case on most music sites. I hope you find it similarly accommodating!

On The Mountain Goats: I am absolutely crazy about them. As in completely obsessed. Case in point: I done a Grooveshark playlist. That is their entire catalogue of physically released tracks as available on Grooveshark, as far as I'm aware, from 1991 to the present day. 384 tracks, all in all. And it's definitely missing a few that Grooveshark didn't have, plus a whole bunch of unreleased tracks. Have fun! For me, Tallahassee is their best album, closely followed by We Shall All Be Healed and The Life Of The World To Come. From the pre-major label days, I do quite like The Coroner's Gambit.

Early Bloc Party are pretty good - Silent Alarm still sits on my CD rack, rather than being relegated to the Old Shame pile like most of the other stuff I bought when I was 14. There was a whole school of decent UK Art-Rock/Post-Punk/New-Wave Revival bands around in 2004/5 - Maximo Park being my favourites, but they've also gone downhill rather. If you ask me, Indie/Alternative music is pretty much dominated by America and Canada right at the moment.

On 'Indie' as a genre - I prefer to use sub-genres, I think 'Indie' is incredibly vague and frequently misused to describe the kind of landfill plod-rock guitar bands that have filled the UK charts for the last 5 years.

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TravisBickle Just like in the movies. from the grit and grime Since: Jan, 2011
Just like in the movies.
#4: Jul 27th 2011 at 4:54:48 PM

[up] I see Indie as being an umbrella genre, and then indie rock, lo-fi, etc as sub genres, like how Punk is an umbrella genre as well.

Oh, and thanks for the Grooveshark link btw.

edited 27th Jul '11 4:57:54 PM by TravisBickle

Je Suis "Aware"
Saeglopur Resident Hipster from Various places in the UK Since: Jan, 2001
Resident Hipster
#5: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:04:02 PM

No problem - word of warning though, the really early stuff, especially Taboo VI: The Homecoming, is terribly recorded and generally just a bit crap, but worth listening to if only to see how far they've come.

I prefer to use 'Alternative' rather than 'Indie', as an umbrella term. 'Indie' for me is just forever tainted by post-Libertines British Lad-Rock (thanks a bunch NME) and describes a scene more than it describes the music - a scene to which I have no particular desire to belong. Don't get me wrong, I love the music, whatever you call the genre, but the culture that surrounds can be just a bit horrid.

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inane242 Anwalt der Verdammten from A B-Movie Bildungsroman Since: Nov, 2010
Anwalt der Verdammten
#6: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:37:26 PM

I've tuned into my local indie station on a few occasions (*Living in the Hipster capitol of the midwest means we have one*), gotta say I'm not a fan.

Still better than the top 40's station or the one that plays nothing but Nickelback and Seether.

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.
Saeglopur Resident Hipster from Various places in the UK Since: Jan, 2001
Resident Hipster
#7: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:42:09 PM

Well, it's not everyone's cup of tea. But it's definitely better than Nickelback tongue

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inane242 Anwalt der Verdammten from A B-Movie Bildungsroman Since: Nov, 2010
Anwalt der Verdammten
#8: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:43:23 PM

That's true.

Though LCD Soundsystem is okay.

For some reason my brain wants to say they're indie, am I right? :/

edited 27th Jul '11 5:44:57 PM by inane242

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.
Saeglopur Resident Hipster from Various places in the UK Since: Jan, 2001
Resident Hipster
#9: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:45:59 PM

Yeah, they are. See, I never got the big deal with LCD Soundsystem, but whatevs. Try listening to Hot Chip, Cut Copy and TV On The Radio for some similarly quirky electro-indie-pop. See what you reckon.

edited 27th Jul '11 5:46:15 PM by Saeglopur

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inane242 Anwalt der Verdammten from A B-Movie Bildungsroman Since: Nov, 2010
Anwalt der Verdammten
#10: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:47:29 PM

Hot Chip? Heard of them somewhere.... I'll check 'em out.

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.
Saeglopur Resident Hipster from Various places in the UK Since: Jan, 2001
Resident Hipster
#11: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:49:51 PM

Hot Chip had a tremendously lulzy video directed by Peter Serafinowicz, of Look Around You fame, which did the meme rounds a while back, that might be where you've heard of them.

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inane242 Anwalt der Verdammten from A B-Movie Bildungsroman Since: Nov, 2010
Anwalt der Verdammten
#12: Jul 27th 2011 at 5:53:01 PM

Those vocals are offputing, but that video made me laugh.

The 5 geek social fallacies. Know them well.
Saeglopur Resident Hipster from Various places in the UK Since: Jan, 2001
Resident Hipster
#13: Jul 27th 2011 at 6:03:57 PM

Yeah, I prefer the video to the song as well. His voice is very whiney. But then that could probably be said of half the stuff I listen to tongue

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SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#14: Jul 27th 2011 at 11:42:48 PM

So um.

Indie music, yeah.

I like Ariel Pink, he's a pretty cool guy, and....okay, I'm clueless here. HE MAKES WEIRD GLOWY MUSIC AND I LIEK IT.

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#15: Jul 27th 2011 at 11:54:49 PM

Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire are a little too produced to be lo-fi, but I like them anyway.

RE LCD Soundsystem: It's funny, I listened to Sound of Silver a while back and thought it was great, but now I honestly can't remember a single thing about it. :

edited 27th Jul '11 11:54:58 PM by Wicked223

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
CommanderObvious intellectual rapist from Unmei no Itaru Basho Since: Jul, 2011
intellectual rapist
#16: Jul 28th 2011 at 2:27:42 AM

i happen to be an indie hipster
and i check up pitchfork media without reading their shitty reviews
i like LCD Soundsystem hummety hum

i like the self-titled cults album

edited 28th Jul '11 2:31:55 AM by CommanderObvious

This level of trolling is reasonable for Commander Obvious. What do you think of this, everyone?
SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#17: Jul 28th 2011 at 10:20:04 AM

hey, Obvious, I don't mean to be rude, but....

why do you speak in lowercase haiku?

Also I personally found LCD underwhelming, I thought he was okay, not great.

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....
MikeK Since: Jan, 2001
#18: Jul 28th 2011 at 3:34:56 PM

Current-ish indie stuff I like:

Yuck: Exactly what would it would sound like if you got Dinosoaur Jr. and Teenage Fanclub to make an album together.

Tune-Yards. I haven't heard the first album, but W H O K I L L has somewhat of the same feel as what I've heard of The Dirty Projectors... And yet, I kinda hate The Dirty Projectors, but like this album. Huh. Also, I refuse to this artist name the way it's actually meant to be typed, although I did type the album title the way it's meant to be because it's slightly less annoying to do.

Oh, and if you don't know much of anything about indie music in the 80's, go read Our Band Could Be Your Life. Or possibly just find a really cheap copy of this.

edited 28th Jul '11 3:38:06 PM by MikeK

Saeglopur Resident Hipster from Various places in the UK Since: Jan, 2001
Resident Hipster
#19: Jul 28th 2011 at 3:40:25 PM

See, I listened to tUnE-yArDs (uuggh), and thought W H O K I L L was, while clearly very original, incredibly irritating to listen to. I just can't get into her style. On the other hand, I freakin' love Dirty Projectors. Go figure.

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CommanderObvious intellectual rapist from Unmei no Itaru Basho Since: Jul, 2011
intellectual rapist
#20: Jul 28th 2011 at 7:32:47 PM

[up][up][up]True Art is Incomprehensible
[up]good to see a fellow who likes dirty projectors
im a big fan of modest mouse and titus andronicus
those two band needs more love

edited 28th Jul '11 7:33:19 PM by CommanderObvious

This level of trolling is reasonable for Commander Obvious. What do you think of this, everyone?
sca_punk Not-Not-Not Your Academy from sca_punk's computer Since: Apr, 2010
Not-Not-Not Your Academy
#21: Jul 28th 2011 at 8:13:04 PM

DID SOMEBODY SAY TITUS ANDRONICUS BECAUSE THE MONITOR IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE ALBUM

They're off the streets now, and back on the road on the riot trail. http://www.last.fm/user/sca_punk
CommanderObvious intellectual rapist from Unmei no Itaru Basho Since: Jul, 2011
intellectual rapist
#22: Jul 28th 2011 at 8:22:56 PM

the monitor is a great album
it has a robotic abraham lincoln speakin

This level of trolling is reasonable for Commander Obvious. What do you think of this, everyone?
MikeK Since: Jan, 2001
#23: Jul 29th 2011 at 12:23:43 PM

Yeah, to be fair all I've heard of Dirty Projectors is Bitte Orca, and I couldn't get into anything but "Stillness Is The Move". Maybe I'll give it a second shot sometime. Also, I like the idea of Rise Above (covering Black Flag's Damaged and basically changing everything but the lyrics), so maybe I'll go listen to that some time.

OurGLORIOUSLeader Since: Dec, 1969
#24: Jul 29th 2011 at 3:16:16 PM

Ooh, let me try!

im a big fan of modest mouse and titus andronicus

those two band needs more love

Eh. I would agree with Titus Andronicus, but Modest Mouse isn't nearly as good as they once were. Their recent (as recent as 2 years can be) EP was a disappointment for me, and I consider their best two albums (This Is a Short Drive For Somebody With Nothing To Think About and The Moon & Antarctica) to be before they decided to go in a more electric direction.

Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire are a little too produced to be lo-fi, but I like them anyway.

Well, yes, but then again who said indie had to be lo-fi? If it did, you'd see far less fetishizing of In an Aeroplane Over The Sea and far more of Bee Thousand.

I really do like Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens, though. Funeral and Illinois are exactly what indie albums should be, while Neon Bible and The Age of Adz are what everybody thinks indie albums are (not to deride those albums; I love them both, even if they are a bit... pretentious at times).

re LCD Soundsystem: it helps if you listen to The Avalanches, Brian Eno, and Primal Scream. He's certainly different, but it's also the main turn-off for many.

SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#25: Jul 29th 2011 at 3:47:25 PM

I listen to two of those three things.

I still find him underwhelming (especially in comparison).

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....

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