Indie & Alternative Appreciation / Discussion Thread!

[overcookedbacon]

Since the Indie/Alternative Masterthread in the USL Forum has turned into more of a Indie/Alternative discussion thread, I figured I start this thread here. This way we'll have a place to discuss indie and alternative rock in addition to a thread supporting its inclusion in Rock Band. So, please try to keep the random indie/alt rock discussion here, and Rock Band related topics in the Indie/Alternative Masterthread in the USL forum.

Essential Listening For Indie & Alternative Rock Fans

Alternative Essentials

• The Cure - Disintegration
• Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
• Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade
• The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
• Minutemen - Double Nickels On The Dime
• My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
• Nirvana - Nevermind
• Pixies - Doolittle
• Pulp - Different Class
• R.E.M. - Murmur
• Radiohead - OK Computer
• The Replacements - Tim
• The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
• The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
• Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
• The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
• Talking Heads - Remain In Light
• They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
• Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
• Weezer - Weezer (1994)

Indie Essentials

• Archers Of Loaf - Icky Mettle
• Beat Happening - Jamboree
• Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
• Bright Eyes - Fevers And Mirrors
• Built To Spill - Perfect From Now On
• Elliot Smith - Either/Or
• Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes
• Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville
• Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West
• Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
• Of Montreal - Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse
• Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
• Red House Painters - Ocean Beach
• Seam - Are You Driving Me Crazy?
• Sebadoh - Bakesale
• Slint - Spiderland
• Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
• Superchunk - No Pocky For Kitty
• Tortoise - TNT
• Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

Essential Albums That Heavily Influenced Alternative Music

• The B-52's - The B-52's
• The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album)
• Depeche Mode - Violator
• Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
• Fugazi - Repeater
• Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
• Melvins - Houdini
• U2 - The Joshua Tree
• The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
• XTC - Drums And Wires

Beginner's Guide To Indie And Alternative Rock
Since the above essentials lists are quite large and can be quite intimidating to someone new to the genre, this is a list of albums that would be a good starting point for anyone new to the genre.

• Radiohead - The Bends
• The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
• Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
• Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond
• Nirvana - Nevermind
• R.E.M. - Out Of Time
• Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
• Pavement - Brighten The Corners
• Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News
• Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
  
  

Album Of The Week

06/12/10: WhoMadeWho - The Plot
Genre(s): Dance, Electronic, New-Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Rock
Recommended If You Enjoy: Depeche Mode, TV On The Radio, LCD Soundsystem

This album sounds somewhat like a combination of Violator and Turn On The Bright Lights. The dance beats are backed up with blatant post-punk influence, and it makes for a pretty interesting album.

Preview Songs:
- Keep Me In My Plane
- TV Friend
- I Lost My Voice

http://rbfindiealt.blogspot.com/


Previous Albums Of The Week:
11/05/09: The Wrens - The Meadowlands
11/12/09: Autolux - Future Perfect
11/19/09: Japandroids - Post-Nothing
11/25/09: Azeda Booth - In Flesh Tones
11/30/09: Menomena - I Am The Fun Blame Monster!
12/06/09: OOIOO - Feather Float
12/13/09: Rheostatics - Melville
12/18/09: The Van Pelt - Sultans Of Sentiment
12/26/09: The Amps - Pacer
01/03/10: Eric's Trip - Forever Again
01/10/10: Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall
01/18/10: Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse EP
01/24/10: Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane
01/31/10: Difference Engine - Breadmaker
02/06/10: Vic Chesnutt - Is The Actor Happy?
02/13/10: S - Puking and Crying
02/19/10: Gentleman Reg - Jet Black
02/27/10: Women - Women
03/07/10: Zola Jesus - Stridulum (EP)
03/12/10: Ghostkeeper - Ghostkeeper
03/21/10: The Dinner Is Ruined - Love Songs From The Lubritorium
03/28/10: The Summerlad - Themes: International
04/03/10: Brainiac - Bonsai Superstar
04/10/10: Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
04/16/10: Pearl Harbor - Something About The Chaparrals (EP)
04/24/10: Edria - Regret
04/30/10: Faraquet - The View From This Tower
05/09/10: Strawberry Story - Clamming For It
05/17/10: Free Kitten - Nice Ass
05/25/10: The Easy Tease - Bold Displays Of Cowardice
05/30/10: Naked on the Vague - Heaps Of Nothing
06/07/10: Wild Nothing - Gemini


User Recommendations

Gowienczyk's Album Of The Week:
Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later
Luna - Lunapark
The Mekons - Rock 'n' Roll
British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power
Eve's Plum - Envy
Self - Gizmodgery


Relevant links:
Post-Hardcore Thread
Punk Appreciation Thread
Official Shoegaze Thread
Post-Rock Appreciation Thread
Indie/Alternative Masterthread Part 2 (USL)
Shoegaze Request Thread (USL)
Twee-Pop Appreciation Thread (I'm not linking to it out of spite)


(A big thank you to everyone who contributed to compiling the original essentials lists. And thanks to afterstasis for the new one.)

[timmay9]

I'll help start it off.

For those uninformed or wanting to learn more, some essential alternative albums:
The Cure-Disintegration
Dinosaur Jr.-You're Living All Over Me
Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures
The Mountain Goats-Tallahassee
Nirvana-Nevermind
Pixies-Doolittle
Radiohead-OK Computer
R.E.M.-Murmur
The Replacements-Let It Be
The Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream
The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead
Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation
The Stone Roses-The Stone Roses

[JukeBoxHero]

I would add Belly's Star to that list, timmay as well.

[afterstasis]

I'll help start it off.

For those uninformed or wanting to learn more, some essential alternative albums:
The Cure-Disintegration
Dinosaur Jr.-You're Living All Over Me
Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures
The Mountain Goats-Tallahassee
Nirvana-Nevermind
Pixies-Doolittle
Radiohead-OK Computer
R.E.M.-Murmur
The Replacements-Let It Be
The Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream
The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead
Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation
The Stone Roses-The Stone Roses

great picks... don't forget...

husker du - candy apple grey
carissa's wierd - songs about leaving
magnetic fields - i
sebadoh - bakesale
bright eyes - fevers and mirrors
comet gain - realistes
modest mouse - moon and antarctica
pavement - wowee zowee
built to spill - perfect from now on
crooked fingers - red devil dawn
flaming lips - clouds taste metallic
the halo benders - the rebels not in

[timmay9]

I was doing stuff off the top of my head. I agree with all of your picks JBH and stasis.

[RedBaron45]

great picks... don't forget...

husker du - candy apple grey
carissa's wierd - songs about leaving
magnetic fields - i
sebadoh - bakesale
bright eyes - fevers and mirrors
comet gain - realistes
modest mouse - moon and antarctica
pavement - wowee zowee
built to spill - perfect from now on
crooked fingers - red devil dawn
flaming lips - clouds taste metallic
the halo benders - the rebels not in

The Lonesome Crowded West is FAR superior to Moon and Antartica.

I also think Sonic Youth's "EVOL" is very underated. I actually prefer that album to Daydream Nation.

[afterstasis]

The Lonesome Crowded West is FAR superior to Moon and Antartica.

I also think Sonic Youth's "EVOL" is very underated. I actually prefer that album to Daydream Nation.

i disagree on both counts, though evol and LCW are both really good albums.

[overcookedbacon]

I think for "essential albums," I'll probably stick to the most widely accepted (from critics and fans) magnum opus for various bands. As such, I'll add some user favorites on there too.

So (in addition to timmay9's list), I'll probably add:
Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Built To Spill - Keep It Like A Secret
The Breeders - Last Splash
The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Along with a few others, as soon as I put some more research in.

I'll probably give the Pixies two albums, since both Surfer Rosa and Doolittle are so very good, and so very important. It'll most likely be the only band with two "essential" albums. Possibly R.E.M. as well, since both Murmer and Automatic For the People are so highly praised.

Also, if enough people agree with me:
Archers Of Loaf - Icky Mettle
Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville

[afterstasis]

i almost listed the archers of loaf album myself... great stuff.

[timmay9]

The Breeders - Last Splash
The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville

I absolutely agree. I would argue that the first 3 Pavement records are essential listening.