Finally a music list I actually sort of agree with.
I have to say, great fucking list! I really love that Pavement's Slanted and enchanted came in at Number one. I think that Steve Malkmus doesn't get the respect he deserves. I also have to say that I'm impressed that they added in the Mountain Goats, The Clean [brilliant NZ band off Flying Nun records, worth checking out], My bloody Valentine [probabely one of the most experimental records of ever recorded even if Sheilds is a nutter], Both Meat Puppets albums [created country grunge before country grunge existed- bless them], Interpol's Turn on the bright lights [one of the the best records released since the new millennium], Stereolab [had to be there, they are irreplaceable] and my man Lou barlow with Sebadoh too.
I do think all of those records are classified as indie too. They are released on independent labels and some much in the list is experimental, something that is so important to indie music.
http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2984
100. The Shaggs, Philosophy of the World, Third World, 1969
99. Dream Syndicate, The Days of Wine and Roses, Ruby/Slash, 1982
98. Palace Music, Viva Last Blues, Drag City, 1995
97. The Mekons, Rock ’n’ Roll, Twin/Tone/A&M, 1989
96. TV on the Radio, Retun to Cookie Mountain, Interscope, 2006
95. The Dismemberment Plan, Emegency & I, DeSoto, 1999
94. Half Japanese, Greatest Hits, Safe House, 1995
93. Big Black, Atomizer, Homestead, 1985
92. Dead Kennedys, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, Alternative Tentacles, 1980
91. The Chills, Kaleidoscope World, Homestead, 1985
90. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam, Domino, 2007
89. Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, Fierce Panda, 2005
88. Daniel Johnston, Yip/Jump Music, Stress, 1983
87. Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary, Sub Pop, 2005
86. Flipper, Album-Generic Flipper, Subterranean, 1982
85. The Clean, Anthology, Merge, 2003
84. Beat Happening, You Turn Me On, K/Sub Pop, 1992
83. The Misfits, Walk Among Us, Ruby/Slash, 1982
82. The Embarrassment, Heyday 1979-83, Bar/None, 1995
81. The Vaselines, The Way of the Vaselines, Sub Pop, 1992
80. Feist, The Reminder, Cherry Tree/Interscope, 2007
79. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, ClapYourHandsSayYeah.com, 2005
78. The 13th Floor Elevators, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, International Artists, 1966
77. Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, Domino, 2006
76. Le Tigre, Le Tigre, Mr. Lady, 1999
75. Galaxie 500, Today, Aurora, 1988
74. The Fall, 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong, Beggars Banquet, 2004
73. Meat Puppets, Up On the Sun, SST, 1985
72. The Mountain Goats, We Shall All Be Healed, 4AD, 2004
71. Stereolab, Refried Ectoplasm, Drag City, 1995
70. Mudhoney, Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles, Sub Pop, 1990
69. Nick Drake, Pink Moon, Island, 1972
68. Descendents, Milo Goes to College, New Alliance, 1982
67. Hüsker Dü, New Day Rising, SST, 1985
66. Young Marble Giants, Colossal Youth, Rough Trade, 1980
65. Various Artists, No New York, Antilles, 1978
64. Cat Power, The Greatest, Matador 2006
63. Nirvana, Bleach, Sub Pop, 1989
62. The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms, Stiff, 1980
61. LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem, DFA/EMI, 2005
60. Sufjan Stevens, Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty, 2005
59. Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine, TVT, 1989
58. Built to Spill, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, Up, 1994
57. Bikini Kill, Pussy Whipped, Kill Rock Stars, 1993
56. Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle, Alias, 1993
55. Bad Brains, Bad Brains, ROIR, 1982
54. Unrest, Imperial F.F.R.R., Teenbeat, 1992
53. Smashing Pumpkins, Gish, Caroline, 1991
52. Bright Eyes, Lifted or The Story Is in The Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground,
51. Interpol, Turn On the Bright Lights, Matador, 2002
50. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous, Brute/Beaute, 2004
49. Spoon, Kill the Moonlight, Merge, 2002
48. Mission of Burma, Vs., Ace of Hearts, 1982
47. Green Day, Kerplunk, Lookout!, 1992
46. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand, Domino, 2004
45. Fugazi, Repeater, Dischord, 1990
44. Various Artists, Wanna Buy a Bridge?, Rough Trade, 1980
43. Black Flag, Damaged, SST, 1981
42. Brian Eno, Another Green World, E.G., 1975
41. Modest Mouse, The Lonesome Crowded West, Up, 1997
40. New Order, Power Corruption & Lies, Factory, 1983
39. Pavement, Cooked Rain, Cooked Rain, Matador, 1994
38. The Strokes, Is This It, RCA, 2001
37. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever to Tell, Interscope, 2003
36. Elliott Smith, Either/Or, Kill Rock Stars, 1997
35. Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville, Matador, 1993
34. Superchunk, On the Mouth, Matador, 1993
33. The Shins, Oh, Inverted World, Sub Pop, 2001
32. Neutral Milk Hotel, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Merge, 1998
31. Guided by Voices, Bee Thousand, Matador, 1994
30. Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Nonesuch, 2002
29. Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes, Slash, 1982
28. The Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs, Merge, 1999
27. M.I.A., Arular, XL, 2005
26. Belle and Sebastian, If You’re Feeling Sinister, The Enclave, 1996
25. Sebadoh, III, Homestead, 1991
24. The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic, Mint/Matador, 2000
23. Yo La Tengo, Painful, Matador/Atlantic, 1993
22. Meat Puppets, Meat Puppets II, SST, 1984
21. The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers, Berserkley, 1976
20. The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday, French Kiss, 2005
19. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out, Kill Rock Stars, 1997
18. Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures, Factory,
17. The White Stripes, White Blood Cells, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2001
16. Slint, Spideland, Touch And Go, 1991
15. X, Wild Gift, Slash, 1981
14. De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising, Tommy Boy, 1989
13. Hüsker Dü, Zen Arcade, SST, 1984
12. Dinosaur J., You’re Living All Over Me, SST, 1987
11. Minutemen, Double Nickels on the Dime, SST, 1984
10. The Smiths, The Smiths, Rough Trade, 1984
Wusses of the world, unite!
Guess what, boys: It’s OK to be miserable. That’s the lesson to be drawn from this debut, wherein guitarist Johnny Marr jangles merrily and Morrissey swoons like a heartbroken lady-in-waiting whose corset is too tight. It set the lilac-scented stage for years of sexless yearning that would follow.
9. Big Star, Third/Sister Lovers, PVC, 1978
Ex-teen idol makes nervous breakdowns something to aspire to
Alex Chilton is indie rock’s first folk hero, and this is his most mythic moment. Raggedly gorgeous, his band’s third album is full of weary power-pop, shaky guitar and piano chords that seem less played than slumped on. Proof that “perfection” is overrated.
8. My Bloody Valentine, Loveless, Creation, 1991
The gold standard of shoegazing
Kevin Shields’s warm, lavishly detailed torrents of guitar noise and Bilinda Butcher’s androgynous purr spawned a generation of followers.
7. The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, MGM, 1969
The original indie band? Sure
Lou Reed, a shades-wearing, heroin-liking poet of urban doom, traded wailing amps for clear, pastoral beauty on the VU’s third album, opening up his cold New York heart to sing about the search for salvation in a fallen world.
6. Arcade Fire, Funeral, Merge, 2004
Indie rock’s Max Fischer Players
Throughout this Montreal troupe’s debut, cataclysms (snowstorms, blackouts) set the stage for Win Butler’s fantasies and nightmares of adolescent freedom. There are multipart chorales and metaphors purpler than Barney, but the spirit is pure punk.
5. Pixies, Surfer Rosa, 4AD, 1988
In a playful way, one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite bands was as crazy as he was
The frumpy Bostonians had psychotic surf guitars, surrealist sex-starved shrieking and clangorous, eardrum-punishing noise. But their full-length debut also cranked out tune after tune of bizarre bubblegum fun. The loud-quiet-loud dynamics and Black Francis’s warped-teen scream rattled walls, but bassist-vocalist Kim Deal’s chalky, cheery singing added the right pinch of cuteness.
4. R.E.M., Mumu, I.R.S., 1983
With jangly riffs and emotive mumbling, Georgians invent college rock
Coming in like a radio station from a strange, faraway land (Athens, Georgia), R.E.M.’s full-length debut arrived just as postpunk was dead-ending into arty weirdness and dopey new wave. The songs were often downright beautiful, and Michael Stipe’s impassioned mush-mouthing injected emotions besides “hate” and “alienation” into underground rock, even if you had absolutely no idea what he was saying.
3. The Replacements, Let It Be, Twin/Tone, 1984
Booze! Boners! Insanely great underdog punk songs!
Spraying pathos like Bud from a longneck, these Minneapolis fuck-ups hurled themselves through a garbled mess of hardcore, hair-of-the-dog metal and DTs piano ballads and emerged like wobbly conquistadors. Credit Paul Westerberg’s dumbfoundingly great songcraft: “Unsatisfied” can still spur catharsis (and occasionally binge drinking) in even the numbest of underachievers.
2. Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation, Blast First/Enigma, 1988
Arty New York punks hallucinate a youth revolution with de-tuned guitars
If Slanted and Enchanted was indie’s Sgt. Pepper’s, this was its version of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Electric Ladyland: a double-LP psych-out that exploded like a car bomb. Befitting Reagan-era Manhattan, its acid punk is bad-trippy. But original MILF Kim Gordon made it sexy, and its majestic, alien-transmission guitar sound shaped a generation (see Pavement).
1. Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted, Matador, 1992
The album that lit the quietest pop-cultural explosion ever
Forming after college in Stockton, California, recording in their crazy, 40-something drummer’s home studio, Pavement were low-key geniuses casually turning the random noises in their heads into pop perfection. Eighties indie rock often felt like a safe space for desperate castoffs. These were well-adjusted suburban boys from good schools; they seemed drawn underground because they loved the sounds, not because they needed the subculture. The casual vibe gave their music a sense of style and grace, a detachment that felt like freedom. Singer-guitarist Stephen Malkmus hummed alluringly opaque poesy like, “Lies and betrayals/Fruit-covered nails/Electricity and lust” in songs that mixed the screwed-up buzz of English art-punk with the easy catchiness of ’70s am radio. Slanted sounded cheaply made, but the elegant, layered guitar static and crosscutting melodies were lovingly pastiched, like a hip-hop record. Sad but sexy, breakup-tape dramatic but leisurely and fun, it came out of nowhere and touched a nerve, quickly selling 100,000 copies and inspiring scores of bands to strive for a similar mix of beauty and brains. Indie rock’s insular scene and harsh sounds often scared people away. Pavement said in their tossed-off, übercool way: Forget that, let’s party.
I do think all of those records are classified as indie too. They are released on independent labels and some much in the list is experimental, something that is so important to indie music.
http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2984
100. The Shaggs, Philosophy of the World, Third World, 1969
99. Dream Syndicate, The Days of Wine and Roses, Ruby/Slash, 1982
98. Palace Music, Viva Last Blues, Drag City, 1995
97. The Mekons, Rock ’n’ Roll, Twin/Tone/A&M, 1989
96. TV on the Radio, Retun to Cookie Mountain, Interscope, 2006
95. The Dismemberment Plan, Emegency & I, DeSoto, 1999
94. Half Japanese, Greatest Hits, Safe House, 1995
93. Big Black, Atomizer, Homestead, 1985
92. Dead Kennedys, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, Alternative Tentacles, 1980
91. The Chills, Kaleidoscope World, Homestead, 1985
90. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam, Domino, 2007
89. Art Brut, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, Fierce Panda, 2005
88. Daniel Johnston, Yip/Jump Music, Stress, 1983
87. Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary, Sub Pop, 2005
86. Flipper, Album-Generic Flipper, Subterranean, 1982
85. The Clean, Anthology, Merge, 2003
84. Beat Happening, You Turn Me On, K/Sub Pop, 1992
83. The Misfits, Walk Among Us, Ruby/Slash, 1982
82. The Embarrassment, Heyday 1979-83, Bar/None, 1995
81. The Vaselines, The Way of the Vaselines, Sub Pop, 1992
80. Feist, The Reminder, Cherry Tree/Interscope, 2007
79. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, ClapYourHandsSayYeah.com, 2005
78. The 13th Floor Elevators, The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, International Artists, 1966
77. Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, Domino, 2006
76. Le Tigre, Le Tigre, Mr. Lady, 1999
75. Galaxie 500, Today, Aurora, 1988
74. The Fall, 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong, Beggars Banquet, 2004
73. Meat Puppets, Up On the Sun, SST, 1985
72. The Mountain Goats, We Shall All Be Healed, 4AD, 2004
71. Stereolab, Refried Ectoplasm, Drag City, 1995
70. Mudhoney, Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles, Sub Pop, 1990
69. Nick Drake, Pink Moon, Island, 1972
68. Descendents, Milo Goes to College, New Alliance, 1982
67. Hüsker Dü, New Day Rising, SST, 1985
66. Young Marble Giants, Colossal Youth, Rough Trade, 1980
65. Various Artists, No New York, Antilles, 1978
64. Cat Power, The Greatest, Matador 2006
63. Nirvana, Bleach, Sub Pop, 1989
62. The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms, Stiff, 1980
61. LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem, DFA/EMI, 2005
60. Sufjan Stevens, Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty, 2005
59. Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine, TVT, 1989
58. Built to Spill, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, Up, 1994
57. Bikini Kill, Pussy Whipped, Kill Rock Stars, 1993
56. Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle, Alias, 1993
55. Bad Brains, Bad Brains, ROIR, 1982
54. Unrest, Imperial F.F.R.R., Teenbeat, 1992
53. Smashing Pumpkins, Gish, Caroline, 1991
52. Bright Eyes, Lifted or The Story Is in The Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground,
51. Interpol, Turn On the Bright Lights, Matador, 2002
50. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous, Brute/Beaute, 2004
49. Spoon, Kill the Moonlight, Merge, 2002
48. Mission of Burma, Vs., Ace of Hearts, 1982
47. Green Day, Kerplunk, Lookout!, 1992
46. Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand, Domino, 2004
45. Fugazi, Repeater, Dischord, 1990
44. Various Artists, Wanna Buy a Bridge?, Rough Trade, 1980
43. Black Flag, Damaged, SST, 1981
42. Brian Eno, Another Green World, E.G., 1975
41. Modest Mouse, The Lonesome Crowded West, Up, 1997
40. New Order, Power Corruption & Lies, Factory, 1983
39. Pavement, Cooked Rain, Cooked Rain, Matador, 1994
38. The Strokes, Is This It, RCA, 2001
37. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever to Tell, Interscope, 2003
36. Elliott Smith, Either/Or, Kill Rock Stars, 1997
35. Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville, Matador, 1993
34. Superchunk, On the Mouth, Matador, 1993
33. The Shins, Oh, Inverted World, Sub Pop, 2001
32. Neutral Milk Hotel, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Merge, 1998
31. Guided by Voices, Bee Thousand, Matador, 1994
30. Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Nonesuch, 2002
29. Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes, Slash, 1982
28. The Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs, Merge, 1999
27. M.I.A., Arular, XL, 2005
26. Belle and Sebastian, If You’re Feeling Sinister, The Enclave, 1996
25. Sebadoh, III, Homestead, 1991
24. The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic, Mint/Matador, 2000
23. Yo La Tengo, Painful, Matador/Atlantic, 1993
22. Meat Puppets, Meat Puppets II, SST, 1984
21. The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers, Berserkley, 1976
20. The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday, French Kiss, 2005
19. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out, Kill Rock Stars, 1997
18. Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures, Factory,
17. The White Stripes, White Blood Cells, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2001
16. Slint, Spideland, Touch And Go, 1991
15. X, Wild Gift, Slash, 1981
14. De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising, Tommy Boy, 1989
13. Hüsker Dü, Zen Arcade, SST, 1984
12. Dinosaur J., You’re Living All Over Me, SST, 1987
11. Minutemen, Double Nickels on the Dime, SST, 1984
10. The Smiths, The Smiths, Rough Trade, 1984
Wusses of the world, unite!
Guess what, boys: It’s OK to be miserable. That’s the lesson to be drawn from this debut, wherein guitarist Johnny Marr jangles merrily and Morrissey swoons like a heartbroken lady-in-waiting whose corset is too tight. It set the lilac-scented stage for years of sexless yearning that would follow.
9. Big Star, Third/Sister Lovers, PVC, 1978
Ex-teen idol makes nervous breakdowns something to aspire to
Alex Chilton is indie rock’s first folk hero, and this is his most mythic moment. Raggedly gorgeous, his band’s third album is full of weary power-pop, shaky guitar and piano chords that seem less played than slumped on. Proof that “perfection” is overrated.
8. My Bloody Valentine, Loveless, Creation, 1991
The gold standard of shoegazing
Kevin Shields’s warm, lavishly detailed torrents of guitar noise and Bilinda Butcher’s androgynous purr spawned a generation of followers.
7. The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, MGM, 1969
The original indie band? Sure
Lou Reed, a shades-wearing, heroin-liking poet of urban doom, traded wailing amps for clear, pastoral beauty on the VU’s third album, opening up his cold New York heart to sing about the search for salvation in a fallen world.
6. Arcade Fire, Funeral, Merge, 2004
Indie rock’s Max Fischer Players
Throughout this Montreal troupe’s debut, cataclysms (snowstorms, blackouts) set the stage for Win Butler’s fantasies and nightmares of adolescent freedom. There are multipart chorales and metaphors purpler than Barney, but the spirit is pure punk.
5. Pixies, Surfer Rosa, 4AD, 1988
In a playful way, one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite bands was as crazy as he was
The frumpy Bostonians had psychotic surf guitars, surrealist sex-starved shrieking and clangorous, eardrum-punishing noise. But their full-length debut also cranked out tune after tune of bizarre bubblegum fun. The loud-quiet-loud dynamics and Black Francis’s warped-teen scream rattled walls, but bassist-vocalist Kim Deal’s chalky, cheery singing added the right pinch of cuteness.
4. R.E.M., Mumu, I.R.S., 1983
With jangly riffs and emotive mumbling, Georgians invent college rock
Coming in like a radio station from a strange, faraway land (Athens, Georgia), R.E.M.’s full-length debut arrived just as postpunk was dead-ending into arty weirdness and dopey new wave. The songs were often downright beautiful, and Michael Stipe’s impassioned mush-mouthing injected emotions besides “hate” and “alienation” into underground rock, even if you had absolutely no idea what he was saying.
3. The Replacements, Let It Be, Twin/Tone, 1984
Booze! Boners! Insanely great underdog punk songs!
Spraying pathos like Bud from a longneck, these Minneapolis fuck-ups hurled themselves through a garbled mess of hardcore, hair-of-the-dog metal and DTs piano ballads and emerged like wobbly conquistadors. Credit Paul Westerberg’s dumbfoundingly great songcraft: “Unsatisfied” can still spur catharsis (and occasionally binge drinking) in even the numbest of underachievers.
2. Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation, Blast First/Enigma, 1988
Arty New York punks hallucinate a youth revolution with de-tuned guitars
If Slanted and Enchanted was indie’s Sgt. Pepper’s, this was its version of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Electric Ladyland: a double-LP psych-out that exploded like a car bomb. Befitting Reagan-era Manhattan, its acid punk is bad-trippy. But original MILF Kim Gordon made it sexy, and its majestic, alien-transmission guitar sound shaped a generation (see Pavement).
1. Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted, Matador, 1992
The album that lit the quietest pop-cultural explosion ever
Forming after college in Stockton, California, recording in their crazy, 40-something drummer’s home studio, Pavement were low-key geniuses casually turning the random noises in their heads into pop perfection. Eighties indie rock often felt like a safe space for desperate castoffs. These were well-adjusted suburban boys from good schools; they seemed drawn underground because they loved the sounds, not because they needed the subculture. The casual vibe gave their music a sense of style and grace, a detachment that felt like freedom. Singer-guitarist Stephen Malkmus hummed alluringly opaque poesy like, “Lies and betrayals/Fruit-covered nails/Electricity and lust” in songs that mixed the screwed-up buzz of English art-punk with the easy catchiness of ’70s am radio. Slanted sounded cheaply made, but the elegant, layered guitar static and crosscutting melodies were lovingly pastiched, like a hip-hop record. Sad but sexy, breakup-tape dramatic but leisurely and fun, it came out of nowhere and touched a nerve, quickly selling 100,000 copies and inspiring scores of bands to strive for a similar mix of beauty and brains. Indie rock’s insular scene and harsh sounds often scared people away. Pavement said in their tossed-off, übercool way: Forget that, let’s party.