Indie Rock 101
 

I wanted to compose a list of ten-twelve must-listen "indie rock" bands for someone that doesn't know much about music.They asked specifically for this genre (which cracks me up, but I'm not saying anything to them). I want mid 80s/90s stuff. Who would you put on?

So far, I have..

1. SY
2. Pavement
3. Dinosaur Jr.
4. Archers Of Loaf
5. Built to Spill
6. Pixies
7. Husker Du
8. Replacements

Sebadoh
Guided By Voices
Superchunk

Damn, I forgot about them. Thanks.

For GBV, should I just go with something off Bee Thousand? They put out more albums than I can frakking count.

The Smiths?

Yo La Tengo for sure.

Also, Archers of Loaf seems a bit obscure to be on an indie rock top 12 or whatever. maybe it's just me.

Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes go together well (and fit on one CD)

Hip Priest- I had her listen to The Queen Is Dead once, she "didn't get it".

Yeah, YLT. Thanks!

stirling- They really do.

fairly comprehensive list there

I'd do

Sonic Youth
Pixies
Pavement
Slint
Guided By Voices
Beat Happening
Shellac
PJ Harvey
Fugazi
Beck

Some additions...

Sleater Kinney
Neutral Milk Hotel
Slint

Spectral- I totally forgot about BH and Shellac. Thanks.

Add Mudhoney.

How about:
Weezer (preferably something off of Pinkerton or the Blue album)
Neutral Milk Hotel
the Decemberists
Belle & Sebastian
Death Cab for Cutie
Hot Snakes
Q and Not U

And last but NOT least:
MODEST MOUSE(I'd put on the song "Life of Artic Sounds")

how about:

helium
the jesus lizard
railroad jerk
unwound
the pastels
rodan
my bloody valentine
the boredoms
spacemen3
low
stereolab
tortoise
unsane

...the Fall?!?!?!!!

Rapeman
Bardo pond
Cows
Melvins
Galaxie 500
Polvo
Lightning Bolt

Just to throw in a few...

Throwing Muses should be in on that action.

I love you guys. This is going to end up being huge.

Classification is pretty nebulous, but I wouldn't call most of those above "indie rock"

Throwing Muses and Weezer - Major label product
Spacemen3 - Space rock
MBV - Shoegaze
Stereolab - Pop-Electronica
Mudhoney - Grunge
Jesus Lizard - ???
Fugazi and Unwound - Too punky
Beat Happening - Too cutesy
Decemberists - Are you kidding? (Plus, too recent)

etc

What are Decemberists then?

They always seemed pretty indie to me. Indie is such a lame term anyways.

Well, they're on KRS, so I'd give them 'indie', but what I've heard didn't 'rock'.

Part II of their Tain EP kinda rocks.. but yeah. Kinda recent. Anyways.

Every band people have listed fit under the indie category. That word really has nothing to do with music itself.
Personally I'd give a person a list of things from a wider range.
besides, cheery/moody and jangly wussy guitar pop gets boring fast, if that is what people mean by "indie rock".

Ahh. I didn't really notice the 'indie rock' thing. I thought this was just indie. Whatever though. Decemberists are mad hot.

Sonic Youth
Pavement
Dinosaur Jr
Polvo
Animal Collective
Deerhoof
Smashing Pumpkins
Tortoise
My Bloody Valentine

the jesus and mary chain

all these bands play rock music and have put out records on independent labels. therefore they fit the bill.

and if that ??? denotes that you do not know who the jesus lizard are then i would suggest checking them out, because they are very good.

I didn't know how to classify Jesus Lizard.
All I'm saying is that I consider "indie rock" to be a bit more narrow than something vaguely rock-ish by bands that once upon a time put out a record on an indie label.
If you want to classify everything that's not on MTV as 'indie rock', be my guest.

?
uhh o!

heres maybe 1000 bands

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_indie_rock_artists

Wow. That first list you have is horrible, Rhys. I know you didn't make it.

I listen to maybe 5 bands and even those I wouldn't consider indie.

maybe rock?



why?



i would only do that if eveything that's not on mtv was rock music released on independent labels... but that is far from being the case

yeah, it does. I dont know many people on the list.
better destroy it before they see!!!

Feel free to explain your ideas on music classification, instead of just arguing about mine.

yes, forget about listening to music

just read the label and move along

i'd do this

pavement
sebadoh
neutral milk hotel
GBV
sonic youth
husker du
the fall
the vaselines
dino j
television personalities

sonic youth
pavement
sebadoh
yo la tengo
the fall
mogwai
modest mouse
slater-kinney
dinosaur jr.

maybe joy division. they were not that indie, but I guess they've set pretty solid ground for many indie bands of 80-90

hey, and how about Gang of Four?

The Fall
Teenage Fanclub
The Smiths
Spacemen 3
The Fall
My Bloody Valentine
The Pastels
Super Furry Animals
The Fall
The Cure

Just because I'm a little concerned about the American bias to the aformentioned lists.