Interpol ceased to exist after they changed labels. but Turn On the Bright Lights is probably still my favorite album of that decade. as for other artists, The Radio Dept, Deerhunter, Atlas Sound, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Panda Bear, LCD Soundsystem, No Age, Women, Beach House, Liars, Sun Kil Moon, Ariel Pink, Pantha Du Prince, Caribou, The Tallest Man on Earth, Flying Lotus, Sufjan Stevens, How to Dress Well, The Walkmen, Junior Boys, Cut Copy, The Knife, The XX, Clark, Spoon, a slew of chillwave bands, etc.
Bands like Interpol, The Shins, and Belle and Sebastian really were the first bands that piqued my interest in the "indie" sound and started getting me more into underground music. I'm really not up on a lot of the newer bands yet, I like Beach House a lot, Grizzly Bear is pretty good, and the new Deerhunter is good too. MGMT is good when you're high. I'm still immersed in more classic sound right now... the sort of progression of alternative sound, Pixies, Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sonic Youth... these are landmark bands IMO. Other than that I'm into post rock, (kudos to Landlord for his post rock recommendations, good stuff) and trying now to decipher what shozgaze is all about. I listened to MBV's Loveless again today. There is something pretty amazing about that album, but I haven't really been able to conceptualize what it is yet, but upon 6-7 listens it is starting to reveal itself to me.
The quintessential indie bands right now in the mainstream include The National, Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter, Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens etc.. These are the bigger indie rock artists these days who can pack more than 2000 people per night. Right now "chillwave" is really big in the indie scene. Acts like Washed Out, Neon Indian, Toro y Moi and Twin Shadow come to mind. Also "surf" rock has become alot more popular especially with the west coast indie scene. I think of bands like Surfer Blood and Local Natives. I heard the new Cut Copy album is going to switch their sound to this somewhat as evidenced by the first single they just released. Also "lo fi" is really loved by the critics especially Pitchfork. I can't stand this genre. It basically sounds like you are listening to music one band off the correct radio station or through some sort of filter. Bands like Wavves, Best Coast, Beach Fossils, Women, and No Age etc... If you like indie electro, you will definitely want to listen to the new Bag Raiders album. They are from Australia where this electro synth scene seen is huge along with bands like Cut Copy, The Presets and Midnight Juggernauts. Band of Horses and Interpol are probably two of the bigger disappointments of the year I have felt. I would also list Sufjan Stevens new album as a dissapointment as well, although critics seem to like this album. You might want to check out Sun Kil Moon's new album. Its really the best one Kozelek has done since Ghosts of the Great Highway. Some other great releases this year have been: Solar Bears (sounds like Ratatat) Suckers (sounds like TV on the Radio) Wild Nothing Wilds Beasts (from 2009 if you like falsetto voice) Phantogram (sounds like Junior Boys) Junip (Jose Gonzalez new group album) Yeasayer Beach House (my top album of the year) Caribou Foals Casiokids I was going to post in that top albums of the year thread, but I'll wait till December to compile my list.
Old Ghostland album (2008)? Let's see what Pitchfork thinks! New Ghostland album (2010)? Let's see what Pitchfork thinks! Spoiler Pitchfork obviously does not like hipster Navajo's.
Somebody needs to recommend me some good indie bands, I really only know these bands the strokes the rakes franz ferdinand Interpol if they sound similar that would be cool
What I've heard of Best Coast I like for the most part. I actually liked Sleigh Bells until I saw their train wreck of a live show. Now I can't listen to them because they were so god awful live. Almost as painful as Crystal Castles was live. They are great examples of how production technology can make terrible vocalists sound decent. I do really like the Crystal Castles song that has Robert Smith on vocals. If they could just get him to sing on all their songs they'd be a lot better off.
i saw crystal castles about 2 years ago in austin. i will agree they were Horrible. seriously they were really really bad. in the mid 90's i saw ministry live and they were probably the best show i have ever seen. and i would put crystal castles the worst. and cake right before them i saw them about 1997 in college station on campus and they were dreadful.
Thanks to Brightside, Harrisment, moes, and others that have replied so far - would like to know more about these groups: Beach House The National Suckers Wolf Parade Of Montreal Yeasayer The Tallest Man on Earth Also, Brightside - are you not a fan of Vampire Weekend?
You really can't go wrong with Blalock. He puts out great playlists a few times each year. http://www.blalocksirp.com/playlists/2010/1614-blalocks-indierock-playlist-november-2010
Not addressed to me, but I'll reply anyway... The National - definitely check out their album Alligator. Most fans consider it to be their best work. The Cherry Tree Ep is also great. Wolf Parade - Expo '86 was pretty solid, but Apologies to the Queen Mary was amazing. Handsome Furs - Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade has a side project with his wife. It's fantastic. Check out both of their albums. Plague Park and Face Control. Of Montreal - known mostly now for Kevin Barnes's live antics..but Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is one of my favorite albums of the last few years. I haven't been too crazy about anything he has done since. and Manny, I wold add to this list, and older band called Beulah. I've really enjoyed them over the last few years. Check out their albums When Your Heartstrings Break, and The Coast is Never Clear. Also, a band called Surrogate. Check out their album Popular Mechanics.
Check out Why? - Alopecia, probably my favorite album of 2008, absolutely no filler, every song is good <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QqcckeKtSU4?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QqcckeKtSU4?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fLGXJ0k1I34?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fLGXJ0k1I34?fs=1&hl=en_US&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Good call on this. I was really late on the mark in getting into this album. I think I only first listened to it in early 2009. But this album is solid. One of the top 3 of 2008 for sure in retrospect. Alot of my friends who are also big into the indie scene insist this is easily the best album released in the past 10 years. I wouldn't give it that accolade (mainly due to the rock/rapping on the second half of the album) but I think it will be remembered as one of the albums that marked the decade. The first 7 tracks are epic. It has alot of sounds similar to 90's indie rock and not the jangly sounds of modern day indie rock.
