Posted on April 26, 2009 - by Mark Zonda
LOST.FM & The Indie Album Top 10
“They say you better listen to the voice of reason / But they don’t give you any choice ’cause they think that it’s treason”
In Europe - at least in Italy – we’ve got a strange idea of radio broadcasting. Still controlled and tightened up by play-list, there is still a small voice for freedom and strange discovery, expecialy in late night broadcastings and weekly shows. John Peel Sessions maybe the best universally acclaimed example. Time changes, and technologies too. One of my favourite ways to browse through music in a clever way and without commercials is via computer, thanks to Last.FM
I’m not a fan of its “tag oriented” radio, but a lot of friends dig it, and I’m sure it’ one of the best chances for a brand new indie band to get known without the promotion of a major to sustain them. Not sure if you know how it works, but major radio stations has to follow the directives given by “Miss The Music Industry”, providing you with the most conforming and unsurprising sound you can get, in order to accomplish sponsors and stuff.
That’s why I like indie music so much. Artists try to find their own voice, and listeners get to know them through friends suggestions, labels or collaborations with other musicians. That’s what lead me to the liet motif of the month: which are the TOP 10 indie albums my firends loves the most? Here’s what we get:
01) THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN – PSYCHOCANDY
Possibly the best debut album from an indie band, achiving results that so many other bands can get only after some yeards of work. “Why do you think you’re so popular right now”, they were asked. “Because we’re so much better than the others”, they honestly replied. This album and records like this were the gist of idipendent college radios against all of thos kitchy noisy hair metal. A classic among suburban classics, catching everyone’s attention for their violent and energic overcrowded gigs.
02) BRODER DANIEL – BRODER DANIEL FOREVER
Maybe the most influential and best recorderd Swedish indie album in years. Simple as that. New York, London, Gothenburg, sweet melody on punk guitars, “Broder Daniel Forever” was able to catch the sound of the time despite of any location. The cinical smile rising from the dark cover of the album hints an amused and sinister point of view on every teenager’s everyday life, projecting on us the ups and failures on being uncool in y2k. Still someone is still wondering what the hell Hakan Hellstrom has to do with that band.
03) INTERPOL – TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS
Yet another surprising indie debut: “Turn On THe Bright Lights” from Interpol. Diggin in the same yard by some of the top indie artist of the past, Interpol raised Joy Division appeal from the grave to rock both sides of the World. From Manchester to New York City Paul Bank dark voice was able to bring the lights in so many indie clubs around the globe. Interpol came to the scene by playing the game not losing time in rewriting the rools, still leaving the fan some serious good reasons not to listening to Limp Bizkit.
04) THE FLAMING LIPS – THE SOFT BULLETIN
Someon has called this album “The Bright Light of The Moon”. Anyway it was the first attempt by the new psychadelic space rock band from Oklahoma City to collect their loose scattering brain connections in a delicate pop opera on the World and the destiny of human beings. The album was de facto edited by Warner, but when asked for a lifetime indie album to spot out every friend I have interviewed didn’t esitated to call for it. Not a bad goal for a band that claims to “just makie only semi-decent music that somehow sells”.
05) TORTOISE – TNT
This album is so indie that it doesn’t even have a real cover. What surprised me the most is that the 5th place of the chart was taken by an album that dosen’t even has songs not being Sigur Ros debut! Remember what I told for Interpol, Broder and J&MC? Tortoise didn’t brake the rule, and it took three album of kraut-noise to arise from the undefined line of post rock with their quiet revolution: TNT. ” “Everglade” – the last track of the album – is just an irresistible invite to forget to turn off the loop button from the stereo. This album could fit any moment of your life.
06) THE NATIONAL – BOXER
Is this even rock’n'roll anyway? The slow world of “Boxer” is a great escape from the solid sound “The National” exhaustly carried on till the previous “Alligator”. The band sent to sleep any scream’o'rocky loudy anthem, banning songs like “Slipping Husband” and “Able” from this dark piece of mellow album. Fortunatly people sometimes get also tired of “White Stipes”. Say Hello Wilco. There’s a newy in the playground. I’m don’t particoulary fancy this album, but I bet that is ready to grow in time.
07) ANIMAL COLLECTIVE -MERRYWEATHER POST PAVILLION
Maybe the most accalaimed indie album of the year, “Merryweather Post Pavillion” shows the world how “Animal Collective” is able to emprove sounds and technique one record after another. As Beach Boys on acid from outer space they landed on our hard disk to make sure our downloads would never have been the same again. In the great sea of music, hopfully there’s still some magic at the end of the torrents. Ben Allen spoilet the indipentend path sacrificing geekness to a true avant-electro masterpiece.
08) BLUR – PARKLIFE
On the thin line between pop and not. Maybe “13″ would have been a more cleaver choice, but – as for Flaming Lips’ “Soft Bulletin” – everyone picked “Parklife” instead. “Food Records” leads the way to the raging dogs on the cover, not so improbably diggin their soul chasing success after the disappoinging sales of “Modern Life Is Rubbish”. Apparently… they did it! Quoting Steve Erlewine: “By tying the past and the present together, Blur articulated the mid-’90s zeitgeist and produced an epoch-defining record.”
09) DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS – DON’T STAND ME DOWN
Finding other persons other than me considering this album one of the finest moments of the brief indie pop history was pure joy for the heart. Not anyone gets to know this great band from the 80’s underground, and it surely deserved to be rediscovered now that file sharing and paypal oriented indipendent distribution get rid of majors’ channels. They were always counted out of any chart in the world. I’m so glad that they had their chance to kick Stone Roses out. At least in this little Blog Magazine.
10) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – TRANSATLANTICISM
A small step for the pop history, a giant leap for the Cuties. “Transatlanticism” feeds our little emo beast behind our brand new fashionable haircut. So much more than “A Postal Service”, “Transatlanticism” delivers a coherent still amazing werk in sound. “This is fact, not fiction, for the first time in years”. An unforgettable album that made the mark for a band with and unforgattable name. Let’s just forget that Seth Cohen hanged the cover in his room right over his bed. These are albums never meant to put back on their sleeves. Spin’em on.
Just like indipendent radios in the past, Last.FM gave the masses the chance to discover such marvellous artist and albums (and sustain them) where the major companies failed strangling their raging hunger to be heard and enjoyed. A shame that Uk, USA and Germany seems to be the only country in the World deserving the right of explore new music. Waiting for your voices to be heard, I’ll give my radio days to Spotify.
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Interpol – Obstacle 1
Tortoise – Everglade
The National – Gospel
The Flaming Lips – Everything Has Changed
Broder Daniel – You Bury Me
Let it ring on...
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Indie music at its most. And not only! A year has passed since this project started, and I must say that I'm prouder than ever having been persuaded to begin this adventure made by music and words.
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