Line Out - Comments on "The Indie Rock 25" by Entertainment Weekly

Comment by flamingbanjo

flamingbanjo — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:27:34 -0800

What does "indie" mean?

Comment by Eric Grandy

Eric Grandy — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:31:27 -0800

That's absolutely the right Modest Mouse record, as is Sinister for B&S.

Comment by Joshua H

Joshua H — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:32:46 -0800

Actually, I think the list looks pretty good up to 93 or so (beyond that I'm unqualified to judge), though it seems a bit weird not to have Husker Du on the list.

Comment by brian cook

brian cook — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:43:34 -0800

love Let It Be, but would've preferred Double Nickels On The Dime for 1984. oh well.

Comment by mackro mackro

mackro mackro — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:50:44 -0800

It's a list. A safe list. Not inaccurate. Shrug.

Comment by cosby

cosby — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:56:04 -0800

thank god there is no definition for 'indie', so there is no way to describe in what ways this list is wrong.

radiohead is indie in 2008, but not indie in 1997? okay, guys.

Comment by douglas martin

douglas martin — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:45:01 -0800

with the exception of in rainbows as this year's pick [although radiohead is now an indie band due to technicality, a cop-out is still a cop-out] and bright eyes in 2005 [black sheep boy? feels, anyone?], i think EW put out a SURPRISINGLY accurate list. sure it's safe, but a safe list from a mainstream mag is way better than a bunch of wild pitches that'll send the internet up in arms.

and i honestly can't remember a truly great indie-rock record to come out in '93, so maybe ultimate alternative wavers was a pretty solid choice.

Comment by josh

josh — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:49:05 -0800

this is an incredibly inoffensive list.

Comment by Megan Seling

Megan Seling — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:52:08 -0800

Bubble and Scrape came out in 1993. I wonder why that one didn't make it...

Comment by lar

lar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:55:10 -0800

not a bad list @ all, still cosign brian @ #4

Comment by Jeff Kirby

Jeff Kirby — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:04:52 -0800

Yeah, that list actually has several of my favorite albums on it.

Comment by rk

rk — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:00:52 -0800

If you have to make lists, this is actually a pretty damn good one. And I gotta agree with Grandy - Lonesome Crowded West is the definitive Modest Mouse album.

Comment by left coast

left coast — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:03:45 -0800

That's a pretty decent list, but Bright Eyes and Modest Mouse. And Interpol can only be there as a proxy for Joy Division.

Obviously OK Computer should be on there and maybe Daft Punk Live instead for 2008. I like the Spoon album, but would have gone with The National Boxer or Les Savy Fav for 2007.

Comment by douglas martin

douglas martin — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 03:56:16 -0800

ok computer didn't make it because it's on a major label.

and i'm with the crowd on this one the lonesome crowded west is definitely modest mouse's definitive album. the closest successor would be the moon and antarctica, but, like nearly every modest mouse record, could stand to be trimmed down by about three or four songs.

Comment by tallchris

tallchris — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:29:13 -0800

A very safe list, though it's interesting to see any lingering vestige of punk slowly drain from indie rock after the late 90's.

Comment by danmohr

danmohr — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:56:22 -0800

This isn't as bad as most lists of its ilk. I'll echo TC's point and and extend it to also cover noisy rock - the sort of thing that really defined the 80's (ugh) Amer-indie genre.

I also think the the Sleater-Kinney and Yo La Tengo choices are really odd. If I think about most of the previous years' selections, they are archetypal albums, maybe for the band but often for an entire style of music. There's no way that the '99 and 2000 picks even come close to this. I would have probably picked _Keep It Like a Secret_ for '99 (and used my selection there for _Bubble and Scrape_ as Megan noted) and maybe _1000 Hurts_ for 2000. There should probably be a Death Cab selection on this list, too, given how emblematic they are in terms of the independent music world.

I didn't see this as a list of the "best" records of each year, just the ones that best captured the prevailing indie winds of the time. I'd like to see it go back to '80 or '81, too.

Comment by rexmundane

rexmundane — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:18:59 -0800

I'll admit 2007 was pretty thin albumwise, but couldn't they do better than Spoon? please.

Comment by kid icarus

kid icarus — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:50:47 -0800

Built to Spill obviously belongs up there somewhere, but I would have gone with Superchunk's On the Mouth for 1993.

Comment by elswinger

elswinger — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:21:28 -0800

I would have fit Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey in there somewhere.

Comment by left coast

left coast — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:22:16 -0800

You don't have a clue Martin, half those albums are from major labels - released or distributed. Doolittle could barely be indie under your standard, so Bleach can be on instead.

Husker Du could have made it in '84 (Bob Mould is in town next week), Mudhoney would be hard pressed to make it, but Ministry (also in town next week) should have.

Comment by Philip

Philip — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:07:18 -0800

Perfect Teeth by Unrest and Deep End by Tsunami both came out in 1993. I can't even think of what Built to Spill sounds like, though there's no question I've heard them plenty of times before, so can that album of theirs really be the best choice for 1993?

Comment by beardo

beardo — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:28:34 -0800

Didn't "Exile In Guyville" come out in 1993? That's what my iTunes says. If so, that's the choice, easy.

Also agree with Grandy: B&S for 1996 and Modest Mouse for 1997, absolutely no question about it.

As for 2005, I don't have a big problem with Bright Eyes. (That's a great album.) But doesn't it seem as though "Come On Feel The Illinoise" would've been a better choice? That record was huge.

Comment by KeeKee

KeeKee — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:16:48 -0800

beardo's right on. "Exile In Guyville" owned 1993. But this list only covers bands, not solo artist.

"There's Nothing Wrong With Love" should be the Built To Spill choice for 1994. Not that I don't love their debut.

I dunno... Are solo artists not considered indie for some particular reason?