"indie rock" is such a ridiculously broad term. It's essentially pointless except give something hipster appeal. Wolf Parade is labeled "indie rock" but does that mean that they sound anything like Yo La Tengo or The Pixies? Nope. Wolf Parade do, however share some similarities with Modest Mouse, yet run through a more imaginative filter infused with the merest hints of punk enthusiasm. Songwriting and vocals are split between guitarist Dan Boeckner (of Handsome Furs) and keyboardist Spencer Krug (or Sunset Rubdown and Swan Lake); both bring their own individuality to each song, Boeckner's tunes have a strong sense of melody and construction, while Krug's are more urgent seem poised on the edge of completely falling apart. Together, their interplay and the variations between the two leaders styles make the album a eclectic listen, but the band keeps it all together with a unified musical sound.39. James Yorkston: Just Beyond the River
Just Beyond the River has a stark and empty feeling to it compared with the lush arrangements of Moving Up Country, but regardless of this step down in volume, James Yorkston's second album is a complex and abrasive journey through the heart, with backing music that echoes the sentiments perfectly. Yorkston, as always, is an outstanding lyricist and he's never sounded as heartfelt as he does on songs like "Heron" and "Time Tomorrow". His quiet, but in no ways weak vocals are assertive, such as on "Shipwreckers" which proves he can do more than the standard quiet folk vocals. The greatest thing about this album is Yorkston's new direction in arrangements, the album has a much more traditional sound, with banjo and fiddle playing much more prominent roles, and in some cases driving the songs. Though this is the worst of Yorkston's three albums, it's still one of the best folk albums ever.38. Olivia Tremor Control: Singles and Beyond
It's hard to believe that this is a collection of songs that never even made it to a major album released. Every song on this album is excellent, and some stand up with some of the greatest indie rock songs ever. Perhaps even more unbelievable is how old some of these songs are, opening track (and an all-time favorite of mine) "Love Athena" was recorded in 1992 and released on the band's very first release, yet it still stands up, regardless of it's age of the poor quality of the recording (as a young band, they couldn't afford anything better). The songs on this album follow the patented Olivia formula, mixing indie pop masterpieces with intricate, and occasionally noisy, musical collages. The interplay between these two is seamless, as 60s psychedelia flows perfectly into starkly modern ambiance so easily that you don't even notice the jump of decades of influence.37. Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt Sweeney: Superwolf
Though this is the first fully realized evidence of it, Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy) and Matt Sweeney (of Chavez and Zwan fame) have been collaborating together from quite some time. Sweeney has played on several of Oldham's albums, as well as being a fixture of his live shows but for the first time, they both share the stage. Though Oldham is reponsible for most of the lead vocals and lyrics, Sweeney's lead guitar is never put to the side and always plays an vital part in every song. It can be delicate and soothing, or break into a shrieking solo at a moment's notice. Oldham's own backing guitar is solid as well, providing a foundation for Sweeney to twist and turn his intricate lines in. Both artists sing, though Oldham does the bulk of it, though that too works to the album benefit, for when Sweeney does pop up, it's gives the flow a refresh, keeping us guessing and interested in more than just he main attractions: Oldham's lyrics and Sweeney's guitar.36. Animal Collective: Feels
In retrospect, Feels is clearly a bridging album between Sung Tongs and Strawberry Jam. It has the unhinged energy and folk backbone of the former and the beginnings of the pop experimentation of the latter. Albums like this are usually regarded as either half-baked or missing the mark, but in the case of Feels, it's the exact opposite. Instead of being an uneven mix of styles, it is the perfect mix of two things that are taken to too much of an extreme on the albums that precede and follow it. This is Animal Collective's self-professed "love album" but for the most part it's not the lyrics that will keep you interested (unless you actually read them, "Purple Bottle" ftw!) it's the unique tuning and bizarre song structures that you are immediately presented with. The album is by far the densest the Collective has ever made, and though the massive ambiance in the renderings may annoy some at first, those who allow the album to grow on them, will surely come to love it.35. The Fiery Furnaces: Blueberry Boat
As bizarre of an album as it is, there is something so charming and lovable about Blueberry Boat. Perhaps it's the childlike, fairy-tale songs written with a broad, over-literate hand or the quirky music that takes prog-rock and indie pop and fuses them together with a healthy dose of synthesizers, but whatever it is, it's utterly irresistible to me, though not everyone shares my opinion. The album is the ultimate divider, with some calling it unlistenable tripe (most-likely for the very same reasons I love it) while others hail it as a masterpiece of experimentation and song-craft. I tend to fall into the second group, I find Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger's music as interesting, intriguing, and challenging to the conventions of what is acceptable in pop music. There's hooks and catchy lyrics, but there's also 10 minute synth songs, massive guitar wankery, and odd noise passages. The Fiery Furnace push to and beyond most listeners breaking points by the first song, but if you have it in you to like this album, then it's sure to be one of your very favorites.34. The Knife: Deep Cuts
Let's get down to bare bones without beating around the bush at all. "Heartbeats", the opening song on The Knife's second album, is the best pop song of the 21st century, and could be the best of all time. Everything in this song is perfect, the way the synths sway back and forth to the beat, the vocal inflections and shifts, the little steeldrum touches, all of it is just divine. And though the rest of the album is a step down from "Heartbeats" it's still an incredible electro-pop album. The Knife know how to mix the pop and the electro to just the right combination of wavy synths and catchy vocals tracks. As always with The Knife Karin Dreijer provides the vocals and lyrics while her brother Olof, who clearly is more a fan of techno and house than pop creates the beats. This is still a step away from the band's defining album Silent Shout, but it's a step in that direction, as well as an incredibly enjoyable pop experience.33. Death From Above 1979: You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
It's sort of an odd thing that an album that rocks incredibly hard and brings all the cock-out attitude of punk and classic rock and roll doesn't have a single electric guitar on it. Everything you hear on the album that sounds like a guitar is really Jesse F. Keeler's bass. Keeler does stuff on the bass you couldn't imagine in your wildest dream, he riffs like Slash and he works the frets like Eddie Van Halen, all with two less strings than those guys had. Besides bass, the only other thing on the album is vocalist Sebastien Grainger's propulsive drum as well as some subtle synth touches. With the mixing of the riffs and Grainger's half-dance, half-punk rhythms create a sweaty mess of rock and roll, dance, and punk. There's genius in many of these songs, but half the fun is finding it. At the very least, this is a impossibly fun album to listen to, and really hard not to love.32. Patrick Wolf: The Magic Position
Coming after twisted and brooding albums like Patrick Wolf's first two albums, The Magic Position is a explosion of color and joy. There's always been some hints of pop in Wolf's music, buried beneath all the folk instruments, noise, and melodrama, but with this album he finally lets it out in all its glory. Make no mistake, this isn't any cheesy pop album, this is one the most intricate pop albums since Forever Changes. Wolf's genius for melding folk, electro, and classical is perfectly apt for crossing classical and pop to create a chamber pop album full or pianos, beats, strings, synths, horns, most of which are played by Wolf himself, who also produced the album. The kind of talent Wolf has (started at 12, and is classical trained on violin and viola) makes him stand out from the rest of the pop music world like no other, which is fitting because he creates music that is like no others.31. The Blood Brothers: Young Machetes
I've always been of the opinion that with genres like screamo and hardcore, which can tend to be rather bland, that the more outside influences you bring in, the better. Perhaps that's why The Blood Brothers' albums just get better and better, because they just get more daring and experimental. All that climaxed with the band's last album (an album that, ironically ends with a song called "Giant Swan") Young Machetes, an album that brought the pop of Crimes and the harder edge of early albums and mixed them together with all kinds of bizarre rhythms and influences ranging from funk to 60s beat music. As always, some are gonna hate the Brothers' high-pitched vocals and weird harmonized screams, but if you don't mind that then you have gold mine of talent, creativity, and originality, something you can very rarely say about any artists in the genre.
No comments:
Post a Comment