The Olivia Tremor Control and The Apples in Stereo were a part of the same recording collective with Neutral Milk Hotel - Elephant 6, so they often shared musicians, influences and so on. Also, Elf Power from the same scene.

The Mercy Seat is a song on Tender Prey, here's a really cool video video of Cave singing it live, it's absolutely immense, wait until the end it's breathtaking.



But yeah, lyrically the whole album is very dark, case in point:

O My O My
What a wretched life
I was born on the day
That my poor mother died
I was cut from her belly
With a stanley knife
My daddy did a jig
With the drunk midwife

Hope I've sold it to you.

Thanks, I'll check them all out.

Don't forget Of Montreal. Beirut is heavily influenced by NMH, you should check them out too.

And The Music Tapes

Alright so recently I've been trying to broaden my horizons and have been trying to pick up some essential indie albums.

In the last week or so I've picked up
Beutiful Freak - Eels
In The Aeroplanee Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
Summer In Abbadon - Pinback (Was not a fan)
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? - The Unicorns
Hissing Fauma, Are You Our Destroyer - Of Montreal
Self Titled - Liars
Self Titled - FIlm School
And I've always had a strong liking towards Sebadoh, DInosaur Jr, and of course the Pixies.

Any other essentials or underrated albums I should look into?

Gomez's Bring It On and In Our Gun.

Go for 'em :thumb:

The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms/ The Good Earth
Arcade Fire - Funeral
The Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
R.E.M. - Reckoning

Alright thanks guys, I actually have been curious about The Flaming Lips for a while, they're actually playing here in a couple months.

BTown787 - Am not a fan :p:

Maybe you'll like one of their others? Try the debut if you're up for it.

Another essential: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes