The Indie & Alternative Recommendation Thread
 

I like this thread idea, should be a sticky.

Hope it takes off.

How does it work? Say what bands you're into and ask for similar sounding bands?

Basically yeah. Its just a more accurate, genre specific location for the wider ranging request and recommendations thread in the general music forum.

I like it :thumb:

It is a sticky.
And, what Mojo said.

The idea is that people can keep their requests and recommendations in a genre-specific forum that makes it easier to manage and contribute to and more likely that noobs will post things in the proper place.

Hey, so lately I have been just wanting to hear some new stuff.

I am like looking for some relatively unknown indie gems that came out in the 90s, 00s. Actually, they don't even have to be unknown.

I was thinking of checking out The Hold Steady, Stereolab, Ted Leo, Joanna Newson, Smog, Grandaddy, The Beta Band, The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

There are quite a few bands I really want to check out, but the list just racks up so much.

Anyways, here is my last.fm page so you guys can get an idea of my music taste.

I can't really name one genre of indie/alternative I like, but I do seem to enjoy lo fi, twee (indie pop), some shoegaze, and... hell even some new wave/post punk stuff like Joy Division, Talking Heads, The Smiths...

I don't know what I am looking for, but would like some new stuff to listen to is what I am trying to get at.

Almost forgot...

Zikeli’s Music Profile – Users at Last.fm

Also, I never really use it, but do you guys find the Last.FM recommendation radio helps you out in discovering new stuff?

I like the idea too, hopefully will be easier to find when people, panicked, need answers.

I think this belongs here, I'm looking for some more Nick Cave albums..

In the same vein as Murder Ballads, them lyrics and chilling melodies. Anyone got ideas?

I'm looking for some similar stuff to Neutral Milk Hotel. Of course, other recommendations are welcome!

Tender Prey is an album you should get. I personally think it's his best and The Mercy Seat in particular is fantastic, you'll love it.

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll be sure to give both a listen. Them lryics in Muder Ballads were just brilliant, story telling at its best.

You should think about getting Henry's Dream as well if you liked the sound of Murder Ballads. Also, Your Funeral My Trial is probably the darkest of his 80s albums, so it might be worth looking out for that too.

Ooo, so many to choose from. I might just go in for a penny in for a pound and get all of the albums mentioned. :D

I really liked Murder Ballads, 1 song actually amused me as well, which doesn't usually happen with music.

Was it the Curse Of Millhaven perchance?

One of the most psychotically awesome songs I've ever heard that and, at a push, my favourite off the album.

It was! I found it psychotic but at the same time it had a great humour to it... dunno how it contains both.

What's with Nick Cave? Why's he such a fuck up? :laughing:

He's just that special :D

The album he does after that, the Boatman's Call (as you might have heard around here) is a complete turnaround from his past sound though, in that it's made up of laid-back, romantic, piano-led ballads. Absolutely amazing album all the same, but not exactly the kinda thing you seem to be looking for at the minute, so stick it on the back burner ;)

Well I'm not really sure what I'm looking for to be honest, I just know I really liked Murder Ballads and it had an interesting edge to it. Something I haven't really heard before.. but I mean, it might be a nice change to go for something totally different. Oh you've confused me now Bulldog, but I think I'm gonna stick with the gloomy stuff, try to explore that area of him before I branch off

And the best of luck to ya :thumb: You've got a hell of a discography waiting for you, so you should dig it.

OK so here's a band out of Portland that I've been sitting on for ages. They're called The Standard and for some reason they really struck a chord with me. They were the band that opened my ears to more indie rock and I've yet to find a band that's exactly like them... or even a smidge bit like them. I've passed their 2008 album The Swimmer onto two other people and met with some contrasting remarks. One person loved it, the other person hated it and I think left the forum because of it.

Anyhow I don't really know how to classify them other than indie. They've got some shoegaze elements, but for the most part their stuff is pretty mellow, which is something that usually turns me off most indie bands, but for some reason it doesn't have that same effect on me with these guys. I couldn't find any Youtube videos and for some reason I can't create any either so you'll have to make due with their Myspace, but I really hope a few people check them out. Indie rock is one of the few genres that I really have no talking points with so when I find a band that I really like but nobody else knows about, I get frustrated because I want to talk about them...

The Standard on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

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

Saw them last month and they blew my mind. Best show I've ever seen.

yeah I really wanted to like them, I'll definitely try the debut.

And yeah hopefully the tickets won't be to much for the flaming lips if I do end up liking them.

Speaking of The Flaming Lips, if all goes according to plan, I should be checking them out in Houston the weekend before my 21st birthday along with Stars and Ra Ra Riot! I'm ****ing stoked.

Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle
Superchunk - No Pocky for Kitty
The Wrens - Meadowlands
Unrest - Imperial f.f.r.r
Slovenly - Thinking of Empire

There's 5 I would definitely look into. I think you have more than enough to get explore now lol.

What are some good bands similar to Yo La Tengo?

I already listen to Built To Spill, Pavement...

Last.fm similar artists are Galaxie 500, Sparklehorse, Grandaddy. Those good places to start?

Sparklehorse is a good bet...but I really think it depends on what you liked most about Yo La Tengo...they have covered a variety of styles.

camera obscura is tengoish

Yeah Camera Obscura are my second most played artist. I can't get enough of them.

But as far as Yo La Tengo, I love everything they have done. I'll check out Sparklehorse though.

Is Stereolab similar to Yo La Tengo? I ask because I saw them in your recent top artists.

Hey, I'm looking for something rather specific:
Sad piano-/keyboard-based instrumental music.

Doesn't necessarily have to be instrumental, but fairly lyric-submissive or otherwise incomprehensible vocals. Please recommend me some.
I suppose I'm thinking of SMZ's For Wanda, more specifically, sorry I don't really have much else to go by but this sort of stuff is really appealing to me at the moment.

Thank you!! :)

Anything similar to the brand of indie rock that Superchunk and The Thermals play would be appreciated... :)