99% of indie pop is good- you just havent heard most of it yet

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glad to see someone mentioned screenprints.got their comp. perfect city,if it wasnt for the dodgy production,..it would be one of the most perfect albums ever.

strange that spearmint werent mentioned on the 99% of indiepop is crap.they're one of the best indiepop bands ever(i like using that word).

goldrush-same picture was one of the singles of 2001,..shame theyve gone downhil since.

actually i dont agree with my statment "99% of indie pop is good". 99% of any genre of music being good is impossible.But it's utterly wrong saying that only 1% of indiepop is good,you're vastly underestimating indie pop.havent any of you heard of kicker or saloon?or the track and field and fortuna pop labels?

p.s.please dont put me down for say "one of the best..ever" etc..

Myles-IndieKid, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Spearmint is one of the worst bands ever. Sweeping the nation is so corny I want to cry. I feel ill just thinking about it.

Marc, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

using spearmint as part of your argument is a bit spurrious as they are mostly nonsense, a bit like shack.

keith, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

glad to see someone mentioned screenprints

Oddly enough, I just heard something by them for the first time, "Her Name I Don't Remember." Pleasant.

Ned Raggett, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Screen Prints rox0r. They can be a little patchy, but their sound reminds me of hearing the Clientele for the first time. Like cotton balls straight out of the dryer.

electric sound of jim, Sunday, 5 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You didn't understand why I said that 99% is crap. It is because I have heard soooo much, and sooo much that is wonderful already! I haven't heard anything really really good for many many months. I was grouchy. I do think that indiepop kids are very uncritical and everybody goes around saying everything is good. I don't want to waste my time or money on anything that's less than good, so I want to know what's GREAT.

Anyway, I also think Spearmint are dodgy at best. Screen Prints approach perfection. I haven't heard the new Saloon and Dressy Bessy yet.

I want to hear a song that's going to stick with me for years. A new classic. Like Edson "Sunday Bloody Sunday" which is only a couple of years old.

Marianna, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Saloon album is really cute, I like it. Good music for Spring.

Dare, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't speak for other indiekids, but I'm incredibly critical. But probably in a different way to you. I'm quite happy to hear the same thing done a hundred times as long as the tune is good and it makes my ears happy..

electric sound of jim, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can listen to one song a billion times, sure. The symptom of saying everything is good can be seen in most indiepop zines and discussion forums - and mailorder shops.

There are few people who I can trust if they recommend something. Generally, I buy loads of new stuff, listen once, and then file, and it makes me feel like i'm just getting loads of average stuff, when the reality is that i probably haven't listened enough (or bought the wrong thing).

I need someone to play DJ to me and tell me what the "hit" song is on each of these discs. From my experience on this list, there are a couple of people that seem to have the same taste in indiepop stuff as me - and unfortunately, electric sound of jim isn't one of them, i think keith is though.

I need a new band to get excited about. Bear in mind that I heard the Screen Prints and the Clientele way back in 1999. It's time for another one to get excited about.I sometimes dig up old stuff from the 80's that I haven't heard (LTM reissues etc), and I'm going to pick up a few Sarah things. I have heard some positive things about Florian and a few other Swedish bands, but can you trust the recommendations?, and what I've heard of Safe Home, I like OK. But it isn't enough, and I've found myself listening to Indierock and alt-country stuff in the meantime.

Marianna, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Marianna, you should have a chat with that Pete Hahndorf fella. He's ultra-enthusiastic, but hyper-critical at the same time. And very good at sorting the wheat from the chaff, if indie's your bag.

harveyw, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Failing that, find a new genre.

harveyw, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Sweeping the nation" is absolutely fine, but only in the context of old dance-craze records, i.e. "It's the new sensation / That's sweeping 'cross the nation". If a dance-craze record lacks that line it's not a proper dance-craze record in my book.

Martin Skidmore, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Failing that, buy fewer records & listen to them more often.

harveyw, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Buy no records and listen to nothing!! It's the best of all by far!!

mark s, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

nine months pass...
The recent indiepop love over at Pitchfork (1st a glowing review of the Boyracer album and now the Aisler's Set - what happened to the days when Brent D took every available opportunity to bash Wolfie?) made me want to start a new thread, but then I decided that I'd attempt to revive an old one instead?

Are there any other recent indiepop albums to get excited about? I love both the Aisler's Set and Boyracer records (the Boyracer would have made my year end list if it wasn't for the fact that I was convinced at the time that a record with that many covers on it couldn't be great - I was in denial). That said, I have no clue what else, if anything (as suggested in the 'racer review) is worth seeking out.

Also, since the indiest of indies has said it's OK to like indiepop, I think it's time for everyone to step up and profess their love.

Those who do not respond hate fun.

Miranda, Friday, 21 February 2003 22:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Methinks there are some questions in that post that aren't questions and some statements that are. Oh well.

Miranda, Friday, 21 February 2003 22:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I meant everything I said in that review about indiepop as a concept having gone sort of unfortunately up its own ass, though I know there are others here -- Mr. Grayson Lane, Marianna Maclean -- who are still paying close attention and finding things they like. Boyracer are still banging around a different era and concept of how this stuff works, a model that maybe has more to do with early Wedding Present than the ultra-slick ultra-rudimentary Spanish pop we're getting now. That Moshi Moshi comp had some wonderful things on it but the end message I took was "you no longer need to pay much attention to this stuff."

It's mostly standouts and things around the fringes that get me now, non-indiepop bands in the indiepop world: the Chicago expatriate axis, which I keep trying to track down (Toulouse, I think, are particularly fantastic), some of the indie-synth-pop stuff (My Favorite, Figurine, etc.).

I loved Wolfie like I love my own mother.

nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:40 (twenty-three years ago)

hey, I've ALWAYS been an avowed indiepop fan, regardless of whether it's currently trendy or not. Right, Marianna? ;)

mike a (mike a), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Juniper Moon - El Resto De Mi Vida
Sinking Ships - Out of Key Harmony

jel -- (jel), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Ha, actually I think Marianna influenced that review quite strongly, having been the first devoted indiepop fan I've encountered who was willing to agree to the obvious: that indiepop kids are tight-knit and self-congratulatory and not very critical. This is a great thing compared to crossed-arm hipster sneering but not always good for the music.

(Re: Pitchfork -- I've been thinking over there that when indie rock enters a strongly "rock" phase, as it is now with post-punk grottiness, indiepop becomes more important. This is one reason I was very happy to big up Boyracer, who in my opinion have just made one of their first full recordings that people outside of the genre can prima facia love. Also the Marine Girls cover is ridiculously good.)

nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:45 (twenty-three years ago)

casiotone for the painfully alone!!!!

THEY CARRY IT AT FORCED EXPOSURE!!!!

(also: rocketship, rocketship, rocketship)

gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:49 (twenty-three years ago)

oh and I like the one Black Tambourine song I downloaded, but they are from ages ago I think.

jel -- (jel), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:51 (twenty-three years ago)

(A Certain Smile... is surely one of the genre's top ten. Is Dustin still doing anything, though? The Garden of Delights thing was a bit of a throw-away, and while I don't really check Indiepop Network News each morning I haven't heard about anything in progress.)

nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, yeah. All the people I know love indiepop are posting, but I want to see some love from those who haven't yet professed it. And does anybody else think that most bands within "the scene" kind of lost the thread. I lost interest when all of the Belle and Sebastian worship started (much as I love B&S). Seemed like a lot of the heart went out of it because everyone decided they needed to sound fey and pretty, but maybe I'm just not paying attention. I want to start paying attention again.

I'm playing Wolfie now. Makes me want to jump up and down on my bed. (damn you, low celings!)

Finally, I'm going to check out the jel recommendations. The Poison love baffles me and intrigues me and makes me want to hear everything else suggested.

Too many people posted before my finally. The world needs another Rocketship record!

Miranda, Friday, 21 February 2003 22:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Figurine and Freezepop, I like them.

jel -- (jel), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Indiepop is either great or awful with me. Love Poundsign, hate Masters of the Hemisphere; Love the Softies, hate Trembling Blue Stars; love Red Sleeping Beauty (favorite indiepop group ever), hate Orange Cake Mix.

Aaron A., Friday, 21 February 2003 22:58 (twenty-three years ago)

and finally, from last year I liked "spring came, rain fell" by Club 8.

ESOJ, have you heard of Sarah Sarah? Are they any good?

jel -- (jel), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:58 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, Miranda, I think some of the organization of the scene creates this big fence between the people on the inside ("kittens!") and the people on the outside ("kittens??"), when there's really no division at all: most people who didn't already have some preconceived idea of what "indiepop" was all about would listen to Boyracer or the Aislers set and just hear particularly hook-oriented rock records. Which side of the fence you get put on seems to have more to do with your approach to the industry and the company you keep than anything about the music itself (cf, umm, indie).

nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 21 February 2003 22:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Possibly obtuse questions: So do you think anyone is going to email Stewart and pick up the Boyracer record based on your review? Does the fact that you pretty much have to email Stewart or go to one of the mailorders that specializes in the stuff to get the record make the scene mostly impenetrable?

Also, I like the idea of "kittens!" but I don't like kittens in reality. Does this have anything to do with my relationship with indiepop?

Miranda (Miranda), Friday, 21 February 2003 23:09 (twenty-three years ago)

The mail-order thing and dearth of store-stocking is definitely an issue for the scene: accessing it requires conversion to this whole new model of relating to the artists. This is part of what I meant in the review about its being a great experiment in "indie" models of artist/listener relationships -- just as young top 40 fans have to discover all these new routes to being involved in indie music, even today's indie fans would need to dig in and shift gears to get to this stuff. (And just like regular old indie when a lot of that stuff had to be mail ordered, the division winds up affecting the content and the nature of the music itself.)

That's not really an answer, I guess. I was trying to write to people who don't care about indiepop, in order to offer them some interesting new things to look into. A lot of people read Pitchfork, so I imagine a few of them will figure out how to order it. Plenty of them will find at least one copy in their local stores; maybe enough others will ask about it to get more store buyers to try and order copies. But yeah, a lot of them will just go through the next few years thinking "Boyracer ... I think I read a positive review once, but I've never seen their records anywhere."

nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 21 February 2003 23:28 (twenty-three years ago)

(This will all change when I start my worldwide chain of electro / twee / OuLiPo literature / sneakers / Ethiopian food outlets and boutiques.)

nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 21 February 2003 23:32 (twenty-three years ago)


555 records are easily obtainable. sure, i can't buy one at a 7-11 or wal-mart, but...

spam to thread!

http://www.pataphysics-lab.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?item_id=512&action=showitem

m.

msp, Saturday, 22 February 2003 00:04 (twenty-three years ago)

555 records are easily obtainable...so buy them all (even that Cex ep).

Miranda (Miranda), Saturday, 22 February 2003 00:11 (twenty-three years ago)

The 555 compilations are superb (excepting maybe that one w/ all the remixes, and even that's pretty damn good), and paints as open-minded a picture of what indiepop is & could be as those oh-so-seminal collections from Sarah Records did back in zee day. I'm supergeeked about the newest comp, because it contains FIFTY FIVE songs (not counting the bonus disc w/ about 20 extra tracks).

David R. (popshots75`), Saturday, 22 February 2003 00:38 (twenty-three years ago)

(nabiso: w/r/t rocketship: they were reuniting every year for the annual popfest festival that happens in SF but i haven't gone in a few years.)

gygax!, Saturday, 22 February 2003 01:57 (twenty-three years ago)

drive-in claims they will be releasing several projects by rocketship this year. there is also a rocketship/trace split cd that omnibus records claims to be releasing soon.

the boyracer album is just wonderful, something about the speed at which stewart strums his guitar is thrilling to no end. and the aislers set album is just incredible, amy linton is the smartest pop chick(oh no i said pop) on the block.

keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 22 February 2003 02:47 (twenty-three years ago)

"I have heard some positive things about Florian and a few other Swedish bands"

Well i like FLorian a lot have done it for a few years now...

Jens (brighter), Saturday, 22 February 2003 10:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(Special note to all those who saw the "comment on this band biography" thread where I said that indiepop is inextricably linked with the word "brighter": show all details on last post!)

nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 22 February 2003 20:04 (twenty-three years ago)

I am currently satiating my indiepop needs with Birdie and the Go-Betweens new ones (and My Favorite "Burning Hearts")

The number one band in the indiepop list poll this year was the Funday Mornings, so me and a few others i know scrabled around to find their records. As Pete H. says on twee.net it's straightforward Fat Tulips esqe fun pop, and it's OK, but it's not mind boggling good. So I'm still waiting for a best new band to come along. And I've been signing on to the tape-swaps just waiting for them to jump out at me.


marianna, Saturday, 22 February 2003 20:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Also Nitsuh, as your boyracer review was posted to the i-pop list, the ilxor.com board was mentioned, so maybe that'll get some good indiepop love flowing.

Marianna, Saturday, 22 February 2003 20:39 (twenty-three years ago)

erm...no (this to the orig q).

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 22 February 2003 21:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Julio, unless you want throngs of angry indiepopers besmirching your freejazz threads w/ claims of "OH GOD THIS SUCKS FUCKING ASS", I recommend not poking a sleeping bear, no matter how cute & cuddly it seems.

David R. (popshots75`), Saturday, 22 February 2003 21:53 (twenty-three years ago)

jel, how did you hear about Sarah Sarah? um, i haven't heard them yet and i can't say i'm all that keen to..

electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 23 February 2003 04:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(and My Favorite "Burning Hearts")

*drools* what an amazing song that is

electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 23 February 2003 04:01 (twenty-three years ago)

julio is right, because no matter what sort of music it is, it is impossible that 99% of it could be good -- it dont matter if its free jazz, indie pop or whatever.

jack cole (jackcole), Sunday, 23 February 2003 04:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I just started listening to Blueboy, and am so very very happy for it.

derrick (derrick), Sunday, 23 February 2003 07:49 (twenty-three years ago)

jim, they were in an online catalog, and I just saw that they were from Melbourne. And they have songs called Dawsons Creek and Together Forever (which I'm supposing is a cover of the Kylie and Jason song).

jel -- (jel), Sunday, 23 February 2003 10:39 (twenty-three years ago)

''Julio, unless you want throngs of angry indiepopers besmirching your freejazz threads w/ claims of "OH GOD THIS SUCKS FUCKING ASS", I recommend not poking a sleeping bear, no matter how cute & cuddly it seems.''

I do not care if braindead indiepop fans do that david (free jazz threads only ever get 5-20 replies anyway). I have heard indiepop and most of it has nothing going for it.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 23 February 2003 11:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I do think that indiepop kids are very uncritical and everybody goes around saying everything is good. I don't want to waste my time or money on anything that's less than good, so I want to know what's GREAT.

Doesn't that approach kind of miss the point? I should really stay out of this.

-fh

fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Sunday, 23 February 2003 11:19 (twenty-three years ago)

"The number one band in the indiepop list poll this year was the Funday Mornings" >

I arranged their first live show, they are really nice 15 year olds
you can get their 7" from www.benno.com or maybe www.normanrecords.com
or maybe www.roughtrade.com

You´ll like it if you like the likes of Fat tulips, Talulah gosh, Twa toots...

Jens (brighter), Sunday, 23 February 2003 11:47 (twenty-three years ago)

jel, my understanding of S/S is that they have stupid lyrics and want to be The Salteens. but as i said i haven't heard them and could be wrong.

(Plus i know one of their members so I'm loath to do my usual sight-unseen slagging)

electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 23 February 2003 22:46 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...
Camera Obscura's "Underachievers Please Try Harder" stands up well to repeated listens.

I am curious about the Baskervilles.

It has been a quiet start of 2004 for indiepop.

marianna, Wednesday, 24 March 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Mascott's "Dreamer's Book" is pretty great.

LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

i know it was march 2003, but Saturday Looks Good to Me "All Your Summer Songs" I think maybe was one of my favorite albums of the year.

The Architecture in Helsinki album is coming out in Europe and USA in April. It's really nice.

phil-two (phil-two), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 18:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I got the shins album, but that's like major label indie pop. Most of the indie pop I like is Spanish as I'm free from trite lyrics and tweeness this way, unless I learn Spanish, which is unlikey.

jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

after the belle&sebastian show in new york, these kids were handing out boxes and boxes of free baskervilles CDs but i think i left mine on the train, on purpose. are they supposed to be good?

phil-two (phil-two), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm seeing this band tonight called Architecture in Helsinki that's supposed to be "good"... ???

gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The Melbourne crew has talked about them a few times, as that is where they are from. They might well be 'good.'

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"have" fun... ???

phil-two (phil-two), Wednesday, 24 March 2004 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

It's really disturbing to read comments you've forgotten you made.

Dare, Wednesday, 24 March 2004 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

the baskervilles are great, kinda like a band that should have been in athens in 1983. they also remind me of the able tasmans though they don't sound anything like them, just that the piano is really prominent and the lyrics are smart little stories. they don't sound anything like belle and sebastian though everyone says they do, it's more like college rock/pop from the 80s.


the magic whispers cd is great, kinda like a modern update of hunky dory but with two girls singing. the pipas ep is fantastic. new brunettes album is out soon.

keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 25 March 2004 01:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I like Fosca a great deal. Scarlet's Well is coming off pretty well, though I've always viewed Bid as slighly inconsistent.

And Orlando is hot, even though they are only a pretend indie band.

Luke Broster, Thursday, 25 March 2004 06:24 (twenty-two years ago)

new scarlet's well in a month or so. new clientele ep which i haven't got my hands on yet. dickon edward's involvement in scarlet's well worries me... he's ace, but you don't mess with perfection.

fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 25 March 2004 07:45 (twenty-two years ago)

> Architecture in Helsinki

i've heard the lp, courtesy of melbournian friend, and is one of my favourites of last year. and they made it into peel's festive fifty with that song about the owl (or something). remind me a lot of bearsuit and hyper kinako if that helps, like the indiepop version of melt banana - little bitty pop songs.

oh, here we go, festive fifty 2003: (http://infoman16.tripod.com/festive50/festiv03.htm)

5- Bearsuit - Itsuko got married
(A-side of limited edition single)
29- Architecture In Helsinki - The owls go
(from Fingers Crossed)
44- Hyper-Kinako - Tokyo Invention Registration Office
(B-side of Car And Kettle) (Demo)

andy

koogs (koogs), Thursday, 25 March 2004 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

the owls go is the worst song on that record. "kindling" and "souvenirs" are far better and far less irritating

the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 25 March 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

is the new bearsuit LP out?
also, where do i get a copy of hyper-kinako? i heard an mp3 (some song about a frog princess) and loved it.

phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 25 March 2004 23:27 (twenty-two years ago)

new scarlet's well in a month or so. new clientele ep which i haven't got my hands on yet. dickon edward's involvement in scarlet's well worries me... he's ace, but you don't mess with perfection.

He was invited to write for the fourth album too, but he neglected to get anything put together. I think the two of them are on a similar wavelength, though, so it shouldn't affect the style much. Besides, it isn't as of non-Bid material has never been featured on a Scarlet's Well album. If Dickon even writes anything, that is.

But at the same time, I can see what you mean. The subject matter is so outlandish that it'd be easy for it to fall into self-parody without some careful rules set into place.

Luke Broster, Friday, 26 March 2004 01:19 (twenty-two years ago)

is the new bearsuit LP out?

Comes out the middle of the next month, but you can get it early from their website now.

Ryan WS (fffv), Friday, 26 March 2004 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess it's not a good idea to be too superstitious about the creative process. I just like the records so much!

fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 26 March 2004 01:56 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...
That Hyper-Kinako song "Don't Delete my Frog" is out now on Purr and, incredibly, was lat week's single of the week in Kerrang!

Ben Dot (1977), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...
I heard "Stowaway" by Tullycraft on Play It As It Lays, a radio show on KUCI, yesterday. It was good.

youn, Thursday, 19 May 2005 02:35 (twenty years ago)

is it a new song? i always found tullycraft very difficult to bear, almost 100% because of the guy's voice.

shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 19 May 2005 02:41 (twenty years ago)

i finally heard Girlinky and i like them a lot

shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 19 May 2005 02:44 (twenty years ago)

It's a song from their latest album. His singing is prominent on it, so maybe you won't like it. (xpost)

youn, Thursday, 19 May 2005 02:45 (twenty years ago)

i probably should have said "often" rather than "always" because there are a small handful of their songs i like.

shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 19 May 2005 02:47 (twenty years ago)

the young tradition album 'northern drive' is elegant and beautiful, like a sunny pop band whose favorite band is blueboy. it doesn't sound like blueboy. i am sure they are blatantly aping some 60s band but it's wonderful all the same.

keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 19 May 2005 03:27 (twenty years ago)

Also great this year: the Voxtrot 7", the Math & Physics Club EP.

mikef-who-mostly-lurks (mfleming), Thursday, 19 May 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

That Hyper-Kinako song "Don't Delete my Frog" is out now on Purr and, incredibly, was lat week's single of the week in Kerrang!
-- Ben Dot (wearethedot...) (webmail), April 13th, 2004 10:40 PM. (link)

Is that about a certain ringtone on a phone?

mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 19 May 2005 07:38 (twenty years ago)

ARF.

I think The Pipettes should do a song called Wing'd Defenestration (Song For Sweety The Chick).

(Do you know, I've never heard the Pipettes, I would have done but I went to see Vichy instead along with a TRAMP and a drunk - oh that drunk was me looking in the mirror, oh well).

Lucretia My Reflection (Lucretia My Reflection), Thursday, 19 May 2005 08:17 (twenty years ago)

Indie Kind Myles sent me the funniest hate mail ever after this thread by the way! It was fantastic, thanks Myles!

Lucretia My Reflection (Lucretia My Reflection), Thursday, 19 May 2005 08:18 (twenty years ago)

i heard them over the phone the other day. sound quality wasn't great.

xpost

shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 19 May 2005 08:18 (twenty years ago)

The Girlinky single seems decent. New band out named Hookers Green No.1's debut album hearkens back to the first Beta Band LP, with mixed results so far (like a dour, British Plus-Tech or Cornelius). The last Thrills single was...actually good. The Japanese band, Neil & Iraiza, are perfect, occasionally experimental, sunny-to-pensive indie pop. Seriously. The song I put on the song request thread by The Boy Least Likely To seems to have gone quick, and I already know I'm not the only person here who likes them. I doubt I'll hear a better indie record all year. You should grab the Bronze Age Fox track I put on the same thread - indie Prince, y'all!

The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Thursday, 19 May 2005 08:28 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...
Revived in Honor of Pitchfork's "Twee As Fuck" article.

The complementary ILM thread: "99% of indiepop is crap" is where most of the deep thinking that maybe was where Nitsuh's essay developed from, but its tone is a little cantankerous, so I thought I'd bring this one back first.

Anyway, thank god for filesharing networks or else the recommendation to check out Blueboys 'If Wishes Were Horses" would have driven the ebay prices way out of my budget.

marianna (mariannapm), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 16:30 (twenty years ago)

Umlaut!

vacuum cleaner (electricsound), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:05 (twenty years ago)


i can't stop listening to "pop songs your new boyfreind's too stupid to know about"

(that said, im fairly certain im the guy he's singing about. or at least i was two years ago, im better now. hopefully.)

JD from CDepot, Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:13 (twenty years ago)

that was a very good article! just like the author I've also always had this feeling that in general modern day indie fans in the us and the uk never make a real distinction between indie pop and indie rock(whereas atleast in sweden there is a divide between pop kids and rock kids). nabisco explained that very well imo.

btw you should have put a My Favorite song on the mix tape!

Lovelace (Lovelace), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:25 (twenty years ago)

I just upload this song for a friend who requested it. thought maybe there is someone who might be interested, even though I assume most people have already heard it.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GM65ZGED

emma's house

Lovelace (Lovelace), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:31 (twenty years ago)

it's a trend, this article and the one a bit back on the cutie club. nostalgia running rampant. could have gone on about how indiepop luminaries are taking over the world. or could have added some stuff on the importance of mail order places like roundabout and parasol. but i thought it was great.

keyth (keyth), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:15 (twenty years ago)

the thread title sounds like the opening line from an IQ test gone horribly wrong...

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 14:58 (twenty years ago)

the thread title sounds like the opening line from an IQ test question gone horribly wrong...

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 14:58 (twenty years ago)

the thread title sounds like some kind of mission statement for the NME "99% of indie pop is good, we just hype the 1% that isn't".

login name (fandango), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 15:02 (twenty years ago)

yeah - way to go, nabisco - good article! its gonna get me to check out wolfie and rocketship; a friend recently suggested them, but the landed squarely on my musical backburner.

petesmith (plsmith), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 15:58 (twenty years ago)

Any fans of The Feelings from Portland, Oregon? Me, at the very least.

Confounded (Confounded), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Hrrrmmmmmmmmm...

Paranoid Spice (kate), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:07 (twenty years ago)

just like the author I've also always had this feeling that in general modern day indie fans in the us and the uk never make a real distinction between indie pop and indie rock

And yet I object to using the term "indie pop" to describe what is essentially a quite narrow category of music that might more aptly be called "twee pop." As much as the terms "indie pop" and "indie rock" often overlap, I still have a sense of what "indie pop" means when it's used: in a contemporary context, it's bands like Belle & Sebastian, Stars, Of Montreal, etc. It's not Interpol, Xiu Xiu, or the Hold Steady.

jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:25 (twenty years ago)

But J, "twee" is a very poor substitute, especially when half of the bands involved aren't any more "twee" than the acts in indie's pop mainstream. Rilo Kiley vs Boyracer! The problem is that the things that draw these divisions aren't about sound or even necessarily ideology, but more about placement in music as a business or a community -- the bedroom/7" models of the popscene, the levels of locality and intimacy in the records, the ways they're distributed and talked about. I agree with you about indie pop, definitely, which is why I originally wrote the article using the one-word "indiepop" -- some small typographical distinction between the popscene and the indie mainstream -- but Pitchfork's style guide must have said otherwise.

What we actually mean when we use these terms ... that's something I could have written several other pages on. Hopefully some of my thinking about that made it through onto the page: the way that the indiepop model was just what "indie" meant for much of the 80s; the way bands like the Swirlies or Versus or Unrest could kind of float between those notions in the 90s; the way ideas from indie's pop side, punk-rock side, and ambitious-professional side have split off from one another at various points and then basically rejoined to create the mainstream-indie we still have today.

I don't know whether it's a good or a bad thing for people to make big distinctions about this stuff. I like the fact that loads of people can enjoy something like the All-Girl Summer Fun Band without thinking of it as a genre exercise or part of a specific history. But it also seems like the pop part of indie is getting blurred out of people's official histories and grand narratives, and in the process I think a lot of context is getting lost, context that's useful for getting at a lot of bands and a lot of ideas. More importantly, I really do think there are certain listening mindsets, certain tricks and ways of understanding things, that make indiepop so lovable to its fans, and that a lot of the scene can be accessed as a genre -- i.e., turning on to a way of thinking/hearing that makes big chunks of the stuff make sense.

Pete: sweet, Wolfie and Rocketship albums are two of my favorite recommendations on there. And Wolfie relates strongly to that last sentence: I, and some other people I know, hear total wonderfulness in this band; people who don't go for it seem to just hear a regular, lousy band. This is unusual: they don't think it's super-godawful, or fakey, or too-weird (as people often will with bands you think sound "special"), but rather just cruddy, plain, and irritating, unremarkable. There's some kind of "trick" there, surely, some way-of-hearing thing? (And with that first Wolfie the best I can figure is that people think they're trying to be cute, whereas actually they're kinda trying to be AC/DC -- they're all adorable on their own!)

The Feelings were pretty alright: I was just listening to Dearling Darling the other day!

nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

It's a good article, though a couple of points, if I may, regarding the UK-in-the-80s bit, because that's the bit I know something about.

1. Politics: the UK in the 80s was a political place and indie was particularly so. It was an uncomfortable politics and not an especially active one, but everyone I knew felt they were politically engaged, and if there were right-wingers they certainly kept quiet about it. Certainly some thought of Rock and Thatcher as linked, things to be opposed. 86-87 was also a time of a sense of hopelessness for the left, the miners long defeated and Thatcher's apparently unstoppable charge to the 87 election landslide. The loser pose makes a certain amount of sense in that context. (I think Reynolds has something interesting to say about this stuff in "Against Health And Efficiency" but it's been a long time).

For some of us who took some time away from indie in the 90s, coming back to find that sound (and to some extent, the look) had become the noise of choice for a constituency of intelligent, wealthy American right wing College types was a real shock.

2. Punk Rock. The UK indie scene in the mid-1980s was obsessed with punk. Many people saw themselves as the true standard-bearers of the spirit of Punk, claiming a lineage which went Vic-Dan-Edwyn-and-so-on. You heard tales of Primal Scream in '85 going round after their jangliest shows asking People Who Knew "was that Punk Rock"? It was crucially important and we all made sure we hated hippies, even though we barely saw hippies ever. We'd have to make up hippies to hate (in one of the "Communication Blur"s, The Legend! and Alan McGee famously laid into the El records lot as 'short haired hippies').

Hm I could say more about this but I should leave it for now.

Tim (Tim), Thursday, 27 October 2005 09:03 (twenty years ago)

And then there was their patron saint, Steven "All reggae is vile" Patrick "Of course, to get on Top Of The Pops now you have by law to be black" Morrissey.

Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 27 October 2005 09:06 (twenty years ago)

the noise of choice for a constituency of intelligent, wealthy American right wing College types

The "right wing" is a little out of place there; indie is the American noise of choice for a group that trends left, in a kind of rote post-collegiate way. That's true of the Friendster set, anyway; as you move younger into new-convert fans of big mainstreamed indie bands (Strokes, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab) I think you might find something more politically neutral.

ponypoop (ponypoop), Thursday, 27 October 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

Marcello, I don't understand the relevence of the Morrisey quote. He may have been a patron saint to armies of folks back then, but not of this particular scene.

The true patron saints were the punk lineage that Tim mentioned, which also stretched way back before Vic, Dan and Edwyn to Jonathan, Lou, Iggy and Rory. The fact that he's moaning about not getting on TOTP is telling, since the very pervasive punk ethic of time meant that most indie bands couldn't have cared less about TOTP or daytime radio.

everything, Thursday, 27 October 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)

I'd say the twee pop fans in the US in the mid-90s were less right wing than they were kind of politically indifferent. Most of the hostility I encountered when nattering on about political stuff in a pop context wasn't disagreement with my positions but "why do you want to talk about that?"

Of course we could have all been escapists escaping from different things... living in Texas, punk politics was an escape for me at the time.

Indie rock is maybe assumed to be left-wing probably because it's strongly associated with being in college? But I knew plenty of folks growing up who loved punk and indie rock because of how it sounded and just totally disregarded (or made fun of) its politics.

fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 27 October 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

I did get my copy of 'If Wishes We Horses' last week. Filesharing has really dropped the price of these old Sarah records. There was something fun about the striving to find and buy these things at a reasonable price, now it's just too easy.

marianna (mariannapm), Friday, 4 November 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

fourteen years pass...

[reads last post and sobs]

Evan, Friday, 22 May 2020 21:56 (five years ago)

lol

devvvine, Friday, 22 May 2020 21:57 (five years ago)

Rereading the Twee As Fuck piece from 2005 because I've been geeking on this stuff again (+ the American take on this that sometimes has a little Sonic Youth or Dino Jr mixed in the recipe. Like Versus). Wondering if anyone else that's still here loves it too?

Evan, Saturday, 23 May 2020 18:17 (five years ago)

I still love Versus - and their many side projects are all great, too.

The "Scared To Get Happy" and C86-C89 comps are full of gems and are a ton of fun in general.

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 23 May 2020 19:29 (five years ago)

Yes! Love that Saturnine tape in particular!

I think my favorite early/legendary comp for this kind of music is the Corrupt Postman tape if you're familiar.

Evan, Saturday, 23 May 2020 20:20 (five years ago)

Never heard of that tape, downloading it now, thanks for the tip!

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 23 May 2020 20:27 (five years ago)

You're welcome! Enjoy!

Evan, Saturday, 23 May 2020 20:29 (five years ago)

yeah, the Stars are Insane remains a great album

avellano medio inglés (f. hazel), Saturday, 23 May 2020 20:46 (five years ago)

It is! But imo I can't say they have a stand out album... all of their 90s material is top notch.

Evan, Sunday, 24 May 2020 13:22 (five years ago)

Hey Evan, have you checked this out?

https://acolourfulstorm.com/track/i-wont-have-to-think-about-you

Great indiepop from Australia!

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 5 June 2020 18:55 (five years ago)

i posted about that comp on another thread just the other day! v into it

just sayin, Sunday, 7 June 2020 07:48 (five years ago)

Oh wow I totally missed this!

Yes I LOVE that comp because Bart Cummings is a legend and I've recently been absolutely obsessed with all of his bands. I also love the Cannanes! They played in NYC a few years ago and it was a huge treat.

Evan, Monday, 8 June 2020 19:12 (five years ago)

What a label too! They actually reissued Unisex by Blueboy, how exciting!

Oh hey I hope you liked the Corrupt Postman tape, too.

Evan, Monday, 8 June 2020 19:17 (five years ago)

first two Blueboy albums + attendant singles are all timeless

avellano medio inglés (f. hazel), Monday, 8 June 2020 21:13 (five years ago)

Yeah I recently realized how much I love the songs Dirty Mags, Air France, and Sea Horses (latter which I fell back in love with because of the exciting live version on the Bikini 7" if you've heard that).

Evan, Monday, 8 June 2020 22:32 (five years ago)

And man as a early 90s shoegaze fan, Dirty Mags is just such an incredible song from a band that doesn't typically go there.

Evan, Monday, 8 June 2020 22:36 (five years ago)

yeah I remember how surprising that track was when it was released... good though. and I do have that Bikini 7"! printed in acid green ink on white cardstock

avellano medio inglés (f. hazel), Monday, 8 June 2020 22:59 (five years ago)

Then you know! Something about the energy in that version. Wish I could have seem them live so I could jump up and down during the chorus.

Evan, Tuesday, 9 June 2020 04:32 (five years ago)

two years pass...

Update: geek levels are off the charts

Where are the other classic-indie-pop geeks of ILM?

Evan, Friday, 3 March 2023 15:38 (three years ago)

Classic indie-pop as in stuff compiled on the "Scared To Get Happy" box? Count me in!

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 3 March 2023 15:41 (three years ago)

Yes, and American style stuff as well!

Since you mentioned that specifically, you'll really love this:

https://wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com/2013/06/va-scared-to-get-happy-addendum-aka.html

Evan, Friday, 3 March 2023 15:45 (three years ago)

Oh yes, there were other addendum lists that came out at the time, I compiled them all.

Whats your top 10 indie pop LPs?

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 3 March 2023 17:31 (three years ago)

There were? I thought this was just a singular fan exercise by that blog.

Dang, I'll need a minute to over-think that answer. There's so much overlap with shoegaze, american shoegaze, lo-fi, Dino Jr rock, slacker, general ameri-indie stylings...

Give me some guard rails maybe!

Evan, Friday, 3 March 2023 19:43 (three years ago)

I’m not listening to much of this kind of stuff at the moment but was surprised and pleased to see a song by the band I was in 35+ years ago crop up in that addendum list. Thanks for posting it, Evan.

Tim, Friday, 3 March 2023 22:11 (three years ago)

Of course! That is a fun surprise. And because you weren't forthcoming about it, I won't ask :)

Evan, Friday, 3 March 2023 22:17 (three years ago)

Haha sorry for being obtuse, you can hear me singing on “Goldmining” by The Visitors.

Tim, Friday, 3 March 2023 22:22 (three years ago)

Wow, top spot!

Evan, Friday, 3 March 2023 22:33 (three years ago)

Whats your top 10 indie pop LPs?

For me, it's easier to get behind specific songs, so without tooo much deliberation:

Second Story - The Hang Ups
Sunlight In A Jar - The Lucksmiths
Trampoline - Greenberry Woods
Passion Play - Papas Fritas
Tallulah - Allo Darlin
Mercury Girl - Cleaners From Venus
Lunar Sea - Camera Obscura
Sprocket Dick - Tripmaster Monkey
Black Cab - Jens Lekman
The Wild Ones - Push Kings

enochroot, Saturday, 4 March 2023 01:23 (three years ago)

I still have the Visitors flexidisc!

everything, Saturday, 4 March 2023 02:12 (three years ago)

!!

A really tiny number of people seem to like it quite a lot.

Tim, Saturday, 4 March 2023 11:24 (three years ago)

Not sure if I quite grasp the thread revival, but FWIW I listen to late 1980s UK indie a great deal. In recent weeks I was playing the C87 CDs 2 and 3 over and over and over again.

I also enjoy Tim's old records, but he knows that already.

the pinefox, Saturday, 4 March 2023 11:49 (three years ago)

I found 3 great sources for addendum's to "Scared To Get Happy":

From Wilfully Obscure (http://wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com/2013/06/va-scared-to-get-happy-addendum-aka.html):
01. Visitors - Goldmining
02. Moss Poles - Go Down
03. Remember Fun - Train Journeys
04. Field Mice - I Thought Wrong (Run away) (demo)
05. The Church Grims - Plaster Saint
06. Candy Skins - She Blew Me Away
07. Outskirts - Blue Line
08. Various Artists (the band) - Original Mixed Up Kid
09. North of Cornwallis - Billy Liar
10. Hellfire Sermons - Rachel Clean
11. Potting Sheds - Happy Again
12. The Perfect Disaster - Call it a Day
13. Hey Paulette - I Really Do Love Penelope
14. Jane From Occupied Europe - Ocean Run Dry
15. James Dean Driving Experience - Drop Dead Darling
16. The Rose Of Avalanche - Always There
17. Power of Dreams - The Jokes On Me (demo)
18. Palisades - Knight in Gale
19. This Scarlet Train - Picture Frame
20. St. Christopher - Even The Sky Seems Blue
21. Stray Trolleys - Secret Dreams Of A Kitchen Porter
22. Sundays - Can't Be Sure (4-track demo)

From Facebook suggestions:
Playthings - Juice
The Times - My Andy Warhol Poster
The Cleaners From Venus - Julie Profumo
Atom Spies - Aliens In Your Wardrobe
The Perfect Disaster - TV Girl On Fire
The Passmore Sisters - Every Child In Heaven
Barbel - Inferno
Jim Jiminee - I Wanna Work OR +Snap Me Up
St. James Infirmary - Terry Marriagehead
Essential Bop - Eloquent Sounds OR +Croaked
Electric Guitars - Work
The Lilac Time - Return To Yesterday
Snakes Of Shake - Southern Cross
Memphis - You Supply The Roses
Dislocation Dance - You’ll Never, Never Know
The Anyways - Confession
The Friendly Fires - Arkansas
Fat Tulips - Where’s Clare Grogan Now?
Parachute Men - Leeds Station
Fizzbombs - Surfaround
Mousefolk - Devil in the Deep Blue Sea
Baby Lemonade - Real World
Mayfields - World of Your Own
Moss Poles - One Summer
The Bridewell Taxis - Just Good Friends
Candy Darlings - That’s Where Caroline Lives
The Big Paintings - My Minitrend Friend
Gifted Children - My Favourite Films
Honeycrash - Kill Someone You Like (aka I Don't Blame You)
Fontaines - I Want Everything
City Giants - Little Next To Nothing
Jazzateers - Wasted OR +Natural Progression (Part 1)

From https://pedaladasabuenritmo.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/scared-to-get-happy-addendum-i/
Young Marble Giants - Cakewalking
Vic Godard - Stop That Girl
Direct Hits -Modesty Blaise
Eyeless In Gaza - New Risen
Ringing - Caprice
Memphis - You Supply The Roses
Cocteau Twins - Aikea Guinea
Beloved - A Hundred Words
Enormous Room - 100 Different Words
Stars Of Heaven - Talk About It Now
Bridge - Shame Is A Girl
Wallflowers - Thank You
Cleaners From Venus - Living With Victoria Grey
James Dean Driving Experience - World Weary & Wise (new version)
Emily - Mad Dogs
Reserve - A Perfect Lie
The Man From Delmonte - (Will Nobody Save) Louise
The Parachute Men - Sometimes In Vain
Marden Hill - Oh Constance
Remember Fun - Cold Inside
Po! - Appleseed Alley
The Nivens - Yesterday
St. Christopher - All OF A Tremble
The Ogdens - Rachel Put Your Arms About Me
Devine & Statton - Under The Weather
The Love Parade - Under The Weather
Treebound Story - Swimming In The Heart Of Jane
St. James Infirmary - Terry Marriagehead

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 4 March 2023 19:10 (three years ago)

Nice! Looks like wilfullyobscure inspired the third one (at least)

Not sure if I quite grasp the thread revival

Sorry, to clarify I was providing a personal status update given my previous revive here.

Evan, Sunday, 5 March 2023 16:32 (three years ago)

Well, to answer your previous revive -- yes, I am still very strongly into this music and listen to it frequently.

the pinefox, Sunday, 5 March 2023 16:46 (three years ago)

Awesome.

Boy I got so overwhelmed by the innocent top 10 indie pop question, I've been putting it off...

Going to pivot and mention some recent favorite 45s:

Majestic 12 - Lost & Found
My Favorite - The Informers & Us
Tizzy - New Jersey
Moped - Naked, Sharp & Plastic
Snog 6 - Start All Over Again (CD EP)
Sammy - Neptune Ave. (Ortho Hi Rise)
The Someloves - Know You Now
Lenola - Oh Yes, Jeep Is Good! (more in the indie-noise-shoegaze camp)
Number One Cup - Malcolm's X-Ray Picnic
Bubby Girl - Coyote Spindle
Solar Coaster - Zero Sum / Karmageddon
Hopper - Wasted
LKWRM - Thirty Years Of Concentrated Thought (CD EP)
The Pennikurvers - The Pennikurvers
Clag - Manufacturing Resent
Madison Electric - Heavy Petal
The Cherry Smash - West Coast Rip-Off
New Sweet Breath - Silka
Charlotte Hatherley - Summer
Bomb Pops – Girl Daredevil + Riverside

Evan, Monday, 6 March 2023 16:03 (three years ago)

Long shot - does anyone have digital rips of anything the label Bliss Aquamarine released?

Evan, Monday, 6 March 2023 16:25 (three years ago)

It's always seemed to me that there was an "indiepop revival" around say 2008, and indeed that much of the current / subsequent idea of "indiepop" was actually crystallised then, retrospectively streamlining much of what had happened originally.

The prevalence of "popfests" for several years (plus Indietracks) around that period would support this view.

I also have the sense that this then flowed into some kind of dreampop that was possibly 80s-revivalist viz. Wild Nothing (who when I saw them live were not very different from a guitar-based indie band - but this is as long ago as 2010).

Whether there has been yet another wave of indiepop revivalism I don't know - rather, I suspect that C21 culture has "kept everything in play", permanently available.

the pinefox, Monday, 6 March 2023 18:31 (three years ago)

Hey check out my stellar thread-relevant haul yesterday at the shop I used to manage (I am in the US):

Hood - I've Forgotten How To Live
Juno - Magnified And Reduced By Inches / Pablo Y Zelda
Fertile Virgin - Lucky Day
14 Iced Bears - World I Love
Tompot Blenny - Thinking Of Ways Of Keeping You Warm
Trembling Blue Stars - The Rainbow
St. Christopher - All Of A Tremble
The Sweetest Ache - I Remember Caroline
Strawberry Story - Small & Slightly Rounded EP
Various - Joe Friday
The Some Loves - It's My Time
The Melons - Strictly Melonhead EP
The Melons - Fast Lane
Eye Pilgrims / Choo Choo Train - Wall Of Sand / Many Happy Returns

Not bad for ~$55 total, right?

Evan, Wednesday, 15 March 2023 15:29 (three years ago)

Anyway... anyone have any good leads for some obscure "classic" indie cassette compilation uploads? I've been hunting the web and it's tougher than I'd thought! Not to dismiss the great stuff I AM finding but just as often I'll learn of compilations that don't seem to exist digitally on soulseek or blogs or archive.org etc. yet. Or, I'll remain puzzled at the absence of any blogs dedicated to that "scene" of DIY and/or small label cassettes (with downloads). It would seem like one of those things a fan like myself with access would have done by now.

Evan, Friday, 17 March 2023 16:01 (three years ago)

Have a gander at the things on here that aren't the NME tapes (actually the NME tapes are largely excellent but they are mostly outside the rubric of this thread): https://pressplayandrecord.wordpress.com/

I found this by searching for two old tapes whose names stuck in my head: Abigail's Birthday Party and Plinky Plonky There's a Donkey. For shame.

Tim, Friday, 17 March 2023 17:18 (three years ago)

Ha! I can see why they stuck... thanks!

Evan, Friday, 17 March 2023 17:24 (three years ago)

You're welcome. There are some good things on those tapes but if you emerge from listening to them and find yourself agreeing with the thread title, you're made from stronger stuff than I am.

Tim, Friday, 17 March 2023 17:25 (three years ago)

I have a high tolerance for messy experimental throwaway if there's at least something to grab onto. Could just be atmosphere, or the extra-musical context of the tape aesthetic. The lows emphasize the highs along the journey, too. It all contributes to an audio ransom note of pop experiments with punk spirit.

Evan, Friday, 17 March 2023 17:41 (three years ago)

pinefox I'm sorry to have passed over your post above!

You're probably right. I remember 2004-06 the trend in indie circles was bombast and post-rock/emo melodrama with elaborate post-twee instrumentation. Classic indie-pop was all about the ingredients of punk with a pop approach, so it would make sense that this would come back when there was a need for the pendulum to swing back in the other direction. But the 80s revival was certainly extremely popular too so yeah that focus got mixed in.

Evan, Friday, 24 March 2023 19:00 (three years ago)

two years pass...

Now a couple years later and here I am with wheelbarrows more classic indie pop singles than I had as of the previous thread revive. I’ve also become an old-indie-cassette digital archivist, hunting down rare tape rips and building a library. It’s been a bit obsessive overall.

Evan, Thursday, 10 July 2025 01:58 (ten months ago)

timely revival as I'm going to a 4 day indiepop weekender next week

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2025 08:30 (ten months ago)

I have not heard these bands:

Sassyhiya
Panic Pocket
Lightheaded
Crumbs
Gentle Spring
Special Friend
Marlody

any good?

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2025 08:40 (ten months ago)

The irony is that I’m so hyperfocused on the 80s-90s era primarily that I am not sure what to tell you about any of those EXCEPT lightheaded who I’ve chatted with and seen (because they opened for Heavenly, go figure) and mostly due to them being NJ neighbors. They’re solid! However I have not checked out their brand new album yet but it’s a to-do.

Evan, Thursday, 10 July 2025 11:32 (ten months ago)

Separately, just saw about this reissue

https://circuitryrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/lyceum

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 10 July 2025 12:50 (ten months ago)

Hey CP didn't you see Panic Pocket with me in Brighton, supporting the Would-be-goods? I found them (Panic Pocket) a bit too Victoria Wood for my tastes.

Tim, Thursday, 10 July 2025 12:51 (ten months ago)

I recently heard the latest from Horsegirl, and I had a flashback to every single time I turned on college radio in the '90s and hit someone's indiepop show.

Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 10 July 2025 12:53 (ten months ago)

Sassyhiya
Panic Pocket
Lightheaded
Crumbs
Gentle Spring
Special Friend
Marlody

Jeepers, I am out of the indiepop loop. I only know two of these bands (Sassyhiya ring a bell but definitely don't know their songs/if they're good). Panic Pocket, the first song I heard by them was a lot of fun, but live they were a little low-key/subdued for me. On the other hand, Crumbs are GREAT and I wholeheartedly recommend them, lots of bangers in that kind of post-punk indiepop way.

emil.y, Thursday, 10 July 2025 12:53 (ten months ago)

Hey CP didn't you see Panic Pocket with me in Brighton, supporting the Would-be-goods? I found them (Panic Pocket) a bit too Victoria Wood for my tastes.

― Tim, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:51 bookmarkflaglink

I didn't, because I was late getting there (sorry) and they'd already played when I arrived

Gentle Spring includes a Field Mouse but I know nothing else about them, and I know Lightheaded are on Slumberland which is a good sign but that's about it - I am also very out of the indiepop loop these days

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:08 (ten months ago)

Panic Pocket also supported Heavenly last year at Bush Hall but I was late to that as well and didn't see them then either

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:10 (ten months ago)

lightheaded who I’ve chatted with and seen (because they opened for Heavenly, go figure)

Lightheaded are on before Heavenly next Saturday as well

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:11 (ten months ago)

Yes! Heavenly invited them to open again, pretty huge honor in the indiepop universe

Evan, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:17 (ten months ago)

I recently heard the latest from Horsegirl, and I had a flashback to every single time I turned on college radio in the '90s and hit someone's indiepop show.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 10 July 2025 12:53 (fifteen minutes ago)

It's fascinating how authentically 90s they sound, isn't it? A lot of the 90s indie rock pastiche usually sticks out as otherwise modern for some reason or another - not them!

Evan, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:19 (ten months ago)

Similarly I've been going to see a band called Silk Cuts a fair bit, I really like them. They sound so much like bands from the 87-88 season that I realise it's ages since I've heard any other bands who really sound like that time, for good or ill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBZPy4Mxl-U

Tim, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:26 (ten months ago)

Separately, just saw about this reissue

https://circuitryrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/lyceum

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:50 bookmarkflaglink

The Orchids are playing the Friday night, hopefully they'll have copies with them because I need this

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:30 (ten months ago)

Evan, you should put together a homemade box set of lost indie pop eventually, it would kick ass.

brimstead, Thursday, 10 July 2025 13:48 (ten months ago)

Thanks brimstead! Would love to... I am swimming around in the murky depths of the respective iceberg meme here. I've got deep cuts! Cloudberry-blog style digging and ravenous accumulating.

Evan, Thursday, 10 July 2025 14:01 (ten months ago)

Some things I've been digging:

-An unreleased tape of music from short-lived Harriet records artist Shy Camp
-Flexi by pre-Clinic project called Jellystone Park
-Any tracks I've been able to snatch by awesome mid-90s Czech band called Tom Is My Sugar (more rockin than pop)
-Flowchart related project and 7" under the name Heroine
-Expanded reissue of lost mysterious Sarah Records band Christine's Cat
-Like three completely different bands all called Slumber. All good!
-Recently released Autocollants rarities
-Expanded reissue of Brain - Understand, called "Understood"
-Peru comp on Jigsaw
-Album She by the band Flywheel
-Forgotten Magnetic Fields sounding music by Kitty Vermont, alias of the one and only Mark Proksch (yes, really)
-New (2024 - not 90s) EP by The Cat's Miaow called Let's Pretend That We Are Someone Else which is streaming only which is bizarre to me!
-Sukpatch - Lite Hits reissue by Concentric Circles!
-Open Mind demo tape
-Demo tape by pre Camera Obscura iteration of the band from when they called themselves "Coolport" when the guy from California Snow Story was in the band
-Summershine #1 7" called We're All Trying To Get There by Ripe

Shit this list is never going to end so I'm arbitrarily ending there for now.

Evan, Thursday, 10 July 2025 14:27 (ten months ago)

Have seen Lightheaded live several times and really enjoy them

bulb after bulb, Thursday, 10 July 2025 14:45 (ten months ago)

-Forgotten Magnetic Fields sounding music by Kitty Vermont, alias of the one and only Mark Proksch (yes, really)

!!! how did i not know about this!?!

imperial frfr (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 10 July 2025 15:18 (ten months ago)

oh wow I have a Kitty Vermont 7" (split with Por Avion) and I had no idea

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 10 July 2025 15:45 (ten months ago)

bizarrely, a love affair with nature by the cannanes has been by far my most frequently uploaded album on slsk for months now
did a song on it go viral on TikTok or what

doe on a hill (Deflatormouse), Thursday, 10 July 2025 18:55 (ten months ago)

Huh that’s interesting! Probably? Autocollants had the same kinda phenomenon happen recently

Evan, Thursday, 10 July 2025 21:41 (ten months ago)

> Gentle Spring includes a Field Mouse

i was going to say that their name sounds like a mashup of two other Sarah bands

also Lyceum was, iirc, one of the first of the LTM Sarah reissues back in the day. not sure it got a vinyl release though but they did tack the early singles onto the end of the cd (which was handy as my copy of sarah 2 is rough)

oh,
https://www.discogs.com/release/567383-The-Orchids-Lyceum-Singles

20 tracks including first 3 singles and the caff 7", 2005, no vinyl

koogs, Friday, 11 July 2025 01:59 (ten months ago)

gentle spring also have releases on Skep Wax which is the Sarah band equivalent of Eastbourne

koogs, Friday, 11 July 2025 02:05 (ten months ago)

This cool tape comp comes with a download in the description!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeVaMvkzzLY

Evan, Friday, 11 July 2025 02:56 (ten months ago)

This one's got a link too if you're like me and enough is never enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETX05SNHFSQ

Evan, Friday, 11 July 2025 02:59 (ten months ago)

gentle spring also have releases on Skep Wax which is the Sarah band equivalent of Eastbourne

so do all of the bands I listed fwiw, because the event I'm going to is Skep Wax Weekender

Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 July 2025 07:32 (ten months ago)

youtube recommendations on those tapes included The Corrupt Postman tape which i have a copy of around here somewhere and which i remember fondly. had a track by The Apple Moths who i remember liking and remember having exactly two tracks by, both on these these kind of tapes.

koogs, Friday, 11 July 2025 09:57 (ten months ago)

oh, there were actual releases, the latter only in 2017

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1084634-The-Apple-Moths

but listening again doesn't actually ring much in the way of bells.

koogs, Friday, 11 July 2025 10:00 (ten months ago)

Corrupt Postman is a great compilation, wish someone would reissue that

Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 July 2025 11:02 (ten months ago)

there was an archive.org link under the youtube video

koogs, Friday, 11 July 2025 11:46 (ten months ago)

Yeah Corrupt Postman is probably my favorite one! I mentioned reissuing it to the person who actually compiled it back in the day (name is escaping me) and he said it'd be a heckuva lot of work to get all the bands on board.

Apple Moths were fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsRgdZN2KN8

Evan, Friday, 11 July 2025 13:44 (ten months ago)

And that song shows up on this particular comp (amongst others), which I also highly recommend:

https://archive.org/details/10IFellInLoveLastNight

Evan, Friday, 11 July 2025 13:54 (ten months ago)

Check this out too, whoever might care:

https://jigsawrecords.bandcamp.com/track/twisted-sister

Evan, Friday, 11 July 2025 17:16 (ten months ago)

Obsessed with this song

https://thetestoftime.bandcamp.com/track/girl-daredevil

Evan, Saturday, 12 July 2025 22:58 (ten months ago)

oh I have that 7"!

fluffy tufts university (f. hazel), Saturday, 12 July 2025 23:22 (ten months ago)

Haha me too.

Tim, Sunday, 13 July 2025 00:32 (ten months ago)

Because it's incredible!

Evan, Sunday, 13 July 2025 02:49 (ten months ago)

How about the other couple of tracks I'd posted above? Excuse my hunger for engagement, I get a little nuts about this stuff.

Evan, Sunday, 13 July 2025 02:52 (ten months ago)

I quite liked Panic Pocket tonight. Sassyhiya were more hit and miss. The Jeanines were very charmingly sloppy and I got their last album which I'm a big fan of, they have a new one out but I haven't heard it yet.

Tomorrow is Would-Be-Goods, Orchids, Swansea Sound so should be great

Colonel Poo, Thursday, 17 July 2025 22:52 (nine months ago)

four weeks pass...

I don't post on insta much anymore, and it didn't occur to me that I could just share the browser version (in my universe ilx is browser-internet, insta is app-internet) of my reel from a little while ago showing off my indie pop haul so far (at the time) this year.

https://www.instagram.com/wrongtube/reel/DJc3y_ettRo/

Evan, Friday, 15 August 2025 21:32 (nine months ago)

bloody hell, some of those must've cost a few $$$

I've got several of those records but missing a lot more

Colonel Poo, Saturday, 16 August 2025 10:49 (nine months ago)

Actually no… I didn’t pay more than $50 for any individual one, and only a small amount got as high as that limit. That’s mostly due to a hook up I have for the bulk of them.

Evan, Saturday, 16 August 2025 11:02 (nine months ago)

Extra special too because I’m in the states and many of these are mighty tough to find over here!

Evan, Saturday, 16 August 2025 11:03 (nine months ago)

super cool, i would listen to all these 7"s

brimstead, Saturday, 16 August 2025 15:06 (nine months ago)

Would host a listening party

Evan, Saturday, 16 August 2025 15:28 (nine months ago)


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