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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

(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.)

THEY CARRY IT AT FORCED EXPOSURE!!!!

(also: rocketship, rocketship, rocketship)

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!

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

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?

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."

spam to thread!

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

m.

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.

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

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.

*drools* what an amazing song that is

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.

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

-fh

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

I have not heard these bands:

Sassyhiya
Panic Pocket
Lightheaded
Crumbs
Gentle Spring
Special Friend
Marlody

any good?

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.

Separately, just saw about this reissue

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Lightheaded are on before Heavenly next Saturday as well

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

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.

Have seen Lightheaded live several times and really enjoy them

-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!?!

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

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

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

> 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

there was an archive.org link under the youtube video

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

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

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

Check this out too, whoever might care:

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

Obsessed with this song

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

oh I have that 7"!

Haha me too.

Because it's incredible!

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

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

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/

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

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

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.

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

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

Would host a listening party