Blender's Top 100 Indie-Rock Albums
Thought I'd take a minute to drop in and post since the Packers are cruising against Carolina, 28-3, in the 3rd quarter.
Having a pretty good weekend here in the Nort'woods. Felicia gave me one of my Christmas presents early, an XBOX, along with 7 games, including Madden '08. It's not the XBOX 360, but that's fine by me considering I've been playing the same system (Nintendo 64) and game (Madden 01) for the past three years. I'm not really much of a gamer as my dedication to Madden 2001 has shown, but nonetheless, the new system and games rock.
Speaking of things that rock, I suggest you check out New York's The Vandelles.
Their self-titled EP released on Safranin Records is part dirty-underground Ramones and part My Bloody Valentine if you're into the comparisons game.
CMJ's Rabecca Raber calls The Vandelles a "noir garage rock quartet that blends girl-group harmonies, vintage '50s rock 'n' roll and layers of fuzzed out distortion." That works for us.
Check out the tracks "Swell to Heaven" and "Lovely Weather" below:
The Vandelles - "Swell to Heaven"
The Vandelles - "Lovely Weather"
Visit The Vandelles at Myspace
Blender Top 100 Indie-Rock Albums
With this being the time of the year for lists, Blender has released their list of the 100 Greatest Indie-Rock albums ever. Among the highlights:
83. The Misfits, Walk Among Us, Ruby/Slash, 1982. Since when were The Misfits considered indie-rock? If the Misfits aren't punk/hardcore, I don't know what is.
Photo: Jerry with his old school Rickenbacker performing live with the Misfitsat Irving Plaza in NYC on Halloween night, 1979. You call this indie-rock?
Misfits - "Some Kind of Hate"
60. Sufjan Stevens, Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty, 2005. Huh, thought this would have been a little higher on the list. Same for Built to Spill, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, Up, 1994, which came in just a few slots higher at 58.
55. Bad Brains, Bad Brains, ROIR, 1982. Again, a classic punk band ends up mid range in an indie-rock list? How does this list work? This would have to be Top 10 if this were a punk-only list.
Bad Brains - "I Against I"
20. The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday, French Kiss, 2005.
I'm a fan of The Hold Steady, but when you're talking all-time top 100, they shouldn't be anywhere near the Top 20, especially with Separation Sunday.
Hold Steady - "Your Little Hoodrat Friend"
6. Arcade Fire, Funeral, Merge, 2004. Knew they'd end up Top 10, just wasn't sure where. Time will only tell if this will be as classic as it's shaping up to be, but I won't argue with the Top 10 nomination.
1. Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted, Matador, 1992. Old school, I like it.
Pavement - "Elevate Me Later" from 1994's release Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.
See Blender's complete list of selections and voice your thoughts on those included/left out in the comments.
posted by Goose @ 2:38 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Howdidly from the Burgh,
Okay, call me a blasphemer, or a philistine or whatever, but I just never thought Pavement was that great. There I said it. Slip The Minutemen's Double Nickles in the top spot and I would be happy. I am shocked Neutral Milk Hotel was not higher, and actually I like Built to Spill's Keep it Like a Secret more than There is Nothing Wrong with Love but I certainly think Built to Spill deserved more. Also, I am suprised the Pumpkin's Gish made it, maybe the post Gish years have made me cynical about the Pumpkins and seeing the videos for Zeitgeist have downright made me wince. Is Billy Corgan the Stevie Wonder of grunge? Ya know, the visionary that put out so much "I-just-called-to-say-I-love-you" crap that its hard to remember Innervisions and the stuff that was good?
Anyhow thats the beauty of this list, and it also serves to remind me that 3000 albums are just not enough.
I can't believe they misspelled REM's album "Mumu." It's "MURMUR." Though I'm glad to see them on this list. They belong a little higher up on the list. They also forgot the "R" in "Dinosaur Jr"
I love Pavement. But I don't know if they belong in the #1 spot, or had 2 albums make the list. I would've given it to the Pixies. I don't know who Big Star is. But otherwise, I agree that the top ten belong on the list, somewhere.
I think Violent Femmes and Meat Puppets should've been higher on the list. As the Strokes, Elliot Smith, and Neutral Milk Hotel should've been.
I don't think Nine Inch Nails or the Misfits, or Bikini Kill even belong in this genre.
I was also surprised to see SP's "Gish" on this list. "Siamese Dream," HELLO! SP's Magnum Opus, one of the greatest albums EVER belongs on this list instead.
If Nirvana belongs on this list at all, it should be higher.
Where are the Flaming Lips? Or the Walkmen? Vast, Weezer's blue album...? I think a lot are missing, too
I agree. Mumu...classic. And NIN is so over its like they never happened. Especially, now that people have increased access to the Eurotrash industrial (Cabaret Voltare, Markant, Gridlock etc) that Trent copies note for note. Indeed the Lips are missing too. Also, there is a profound lack of 90's brit-pop on the list. Granted a lot of that stuff was on major labels when it came over here but still there were some real jems that never got enough love on this side of the pond, thus constituting some kind of indie status. For example that first Stone Roses record is just about perfect, or Swervedriver's Mezcal Head or any Catherine Wheel album. In fact to confirm my 90s dinosaur status I got the solo record from the lead singer from the Catherine Wheel Rob Dickinson and I freaking love it.
Soundcheck is a music talk show that airs live Monday through Friday at 2PM on 93.9 FM WNYC in New York City, on XM Satellite Radio and WNYC.org. We explore topics from all over the music world. We talk to the biggest names, and the up-and-coming acts. On Thursday, November 29, we will be discussing Blender’s List of the 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums of all time and why it is causing such a buzz in the Indie-Rock community.
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