1. The Jayhawks’ sturdy approach was never really appreciated after about 1995 or so, which is a shame because “Rainy Day Music” is a great album, and “Save it for a Rainy Day” is one of the alt-country band’s best singles. 2. M. Ward’s under-the-radar rep tipped above the radar after 2003, but “Transfiguration of Vincent” is as good as his later albums – if not better. “Vincent O’Brien” plays centerpiece. 3. Back in 2003, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were overhyped and under-appreciated all at once. “Maps” went a long way to make them accessible, but their first album, “Fever To Tell,” was full of spiky bursts of energy like “Y-Control.” 4. Dear Ben Gibbard: You’re sitting on a huge potential pile of money and you haven’t done anything serious with it in nearly six years. No matter the success of Death Cab for Cutie, the reason that people started caring about DCfC en masse is The Postal Service. Here’s a B-side, “There’s Never Enough Time,” covering a topic that we know all too well about. 5. The Wrens are the quintessential indie success story; ditched by a label that later sold out and became huge by pushing Creed, they disappeared for years, only to return with a victory lap of an album, “The Meadowlands.” “She Sends Kisses” has a great hook that stays with you for days.source
1. Rufus Wainwright came out of the gate strong, and maybe lost a little steam after the second album, but “Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk” definitely isn’t the point where he lost the plot. 2. Quiet wasn’t the new loud, but the sorta-movement created a couple of pretty solid bands between Kings of Convenience and Turin Brakes, whose “Emergency 72” holds up well considering its current lack of musical context. 3. Britt Daniel of Spoon made a compelling argument for “The Fitted Shirt,” a style that’s evolved from the days of “ma’am and yes sir” to the style of choice for the male on the prowl. In the process, he made a very compelling argument for Spoon. 4. It’s interesting how a band known for its guitar-shredding, the White Stripes, first hit mainstream consciousness with “Hotel Yorba,” a three-chord acoustic guitar ditty. No worry; they’d quickly become one of the decade’s biggest bands. 5. Two years after Dntel’s “This is the Dream of Evan and Chan” came out, the ideas of this song were further explored with the uber-popular (and woefully neglected) Postal Service. And it’s obvious why. Jimmy Tamborello’s glitches and Ben Gibbard’s vocals made perhaps the best argument ever for indie-plus-IDM.source
In our continuing effort to try new things, here’s our latest: Band coverage! This time, Paper Plane Pilot (Dustin Frelich) cheerily gets out his synth and makes us smile with breakbeats and sine waves. Want to see your band here? E-mail us or bug us on Twitter!
Listen to them
Q1: In 15 words or less, describe your sound:
Electronic indie pop. Happy melancholy laced with introspective songwriting and catchy melodies.
Q2: Name three influences that inspire you, with three words each on why they’re awesome: 80s Music: Rad! Awesome! Cool! The Internet: Wisdom on demand Simplicity: Overcomplexity is tiring
Q3: What’s a recent song you’ve been digging? Write ten words explaining why: Plastic Operator – Home 0207: Pulsing. Driving. Soothing. A muted answer to epic electronic hits.
Q4: In 140 characters or less, how do you use social networking to get the word out: Social networks allow me to participate in conversations with other music lovers. The “rock star” paradigm is dying. We’re all just people.
Q5: In 15 words or less, what’s next for you?
I’m working on songs for a new album. Keep an ear out!source
Ben Gibbard. Zooey Deschanel. Engaged. She’s “She” of She & Him (and a movie star). He’s the Death Cab dude. Really, is there a more hip, to-the-moment celebrity engagement than this one? We argue no. This may be the most engaging indie-famous couple since Juliana Hatfield and Evan Dando. source
