Leaving aside my continuing ideological objections
Not so long ago, I had curious desire to listen to some indie music; I’m not sure if it was reading Questionable Content or seeing Arab Strap (only at an instore thing, unfortunately, but they were still great, and their latest album is really excellent). Anyway, I don’t own that much indie, particularly not anything more recent than Britpop, so I turned to the internet, which supplied me with two radio streams, the distressingly cute Japanese nonstep and the stylish Italian Pig Radio. Here is some of what I listened to:
- The Gentle Waves - Falling From Grace
- The side project of Belle from Belle and Sebastian. This is really surprisingly good, especially as Belle and Sebastian are one of the worst bands in the world; winsome, “ironic,” proudly disfunctional. But this sounds not unlike an indie “No Regrets” by Girls Aloud, and the Gentle Waves have another track that sounds like Camera Obscura, so they’re doing pretty well.
- Sekiden - 1+1=Heartache
- A bit like Helen Love, if they were fans of 80s commercial rock instead of the Ramones.
- Sambassadeur - Between the Lines
- It turns out the Swedish do Scottish indie at least as well as the Scots. A little like the Cardigans were back when they were indie; only more indie.
- Souvenir - Amour et Degout
- A Spanish band singing songs in the style of French pop from the 60s. That’s really quite indie.
- Edith Frost - Easy to Love
- Country, or alt. country, perhaps, if that’s what it’s called. Anyway, I’d tentatively propose as a rule that country songs sung by women are all brilliant, and country songs sung by men are all terrible (with a possible exception clause for Boxcar Willie).
- Les Ondes Martenot - Colores
- Absolutely beautiful. The Chilean Delgados, more or less, and at least as good as that sounds.
Also on an indie tip, Laura recently(ish) posted some MP3s of her band, Operation Wolf, who are very good, very John Peel. I’m not sure what the prospects are like for “very John Peel” bands, these days, I fear it’s a harder niche to succeed in than it used to be, what with the absence of John Peel, and everything.
Indie bands: why not try recording a cover of SL2’s “On a Ragga Tip,” complete with “ironic” rapping? It would be dreadful, and possibly racist, but I bet it it would get you played on Zane Lowe.
5 comments
Leave a comment
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
On a On A Ragga Tip tip, you should be aware that Klaxons have covered ‘The Bouncer’ by Kicks Like A Mule. Indeed, you probably are aware of that. That’s probably why you said that about On A Ragga Tip.
Comment by Stefan @ 5/28/2006 7:07 am
wow, stefan told me you’d linked to us! thanks dude! laura xx
Comment by laura wolf @ 5/28/2006 12:13 pm
p.s. i LOVE questionable content but recently the dialogue between marten and dora has been annoying me.
Comment by laura wolf @ 5/28/2006 12:16 pm
I wasn’t aware of that, Stefan. It’s exciting news, though; looks like the time is right for a revival of early-to-mid nineties hardcore. Is this just rose-tinted nostalgia, or are my memories right that, at that time, the charts were dominated by pop dance music? Maybe my memories have just been skewed by Alistair’s top 100 songs of the ’90s.
I agree about recent QC, Laura, although I’m not sure exactly what it is that’s annoying about the dialogue.
Comment by tim @ 5/28/2006 9:06 pm
Liking The Gentle Waves and Camera Obscura but saying “Belle and Sebastian are one of the worst bands in the world” is sheer archness. Go and listen to “If You’re Feeling Sinister” right now young man!
Comment by marty @ 5/31/2006 2:56 am