HiGHFLYiN9
Member of the Trade: Zynsonix
Indie / Lo-Fi List of Artists
I've been spending a lot more time listening to the indie / lowfi genre and finding lots of exciting new music. Between surfing around Amazon and listening to satellite radio for hours on end I'll put together a brief list of excellent artists that I'm sure a lot of you would enjoy. I usually prefer the more relaxing and mellow side of this music, so understand that the listed bands fit that mold.
Arcade Fire - Everyone knows these guys, they are right up there with Radiohead with album sales, but since the terrestrial radio is very poor in MD I had to find this band on my own. I've recently procured Neon Bible and Funeral on record, both have tons of depth, intricate layers of sound and mysterious vocals. I'd consider this somewhat dark experimental rock, but it's a very unique sound that's difficult to describe effectively.
Broken Social Scene - More excellent Canadian artists here. The songs here have a lot of rich texture, rock anthems with tunes that simply drift along in a laid back, relaxing manner along with rock-outs that are fused together in a very enthralling way.
Caribou - Caribou is Daniel V. Snaith, a canadian artist that produces something of an experimental folk rock sound with a lush melodious sound. I've been spending some time with the Andorra record and will certainly be checking out his previous work.
Coconut Records - Jason Schwartzman is still not incredibly well known yet, but he is breaking through and I'd be surprised if West Coast doesn't make it into terrestrial radio at some point. It's so catchy that it will play in your head over and over again after you listen to it. I haven't picked up the CD yet, but from what I understand it's only about 30 minutes, which slightly dampens the enthusiasm I have for this artist.
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem is going to be one of the more electronic / pop artists on this list, but the warm vocals and compositions of the songs make me feel that it could be included here. The lyrics contained are pretty witty and entertaining. Sound of Silver isn't the strongest album I've heard, but I'm glad to have it in my collection.
Magnetic Fields - Like the Clientele, Magnetic Fields is going for the 60s pop sound, although this is a more degraded american sounding 60s pop that makes use of distant mics and distorted guitars.
Mice Parade - A very interesting find, these guys sound similar to Radiohead but are a little softer and easier to immediately appreciate. This is some very enjoyable experimental post-rock that will let you drift off to a state of relaxation.
New Pornographers - The newest albums, Challengers and Twin Cinema are my favorite from this artist. Simply very well crafted modern pop-rock.
Of Montreal - A very unique layering of experimental psychedelic-pop that isn't the most easily accessible music I've heard, but is deeply engaging.
Page France - An indie-rock / folk-rock band in the MD area with some entertaining and unusual lyrics and a catchy rhythm that's hard to forget. Many songs have a very minimalistic guitar strumming matched with sweet mellow male vocals, providing a nice relaxing sound that's easy to get lost in. Trance really has been my genre of choice for the past few years, but this record (Page France and the Family Telephone) was really the catalyst that got me into indie/low-fi again.
Spoon - I've only been able to hear Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga so far, but it's a pretty enjoyable album. Spoon may sound a little more mainstream / commercial alternative compared to some of the other artists on this list, but it's certainly not a bad thing. Minimalist guitar and piano combined with crisp vocals, along with some more atmospheric and experimental sounds.
The Clientele - This band carries a 60s Brit Pop sound. The sound is distinctively vintage sounding, not in quality but the distinctive melodies. This is a dream-like sounding pop with lots of air around the notes and melancholy vocals. Both God Save the Clientele and Strange Geometry have a very similar sound, I like them both pretty equally.
The Shins - Another popular favorite that needs no introduction. The Shins are a mixed bag for me, some of their albums I enjoy, while others I find to be somewhat crass. I'd have to say Oh, Inverted World is my current favorite.
Stars - The Stars albums are incredibly versatile. The Set Yourself on Fire remix album has so many different sounds to offer, ranging from trip hop with lush female vocals to indie-alt with crisp male vocals. In Our Bedroom After the War is a little more cohesive in it's layered lush electro-pop with deep vocals, a smooth and intriguing sound from end to end, with imaginative stories to be found in the lyrics.
Wilco - Sweet simple melodic folk rock to be found here. Wilco produces a mellow sound without being boring in Sky Blue Sky.
Ween - I've really been enjoying the new Ween single, Your Party from La Cucaracha. Simply bizarre humor that I still laugh at when I hear it. I realize this is somewhat of a departure from their previous works, but worth a listen imho.
I've been spending a lot more time listening to the indie / lowfi genre and finding lots of exciting new music. Between surfing around Amazon and listening to satellite radio for hours on end I'll put together a brief list of excellent artists that I'm sure a lot of you would enjoy. I usually prefer the more relaxing and mellow side of this music, so understand that the listed bands fit that mold.
Arcade Fire - Everyone knows these guys, they are right up there with Radiohead with album sales, but since the terrestrial radio is very poor in MD I had to find this band on my own. I've recently procured Neon Bible and Funeral on record, both have tons of depth, intricate layers of sound and mysterious vocals. I'd consider this somewhat dark experimental rock, but it's a very unique sound that's difficult to describe effectively.
Broken Social Scene - More excellent Canadian artists here. The songs here have a lot of rich texture, rock anthems with tunes that simply drift along in a laid back, relaxing manner along with rock-outs that are fused together in a very enthralling way.
Caribou - Caribou is Daniel V. Snaith, a canadian artist that produces something of an experimental folk rock sound with a lush melodious sound. I've been spending some time with the Andorra record and will certainly be checking out his previous work.
Coconut Records - Jason Schwartzman is still not incredibly well known yet, but he is breaking through and I'd be surprised if West Coast doesn't make it into terrestrial radio at some point. It's so catchy that it will play in your head over and over again after you listen to it. I haven't picked up the CD yet, but from what I understand it's only about 30 minutes, which slightly dampens the enthusiasm I have for this artist.
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem is going to be one of the more electronic / pop artists on this list, but the warm vocals and compositions of the songs make me feel that it could be included here. The lyrics contained are pretty witty and entertaining. Sound of Silver isn't the strongest album I've heard, but I'm glad to have it in my collection.
Magnetic Fields - Like the Clientele, Magnetic Fields is going for the 60s pop sound, although this is a more degraded american sounding 60s pop that makes use of distant mics and distorted guitars.
Mice Parade - A very interesting find, these guys sound similar to Radiohead but are a little softer and easier to immediately appreciate. This is some very enjoyable experimental post-rock that will let you drift off to a state of relaxation.
New Pornographers - The newest albums, Challengers and Twin Cinema are my favorite from this artist. Simply very well crafted modern pop-rock.
Of Montreal - A very unique layering of experimental psychedelic-pop that isn't the most easily accessible music I've heard, but is deeply engaging.
Page France - An indie-rock / folk-rock band in the MD area with some entertaining and unusual lyrics and a catchy rhythm that's hard to forget. Many songs have a very minimalistic guitar strumming matched with sweet mellow male vocals, providing a nice relaxing sound that's easy to get lost in. Trance really has been my genre of choice for the past few years, but this record (Page France and the Family Telephone) was really the catalyst that got me into indie/low-fi again.
Spoon - I've only been able to hear Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga so far, but it's a pretty enjoyable album. Spoon may sound a little more mainstream / commercial alternative compared to some of the other artists on this list, but it's certainly not a bad thing. Minimalist guitar and piano combined with crisp vocals, along with some more atmospheric and experimental sounds.
The Clientele - This band carries a 60s Brit Pop sound. The sound is distinctively vintage sounding, not in quality but the distinctive melodies. This is a dream-like sounding pop with lots of air around the notes and melancholy vocals. Both God Save the Clientele and Strange Geometry have a very similar sound, I like them both pretty equally.
The Shins - Another popular favorite that needs no introduction. The Shins are a mixed bag for me, some of their albums I enjoy, while others I find to be somewhat crass. I'd have to say Oh, Inverted World is my current favorite.
Stars - The Stars albums are incredibly versatile. The Set Yourself on Fire remix album has so many different sounds to offer, ranging from trip hop with lush female vocals to indie-alt with crisp male vocals. In Our Bedroom After the War is a little more cohesive in it's layered lush electro-pop with deep vocals, a smooth and intriguing sound from end to end, with imaginative stories to be found in the lyrics.
Wilco - Sweet simple melodic folk rock to be found here. Wilco produces a mellow sound without being boring in Sky Blue Sky.
Ween - I've really been enjoying the new Ween single, Your Party from La Cucaracha. Simply bizarre humor that I still laugh at when I hear it. I realize this is somewhat of a departure from their previous works, but worth a listen imho.
