I've been listening to indie rock for a couple of years now, and I've found a lot of favorite albums. However, I was wondering what people consider to be the classic, must-listen-to indie rock albums. I use the term indie here loosely, since I'm talking about albums like Radiohead's OK Computer or Wilco's YHF. I also don't want anything too recent (I think the Arcade Fire album is a classic, but it's much too early to say). Any suggestions?

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
XTC - English Settlement
Stones Roses - Stone Roses
Slint - Spiderland
Pixies - Doolittle
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Beck - Odelay
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes

That's all I've got off the top of my head. I'm sure there's a ton I'm forgetting.

Flaming Lips - Transmissions From The Satellite Heart, Clouds Taste Metallic, Soft Bulletin, and Yoshime Battles The Pink Robots

quote:

I also don't want anything too recent

A few "classics" from the tail end of last millenium....

"Bee Thousand" & "Alien Lanes" - Guided by Voices (1994 & 1995)
"Dusk at Cubist Castle" - The Olivia Tremor Control (1996)
"If You're Feeling Sinister" - Belle and Sebastian (1997)
"In It For the Money" - Supergrass (1997)
"Apartment Life" - Ivy (1998)
"Overcome by Happiness" - Pernice Brothers (1998)
"Can You Still Feel" - Jason Falkner (1999)


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I haven't heard them, but I'm pretty sure Dinosaur Jr are considered classic indie. Plus Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane.

Pixies - "Surfer Rosa"
Pavement - "Brighten The Corners"
Gang Of Four - "Entertainment"
Wire - "154"
Sonic Youth - "Sister"
Minutemen - "Double Nickels On The Dime"
dEUS - "In A Bar Under The Sea"

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
I haven't heard them, but I'm pretty sure Dinosaur Jr are considered classic indie

Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me is a classic, forgot about it in my first post.

Also, although I haven't heard much by them, Joy Division, Gang of Four, New Order and Yo La Tengo have all put out great albums.

Good Call flem_snopes.....Ivy - Apartment Life. Upbeat mood for a lesser-known group.

Any 90's Yo La Tengo
Early Dino Jr.
Broken Social Scene - You forget it in people
Modest Mouse - Moon & antarctica
Six By Seven - The things We Make
Joseph Arthur - Come to where I'm from
Cat Power - Moon Pix orYou Are Free
Low - Things We Lost in the Fire
Low - Boxset

Just take a look at Pitchfork's top 100 albums from the 90's. It lists pretty much what everyone has been suggesting here. I know a lot of people hate Pitchfork, but let's face it: Pitchfork is pretty much indie rock's official spokesman.

That is kind of true...if you only count indie, Pitchfork is pretty good at telling you what the best albums are. They suck at rating stuff that's not indie, but for indie, they're good. I don't know how to get their decade lists, though.

You mean you don't trust a bunch of early 20s rich white kids reviews of Fitty Cent and Blackalicious?

Here's where to go for the Pitchfork lists. Just click on lists and interviews and go from there. Almost none of the interviews are there though. I'm kinda pissed at them for not having a link to those suckers. I love reading interviews, and they usually do pretty good ones.

Hmm....

I don't know, any 'best of 70's' list topped by a Bowie album that isn't even 'Ziggy Stardust' has credibility issues with me.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
I'm kinda pissed at them for not having a link to those suckers. I love reading interviews, and they usually do pretty good ones.

A lot of them are there, you have to get rid of the _new in the url and they show up.

Thanks, dano. That's awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
Hmm....

I don't know, any 'best of 70's' list topped by a Bowie album that isn't even 'Ziggy Stardust' has credibility issues with me.

I personally find Low to be not very good (excepting "Sound and Vision"), but I expected it to be in the Pitchfork top 10. Glam Bowie circa Ziggy is not indie cool...artsy Bowie is an indie touchstone. Any indie review that can reference Can, Neu!, and Eno gets bonus cred.

The Pitchfork best-of lists are great! Thanks, RavingLunatic

I don't know if most people would call Ween indie (they're certainly under the commercial radar) but if so then "Chocolate and Cheese" and "White Pepper" are certainly classic.

some notable albums in no particular order:
pavement-all
fugazi-13 songs, repeater(dischord)
meat puppets-II, mirage(sst)
superchunk-foolish(merge)
yo la tengo-electr-o-pura(matador)
pernice bros.-yours, mine & ours(ashmount)
wrens-the meadowlands(absolutely kosher)
mercury rev-deserter's songs(v2)
m83-dead cities, red seas & lost ghosts(groom)
replacements-hootenanny(twin/tone)
flaming lips-soft bulletin, transmissions...(w/b!)
dinosaur jr-you're living all over me, where you been(sst)
violent femmes-hallowed ground(slash)
cvb-II & III & Plus(pitch-a-tent)
ron sexsmith-retriever(nettwork)
jim white-wrong-eyed jesus(luaka bop)
nirvana-bleach(sub pop)
sonic youth-daydream nation(enigma/blast first)
shins-chutes too narrow(sub pop)
wilco-yhf(nonesuch)
blur-think tank (food)
the fall-in palace of swords reversed(cog sinister)
minutemen-double nickels on the dime(sst)
arcade fire-funeral(merge)

Recommending 100 album Pitchfork lists might be a little overwhelming to someone new to "indie" rock. Here is a short list, of the absolute essentials (in order):

1. Pixies- Doolittle
2. Neutral Milk Hotel- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
3. Pavement- Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
4. Guided by Voices- Bee Thousand
5. Modest Mouse- Lonesome Crowded West