Top 2:
1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
2. The National - Alligator
The rest:
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Wrens - The Meadowlands
White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Decemberists - Crane Wife

This is an awesome thread. I had never heard Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but after reading this forum I checked em out, and it is a hell of an album. Anyways, off the top of my head, I'd probably go like this:

1. Arcade Fire - Funeral
2. Bright Eyes - Lifted
3. Wolf Parade - Apologies
4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
5. Postal Service - Give Up
6. Modest Mouse - Moon and Antarctica
7. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - CYHSY
8. Interpol - Antics
9. Beirut - Gulag Orchestar
10. Cursive - The Ugly Organ

H.M. (in no order): The Mountain Goats - Sunset Tree; Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago; The Notwist - Neon Golden; Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna; The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely; Sufjan Stevens - Illinois; Ugly Casanova - Sharpen Your Teeth; Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; The White Stripes - Elephant.

If you don't think all these bands are according-to-Hoyle-indie bands, you're an asshole. Isn't the whole point of "indie" music that it defies other labels? Or in order for something to be truly indie, does it have to be so obscure that only a few arrogant "purists" have heard it? If Radiohead isn't indie, then neither are Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse or Wilco... Indie isn't a single style, nor is it a measure or a band's notoriety. It's a watershed label for music that doesn't conform to the traditional norms of popular music. When you start imposing arbitrary standards for what is or isn't indie, you destroy exactly what makes it so fuckin' cool in the first place.

So don't be an asshole.

1) Kid A - Radiohead
2) Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
3) Funeral - The Arcade Fire
4) The Moon and Antartica - Modest Mouse
5) Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips
6) Feels - Animal Collective
7) Hail to the Thief - Radiohead
8) Return to Cookie Mountain - TV On The Radio
9) Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins
10) Yellow House - Grizzly Bear
------------------------
Others
Writers Block - Peter Bjorn & John
In Rainbows - Radiohead
Shut Up I Am Dreaming - Sunset Rubdown
Blueberry Boat - Fiery Furnaces
Kill The Moonlight - Spoon
Echoes - The Rapture
Amnesiac - Radiohead
Neon Bible - The Arcade Fire

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lawrence_Of_Suburbia,

quote:

Originally posted by Failureninja:
Personally, I'd have to go with Eluvium's Lambent Material as more of a must have than Talk Amongst Trees, but I agree pretty good list Sicnarf. Can you say anymore about Kallikak Family or The Fun Years. I've never heard of 'em.

The Kallikak Family's May 23rd 2007 is this weird, awesome cut n' paste album that is super deep with a lot of different textures and movements. The album employs drones, acoustic guitar, field recordings, drum machines, non-verbal vocals and other unidentifiable parts. The album as a whole is simply amazing to me. It flows really well and despite being an "instrumental" album carries quite a bit of musical narrative.

The Fun Years' Life Sized Psychoses is a bit more ambient. It's the debut from a duo of a guitarist and turntablist and is pretty much a slow burner full of really incredible textures and musical motifs that knock your socks off as slowly as possible. I find it "narrative" in kind of the same way as the Kallikak album in the way that the album flows.

If your into experimental music I would heartly recommend both.

quote:

Originally posted by DimsiRupsi:
Not including 2008 records:

1.Arcade Fire - Funeral
2.Deerhoof - Reveille
3.Cloud Cult -Advice From the Happy Hippopotamus
4.Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
5.Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
6.Circulatory System - Circulatory System
7.The National - Boxer
8.Tocotronic - Pure Vernunft Darf Niemals Siegen
9.The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows
10.New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

Had to check my record collection there..Probably forgot a few records..

And of course I forgot something..
I'll swap Tocotronic with Appleseed Cast - Low Level 1 + 2, and listening to Cloud Cult lately I discovered that I actually like The Meaning of 8 more than Advice from..., so I should swap that one too. How's that for self censoring

I'm waiting for someone to add Vampire Weekend to the list.

1.Turn On The Bright Lights-Interpol
2.Kid A-Radiohead
3.Agaetis Byrjun-Sigur Ros
4.Is This It-The Strokes
5.Alligator-The National
6.Up The Bracket-The Libertines
7.Lost Souls-Doves
8.The Futureheads-The Futureheads
9.Funeral-Arcade Fire
10.Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

It would take too long to do a list like this. But I was glad to see people did include some of my under-appreciated favorites.

Number one is clearly

1. The Meadowlands


The Hot Snakes' "Suicide Invoice" is way up there.

There are a few Spoon albums clamoring for a place in the top 5 as well.

Okkervil River's "Black Sheep Boy" saga - the album and the appendix (I think should count as one uh project) are way, way up there.

The Thermals' The Body the Blood the Machine is criminally underrated and under-appreciated. Their whole discography is, really. It's not even punk. It's rock and roll - vital, bracing, and hugely refreshing.

The National's Alligator belongs in the top 10.

Neon Golden might also.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot should be obvious and obligatory.

Funeral I'm sometimes dubious about, but it's a contender. For top positioning.

The Constantines Shine a Light is fucking awesome. It's probably top ten.

I know I'm going more than ten now, but The Glow pt. 2. Is awe-inspiring. Could maybe kick Funeral out on its ass.

And I can't believe I left out youth counselor heart-throb Sufjan Stevens and his Illinoise! Come on Feel the Illinoise - one of the best concept albums of all time. Truly epic. Poetic. Really! If "Predatory Wasp" and "The Seer's Tower" don't give you chills, your parents did something wrong. Listen to how he ties in the "deep in the tower, the valleys below" in the former. It's really something. It almost suggests something bigger than a song going on, something behind it, mysterious...grand and terrible. *converts to Christianity*


And we can't forget...Kings of Leon! Just kidding.

My gf has reminded me of my love for The Body, The Blood, The Machine by requiring me to play it almost daily. She loves that album...

quote:

And I can't believe I left out youth counselor heart-throb Sufjan Stevens and his Illinoise! Come on Feel the Illinoise - one of the best concept albums of all time. Truly epic. Poetic. Really! If "Predatory Wasp" and "The Seer's Tower" don't give you chills, your parents did something wrong. Listen to how he ties in the "deep in the tower, the valleys below" in the former. It's really something. It almost suggests something bigger than a song going on, something behind it, mysterious...grand and terrible. *converts to Christianity*

It actually surprises me that you like Sufjan, BG. He doesn't seem like he would stand up under your critical microscope... but then we all have our moments, I suppose.

Yes Glass. I'll tell you one thing right now:

Girls love the Thermals.


How could it be surprising that I like Sufjan? He's a genius, he plays everything and sings like an angel. He orchestrates everything down to the littlest flute sound.

quote:

How could it be surprising that I like Sufjan? He's a genius, he plays everything and sings like an angel. He orchestrates everything down to the littlest flute sound.

He sings like Conor Oberst, except in tune and not as whiny. I don't know, from the posts I've read of yours where you cite bands you like, they all seem to have a grittier sound. But if you like Sufjan, more power to you.

He's not necessarily a favorite. But then again he is - I couldn't care less, really how pristine and smooth a voice or a sound is. I care about the music. Most of my favorites might be a little tougher sounding in general. But The Wrens are a mile and a half above ANYTHING else, and Kevin sings like a little boy.

quote:

Originally posted by BlackGravel:
It would take too long to do a list like this. But I was glad to see people did include some of my under-appreciated favorites.

The Thermals' The Body the Blood the Machine is criminally underrated and under-appreciated. Their whole discography is, really. It's not even punk. It's rock and roll - vital, bracing, and hugely refreshing.
obligatory.

How more people weren't falling over this album is beyond me. By all right it should've been ranked among the top five releases of 2006. The level of intensity, the superior song-writing, Hutch's great vocals - is there anything not to love about it? I still say anyone who couldn't get into this when it came out should give it another listen.

I do agree that the Thermals are underrated, I wouldn't consider them anywhere near one of my favorite bands, but they don't get near as much respect as they deserve (aside from Pitchfork). The Thermals are one of those bands who I can't figure out why I like. They play some variation of pop-punk, their singer has a nasally voice, and they write so called "edgy" lyrics (though the lyrics on The Blood, The Body, The Machine are quite good). Either way, they have been making consistently good to great songs for quite a few years now and deserve some acclaim for it.

I think people throw around "nasally voice" too much. Hutch's voice, especially on Hutch and Kathy and the two albums before TBTBTM, IS rather reedy, or maybe "thin." Everyone says he sounds like John Darnielle -- I mostly think that's dumb. Although the timbre and essential "sound" of their voices is similar, everything about HOW they sing is as different as it could be. Anyway, if you've listened to their late performances, you'll notice a strange thing - Hutch's voice has for whatever reason continued to deepen, as it has throughout his late teens and, it would seem, early twenties. I don't know why it's happening, but I'm anticipating some serious greatness from this next album (even though EVERYONE seems determined to disappoint me - thanks for nothing, Constantines)

I don't know why people refer to them as pop/punk either. Because Hutch plays a lot of downstrokes? Because they're sooooomewhat political? Who isn't political these days.

Why don't the " "edgy" " lyrics bother you? Maybe it's because they're not "edgy," they're just edgy. There's nothing wrong with that kind of thing, the problem comes when it's CONTRIVED. And that's where we come close to the heart of the question, I think. The Thermals are just overwhelmingly not contrived. And their sound I think is much better thought of as a rock 'n' roll sound than a "punk" sound. Look at "Test Pattern" - it's 50s kinda stuff. That sort of old-timey pop influence leads people to point to the Ramones, which also bugs me. If these two bands occurred at the same time, anyone saying the Ramones were better would be an Instant Moron. Because they're from a long time ago, it becomes heresy to state the truth.

The Thermals are ridiculously good. The Ramones were kinda dumb :/

Anyway, the other thing about them is just the power of the songwriting, both lyrically and musically. Harris really knows where to put a chord change, and what chord to change to. It's almost like he puts them all exactly where God meant them to be. The effect is one of extreme efficiency and even elegance. His lyrics and delivery are cutting, clever and wise beyond his blah blah blah time for some whole grain Lean Pockets.

I'd say his voice is pretty nasally, and if not, thin enough to normally get on my nerves. Although I have seen them live and yes, his voice did seem a bit deeper than on record. I also say they definitely play something at the very least similar to pop-punk, certainly not full blown pop-punk, but it'd be crazy to say they have nothing in common with it. As for the lyrics, I understand why they do not bother me, it's because they actually are quite clever and overall just plain good. It's just that normally when bands, especially punkier bands like the Thermals, write overtly edgy lyrics, they often come off as annoying and overall seem like they are trying to hard to be controversial. But yes, this is not the case with The Thermals. I think you bring up a good point that they do not ever sound the least bit contrived. A band being as sincere as The Thermals is always a great quality in a band, and the reason why I put many bands ahead of others.