Calling all indie rockers...

OK...keeping in line with the time period defined and sticking with the theme of 'rock', thus leaving out electronica and some of the more pop-oriented material, here's some pretty great indie stuff of recent years. This is by no means intended to be a 'best of' list...just a bunch of cool sounds.

1) Califone: 'Roomsound' + 'Califone (EP)'
2) Yo La Tengo: 'Painful' + 'I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One'
3) The Walkabouts: 'Train Leaves at Eight' + 'Satisfied Mind'
4) Giant Sand: 'Chore of Enchantment'
5) Edith Frost: 'Calling Over Time' + 'Wonder Wonder'
6) David Kilgour: 'Feather in the Engine'
7) Calexico: 'The Black Light'
8) Do Make Say Think: 'Goodbye Enemy Airship, the Landlord is Dead'
9) The Beta Band: 'Three EP's'
10) The Brian Jonestown Massacre: 'Take it From the Man'
11) Brother J.T.: 'Rainy Day Fun'
12) Cul De Sac: 'Crashes to Light, Minutes to it's Fall'
13) Eleventh Dream Day: 'Eighth' + 'Ursa Major'
14) Neutral Milk Hotel: 'On Avery Island' + 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'
15) Low: 'Things We Lost in the Fire'
16) Songs Ohia: 'Didn't It Rain' + 'Electric Magnolia Co.'
17) Stereolab: 'Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements' - cheating a bit on this one, since it did come out on a major label on these shores
18) Neu!: (reissues) - yeah, I'm cheating on this too (early '70's recordings), but I felt like I gotta mention it
19) Dirty Three: (many recordings)

I could probably add some to this already too long list(and delete a couple), but there's my rambling list of the moment. This is of course all IMHO and YMMV, etc.

The Powerpuff Girls "Heroes and Villians." No, I'm serious! This stuff isn't for kids (not that it's inappropriate; it's "safe."). Selections come from bands like Biz, Dressy Bessy, Komeda, Devo, The Apples in Stereo, and others. It's a really fun collection, and the recordings ain't bad. Definitely worth a listen.

Centurymantra,

How's the new Califone album? I have roomsound and it's got some great stuff on it. Just picked up the new YLT album; not a rocking song on the thing. But that doesn't mean that it won't still be good. For my money though, Painful and I can hear the heart are their best.

Anybody into GYBE! or modest mouse?

Nicko...

I haven't fully digested the new Califone disc, but I can conclusively say that it's another excellent Califone recording. It does see them developing towards an expanded sound. The more melodic aspects of the songwriting are a little more upfront, yet solidly mixed with the more abstract backdrops they have been developing in the soundtrack recordings they have been getting into as of late.

I have not really soaked up much of the GYBE recordings, although I do appreciate what I've heard in passing. The new one is supposed to be a pretty great one. That aside, the GYBE 'vibe' hasn't quite grabbed me as much as what their label-mate bands Do Make Say Think (recommended above) and Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra have been doing. I do need to pick up on some of their material and dig a little further into the music though...I was planning on snagging that new one that was recorded with Steve Albini sometime soon.

There's a Califone side-project BTW that I'd suggest you make a point of checking out. It's a band called Secret Machines that includes two of the guys from Califone and their producer and is very, very cool stuff. I seem to remember reading a review at www.pitchforkmedia.com at one point that you could check out for a more eloquent summary.

Happy listening~

Yeah, Pitchfork is great! If I could make a living writing for them I'd change my career. Thanks for the info!