MarcOTD

Hey guys,

It seems that Dyess puts out his “MP3 of the Day” newsletter only once a quarter, so I thought it was high time to step in and share a little music while he polishes up his masterpiece. I don’t blame him, Starkville Mississippi is hardly what you’d call a Mecca of new music. I’ve got two words for you Sean, internet radio! Just kidding man, I have to give you credit for coming up with the idea. I’ve added a few new names to the list, so if this is your first MP3 of the Day, welcome to the party!

For today’s musical installment, the theme is Indie Rock. This is a subgenre of Alternative music, born out of early 80’s British Punk. The term “Indie” used to describe bands that had not signed with a major label, but as major conglomerates have gobbled up many independent labels, this description is no longer accurate. Today’s Indie Rock describes music that hovers on the fringes of popular music awareness, usually far from the top 40. Its practitioners often experiment with new styles and sounds, but the genre can usually be characterized by fast tempos and thin, almost brittle sounding guitars. For more info on the genre, check out the Wikipedia description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_rock

We begin our sonic safari with one of the pioneers of Indie Rock, and Alternative Music in general, the Pixies. Although originally from the U.S., they never took off here. Instead they found fame in the U.K. This song was used as the closing track for one of the best guy-movies of all time – Fight Club. This video was cleverly put together with choice scenes from the flick.

The Pixies – Where is My Mind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zP1IjgSO_E&feature=related

Perhaps on the opposite end of the spectrum is Beck, who’s first single, Looser, was a monster hit, reaching #10 on Billboard’s top 100 chart back in 1993. This offering from his latest album, Modern Guilt, suits the Indie theme.

Beck – Gamma Ray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIBw-lbxtT4

This band is one of my favorites in the genre, and while I wanted to give you just one video for each artist, I found an awesome video made by some Japanese guys apparently for the Wired Magazine Next Fest. I thought it was cool, so that’s why they get double billing.

Spoon – I Turn My Camera On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro95Ns58qSE

Spoon - Don’t you Evah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPdP1jBfxzo&feature=related

The next song can honestly get a little annoying, but then after you hear it a few times it gets stuck in your head like, Caa-stanza! (for you young-uns that’s a Seinfeld reference) I think this is like a modern “Hey Mickey.” Enjoy!

The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UX0p7uAW2s

Ok, this song is cool and very different from the last one, but man, what the heck is going on with this video?!! It’s like some bad 80’s MTV video director’s revenge for never filming a zombie movie!

Santogold – L.E.S. Artists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtzFEAGHcw

I know what some of you are thinking. Just when you thought Indie doesn’t rock, check out the next few songs. First up is Silversun Pickups. In an earlier email I sent out another of their songs, “Lazy Eye.” If you haven’t heard it, it’s worth a listen. This song is probably my second favorite on the album.

Silversun Pickups – Well Thought Out Twinkles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmE57YE3pSc

Queens has been around for years and has an impressive back catalog. Occasionally major artists from other bands will join in on tour and in the studio, including Dave Grohl, of Nirvana/Foo Fighter’s fame, Dean Ween, from Ween, and even Billy Gibbons, from ZZ Top. For Indie, they rock hard!

Queens of the Stone Age – In My Head

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sTQMy1ErZY&NR=1

The Raconteurs has been called a super band because it is made up of members of other successful bands, most notably Jack White of The White Stripes. I guess he finally decided to ditch the wife and start a real band. Here’s my favorite tune from their catalog.

The Raconteurs – Level

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqFb6VXW86Y

This band really embodies the Indie spirit with a tongue-in-cheek style. The Eagles of Death Metal are definitely not Death Metal, as you’ll soon find out.

Eagles of Death Metal – Wanna Be in LA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj3kTdx1QBw

Next up is a song by Scottish band, Franz Ferdinand. Watch this video and tell me these guys don’t do A LOT of drugs. Remember, they come from the same country that brought you the movie “Trainspotting.” By the way, their song “Do You Want To” is one of my favorite’s for Karaoke bars. It always gets a good crowd reaction.

Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqJRnopvVIU&annotation_id=annotation_465341&feature=iv

The final song is from a band I just recently discovered, and it seemed fitting to end with. This video was put together by a fan and it’s brilliant.

Coconut Records – West Coast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR654dhhZNs&feature=related

I hope you have enjoyed this sampling of Indie Rock. I am sorry if it went a little long, but there’s just too much great music in this genre to cull down. I’m sure you have heard of a few of these bands, but if not and you enjoyed the music, I invite you to check out more songs from these artists. If you didn’t enjoy this music then I’m sorry, you’re just wrong. Until next time,

Rock on!

-Marc