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Various Artists
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This Is Indie Rock: The Best Bands You've Never Heard, Volume Three
Deep Elm Records
Release: 11/08/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Crystal Roberts
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If you think that you know all there is to know about indie
music, then you - my pretentious music friend - must buy
this record. This Is Indie Rock: The Best Bands You've
Never Heard, Volume Three from Deep Elm Records
compiles some of the best emo, rock, alternative, punk, etc.
in the world. This Is Indie Rock is a definite
sigh of relief for people who want to bash their heads in if
they hear one more Fall Out Boy song. And while not every
band makes the cut, you'll have to give This Is Indie
Rock props for promoting the independent artists of
the world.
On This Is Indie Rock you will find the album
tries to fully embody the so-called indie genre, through a
combination of various indie music forms. There are the emo
lyrics in ReedKD's song "Seventeen," pop-punk appeal from
bands like the Encyclopedia and Broken October, the
screeching vocals of punk rock from bands such as Satellite
of June and Element, and the instrumentation of classic rock
from the Almighty Flying Machine.
Two bands that could be on the next roster for Warped Tour
are also on this disc. One of them, Free Diamonds,
resembles OK Go with "Blind Boys," but with catchier lyrics.
While Softer's song, "Confessions of an Ardent Heart" sounds
like a mournful version of the Saves the Day's song
"Awkward Silence." However, don't be surprised if you hear
either one of these bands on the The O.C.
soon.
Campsite's song, "A Way to Point the Way the Right Way" is
by far one of the best tracks on the album. A bit on the Cure
side and with smoother vocals than Julian Casablancas from
the Strokes, the Campsite has true indie appeal. Three other
bands that deserve some positive acknowledgement are the
Annuals, Popmonster, and Element. The Annuals' slow
talking, harmonizing sound is occasionally broken by Modest
Mouse-esque background rambling. Popmonster's song
"Salty" channels a combination of Peter, Paul, and Mary's
sound (complete with mandolin!) with the vocals of a late
Joni Mitchell.
While this record runs like a well-mixed college radio play
list, the song "Flip Light Switches/Spin Cycle" by Konrad is
surely the exception. I'm not sure what gave them the idea
it would be okay to sample from "Nothin' But a 'G' Thang,"
and then break off into a "Gorillaz- talking- through- a-
distorted- microphone" type of song. There are ways to be
creative, and then there are ways to just be strange. And if
this track says anything about Konrad, it's they don't know
where the line into strangeness lies and creativeness
begins.
This Is Indie Rock is for the most part a very
elaborate set-up of the indie music sound. And so what if
you have never heard any of these bands before? Turn off
the radio and open up your ears. There is a lot of
independent music out there waiting to be found, and it just
so happens This Is Indie Rock has twelve of
those bands on disc. |
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