Best Indie Rock Song?

I'll speak from the experience of my own favourite band again (just so I can ensure accuracy), but R.E.M. where one of the bands which made the indie rock scene. If you look back through their back catalogue, you'll struggle to find a weak song. Even their first album, which only sold 500,000 on a tiny record label, was rated higher than Thriller as album of the year in 1983. Each album was different to the previous one. The first album which had a similar style to a previous one was released in 2008, and it took inspiration from a 1995 album primarily and borrowed aspects of a 1987 one.

I'm sure others will support similar stories from other bands, regardless of genre (such as the Rolling Stones maybe). Indie isn't different.

It's not all about the fans. A great album is a great album, whether or not the fans of previous albums like it or not. Radiohead's album Kid A, from 2000, is a prime example. It turned the music of Radiohead on it's head (so to speak), yet to a different sort of fan, it was as good as or better than the previous material. R.E.M. did the same with Up in 1998. Both alienated some previous fans, yet over time they both turned out to be classics to others.

I can see what you mean, Gav. Like I said, it's weird, but I like every single Muse song. The B-sides, the live songs (most of which are amazing) and the unreleased songs. Every other band (maybe other than Keane) I have at least one song I don't like. Genesis, Queen, Caesars, The Killers.

I also like R.E.M, Gav! My favourite songs are probably Man on the Moon and The Great Beyond.

One final thing: It's also weird how my musical tastes have changed since I found Muse. My favourite bands used to be Ash *shudder* and The Killers, who I still like. I used to love Ash. When I found Muse, the week after, I couldn't bear to listen to Ash. Muse has also lead me to Keane, who are definitely my second favourite band.

Music really is a fascinating subject

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Yeah, I quite like Radiohead as well.

Imo, Hard-Fi have gotta be one of the most underrated bands ever. Suburban Knights, Living for the Weekend, Hard to Beat, etc. are all good songs, but nobody seems to say 'Oh, Hard-Fi are an insane band'...

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Quote
msater
I also like R.E.M, Gav! My favourite songs are probably Man on the Moon and The Great Beyond.

Ironically one is a about Andy Kaufman, the other a tribute too him.

I'm a massive fan of the Killers too, but I'm certainly not going to pretend they are great - each of their albums have 2 or 3 weak songs, but the good ones are very good. They do know how to put on a show though!

gav Wrote:
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> I'm a massive fan of the Killers too, but I'm
> certainly not going to pretend they are great -
> each of their albums have 2 or 3 weak songs, but
> the good ones are very good. They do know how to
> put on a show though!

+1 on that!

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Just off the top of my head just now:

The Killers - Read My Mind.
Mindblowing and mesmeric song, beautiful, powerful and deep. The lyrics represent an ocean of sentiment. In my opinion it's already their magnum opus.

Oasis - Whatever.
It seems to be the most forgotten Oasis song, maybe because it wasn't on any of their albums. But IMO it's actually their best one, even trumping the songs from Morning Glory.

Don't Look Back Into The Sun by The Libertines is also one of my favourites.

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ahh, Hard Fi. Yeah, good band - always overlooked (hey, even i managed it - but listened to one of their albums in the car this morning!)

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Stone Roses

Inspiral Carpets

Charlatans

Happy Mondays


pretty much all the 90's Madchester thing summed my musical involvement in the Indie scene




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Now for some Maxïmo Park...









I like them...dunno if you will...

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gav Wrote:
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> Editors are @#$%& live. Everything sounds the same
> and the only difference was the 2 guitars Tom
> Smith kept swapping between... which was exactly
> the same guitar, but 2 of them, presumably tuned
> between songs.
>
> The most monotonous band I've had the misfortune
> of seeing play live.
>
> Their albums aren't exactly brilliant, but they're
> way, way better than seeing them live.
>




Just watched Editors play live at GLastonbury and they were very very good live
>
> As an R.E.M. fan I guess I'm naturally going to
> say Losing my Religion.
>
>






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I'd heard good things about them live so when they were supporting R.E.M in Manchester in 2008 I started listening to the albums so I could appreciate it (I already liked Guillemots, the other supporting act). The albums are good - nothing especially brilliant, but certainly very listenable. But on the day they were very flat and like I said every song sounded exactly the same.

Maybe they're just not a stadium band, or weren't at that point, or maybe they weren't especially motivated at being a support. I've no idea.

By the way, best warm-up acts ever? R.E.M. on their Monster tour in 1995 being supported by Radiohead, The Cranberries and a very young Sleeper. Epic.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2010 11:40AM by gav.

i was pleasently suprised at how good they were live yesterday, Muse were stunning last night, good version of Streets have no name with the Edge too




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muse and the Edge from glastonbury












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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2010 09:17PM by LS..

urgh! with the exception of this, it was a good show at Glasto. (i don't like U2...)

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gav Wrote:
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> As an R.E.M. fan I guess I'm naturally going to
> say Losing my Religion.
>
>




It's The End of the World for me takes this thread.

I prefer indie rock to mainstream, and i appreciates rock and classical music equally.

Muse's set at Glasto was awesome, there are hardly any bands who can sing and play their songs note for note perfect like on their recorded versions, and improve on them in some cases. I don't mind U2 and thought the collaboration was competent, but not mind-blowing.

just flicking through my CD collection, looking at the back cover of Absolution, they've printed tracks 7 and 8 the wrong way round, the Interlude comes before Hysteria, not after

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Muks_C Wrote:
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> just flicking through my CD collection, looking at
> the back cover of Absolution, they've printed
> tracks 7 and 8 the wrong way round, the Interlude
> comes before Hysteria, not after

I've got mine the right way round AFAIK, you must have an early version!

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just check it, you never know. they might not have ever noticed it. mine's the one with the bonus making-of DVD.

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the interlude does come before hysteria tho... which way round is it on the cd cover?

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