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Top 3 Indie-Rock Records of the Year
I’m finding myself more and more disinterested in the indie-rock genre. It’s hard to find an artist or group who isn’t just writing songs to get featured in Apple or Scion commercials. With the huge success of indie movie soundtracks like Twlight: New Moon and Garden State, indie-rock is officially mainstream, with 12 year old girls singing the new Radiohead song or extolling the beauty of Animal Collective’s “My Girls,†yet there are still some honest and wonderful artists in the genre. Here are a three of my favorite indie-rock records of the year.
David Bazan – “Curse Your Branchesâ€
David Bazan is well known in the indie circles as the literate and honest singer of Pedro the Lion. That band has since broken up and Bazan has spend the past few years on his own, playing small houses shows around the country to get back into the groove of playing live shows again. His newest record is quite possible his best and most emotioniall wrenching yet. Well known in music circles as a Christian believer, Bazan has since “broken up†with the faith and “Curse Your Branches†is an album about his struggle with faith and family. It is almost unbearably sad and honest to hear Bazan sing about putting his little daughter to bed, still reeking like liquor after a depression fuelled binge.
The Mountain Goats – “The Life of the World to Comeâ€
One of my favorite artists, period, John Darnielle, the main singer and songwriter of The Mountain Goats can do little wrong in my book. One of the most intelligent and clever lyricists, The Mountain Goats’ albums are often conceptual in nature and revolve around certain themes to tie them together. “The Life of the World to Come†is no different, with each song named and loosely related to a different verse from the Bible. Darnielle doesn’t consider himself a traditional Christian, but treats the Bible as any other literary work, like “Old Man and the Sea†or “Ulysses.†It is a quiet and memorable work of art deserving to be placed in a museum or on a display easel.
The Clientele – “Bonfires on the Heathâ€
The Clientele have been releasing some of the best, most low key and gloomy alternative rock for a decade now. Rumors had been swirling that “Bonfires on the Heath†will be their swan song, and if it is, they will go out at their peak, writing and recording some of the smartest music for walking around in the fog or the rain.
About the Author
Alan McGee is a freelance writer from MN.
Twilight – Book vs. Movie Changes
