29 Jun 2010

Indie’d

I have long been a huge indie music fan and it’s been a while since I’ve found a new one I think is any good. So I started delving backwards and I found bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement, Dinosaur Jr. and Guided By Voices. Lifter Puller, Silver Jews and my latest addiction, Built to Spill are other older indie bands that to me define the word.

Listen to Built to Spill and you’ll hear Death Cab for Cutie in the 1990’s, delve a little deeper and Stephen Malkmus’ bizarre melodies will leave your jaw on the Pavement at how good these guys were. But at the moment it’s all about Doug Martsch. He is one of those musicians involved in everything; Treepeople was where it all began.

More punk than his later efforts, Treepeople would be great for any pop-punk or punk rock fan, it’s great summer music, sort of how the Descendents always put a smile on listeners’ faces. After Treepeople Martsch established Built to Spill and have been releasing albums ever since.

His pop-sensibility and willingness to solo for 5 minutes at a time make him an indie musician for the ages in my opinion. Martsch writes some of the best ditties and easy to listen to indie rock and without him Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie would’ve sounded entirely different.

So if you like either of those bands, check out Built to Spill, especially the album ‘There’s nothing wrong with love’. It’s just brilliant. Martsch is also involved in a band called the Halo Benders with Calvin Johnson. I’ve not listened to them as much, so shall reserve an opinion for now, from what I have heard though, it is great, more acoustic, but still great.

Built to Spill are one of the greatest indie bands of our time and will provide the perfect soundtrack to most days. Indie’d.

Over.

Rick 

ps. enjoy this track, 'Big Dipper' is definitely one of my favourites.


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