Open Thread: Independents’ Day

Jul 5th, 2010 at 12:27pm

Fireworks For most folks in the U.S., today is the observed holiday for Independence Day, also known as the 4th of July, also known as the Festival of Missing Fingers. So I’m going to be off doing independency things for most of the day.

But you know I wouldn’t leave those of you who are stuck in front of computers for the day without something to do. So let me ask you: What’s your favorite “independent” band or artist?

I put “independent” in quotes because I want to leave that definition up to you. It could be a truly DIY, unsigned band…or a band considered “indie rock”…or an band that just plain does their own thing.

Here’s one that I think satisfies all three criteria: I Come to Shanghai. The band includes Robert Ashley, who you may remember from his stint on the GFW Radio podcast (aka “97.5, The Brodeo”) and his amazing A Life Well Wasted internet radio show. And though I used to work with Robert, that in no way influences my love of his quirky, catchy, funny band. “Another Sunday Morning” and “Salvation is a Country Club” get embedded deep in my brain for days at a time, and while the whole album may not be for everybody, it’s loaded with surprises in the best possible way.

How about you?

[image: Flickr user theedinburghblog]

Pele says:

July 5, 2010 at 10:43 pm

The I Come to Shanghai debut is fucking incredible. “Pass the Time”, “Your Lazy Eye”; pop gems. “I Want to Die”, “Do We Have to Rise Again”; pop masterpieces.

On that same wave of Ziff alumni, Dealership is a really solid rock band. I only have their first two albums, but they’re both endlessly catchy pop rock listens.

I’ve been listening to a lot of From Bubblegum to Sky lately. They’re not 100% independent, I don’t think — they release through Eenie Meenie, which is an independent label — but their first two albums are absolutely perfect. If you like sugary sweet pop music (with some very bitter lyrics), you owe it to yourself to check out those albums: ‘Me and Amy and the Two French Boys’ and ‘Nothing Sadder Than Lonely Queen’.