Last year I got some fun back and forth and controversy in the comments regarding what was “indie” and what was not. This year I’d like to add an important disclaimer… if music is in this “best indie” list it’s because it feels indie to me. There is no organization dedicated to defining and standardizing what is indie and what is not. “Signed” artists who got their start through grassroots efforts do not become less “indie” to me just because they have an opportunity to make more money by earning a larger audience of listeners. So please, listen to the music and if you find half the beauty in it that I have then my purpose has been served. But lets not quibble over what meets some elitist’s ideal of what is and is not indie enough to make a “best of indie” list.
This year I didn’t find it as simple a task at finding new music that simply blew my mind. Plenty of good albums and artists that I’ll share in later posts, but I think I’m limiting the “best of 2009″ list to just 10. So without further adieu, and in no particular order, the only 10 songs from 2010 that absolutely blew my mind:
Before I launch into this I wanted to throw a discalaimer out there, my company developed this software so I obviously am biased.
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A friend recently noted that Pandora is not what it used to be as far as being a source of new great music. For me I still enjoy it, but have found a better source. Also, with Muxetapes not quite working the way it used to, I find myself relying almost solely on my tried and true method of finding great new music: blog feeds. Here are the ones I have had the greatest success with:
Quite often we find songs worthy of mentioning but find so many that there simply is not the time to write about them. To save time but to also spread the word we’re going to be starting a twitter account for great indie songs we find in the blogosphere. Follow us at http://twitter.com/loveryoursong if you’d like notifications.
2008 saw a surge in the numbers of indie music bloggers and (I’d like to think) helped to increase the general public’s awareness of aesthetic music not necessarily endorsed by major labels (and thus not subject to their formulaic dictates). Perhaps this increased demand for grassroots music can also account for more of this music being played on popular radio and used as soundtracks for popular T.V. shows. An additional benefit of this increased awareness may also be a slight decrease in the number of elitists who cling to obscure music as a status symbol (one would hope). Let’s hope that 2009 brings about even more changes in the primary channels listeners use to find great music.
In that spirit I have compiled a list of LoveYourSong.com’s 20 favorite songs from 2008. Most of these songs were found as a result of the hubbub of the blogosphere. It should be noted that these songs are great, each by its own merits and are difficult to compare. They are, therefore, simply ordered alphabetically by artist.
Long time readers will know I’m a huge fan of artist Brinton Jones and his band Devil Whale (formerly Palomino). They’ve recently put out a great new album “Like Paraders”. Anyway, heard this great interview on Radio West that discusses them and their music (with Devil Whale performing live) but also the whole “what?… there are talented indie music in Utah County?” Yeah, maybe not the most controversial or compelling of subjects, but interesting nonetheless.
I found Josh’s song Solarstorms somewhere online last year and loved it. I purchased his EP The End Of Fear and really liked the other songs as well. It’s good enough that I don’t even feel bad that now he’s giving it away for download. I really like his approach to viral marketing and wish him the best as he endeavors to get some more publicity. If you download his songs make sure to return the favor by passing word along.
Yael has been compared to the likes of Feist, but her choice of instrumentation is all her own. I can’t get over how cool the trombone is “New Soul”. The music video is also very cool.
Most people know Victoria Bergsman, or have heard her voice, from the wildly successful song “Young Folks” by Peter, Bjorn, and John. Her guest vocals on the track really made the song what it is. But a few also might also know Victoria as the shy and unassuming vocalist of The Concretes from 1995 – 2006. I have always loved the Concretes but also felt that the strongest thing they had going for them was Victoria and her vocal purity. While the band may be extremely talented, I’ve often thought things would have been better if the sonorities of the other pieces in the track matched. As it was, there was not nearly enough “white space” to compliment the simplicity and reluctant beauty of Victoria’s vocals.
But that’s why it was so thrilling to discover Victoria’s new project “Taken by Trees”. Finally she has surrounded herself with what I think her vocals deserve, less. The result is an album, Open Field, which is simply the best work she has ever done. Track after track the listener is granted more freedom to access the timid, humble sound that is so starving from the world. With so few Emiliana Torrinis and Lisa Gerrards to offset the (insert name of female pop, full-of-herself, vocalist here)s that so inundate the radio waves, I find it refreshing that a singer can be successful, adored, and remain humble. With Open Field you almost feel that you are being served – that Victoria really wants you to have an enjoyable listening experience that you can almost interact with and explore.
