WHERE THE HOKEY POKEY "IS" WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
Dale
Dale
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Indie Rock Starter Kit

Posted over 2 years ago
"Henry's post":http://mog.com/etcvisitor/blog_post/30573 got me thinking, what do you give to the kid who's just getting into good music? What collection of songs would make sure he/she doesn't head down the wrong paths? What would give them a sense of history, without being stuffy and boring? Will I ever stop asking questions?Um, right ...So, shout them out. And, please, this is for the children, so give a reason why they should have this song.I'll start with two songs:Dead Milkmen - Bitchin' Camaro - So they'll realize there is humor in good music, and that a joke band need not sound hokey.Mew - The Zookeeper's Boy (quiet haters) - So they'll see that romance, drama, and falsetto have a place in rock music.And ... scene!
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Comments (54)

  1. QueenofHell
    QueenofHell says Buddy Holly Elvis Presley Roy Orbison The Kinks The Searchers
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  2. QueenofHell
    QueenofHell says I don't feel that I need to give a reason for any person to listen to this music, other than it's fucking brilliant.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  3. Lord Helmet
    Lord Helmet says Hmmm... Ween and the Flaming Lips
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  4. chucky
    chucky says Juliette & the licks - Get Up. So that they understand that everything has already been done, but that doesn't mean it can't be freshened up. Also to show that current music can sometimes be used as a gateway back into older stuff that is cool (even if their parents or grandparents liked it.)
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  5. etcvisitor
    etcvisitor says frankie teardrop by suicide... ummm maybe not for the kids. marquee moon by television? yeah, thats a better choice.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  6. SatisfiedMind614
    SatisfiedMind614 says The Replacements - Tim
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  7. SatisfiedMind614
    SatisfiedMind614 says Rem - Murmur I am glad I am going out tonight...this thread has AL NIGHT written all over it
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  8. Kate
    Kate says Happy Time or Buzzin' Fly by Tim Buckley- so when he ends up gushing about Jeff Buckley he has an understanding of where Jeff got his chops. Cherry Bomb- The Runaways- so he learns to appreciate rockin' women. Sound & Vision- David Bowie: It's a great song, and it's David Freakin' Bowie! Just make sure he knows his musical history so there's no embarassing "Who's John Lennon?" moments later in life.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  9. etcvisitor
    etcvisitor says YES KATE!!! sound and vision!!! i once painted my bedroom electric blue while listening to that song, honestly, i really did... now i just feel weird about my excitement... maybe i should just learn to keep my trap shut.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  10. SatisfiedMind614
    SatisfiedMind614 says Was that because of the song, or the LSD etc?
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  11. etcvisitor
    etcvisitor says it might have been a little of both.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  12. 1234chainsaw
    1234chainsaw says "Teenage Kicks" by The Undertones. That it was John Peel's favorite song should be reason enough.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  13. ScheisseMinelli
    ScheisseMinelli says agreed with chainsaw...but man where to start... all these are good beginnings. especially the flaming lips. id have to say: race for the prize - the flaming lips pavement's whole catalogue sorrow, blood and tears - fela kuti straight to hell - the clash fake plastic trees - radiohead (started it all for me)
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  14. Anonymous says Silversun Pickups. Rolling Stones, definitely. Maybe Rocky Votolato. And every kid loves Death Cab.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  15. fairportfan
    fairportfan says Ramones. Velvet Underground. Other punk/New Wave - Blondie, Cars, Stranglers, the Jam Some carefully selected Zappa. Some of the Brit folkrockers - Fairport Convention (duh), Steeleye Span, Pentangle. Ska/bluebeat/whatever - UB40, Madness, the Selectors...
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  16. gradys kitchen
    gradys kitchen says Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads Teach the kid that indie can indeed be comercialy successful and that its ok to wear obscenely oversized suits and not know how to dance.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  17. rgrwill
    rgrwill says "Don't forget the songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life..." The Smiths, man, ya gotta give 'em some Smiths.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  18. Dale
    Dale says Helen, your conviction blew me away. That's it, I'm blown. C'mon Helmet, no self-promotion? Golden opportunity here. Ashley, word. Henry, screw it, I'm putting Frankie Teardrop in, "for the kids" doesn't mean "non-threatening". Blair, I dare you to not comment when you get back. MUWAHAHAHA Kate, that's a history lesson I could totally get behind. Pekka, teenage kicks, so hard to beat. Word. minelli, Pavement, really? Why haven't you told us before? and Fela Kuti, nice! It's good to let 'em know that good music is not just Western European. doodle007, who doesn't love some Death Cab? They are the gateway sound. fairportfan, great list, love it! gradys, yes, the kids need to dance, even if they don't know how.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  19. Dale
    Dale says Yep, gotta get them some Smiths too.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  20. Bawston Sean
    Bawston Sean says Born Innocent by Redd Kross Icky Mettle by Archers of Loaf
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  21. Dale
    Dale says Ah, the record store clerk weighs in. Nicely played, especially Redd Kross.
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  22. Bawston Sean
    Bawston Sean says Eh, that's whadda I'm here for...I should also add: Here Come The Warm Jets by Brian Eno Flip Your Wig by Husker Du George Best by The Wedding Present and the best album of the 80s Double Nickels On The Dime by the Minutemen
    Permalink posted 12/06/2006
  23. frankie-fake
    frankie-fake says Death Cab is hardly "indie" anymore, they're on Atlantic. Unless we're talking older stuff. I'd reccomend anything in the antifolk/freak-folk/new weird america genre-- adam green's "jacket full of danger", animal collective's "feels", and nellie mckay's "pretty little head". or, for indie electronica, i've been listening to alot of lo-fi-fnk and the knife lately, and that gets my heart a-racin'. best album to start off with though, would be broken social scene's "feel good lost". it gives me shiverzz.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  24. Anna
    Anna says Does it have to be indie? 'Cause what you call indie in the States is still a bit blurry to me. Other than that, Placebo's (that's right) Post Blue would be nice (to see if I can be friends with him/her or not).
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  25. Dale
    Dale says Works for me.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  26. El Monko and Son
    El Monko and Son says I would want to start with "Live at Leeds," off the top of my head. Let's get some glass breaking, an' shit.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  27. lemontwist
    lemontwist says Yes, definitely some VU. And you need to have some grungish stuff on there as well, can't forget that. Smells Like Teen Spirit is a great gateway song. While I don't think that Nirvana is nearly representative of the entire grunge movement, that song turned me on to grunge, and hopefully has and will continue to turn others on as well. :)
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  28. Daviso
    Daviso says Before Tim by the Mats I would say Let It Be first.
    Bawston you are spot on with Icky Mettle however I would see that and raise you Tossing the Seeds, Merge 7" Superchunk compilation w/ all the early indie rock classics in one spot

    . To finish off the triple play i would say, to give a little sense of history and add London Calling.

    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  29. 1234chainsaw
    1234chainsaw says I agree with some Who from Live At Leeds, just to introduce kids to Keith Moon. For a sense of history, I'd pair songs from different eras and genres which you might expect to be incongruous but in fact the influence is absolutely clear when you listen to them. Just one suggestion along these lines would be "Be My Baby" by The Ronettes (or a few different options from The Supremes) and "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" (or "Oh Oh I Love Her So" or "I Remember You") by Ramones. (An even more obvious pairing would be '60s soul and The Jam.)
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  30. Nixne Svix
    Nixne Svix says Pixies Beck DeLaSoul(indiehop) ....and you will know us by the trail of dead.... at the drive in modest mouse mogwai interpol planes mistaken for stars Eagles of Death Metal
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  31. Jess Horrible
    Jess Horrible says don't forget to give the kid an opportunity to explore some other genres. i know most hip-hop is probably out of the question... but how about some classic soul? a little fela kuti? zap mama? danger mouse and new electronica?
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  32. Dale
    Dale says By all means Jess, inclusion is where it's at.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  33. Anonymous says I second the Interpol motion. Throw in some She Wants Revenge, while you're at it.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  34. Bawston Sean
    Bawston Sean says i second the Flea Kuti.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  35. Jack Still
    Jack Still says Umm, definitely the entire Beatles catalog, they seem to be a pretty logical starting point.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  36. 1234chainsaw
    1234chainsaw says Interesting chap this Flea Kuti. Then again, how can you not be if you're the product of cloning Flea and Fela Kuti and fusing their DNA?
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  37. pulling a string
    pulling a string says The Homosexuals- Hearts In Exile
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  38. SamTheButcher
    SamTheButcher says I'll second Tim. Forget Let It Be for now. Hatful of Hollow. Death Cab's a good call. Madness, as per Joxley. :) Maybe some ELO. The Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack. Futureheads - News And Tributes. Milkmen are good. Don't wanna start 'em off too heavy. :)
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  39. Hmmm
    Hmmm says I've often pondered this question myself. I even tried my hand at it once. I burned a girl five cd's, starting with your building the foundations with classic rock (The Stones and such), and moving throughout any genres I could find choronologically, from grunge to indie to rap. It was a while ago, but I was careful to play to her possibly pop-oriented tastes. Needless to say, that made for a great five cds (yeah, ouch). Or so I thought. She apparently only listened to a few songs off the first cd before losing them underneath her bed or something. ugh. So obviously, I'm not the best at coming up with this kind of thing.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  40. Dale
    Dale says Ouch! Probably should have gone backward chronologically.
    Permalink posted 12/07/2006
  41. taivixen
    taivixen says minus the bear is another band that shows awesome music doesn't have to take itself 100% seriously. do they qualify as indie-electric because they use a keyboard? please define, i'm curious!
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  42. Dale
    Dale says Meh, forget the definitions, let's rock!
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  43. Robmo
    Robmo says For kid's my first instinct would be Jonathan Richman, you know he's written a slew of good kids songs so he seems like a natural. For older kids, maybe 12-14, The Ramones, and Velvet Underground to show them that really anybody can play this stuff. The first Stooges record because it's a perpetual teenage bummer. Black Flag and Napalm Death since all teenagers love anger but at the same time maybe temper that with The Minutemen's Double Nickles On The Dime to prove the point that not all punk is angry. Finally The Anthology of American Folk Music, very catchy songs and ultimately the basis for all the crap listed above
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  44. GMMiles
    GMMiles says Hmm. Indie rock starter kit. Where Have All The Merrymaker's Gone? by Harvey Danger Their debut album straddles the genre like a mighty colossus of ultra-sharp super-literate indie-rock-cum-alternative-rock. From the seemingly straightforward witty and zany power pop of Flagpole Sitta to the dark, brooding Wrecking Ball and the closing, building epic Radio Silence; Sean Nelson's lyrics stay nothing less than spectacular throughout wether he's talking about break ups, break downs or just riffing on a favourite movie (see Carlotta Valdez). Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie Bridging the gap betwixt that record and the next - the kids could learn a thing or two fron Gibbard: How to be emotional without being a blank exhibitionist, how to keep a song going for 8 (mostly instrumental) minutes without getting boring or ever letting it lose momentum. And if nothing else, it's worth it almost just for Chris Walla's divine backing harmonies. Picaresque by The Decemebrists Another step here, to a less-rocky and more-weirdy direction. Lyrically we're going somewhere different here, teaching the kids about storytelling through song. But also about how to make "indie rock" with more than just guitars, drums and bas. Another uberliterate record and a nice bridge between indie rock and indie pop . . . Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens Well everyone needs to hear it sometime. Big and epic enough that it sounds like some sort of double album that took a lifetime to complete, yet small and intimate enough that you can imagine Sufjan performing most of it acousticly in your living room. This should give the kid a firm grounding for exploring the world of lush, intelligent, symphonic chamber pop. And finally In Case We Die by Architecture in Helsinki Finishing up with the most pop-y and the most fun record here, AiH show how much FUN this "weird" music can be. No one with a soul can listen to all of this and not smile at least once. Be it at the adorable lyrics or the occasional moments of musical brilliance (the drums on Frenchy I'm Faking, the bassline in Do The Whirlwind, the horns in In Case We Die 1-4). And after that, direct them to the entire catalogues of Barsuk, Sub Pop and Kill Rock Stars and tell them to explore.
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  45. Dale
    Dale says And here I was, wondering why a post that did not make Top Posts of the Week was still getting comments, but now I understand. I made the homepage! Yay me!
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  46. GMMiles
    GMMiles says Any feedback on that great big comment there? And Yay You Indeed. 'twas a thought provoking post!
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  47. Dale
    Dale says Oh, sorry, I've been falling down on the job. ;) Love the Harvey Danger nod, though maybe one lost point for not bringing up "Private Helicopter", my favorite song on there. Gotta agree wholeheartedly with Transatlanticism, that is definitely my favorite Death Cab album, and a well worthy choice for any aspiring rock connoisseur. Decemberists and Sufjan ... I know I'm in the minority here, but I appreciate their music much more than I like it. I can tell it's well-made and heartfelt, but it doesn't sing for me, you know? AIH, yes please, "Do The Whirlwind" is genius.
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  48. GMMiles
    GMMiles says Ah, yes. I can understand the apreciation/like thing of Decemberists and Sufjan. Some people just don't dig on... that kind of songwriting place they both sorta come from. Heh. Private Helicopter is pretty good, 'tas never my favourite. Nice video mind. And I love the idea of it. King James Version is probably a better album but I believe Merrymakers is much easier and therefore a better introduction.
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  49. LyricalRevolution
    LyricalRevolution says I'd like to thank the MOG community for introducing me to indie music. I've grown SO much musically since I've been here. You've introduced me to Sufjan Stevens, Serge Gainsbourg, and The Decemberists. These bands/artists then led me to do some research in some indie mags and podcasts. Now I'm listening to Blonde Redhead, Sparklehorse, Viva Voce, Dropkick Murphys ... the list goes on and on. So Thank You, You Mogolicious People, for saving my musical soul from unoriginal, manufatured garbage! =)
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  50. sommer face
    sommer face says Radiohead. I would suggest either The Bends or Ok Computer and then adding in Kid A. Also, I love Bitchin' Camero. I heard it on the radio the other day, and it made me smile.
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  51. Dale
    Dale says Who couldn't smile along to the part at the beginning where they play "Love Me Two Times" by The Doors? That's genius, and speaks to their musical and humorous chops.
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  52. GMMiles
    GMMiles says Oh, I heartily second OK Computer and Kid A. The Bends is becoming ever-less relevant, but is still a Damn Good Album. But OKC and Kid A should indeed be part of EVERYONE'S musical education.
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  53. pulling a string
    pulling a string says I agree with Jonathan Richman. Also, something by The Kinks
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  54. hi-fi gods
    hi-fi gods says Personally, I would make them a mix with a combination of all these: Pixies, lesser-known Beatles, Modest Mouse, Neva Dinova, Man Man, maybe some Animal Collective, DEFINITLEY some Akron/Family, maybe some Dylan, whatever. just a good, solid mix of songs exploring the many areas of good music. once you find out what they like on THAT cd, you can get more specific with bands in a similar vein.
    Permalink posted 12/13/2006

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