The A-Z: An Indie Rock Music Sampler

After a couple dozen albums and a week of listening until way past my bedtime, after countless number of times of song selection changes and an exponential increase in the electricity bill, I finally finished it. 26 tracks from 26 names in indie rock (well, basically just indie, really) in one mix. Based on Paste Magazine's An Indie Rock Alphabet Book, I give you The A-Z: An Indie Rock Music Sampler.

Now I'm not saying that these are the best songs these artists have to offer, but these are merely my picks from the tons of albums they've churned out. It wasn't an easy project, since it was my first time to hear most of them (I didn't even know ?uestlove before I read the Paste Magazine article - please don't hurt me). It was an indie rock education.

Hooray for newly-discovered bands to listen to (Deerhunter, Liars, Over The Rhine), new favorites (Fireworks, Atmosphere, Goodbye Isaac), and some stuff that I've pretty much ignored/forgotten until now (El Scorcho, Flightless Bird, American Mouth, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea).

Also, VAMPIRE WEEKEND! *giggles*

Now go have fun, bebe.

[UPDATE 07/22] You can now listen to the entire mix here. Yay.

* This one goes out to Caloy. You were right - music did become my best friend. :)

The A-Z: An Indie Rock Music Sampler

Animal Collective * Fireworks

Belle and Sebastian * Women's Realm

Cat Power * Fool

Deerhunter * Nothing Ever Happened

Elliot Smith * Say Yes

The Fiery Furnaces * Teach Me Sweetheart

Gillian Welch * Elvis Presley Blues

The Hold Steady * Stuck Between Stations

Iron and Wine * Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Joy Division * Atmosphere

Kings of Leon * The Bucket

Liars * The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack

Modest Mouse * Float On

Neutral Milk Hotel * In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Over The Rhine * I Want You  To Be My Love

Pearl Jam * Just Breathe

?uestlove [of The Roots] * Goodbye Isaac

Radiohead * High and Dry

Silver Jews * Random Rules

Tom Waits * Clap Hands

Uncle Tupelo * Before I Break

Vampire Weekend * A-Punk

Weezer * El Scorcho

X * Year 1

Yo La Tengo * Our Way to Fall

The Zombies * This Will Be Our Year

Click the mix title to download. Individual downloads will be available as soon as I finish uploading them one by one - 26 is quite a big number for a mix, you know. Also, you can stream it online via 8tracks... err, I'll get back to you on that.

Ash Ode by Dean Young

When I saw you ahead I ran two blocks

shouting your name then realizing it wasn’t

you but some alarmed pretender, I went on

running, shouting now into the sky,

continuing your fame and luster. Since I've

been incinerated, I've oft returned to this thought,

that all things loved are pursued and never caught,

even as you slept beside me you were flying off.

At least what's never had can’t be lost, the sieve

of self stuck with just some larger chunks, jawbone,

wedding ring, a single repeated dream,

a lullaby in every elegy, descriptions

of the sea written in the desert, your broken

umbrella, me claiming I could fix it.

Suspension Therapy, or How I Got Through a Year Doing Nothing

Chapter 1: Ugh.

It's twenty-two minutes past six in the morning, and there is no logical explanation as to why I am awake at this unholy hour except for the Tuesday morning get-ready-for-school racket my family is making, of which I have no plans in participating.

I officially have no boyfriend, got forced to stop going to school, had to physically abandon majority of my friends, and had no choice but to trade the city life I've been used to for the past three years for a more quiet albeit boring country living. My social status has pretty much nosedived from ordinary citizen of the world to worthless piece of shit.

Life is definitely asking me to press the reset button.

Only, I don't want a new nor different life. Despite my meager I-could-do-so-much-more-but-I'd-settle-with-this existence, I pretty much had everything I ever needed or wanted.

Tons of friends, with a shot at the Miss Congeniality title. Passing grades, the kind that doesn't get you a gold star, but you still brag about it because it only took you the last five days of the semester. Enough allowance for an eat here, drink there, let's-go-catch-a-movie-on-a-whim kind of lifestyle. And a guy who, despite his subtle but point-blank I-can't-commit-to-you attitude, was fast becoming my top priority in life.

Then that stupid photo happened.

Without so much as a climax, musical crescendo or build-up of momentum, my world came to an abrupt stop.

I am beyond wallowing in self-pity. I am scuba-diving in a bottomless sea of despair. And the deeper I go, the darker it gets.

Which is why I content myself to stay near the surface.