The Best Indie Rock Albums of the '90s

By Philip Cosores

Lately we’ve been hearing the tag “'90s indie rock” used to describe bands ranging from Waxahatachee to Speedy Ortiz to Yuck, and while our brain immediately turns a switch that associates the phrase with “sounds like Pavement,” '90s indie rock was really as eclectic and undefinable as, well, contemporary indie rock.

So, what are the qualifications for being one of our 50 best indie rock albums? First, we tried our best to make sure every album was made on an independent label. These things can get murky, particularly when international factors and distribution and partial ownership come into play, and hell, when it came down to it, sometimes a judgement call would be made. But, as best we can tell, these are 50 indie albums.

Other than that, we also limited every band or artist to one entry, since Pavement could easily own 10% of the alloted space otherwise, and that allowed us to highlight some albums that might not get attention in these kind of discussion as often.

Lastly, it is indie “rock.” So, that rules out hip hop, obviously, and also groups like Boards of Canada and Portishead, who are more based in electronic music than rock culture. So before you freak out that we forgot Sonic Youth, remember Sonic Youth were living on Geffen money in the '90s and J. Mascis was also hooked up by the majors and The Flaming Lips are still with Warner Brothers after nearly 25 years. That doesn’t mean their albums are any less great, they just get a different list.

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2. 50. Beat Happening - You Turn Me On (K Records, 1992)

RIYL: Thee Oh Sees, Eleanor Friedberger, King Khan and the Shrines

Where Are They Now: Calvin Johnson went on to produce a number of classic albums for his roster on K Records. He has had a number of less significant musical projects since Beat Happening stopped being an active band in the early 90's, though Beat Happening has never "officially" broken up.

The word "twee" evokes images of toy instruments, ugly sweaters, and cultish-happiness, but all of those clichés are more false than not on Beat Happening's final album, You Turn Me On. Both experimental and rooted in the previous quarter century of British and American indie, Beat Happening seem completely willing to take a wrecking ball to their sound and their past. And the audience gets treated to the fallout: some of Beat Happening's best songs of their career.

3. 49. At the Drive-In - In/Casio/Out (Fearless, 1998)

RIYL: Rage Against the Machine, The Men, Converge

Where Are They Now: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is now leading Bosnian Rainbows, while Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a member of Zavalaz (read about the two bands here).

Though Relationship of Command is their most well-known album, In/Casino/Out is the album that saw At the Drive-In define themselves. As a touring band, they worked their bodies into the ground with energetic shows, but capturing that on record was pretty much impossible. Still, the band recorded their sophomore album almost all live, doing their best to document the songs as they would be heard, and it was a success, as the album sounds like At the Drive-In both wanted to and believed they should. Tracks "Transatlantic Foe" and "Napoleon Solo" are two of Omar and Cedric’s best, across their many projects before and since.

4. 48. Sugar - Copper Blue (Rykodisc, 1992)

RIYL: Torche, Screaming Females, Descendants

Where Are They Now: Bob Mould is now going by his name, but he toured Copper Blue last year.

Husker Du is pretty hard to stop, no matter what you do, you cant just ignore the fact that the guy on stage is a legend. Sugar actually took off abroad much than in the States, and the urgency is just not quite the same as on Mould's past records. But Copper Blue saw a bit of confidence put back in Mould , realizing that he had something to offer the young people, and the music community.

5. 47. Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die (Thrill Jockey, 1996)

RIYL: Colin Stetson, Deerhoof, Oneohtrix Point Never

Where Are They Now: Occasional brief reunions and contributions to random albums is all you'll hear these days.

Tortoise is not my thing, but it is not hard to get the appeal. Terminally complicated, krauty, jazzy, showing some of the bits that post-rock would build from, while simple in its execution, so that it seems like it could both appeal to a highly select group but also not really bother anyone. Millions Now Living Will Never Die might appeal to other musicians more than anything, or to those with world music knowledge that can spot the instrumentation, but the songs are also easy to admire passively, and I guess that is an indication of greatness—to make the listener appreciate your music on its level, and not just their own.

6. 46. Butterglory - Are You Building a Temple to Heaven (Merge, 1996)

RIYL: Allah-Las, Foxygen, Mac Demarco

Where Are They Now: Broke up in 1997.

Not to reveal too much behind the scenes, but in the process of making this list, I discovered new music. Upon delivery of my initial list, the editors sent some suggestions to consider. And Butterglory, I can honestly say I've never heard of before. Nor had anyone I asked heard about the band. But, they were apparently a decently known band in the mid-90's indie scene, releasing four albums in the '90s on Merge Records. They sound like a more twee-influenced version of Pavement, and their masterpiece, Are You Building a Temple to Heaven, is more straightforward and quickly gratifying than Malkmus' indie-rock legends. Not better than Pavement, but a good introduction to Pavement if Pavement seems too obtuse initially. (Don't worry, no one likes Pavement right away.)

7. 45. Sebadoh - Bakesale (Sub Pop, 1994)

RIYL: Les Savy Fav, King Tuff, The Replacements

Where Are They Now: A new album and tour is imminent.

So, before you freak out in the comments about which bands were left off the list, keep in mind a number of "indie" artists took the leap to the majors during the '90s, like Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, and The Flaming Lips. Though Lou Barlow is best known as the Dinosaur Jr. bassist, his side band Sebadoh released some strong material during this time, making the '90s a more fruitful time creatively than his main gig. Bakesale is not revolutionary, but most interesting is how it bucks the traditional narrative of bands losing something with increased budget and production quality. Sebadoh sounds better and louder and more focused than ever, and Barlow rose to the occasion with the best set of songs in his career.

8. 44. American Football - American Football (Polyvinyl, 1999

RIYL: Death Cab for Cutie, The Wrens, Paramore

Where Are They Now: Mike Kinsella will always make music. Currently it is as Owen.

Mike Kinsella has been the songwriter for a ton of noteworthy projects. And while Cap n' Jazz gets the most talk and ink, American Football released the best album of his career with their self-titled effort. Within these unassuming songs, you'll hear the mathy progressions of the Dismemberment Plan, the emotional energy of Sunny Day, and the guitar melody sense of Pinback. You can hear Death Cab's future in American Football, and you can hear the echo of Pavement's humble beginnings. But, the best part is that Kinsella sounds like himself, too, from project to project he maintains that. Not the most desperately recorded or emotionally brutal music of its time from this era, but worthy of a lot more fans than it has, and great work either way.

9. 43. Pedro the Lion - It's Hard to Find a Friend (Made in Mexico, 1998)

RIYL: Waxahatchee, Okkervil River, Low

Where Are They Now: David Bazan has had a decently successful career under his own name, playing intimate venues and maintaining the spirit of the project.

It's Hard to Find a Friend is billed as Pedro the Lion, but this debut album is more like David Bazan playing every instrument to sound like a band. Bazan doesn't get a fair shake with music critics and is rarely in the conversation of top albums, but Bazan is a direct link to 2000's indie scenes, with Ben Gibbard and multiple Fleet Foxes at times part of Pedro. If anything, it just seems like the band existed at the wrong time, where the DIY aesthetic wasn't as glorified and the political passion wasn't as applauded. If Pedro the Lion came out now, in Brooklyn, with a couple of the right friends, and they'd be the next (any Brooklyn band).

10. 42. Superchunk - Foolish (Merge, 1994)

RIYL: Blink-182, Ted Leo, Mikel Cronin

Where Are They Now: Running their label, Merge Records, touring the world on the back of their new album, I Hate Music, plus drummer Jon Wurster is a noted comedian. So yeah, Superchunk did pretty well for themselves.

To modern ears, Superchunk sounds pretty much like the poppy punk that has remained more or less the same for 25 years. And even Superchunk were doing a similar thing to what Husker Du and The Replacements made before them. Superchunk was always bigger than a sound, an album, or a label. They were about an ethos, a commitment to a DIY punk upbringing that they have more or less stuck to for a quarter century, using their passion to help usher along many other bands, including putting out some of the best records ever made by anyone, like Funeral, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Kill the Moonlight, 69 Love Songs, and tons more. But, this reality of Superchunk's legacy doesn't mean they don't have great albums.

Foolish sticks out because it manages to do more than just perfect the Superchunk, pogo-inducing sound. On standouts "Like a Fool" and "Driveway to Driveway," the tempo slows and Mac McCaughan's voice reaches its emotional peak to craft a proto-emo sound that Superchunk don't get enough credit for having a hand in. Of course, they never really went this direction, but the self- released fourth album from the North Carolina four-piece stands as an important landmark for what could have been if Superchunk had not been so much more than a band.

11. 41. The Afghan Whigs - Congregation (Sub Pop, 1992)

RIYL: The Hold Steady, Sleepy Sun, Black Mountain

Where Are They Now: Reunited last year for shows and played SXSW this year with Usher.

The Afghan Whigs aren't held in the same regard as many of the peers, despite Greg Dulli's excellent songs and original sound. The reason is that Dulli's slacker voice is such a paradigm of the period, that it sounds like the '90s in ways that aren't the parts we want to remember. Unfair? Totally, as the fact is that Congregation kicks ass, and maintains its place as a great rock record, eventually leading the Cincinnati band to a major label deal.

12. 40. Tiger Trap - Tiger Trap (K Records, 1993)

RIYL: Swearin', Cloud Nothings, Allo Darlin'

Where Are They Now: Rose Melberg formed the Softies for several releases after Tiger Trap disbanded in 1993. She has since had occasional projects and solo offerings, releasing a covers tape this year.

While that twee British style will always be one that we Yanks borrow from freely, the K Records twee-pop scene of the early '90s produced a fair share of great bands and albums. Tiger Trap might have been the most brief of these, but on their one LP, also called Tiger Trap, they laid out a roadmap whose influence seems particularly present now, with acts like Swearin', Colleen Green, Allo Darlin', Veronica Falls, and many more echoing the melodic, punk and hardcore indebted pop songs that Melberg crafted, and that seemed so novel in the rise of grunge, particularly coming from a different Pacific Northwest label.

What you don't often hear about twee that becomes obvious 20 years later looking back at Tiger Trap is the range that Melberg has as a songwriter, and how it isn't so easy to lump indie pop into a nebulous package of dullness that so many want to. Melberg's songs are more than verse-chorus-verse predictability. "Chester" has a radical tempo switch from the verse to the chorus, while "Supreme Nothing" has a sharper edge than anything typically associated with producer Calvin Johnson. "My Broken Heart" could easily be a Smiths cover. And "Puzzle Pieces" frames the entire work as the little sister of a punk band singer getting her chance to share what she had been observing through cracked doors and with ears pressed against walls. Punk gone sweet should never have made sense like it did for Tiger Trap, but on their only album, they got that sound, and many others, pitch perfect.

13. 39. Uncle Tupelo - March 16-20, 1992 (Rockville, 1992)

RIYL: Ryan Adams, Dawes, Drive-By Truckers

Where Are They Now: Wilco and Son Volt.

The last album before Uncle Tupelo would jump to the majors (for one album before breaking up), March 16-20, 1992 is named after the four days it was recorded. This would be quick for any album, but the acoustic instrumentation makes the inspired business week seem understandable, since much less sound needed to be manipulated and rehearsed. Still, though Uncle Tupelo is known for their loud, country-informed rock songs, it is only fitting in hindsight to hear them so stripped down and bare.

At the time, it must have put fans of their progressive, punk-inspired take on roots music a little odds, with Uncle Tupelo sounding exactly like what they were differentiating themselves from. And while Farrar was more famous at the time, Tweed's finger-picked, slight-sounding ballads like "Wait Up" and "Blackeye" revealed him to be much more of a rounded musician. Still, it is "Fatal Wound" that sounds like it could be from another time, sounding more like future Wilco than past Wilco, and that attitude of chasing the new and unknown, albeit with the language of the traditional, is imbued deep in the collection. Uncle Tupelo were a band aware things were about to change, but never could have predicted just how much.

14. 38. The Murder City Devils - The Murder City Devils

RIYL: Pissed Jeans, Milk Music, Hot Snakes

Where Are They Now: The band still plays the occasional short tour or one-off show. Dann Galuchi is in Cold War Kids. Pretty Girls Make Graves and The Cave Singers also came out of the initial breakup.

Indie rock is rarely sexy, and the Murder City Devils wouldn't be called indie rock by many, but they very much were an indie band, and they were sexy, despite the lyrics being half screamed and violence often being underneath the words. But, were it released today, The Murder City Devils would be all the talk of the indie scene, that is, the indie scene that listens to hardcore and noise and music with an edge. Not the fake indie scene. Their self-titled debut is their most consistently fiery and engaging, with "Bom Swagger Swagger" being a classic from dive bars and pool halls that never caught on beyond the hour of 1am in the outside world.

15. 37. Codeine - Frigid Stars LP (Glitterhouse, 1990)

RIYL: Mount Eerie, Grouper, Merchandise

Where Are They Now: The band broke up after two albums, but reunited last year for a series of shows.

Often left out of many conversations about '90s music, Codeine should see a resurgence of interest as some point in the future, and it would be completely deserved. Of the original slowcore bands, which never seemed like it could be a real thing but is, only Low really survived trends and interest shifts. Codeine only had two albums in them and both are worthy of attention, but the 1990 debut offers a pretty direct link from shoegaze to an even more introspective version of the sound. Frigid Stars LP is still loud, but the blasts are punchy and short-lived, making for an involving listen, that keeps the listener on guard. Sure, the tempos go on at a snails pace, but those bursts of noise act like stimulants, and leave the door open for the soaring end of "Gravel Bed." Sure, slowcore may sound predictable, but Codeine were quite the opposite, willing to take their preferences and adapt them for bigger spaces and bigger ideas.

16. 36. Mogwai - Young Team (Chemikal Underground, 1997)

RIYL: Explosions In The Sky, WU LYF, CHVRCHES

Where Are They Now: Still making music regularly, touring, and having a pretty successful career all things considered.

Mogwai has a career of great music behind them, but Young Team is all they needed to cement their legacy, and maybe even the first and last song from that album, which were instrumental in the post-rock movement that was characterized by these dramatic, soaring moments. The weirdest thing to think of is that this band was recoding about the same time Belle and Sebastian were making their classics. Sure, Scotland is big enough for many successful bands, but two all-time greats so close to each other is worth noting.

17. 35. The Make-Up - Destination: Love - Live! at Cold Rice (Dischord, 1996)

RIYL: Les Savy Fav, The White Stripes, Ty Segall

Where Are They Now: Reunited at Coachella this year and ATP last year, James Canty turned up in Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

Ian Svenonius and his Nation of Ulysses mates James Canty and Steve Gamboa formed the Make-Up with the same leftist ideology that their more traditional punk predecessors had operated under. But, The Make-Up infused gospel, blues, and garage and coined their own genre "Gospel Yeh-Yeh." On their 1996 debut, Destination: Love - Live! at Cold Rice, what would have already been immediate music is given a fake-live treatment, seeming like a concert recording while really made in the studio. But the songs are so raw, so fundamentally flawed, that they might as well be live, as it is clear they weren't using their studio time to polish the finished product. The album still sounds vital now, and even with the current garage resurgence, it's hard to imagine any of the new wave of punk misfits mastering the balancing act of having something to say and having a wild way to say it quite like the Make-Up.

18. 34. Blonde Redhead - Fake Can Be Just As Good (Touch and Go, 1997)

RIYL: Warpaint, Twin Sister, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Where Are They Now: Blonde Redhead continue to release albums and play shows.

Fake Can Be Just As Good sounds like a different band than the Blonde Redhead of recent years, more punk influenced and loose, rather than the atmospheric groove rock that they now do. Both have their place, but those that miss this idea of the band have a point, as the energy of the album is infectious and the sound very much their own, mixing the riot grrl sound of Bikini Kill and Slaeter-Kinney with post-hardcore and noise rock. People get older, they have life-changing brushes with death (Kazu Makino was trampled by a horse in the mid-2000's about the time the project shifted to their current dreamier sound) and bands change, but Fake Can Be Just As Good is Blonde Redhead doing what they do best, empowering and energizing.

19. 33. The Breeders - Last Splash (4AD, 1993)

RIYL: Wire, Savages, Grass Widow

Where Are They Now: Touring the hell out of this album.

From the mainstream perspective, The Breeders could be seen as a one-hit-wonder, with "Cannonball" a huge alternative hit off Last Splash. However both this album and Pod were beloved in the indie scene at their time of release, and endure as great albums that are maybe dismissed unfairly by some. Kim Deal obviously had previous success with the Pixies, but on Last Splash the freedom to write songs served to inspire Deal, because she clearly has the ability and the desire. Surrounding herself with likeminded musicians, and her twin sister, was fertile in that she made a couple classics that were, unlike the Pixies, something she had a lead role in creatively. Sometimes it takes time to appreciate what we have in music, and the Breeders showed us that this year, finally getting their due after nearly a quarter century.

20. 32. Archers of Loaf - Vee Vee (Alias, 1995)

RIYL: Cymbals Eat Guitars, Lemuria, The Exploding Hearts

Where Are They Now: Eric Bachmann found success as Crooked Fingers for a while and Archers of Loaf reunited in 2011. A new album might be in the works.

Of bands from this list that could see a big increase in interest based on current trends, Archers of Loaf might be tops. The current DIY scene is heavily indebted to the North Carolina band, and though they have two classics, the other being Icky Metal, Vee Vee wins the toss-up by the degree of difficulty. Second LPs are tough as it is, much less one that lives up to a hyped debut. Vee Vee would see Archers of Loaf opening for Weezer and courted by the majors. 20 years later, and Archers of Loaf sounds nothing like anything that would ever become popular, but the fact that the underground is once again hitting this vein is strange and fitting, proof that good music will last.

21. 31. Slowdive - Souvlaki (Creation, 1993)

RIYL: The xx, Mew, M83

Where Are They Now: Releases as solo artists and Mojave 3, but nothing much lately.

Yes, one of a few shoegaze classics on this list, and it might be easy to lump MBV, Ride and Slowdive together, but the distinct nature of these bands and albums is not to be undersold. Souvlaki is one of the prettier albums of shoegaze, using the wall of sounds to create often warm and atmospheric compositions, pre-dating dream pop as we know it, but laying down some of the groundwork for it. The rich instrumental refrains of "40 Days" and "When the Sun Hits" are Slowdive carving out their signature, with soaring moments of loveliness that almost seem unfair, or manipulative that a band could control emotional response so easily. It's this that makes Souvlaki a classic and not just another shoegaze album.

22. 30. The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I (Desoto, 1999)

RIYL: Animal Collective, The Unicorns, Death Grips

Where Are They Now: New album out in October.

The Dismemberment Plan never seemed too far from what was going on in mainstream rock and roll, but just a smarter, funnier, and more inspired version of it. Emergency & I both thrives and suffers with contemporary listens because of this, as it can associate itself with some pretty lame musical movements, and some pretty awesome ones. The irony of Emergency & I is that it was created for a major label, as their Interscope debut, but then were dropped when the label didn't like it. Like Wilco with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, it became their most beloved album, both by critics and fans. But now, it is really hard to see why Interscope wouldn't want to release it. But situations like these are why lists of indie's 50 best albums are (hopefully) worthwhile. Without the independent music community, records like this would go unheard, many of these other albums would go unmade, and it should be called into attention that some great albums get to ears a lot less directly than the radio.

23. 29. Pinback - This Is A Pinback CD (Ace Fu Records, 1999)

RIYL: Cursive, Minus the Bear, Interpol

Where Are They Now: Pinback still tour and release music, but it is safe to say they never again neared their accomplishments on This Is A Pinback CD.

With some of the guitar and melody devices used in the quieter emo moments, Pinback lay out the roadmap that indie would take in the next decade on this album. The post-hardcore influence on emo is removed and the album is mostly relaxed, pretty, and gentle, though not twee in the slightest. Pinback is most interesting because of the things that they are not, and by not being linked to many of the genres that dominated indie and underground music from the '80s and '90s, they helped open the door for a number of bands that just wrote songs without needing something to identify themselves with. If you ever wonder how indie became NPR rock, This Is a Pinback CD is partially to blame. But, it is also warm and comforting, something many albums on this list lack, and not given enough credit in the indie canon.

24. 28. Beulah - Handsome Western States (Elephant 6, 1997)

RIYL: Surfer Blood, Weezer, Smith Westerns

Where Are They Now: After breaking up in 2004, which alone is the subject of a fascinating documentary titled A Good Band Is Easy To Kill, songwriter Miles Kurosky stopped playing guitar due to an injury of his shoulder. He eventually released some solo material, which has never really matched his Beulah output in quality or interest.

Over the course of four albums, Beulah stood out from their fellow Elephant 6 collective members in that they were power pop band from California with little to no connection to the scene that Neutral Milk Hotel and the rest of the label acts belonged. It was a fortunate association, as it earned Beulah some additional interest, but really, Kurosky was more interested in writing clever, lovelorn pop songs informed by the Beach Boys. Their debut, Handsome Western States, is the most lo-fi they would ever sound, showing a direct lineage from Pavement, and demonstrating superb songwriting that would sometimes benefit from a little bit of cleaning up. Still, never was Beulah so urgent as on their first LP, with the songs still ringing true 20 years later, as they could easily be the output of the strongest garage pop bands today. The next decade would see indie bands using horns and strings without hesitation, but in 1997, Beulah were doing something special, adding to songs already strong enough to stand on their own.

25. 27. Le Tigre - Le Tigre (Mr. Lady, 1999)

RIYL: CSS, The Rapture, Gossip

Where Are They Now: Kathleen Hanna is currently in The Julie Ruin, while Johanna Fateman and JD Samson founded MEN.

Le Tigre is as important for their musical gifts as they are for their polical and social message. The lyrics pack power behind a punk-inspired electro-clash sound that was both sugary and bluntly abrasive at the same time. The project was corageous and innovative, and the self-titled album is the best they offered as songwriters, with Hanna crafting songs that will last far beyond when the sound seems relevant. Message-first music might never be as enjoyable on a sonic level, though, as is was on Le Tigre.

26. 26. Elliott Smith - Either/Or (Kill Rock Stars, 1997)

RIYL: Bright Eyes, Sparklehorse, The Antlers

Where Are They Now: Elliott Smith killed himself in 2003.

Elliott Smith has become more appreciated since his death, but that isn't to think he didn't gain acclaim while alive. Either/Or might be his most important work, as it was a catalyst for getting him heard by Gus Van Sant, who decided to use some of the songs for Good Will Hunting. Soon, Smith was performing on the Oscars and his career would always operate on a different level afterwards. More resources, more chemicals, more, and less, of so many things. You hate to wonder if it would have turned out the same way if he'd never reached such a level of success. Regardless, his fate forever haunts his work, and there is the quiet peace of Either/Or that just kills me, where the pain is real but also small and manageable. Where maybe there was still hope that this story would end okay.

THE 50 BEST ELLIOTT SMITH SONGS

27. 25. Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997, Matador)

RIYL: Kurt Vile, Destroyer, Real Estate

Where Are They Now: Released a new album this year, Fade, to critical acclaim, as is usually the case.

While most Yo La Tengo albums get a ton of praise from fans and critics, the loose consensus is that three reign supreme. ...And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out is a 2000s album, so between this and Painful, both are as deserving, but the mastery of touching on so many different traditions in one album is why I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One is the choice at this spot. Shifting drastically between squealing guitars to folky acoustic strums and still always sounding like themselves is a trademark, making this an album that gets better with every listen.

28. 24. Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary (Sub Pop, 1994)

RIYL: My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Silversun Pickups

Where Are They Now: Currently inactive after a brief reunion tour.

The house upon which emo was built. While we can trace a ton of awful music back to Sunny Day Real Estate, there is no denying the influence that Diary had on music and culture, though never an all-out success itself. The funny thing is, it all seems so natural and logical. A guy goes to a Fugazi concert and decides to make music, but takes the post-hardcore sound and adds his personal sensibility, more heart, and more melody. The result is a whole genre, and though Sunny Day were not the first, they were the most key and Diary, unlike most other emo, doesn't sound dated just 20 years later. In fact, a Sunny Day-wave rediscovery may be something we see in the near future.

29. 23. PJ Harvey - Dry (Too Pure, 1992)

RIYL: Bjork, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Bat for Lashes

Where Are They Now: Harvey released one of her many critically acclaimed albums in 2011—Let England Shake—and has reached the professional level of "cherished treasure" that her music deserves.

It's not surprising that PJ Harvey's time on indie labels was short-lived, but it also shouldn't be surprising that she was nearly as great of a songwriter back in 1992 as she continues to be. Dry sounds at home with the Speedy Ortiz/Waxahatchee scene of today, as Harvey shows her influence from Nick Cave with emotional, fierce, and uncompromising compositions that neither sidestep her femininity, nor bank on it. Harvey has described her first album as extreme as she didn't know if she'd get to make another. If only all artists started with that presupposition.

30. 22. Slint - Spiderland (Touch And Go, 1991)

RIYL:No Age, Queens of the Stone Age, ISIS

Where Are They Now: Slint disbanded after recording Spiderland, but have played a handful of shows in years since. Guitarist David Pajo is one of music's most prolific hired guns, having been a short-term member of Tortoise, Stereolab, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, Royal Trux, Zwan, and others.

Slint were a band whose influence has been far greater after their existence than during their brief run, but Spiderland is the kind of inspiring, heavy music that gets kids playing guitars and realizing that creativity is not something for which there is a roadmap. You can draw a line through Spiderland to post-rock and math rock, and it has been a major influence for artists ranging from PJ Harvey and Bonnie 'Prince' Biliy to Explosions in the Sky and The Shins. Released the same year that Nirvana broke, some argue that this was the album really revolutionizing music. I say both probably were.

31. 21. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (Scat, 1994)

RIYL: The Kinks, Arcade Fire, Palma Violets

Where Are They Now: After years of endless Robert Pollard solo albums, he got the band back together for some festivals and ended up falling into the same pattern that they left: new albums every four months, over-saturating to the point of few caring, and the necessity coming to split once again.

Bee Thousand can sound like a radio from the mid-70's switching stations for a song at a time, playing classic bands and songs that sound familiar, but you can't place. This connection to classic rock wasn't present in much indie rock at the time, where it was more common to be influenced by punk, hardcore, or post-punk. Bee Thousand, on the other hand, clearly was made by rock stars, on a simple four-track recorder of all things. Guided By Voices ultimately became extremely relatable to many people, those who wished to go from their parents garage to arenas as a smooth transition. It didn't happen like that, but GBV sure sang like it did.

32. 20. Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love (Up, 1994)

RIYL: Dinosaur Jr., Rogue Wave, The Weakerthans

Where Are They Now: Working on a new album, touring relentlessly.

Though Built to Spill epitomize the '90s indie rock sound, they signed to a major label, Warner Brothers, remarkably long ago, and their best two albums are with that major. It says something about Built to Spill's '90s output that their third best album would rank this highly, and There's Nothing Wrong With Love is a classic in its own right, not recorded as crisply as later Built to Spill and not as ambitious musically, but with the rose-colored glasses of youth firmly in place. Doug Martsch always seemed a mature songwriter, so it is refreshing to hear "Stab," "Big Dipper," "Reasons," and "Car" lay it all out there, risk sounding stupid and play with something truly at stake. The risk makes the lyrics that could easily sound ill-conceived play as the opposite, making a title like There's Nothing Wrong With Love a statement that can mean something to you, rather than induce eye rolls.

33. 19. Red House Painters - Songs for a Blue Guitar (Supreme Recordings, 1996)

RIYL: Owen Pallett, Father John Misty, Big Star

Where Are They Now: Songwriter Mark Kozelek continues to record and tour with members of Red House Painters as Sun Kil Moon, never becoming huge, but building a respectable career in music.

Songs for a Blue Guitar is not a summertime album. As the title suggests, the collection is melancholy and tender. But for those moments, Kozelek's soothing voice, the drifting in and out of slide guitar, the minor-chord tugs at the heart; they all build an album that is as useful as it is commendable. In what has been a fine career, Songs for a Blue Guitar stands out as something that can endure longer than a person, than a feeling. It's timeless in the most complete sense of the word.

34. 18. Mazzy Star - She Hangs Brightly (Rough Trade, 1990)

RIYL: Lou Reed, Wilco, Dum Dum Girls

Where Are They Now: New album out next week, after many years of solo work from Hope Sandoval.

Mazzy Star get thought of as a barely present project, but She Hangs Brightly paints Sandoval as part Belle & Sebastian, part Lou Reed, and all while being a unique and strong female voice that is exploring her own territory. The crisp distortion of "Blue Flower" serves as a foil for the lonely country of "Ride It On." The sprawling, quietly noisy title track contrasts with the space that "Taste of Blood" leaves between its short verse. Mazzy Star is much more than "Fade Into You," and She Hangs Brightly is their showcase of range, all tied together by the inviting nature of Hope Sandoval's melodies and lyrics.

35. 17. Smog - Knock Knock (Drag City, 1999)

RIYL: Iron & Wine, Joanna Newsom, Songs:Ohia

Where Are They Now: Releasing music under his proper name, Bill Callahan.

As both Smog and Bill Callahan, songs suited for the rugged American west and quiet motel rooms illuminated by nothing more than a single candle typify Callahan's sound, with the occasional deviation. One of his big deviations seems to be now in 2013 as he is working with dub and other new sounds on his newest album. It is fitting to be bringing up Knock Knock, one of Callahan's other bigger departures, an album that rocks a little more than Smog usually do, benefitting from his collaborative period in the late-'90s that saw Jim O'Rourke and Neil Haggerty playing with, producing, and generally influencing Smog. Picking the best Smog or Callahan album is pretty personal, and recently he's returned to the top of his game, but Knock Knock is an important record, which finds an artist open to being changed by the world, but never losing his own identity.

36. 16. Ride - Nowhere (Creation, 1990)

RIYL: Yuck, Asobi Seksu, Hebronix

Where Are They Now: Not doing much. Seems like the guys from Ride made some music with solo projects over the years.

Considered one of the best shoegaze albums of all time, Ride always feels undersold when labeled as that. Nowhere speaks more directly to brit pop, classic rock, and punk than My Bloody Valentine ever would, with Ride seeming to have more in common with Spiritualized than with Slowdive. For a record approaching 25 years in age, Nowhere still leaps out of speakers and sounds fiery and urgent, and just flat-out important, like a band writing for their lives. That doesn't sound like the stereotype of shoegaze to me, and might have been the original mentality that has been lost over the years.

37. 15. Fugazi - Repeater (Dischord, 1990)

RIYL: METZ, Fucked Up, Titus Andronicus

Where Are They Now: Ian Mckaye, a veteran of the D.C. hardcore scene with Minor Threat currently plays in The Evens. The rest have pursued minor recording work since the band went on break in 2003.

After Ian MacKaye's equally significant band Minor Threat called it quits, Fugazi formed, but it wasn't until Repeater that their stride was hit. The band wrote as a unit rather than relying on MacKaye, and toured the album for two grueling years, ultimately moving 300,000 copies of it, all on tiny Dischord records. Pick a Fugazi record and you will have significance and influence, Repeater, though, showed the band they could be so much more than a punk or a hardcore band.

38. 14. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come (Burning Heart, 1998)

RIYL: Dillinger Escape Plan, Ceremony, Touche Amore

Where Are They Now: The band successfully navigated a reunion last year that was pretty damn incredible. Otherwise they are in various hardcore bands, and hopefully planning the next step for Refused's return.

In an era when Green Day and Blink-182 are making punk more marketable than ever, Refused made an album that's wave continues to ripple with every new hardcore band that extends the limits of the genre. Even the current reinvention of black metal and the rise of noise is possible because of Refused and The Shape of Punk to Come, which showed the possibilities of punk are far beyond what most give them credit for. Essentially, that the genre is undefinable. With the adrenaline shot that the songs are, Refused essentially demanded that punk be something more than skateboards and mohawks. It was an attitude to push the limits of what is accepted, what is easy to digest. But, beyond all that, the album also works on the surface level, kicking ass without evoking the negative connotations of heavy music at the time, like nu metal.

39. 13. Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars, 1997)

RIYL: Speedy Ortiz, The Julie Ruin, Potty Mouth

Where Are They Now: Well, Corin Tucker is in the Corin Tucker Band. And the other two ladies are doing quite well, with Carrie Brownstein a national celebrity thanks to Portlandia and Janet Weiss joining her in Wild Flag.

Though Carrie Brownstein is the best-known member of this trio these days, in the '90s, Corin Tucker was focal point. But really it is a silly instinct to need a focus, as it was what happened when they made music together that was Sleater-Kinney. The Woods, made in the 2000s, may be the most interesting album they ever made, but Dig Me Out captures the peak of the women honing their style, improving their songwriting and musicianship, and finding the right drummer in Janet Weiss that could actually make the band better rather than just keep time.

40. 12. Cat Power - Moon Pix (Matador, 1998)

RIYL: Sharon Van Etten, Feist, M. Ward

Where Are They Now: Still at the top of her game, a better performer than ever, and entrenched in the game as a respected and vital songwriter.

Cat Power's early reputation is nothing like it is today. Her performances were characterized by terrible stage fright and often her getting too drunk to play. These days she is a different songwriter after getting help for her drinking and metal illness, and thought it is all mostly for the better, on Moon Pix, the fragility of Chan Marshall is held up by 2/3rds of Dirty Three in an album Cat Power has never matched. Inspired, risky, and emotionally tumultuous, Moon Pix is largely the reason Cat Power became the star she is today, but it's interesting to hear now, knowing that things will get much worse for her before they get better. At least they do get better, though.

41. 11. Grandaddy - Under the Western Freeway (V2, 1997)

RIYL: Radiohead, Band of Horses, The Flaming Lips

Where Are They Now: Grandaddy had a nice mini reunion tour last summer, but look unlikely to record again for now. Jason Lytle has also released two solo albums since their breakup in 2006.

Maybe you had to be there to really get Grandaddy. Jason Lytle's bleepy futuristic accents to broken-down songs that sound like they were made from garage-sale-purchased equipment, refurbished by a genius with a lot of spare time; it's difficult to hear with the ears of that time. But in 1997, at the same time as OK Computer, Grandaddy was making some of the most interesting, beautiful, and forward-thinking American music going.

Though the years of near-success would break the band, Under the Western Freeway is Grandaddy with the whole world still in front of them, sharing a unique worldview with the confidence that people might actually give a damn. There is some tragedy that few people would end up really caring about the band, that Grandaddy couldn't "make it," but the work left behind, about robots and nature and the loneliness of being human in a world belonging to both machines and non-human life, still resonates, even though their future now sounds like our present.

42. 10. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "F-sharp, A-sharp, Infinity" (Kranky,1998)

RIYL: Sunn O))), Wolf Eyes

Where Are They Now: 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! received overwhelming praise. Essentially, Godspeed is as relevant as ever.

At the very least, F# A# ∞ holds value as a good sleepy-time record. At the most, it is an apocalyptic masterpiece, honing field recordings and a wide array of instruments and minds to create something meaningful and coherent out of chaos and instability. As the title skirts traditional language, and the album is void of much singing beyond the spooky voiceover narration, words always seem to fail to really sum up how the album feels to listen to. It's an experience, and one worth having, whether once or repeatedly. It's also an album that will never have an equal in how it reacts with an audience. How "good" it is simply beyond the point, as the album seems to have been born from a place where nothing is good, where maybe good used to be and is gone... The album makes you talk like this, I swear.

43. 9. Bonnie "Prince'" Billy - I See a Darkness (Domino, 1999)

RIYL: Magnolia Electric Co, Phosphorescent, Fleet Foxes

Where Are They Now: Will Oldham still makes music under the moniker, as well as being a generally interesting artistic type in other mediums.

Famed for getting a Pitchfork 10.0, I See A Darkness is easy to dismiss as hipster-bait, some backroads country b.s. enjoyed by people to never go farther from civilization than the subway takes them. But Oldham's masterpiece deserves every bit of praise it receives, balancing the sense of simplicity with complexities of human emotion and the physical reality that is as real in the Appalachians as they are in L.A.. Everything on I See a Darkness is elegant and homely, demanding the traditional songs and styles of the past be given the same respect that the new ones receive. And Oldham showed us why, making a deeply affecting treasure that is considered his masterwork. Oh, Johnny Cash even covered the title track. How great is that?

44. 8. Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen... We Are Floating in Space (Dedicated, 1997)

RIYL: The Beatles, Pulp, Pink Floyd

Where Are They Now: Still making great music and touring. Last year's Sweet Light Sweet Heart earned rave reviews and placed in the top 20 its first week on the British charts.

Ladies and Gentlemen... We Are Floating In Space is just as transportative as the title sounds. Heavily drawing from the classic British rock and roll canon, former Spaceman 3 co-lead Jason Pierce takes the familiar and makes it seem like the future, all without resorting to keyboard tricks or sound textures that will age rapidly with trends. Elements of psych and gospel make the music timeless, while Spiritualized even includes bits of well known classics and standards, to make the experience as comforting as it is unpredictable. In 1997, NME voted this album of the year, over OK Computer. As crazy as that sounds, that fact that it can be debated points to how good L&G...WAFIS is.

45. 7. Silver Jews - American Water (Drag City, 1998)

RIYL: Cass McCombs, Modern Lovers, Lambchop

Where Are They Now: David Berman was a long-time hermit that didn't tour, then for the final two albums they released they did tour. Then he had some weird freakout and retreated once again.

Silver Jews long had a reputation as a Pavement side project, but that was an unfair way to be introduced to the band, though it also probably allowed for Silver Jews to reach more listeners. Only a couple of Silver Jews albums feature Malkmus prominently, and the very best Silver Jews songs don't feature his voice at all. But, American Water does offer some David Berman and Malkmus joint tracks, and when combined with Berman's solo home runs, "Random Rules" and "Smith and Jones Forever," a cohesive and unique version of the project takes shape. The irony in how well Malkmus and Berman work together on American Water is that they wouldn't join forces again after it, marking the start of a decline in creative powers for both songwriters over time. American Water can ultimately be used as a dividing line between eras of indie rock, with the next crop of artists taking the craft to new commercial heights.

46. 6. My Bloody Valentine- Loveless (Creation, 1991)

RIYL: No Joy, A Place to Bury Strangers, Weekend

Where Are They Now: Just released their first new album since Loveless this year, and are touring. You can probably hear them if you walk outside and listen hard.

There may have never been a harnessing of guitar effects that is its equal, as Kevin Shields' vision in the creation of Loveless might be more impressive than the actual album. The multi-discipline genre play sought by Shields is just a single example of many clues that speak to his genius. The actual result was an album impossible to follow, and My Bloody Valentine spent decades on hiatus with Shields working on his next vision. Love it or not, it is hard to deny the significance of Loveless, as the success of artistic vision is nothing to take for granted.

47. 5. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Merge, 1998)

RIYL: Sufjan Stevens, Beirut, The Mountain Goats

Where Are They Now: Through most of the time between now and the release of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, the usual answer would be "in hiding." But, Jeff Mangum has resurfaced and began touring, first solo, and now as NMH. Maybe we'll even get a new album. Who knows?

Just the idea of saying something unique about In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is ridiculous in 2013, but I will never understand the school of thought that associates the band with their teen years, just because I was 22 when I first heard it, maybe 6 years after it was released. And even then, in 2004, there was nothing like it. Occasionally bands will bite this album, like The Royal Alberta Advantage or Old Canes, but the inspired nature of this is impossible to fake. A few weeks ago I was at a friend's wedding, and at the end, when they broke the glass and kissed, the title track from this record played as the wedding concluded. And I guess that's the kind of album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is, one that you link to the most important events of life, falling in love, marriage, maybe even funerals. It's not coincidental that the album means so much to so many. It was crafted that way.

48. 4. Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister (Jeepster, 1996)

RIYL: Beach House, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Camera Obscura

Where Are They Now: Still making music and playing large venues, with a b-side collection released a couple weeks back.

Stuart Murdoch and his band of friends and acquaintances are an unlikely success story, even the band has acknowledged. None of them had much ambition for musical success, until they heard Murdoch’s songs. First on Tigermilk, and then on their masterpiece If You’re Feeling Sinister, Murdoch successfully transformed the music of his youth (The Velvet Underground, The Smiths, The C86 Tape) and made them distinctly personal, and distinctly Scottish. For many, the music of Belle & Sebastian represented a people, a world they understood but haven’t seen, and the whimsy, the humor, and the longing of Murdoch’s lyrics have proved applicable for waves of 20-somethings a few times over. If You’re Feeling Sinister is an album you can imagine your children listening to, and their children, with its themes timeless in terms of the experience of being young. And, they’ll all have good taste if they do.

49. 3. Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West (Up, 1997)

RIYL: Pixies, The Shins, Divine Fits

Where Are They Now: Completing a new album after taking forever to follow their previous LP, released in 2007.

You can draw a line pretty easily in Modest Mouse’s career, creating a first and second act, and it would be placed during the recording of The Moon and Antarctica. The Lonesome Crowded West, the conclusion of their first act as a band, and their last indie LP, maintains the rough, mistake-filled recording style of their early work while Isaac Brock reaches his peak as a songwriter, balancing ambition (“Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine” “Truckers Atlas”) with emotional, sometimes relentless and angry outpourings from Brock’s creative center (“Shit Luck,” “Bankrupt on Selling”). Lying somewhere in between is something truly special, songs that seem to know Brock’s talent better than he does, that serve his lyrics and his tunefulness to their greatest potential: “Trailer Trash” “Cowboy Dan” “Doing the Cockroach” and “Polar Opposites.”

The Moon and Antarctica is a flashier Modest Mouse album, and a more cohesive one, but The Lonesome Crowded West has more heart, more sense of where the band came from, not just where they are going. There is hunger behind the songs, and more desire to prove themselves than most bands typically muster. It’s no wonder the second act of Modest Mouse has been so successful.

50. 2. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (Matador, 1992)

RIYL: Deerhunter, Broken Social Scene, The National

Where Are They Now: Pavement broke-up after five albums and reunited to a bigger following than ever in 2010. Otherwise, Stephen Malkmus has a successful solo career.

With its lo-fi recording, frontman Stephen Malkmus' slack-riddled, unpredictable vocals, and a majority of songs that play hard-to-get with the listener, why people make such a big deal out of Pavement is nearly impossible to explain to someone who doesn't latch on. Likewise, when you do click with Pavement, it is hard to believe you once didn't listen to the band. Their debut LP is raw and sloppy, and at times profound and beautiful. Malkmus can make you heart crack on "Here" and in the next song, allow Spiral Stairs to deliver a secession anthem in "Two States." Malkmus' melodies evoke sequences from 50's and 60's classics that make moments seem familiar and timeless, and then turns them on their head to reveal punk or hardcore influences too. But, as imprecise as it all sounds on first listen, the musicianship of Pavement is actually quite deliberate and skillful. Slanted and Enchanted combines all of these attributes and inspires, appealing to listeners that don't find like-minded ideas in the mainstream, and fortunately a lot of them became musicians.

And a brief side note, if repeats were featured on this list, Pavement would have four albums in the top 50.

51. 1. Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs (Merge,1999)

RIYL: The Microphones, Jens Lekman, Galaxie 500

Where Are They Now: Still a band, the Magnetic Fields released Love at the Bottom of the Sea and toured last year.

69 Love Songs tops the decade in terms of magnitude and ambition for obvious reasons, but it isn't just the scope of writing 69 love songs that makes this the best indie rock album of the decade. Over the course of the three CDs or 6 LPs, Stephin Merritt changes style, topic, tone, and tradition on a dime, in a sense giving a survey of musical traditions, going as far as employing guest vocalists when necessary.

Now, only 14 years after its releasing, covers are appearing that pick out just a single one of Merritt's compositions and illuminates the individual genius behind it. Check out Peter Gabriel’s “The Book of Love” to see what I mean. As enjoyable as it is admirable, 69 Love Songs already sounds better with some time behind it, and ended the decade for indie music by proving that the sky is the limit for where indie rock can go, setting up the bubble's inflation and burst that was to come, an explosion in the underground that meant a redefining of the term. But 69 weird, beautiful, artistic pieces you'd hear at a wedding before you heard on the radio? If indie rock does mean something beyond rock and roll from an independent label, maybe it is that.

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