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best 2009 indie rock

best indie rock 2009

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  • Anonymous Melina in Mt. View, CA // 4:21 PM
  • Anonymous Anonymous // 4:25 PM


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      Who really "won" last night in the month-long green screen challenge between a wacky news anchor and an indie rock guitarist? (IRC was first to report it on the web).

      Thursday night's The Colbert Report showcased a mismatched parade of VIPs including a creaky, almost freaky, gala of old rockers, like Peter Frampton, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (umm, ok), a new rock star (Chris Funk, the guitarist), and not to be forgotten, of course, the energetic, ever ego-tripping, flag-waving prankster Stephen Colbert.

      Morley Saffer of 60 Minutes kicked-off the show with an opening that probably spooked some folks that it might be Sunday evening.The Apples in Stereo aslo dedicated a song Colbert called "A Bullet" and the "Shred Down" master himself rocked out with Frampton.

      But take a look at this video. Did Colbert even really play the guitar? If not, Funk won and he should counter-challenge again (all in the matter of comedy, or is it somthing more?)


      When The Decemberists launched their green-screen challenge to encourage animation fans to complete their music video "O Valencia", it was right here at IRC that the question was posed – were The Decemberists stealing Colbert’s idea?







      During the late summer, Colbert had challenged his viewers to send in their repurposed video of Colbert swinging around a Star Wars laser against a green-screen back drop.

      The final video was played on The Colbert Report but it, well, sucked.


      IRC First to Raise Colbert vs. Decemberists Controversy

      Shortly afterwards, The Decemberists announced their own green-screen challenge encouraging viewers to complete their "O Valencia" video, it was the Indie Rock Cafe that first blogged the similarity to Colbert's contest.

      The following day, Pitchfork Media reported the unmistakable likeness of Colbert’s challenge to The Decemberists' contest, and never gave IRC credit.

      A night or two after Pitchfork "broke the story", Colbert opened his show with a bitch-slap of The Decemberists for "stealing his idea" and presented a number of challenges in retaliation, including encouraging his audience to mess up The Decemberists video by flooding the group with repurposed video of "O Valencia" containing video of Colbert swinging around a Star Wars laser. Then The Decemberists counter-challenged which culminated in to last night's widely-viewed "Shread Down".

      While it’s no surprise that Colbert claimed victory last night, it's clear that The Decemberists' guitarist Chris Funk stole the show with a blistering, Jimi Hendrix-style guitar solo.

      Now, we ask: Is it the end of the green-screen challenge for Colbert and The Decemberists, or the beginning of a blog-off challenge between the overly verbose Pitchfork Media and IRC.


      The Indie Playlist Challenge for Pitchfork Media

      IRC is completely ready to have a blog-off with Pitchfork Media to settle the score. But what would the challenge be? How about a Top 10 List of rare indie songs that few people have ever heard of?


      How the Contest Would Work

      The way it would work is we would post our indie playlist on our websites with the ability to easily listen to or download the songs. Then, let our loyal indie rock fans choose from the two playlists and see which one gets more votes.

      The Top 10 list can be published in a number of formats, including MP3 samples and downloads, music streams or an Indie Podcast.

      Finally, please use the Comments section below (no registeration required and anonymous postings allowed) or email Pitchfork. Not only will the contest be interesting and fun, it'll also introduce to rare, but jeminy great, indie rock and pop songs.

      Email us Pitchfork. We’re waiting to see if you're serious. Let's call it the "The Greatest Top 10 Indie Rarities" contest.


      (Un)related story:

      Stephen Colbert was nailed by ACLU lawyer Mark Rosenbaum in today's New York Times as representing the secrecy of the federal government to the peril of Americans and that he had top-level government authority to keep the FBI files of Beatle rocker John Lennon conciled for decades.

      At first, even news junkies, thought, oh wow, is it true? Is it the real Stephen Colbert? If so, would there be a green screen challenge broadcast between Colbert and the ACLU over the final and "complete" release of John Lennon's FBI files?

      Can you imagine if it was the same Stephen Colbert? It's not, though. It turns out the other Stephen Colbert is a right-wing strategist who fought the ACLU for years trying to block the release of Beatles legend John Lennon.

      New Idea for The Colbert Report

      Maybe Colbert will have the other Colbert and the ACLU on his show to get to the bottom of it?


      Stephen, if you're reading this blog (which we think you are), email IRC if you think it's a good idea for the show.


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        12:33 AM   December 21, 2006   Leave a Comment        2 Comments    MP3 Policy  Follow IRC  Facebook IRC

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      2009 Bands To Watch


      Current and upcoming releases (US dates)

      11/24/09 Franz Ferdinand
      11/24/09 Lenka
      11/24/09 MGMT
      11/24/09 Tortoise
      11/24/09 Oh No
      12/1/09 Gossip
      12/1/09 Modest Mouse
      1/14/10 Vampire Weekend - Contra
      1/26/10 Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own

      Best 2009 Indie Releases

      2009 best indie albums
      Favorite 2009 indie albums in no particular order; strongly recommend these for your music collection.

      Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree In The Ear
      Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy
      Fanfarlo - Reservior
      Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
      Echo & The Bunnymen - The Fountain
      The Sun - Don't Let Your Baby Have All The Fun
      Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence
      Foreign Born - Person To Person
      Real Estate - Real Estate
      Them Crooked Vultures - s/t debut
      Volcano Choir - Unmap
      Au Revoir Simone - Still Night,Still Light
      Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
      The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control
      Ramona Falls - Intuit
      Holiday Shores - Columbus'd The Whim
      Why? - Eskimo Snow
      Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
      Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant
      The Dead Weather - Horehound
      Portugal The Man - The Satantic Satanist
      Port O'Brien - Threadbare
      Broken Records - Until The Earth Begins To Part
      Headlights - Wildlife
      Bango or Freakout - Upside Down EP
      The Clean - Mister Pop
      Sin Fang Bous - Clangour
      Passion Pit - Manners
      The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
      Brazos - Phosphorescent Blues
      Spring Tigers - Spring Tigers EP
      Sea Wolf - White Water, White Bloom
      The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
      Bodies Of Work - Flyers
      The XX - XX
      The Black Hollies - Softly Towards The Light
      Sonic Youth - The Eternal Youth
      Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
      Modest Mouse - No One's First and You're Next
      Generationals - Con Law
      BLK JKS - After Robots
      White Denim - Fits/Exposion
      Rodrigo y Gabriella - 11:11
      Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
      Atlas Sound - Logos
      The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
      Califone - All of My Friends Are Funeral Singers
      Taken By Trees - East of Eden
      Chet - Chelsea Silver, Please Come
      Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
      Washed Out - Life of Leisure
      Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
      Deer Tick - Born On Flag Day
      The Clientele - Bonfires of Heath
      Iron & Wine - Around The Well
      Pete Doherty - Grace/Wastelands
      It Hugs Back - Inside Your Guitar
      Peter Bjorn and John - Living Thing
      Conor Oberst & The Mustic Valley Band - Outer South
      Paper Route - Absence
      Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
      Throw Me The Statue - Creaturesque
      The Dodos - Time To Die
      Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
      M. Ward - Hold Time
      Deastro - Moondagger
      The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
      Matt & Kim - Grand
      The Antlers - Hospice
      Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
      The Brakes - Touchdown
      Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
      Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
      Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
      Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
      Frightened Rabbit - Quietly Now
      We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
      The Times New Viking - Born Again Revisited
      A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar
      Pet Lions - Soft Right
      Paramore - Brand New Eyes
      Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Beware
      Bishop Allen - Grrr
      Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant
      Birds of Avalon - Uncanny Valley
      Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
      Ben Kweller - Changing Horses
      The Acorn - Heron Act
      The Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead
      AC Newman - Get Guilty
      Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
      Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen
      Beirut - March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland
      The Most Serene Republic - And The Ever Expanding Universe
      Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms
      Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada
      Wye Oak - The Knot
      Vica Voce - Rose City
      Pomegranates - Everyone, Come Outside!
      Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone
      Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
      Akron/Family - Set Em Wild, Set Em Free
      Lemon Sun - Run With the Faithless
      Eels - Hombre Lobo
      Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band
      Mellow Down Easy - Cosmisutra
      The Mary Onettes - Dare EP
      Odawas - The Blue Depths
      The Veils - Sun Gangs
      Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
      White Rabbits - It's Frightening
      Loney Dear - Dear John
      The Lonely Forest - We Sing The Body Electric
      The Uglysuit - self-titled debut
      Handsome Furs - Face Control
      Vampire Hands - Me & You Cherry Red/Cuz It's a Beach Funeral


      This list is updated regularly.






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