The perfect indie pop song

Dudess

You know those songs that are indie but still delicious pieces of guitar pop joy and wouldn't be out of place in the top 10 or saturating daytime radio? For me, the ultimate example is The Primitives' Crash - killer hook, frenetic pace, head****ingly catchy and with a sultry, deadpan female on vocals. It ROCKS! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prm5Fw_WjDw

Other contenders which weren't as commercially successful as Crash but should have been: Teenage Fanclub - Star Sign, The Wedding Present - Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft, lots by Pixies.

What else?

li@mo

I havent heard that song in years. Thanks. Its class

HouseHippo

Das Pop-Underground or Saturday Night
Angel Pier-Sprites
Vampire Weekend-Oxford Comma
Anything by the Futureheads,The Wombats,Artic Monkey's etc

KrazeeEyezKilla

Freak Scene by Dinosaur Jr is another great one.

Placid_Casual

There She Goes by The La's comes to mind straight away, as does pretty much anything by The Shins. The fact that The Shins aren't saturating daytime radio is daytime radio's loss and rest of us' gain.

nyarlothothep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyIVkEhyNLE

Dudess

Down On Me by The Jesus and Mary Chain is another one - it wasn't released as a single but it should have been. The singles released off that particular album were much less poppy.

And another J&MC song - Head On. But not the original, the Pixies cover. A spectactular slice of pop.

Morgans

Something like "If I cant change your mind" by Sugar would be one that springs to mind.

Don't let me down - The Wonderstuff as well.

Dudess

Oooh absolutely! Sugar were scrumptiously poppy. Haven't heard that Wonderstuff song in ages - it's great. Heading off to YouTube now - thanks!

CSC

Ever fall in love by The Buzzcocks.

Morgans

The Frank and Walters - Colours needs a mention on this thread.

Morgans

Ah here, I got to stop thinking of these one at a time, but

The Lightning Seeds - Pure

again cant be left out.

Dudess

Billy Bragg - Sexuality. What a melody and guitar riff courtesy of a Mr Marr. And backing vocals by the late, great Kirsty McColl.

Mr E

Jellyfish - Baby's Coming Back

who_ru

the smiths - there is a light that never goes out.



enough said.

Dennis the Stone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fINpWTj-Bw

larrykinney

Morgans wrote: »

The Frank and Walters - Colours needs a mention on this thread.

+1

What about 'Everybody come down' by The Delgados, 'Burn, don't freeze' by Sleater Kinney, 'Shady Lane' by Pavement or 'The Con' by Tegan and Sara.

PaulBrewer

Placid_Casual wrote: »

There She Goes by The La's comes to mind straight away,

You bet me to it Placid!

PaulBrewer

Mr E wrote: »

Jellyfish - Baby's Coming Back

Used to play it in a covers band I had called 'The Bad Babysitters' ..

grumpytrousers

Find the Answer Within - Boo Radleys

'Wake Up' was the single everybody whistled, but this was the second single, and for my money peed all over the other...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPwcmPn895U

oh - and whoever said Pure by the Lightning Seeds - I'd agree completely. Mind you, you could substitute *anything* Ian Broudie went near. Look up "perfect indie pop" in the dictionary, and there's a picture of him there...

PaulBrewer

grumpytrousers wrote: »

Find the Answer Within - Boo Radleys

'

Grumpy , you and I will probably never fight over a CD in HMV.
That's shocking drivel!

sparkzter

Surprised nobody has mentioned one of the greatest indie come pop bands of our time. Any song off the complete Stone Roses album will get ya hummin/singing/tapping or even air guitaring if it floats your boat.
Does anyone remember Mock Turtles-can you dig it? Class pastblast!:cool:

PaulBrewer

sparkzter wrote: »

Does anyone remember Mock Turtles-can you dig it? Class pastblast!:cool:

Used to play that one too - Great bass line!

lordgoat

Radar Love - Golden Earring

Orizio

The Underdog - Spoon.

11811

My Bloody Valentine - Paint a Rainbow
Pulp - Common People

longshanks

Cuddleworthy wrote: »

Pulp - Common People

i haven't heard this, how does it go?

Zaph

Violents Femmes - Blister in the Sun
The Lemonheads - Mrs. Robinson
Belly - Feed the Tree
Blake Babies - Take Your Head Off My Shoulder

tony1kenobi

Radio-Teenage Fanclub
Best Friends Girl-The Cars
Theres No Other Way-Blur
Weirdo-Charlatans
Bye Bye Badman-Stone Roses
Hoover Dam-Sugar
Feed The Tree-Belly
Head In The Sky-Atomic Rooster


Should I go on?

Apologies Zaph....I genuinely didn't see that you had posted Belly......can I replace it with Cannonball....then we have a nice cross reference tie in and everyone is happy.

Morgans

Another vote for Pavement - Shady Lane

Think there a lot of songs mentioned that are top class, just not really catchy enough as per original post's criteria. Spose thats where personal taste comes into it.

If its catchy you are looking for maybe Tullycraft - How to stuff a wild bikini should get a call.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wq5xj5pPlI

Its pop from an indie band, but maybe the song isnt indie pop enough.

St Bunt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n35C0j3LLB0&feature=PlayList&p=4B07DFE250673C11&playnext=1&index=2

Glassheart

The Cocteau Twins could craft a great pop song with the best of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl5EqjtRuGU


I'm not sure if this song could be considered indie but it is XTC...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Da9sc6YDBo

sceptre

Dudess wrote: »

You know those songs that are indie but still delicious pieces of guitar pop joy and wouldn't be out of place in the top 10 or saturating daytime radio? For me, the ultimate example is The Primitives' Crash - killer hook, frenetic pace, head****ingly catchy and with a sultry, deadpan female on vocals. It ROCKS! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prm5Fw_WjDw

Funny, as soon as I saw the thread title, that's the one I thought of.

11811

longshanks wrote: »

i haven't heard this, how does it go?

really?:eek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSXWWrIxSB4

PaulBrewer

tony1kenobi wrote: »

Best Friends Girl-The Cars
Theres No Other Way-Blur
Hoover Dam-Sugar

All featured in various covers outfits!

JC 2K3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OdSoKfTP1k

Dudess

Hmmm... Love that track but I personally wouldn't consider it very poppy - more just pure and unadulterated, filthy rawk...

Keep this indie guys. The Cars (class song btw) and Golden Earring were not indie. Whenever other types of acts get discussed in these general threads it gets moved to Music.

The The - This Is The Day. What a happy sounding song from an extremely unhappy act. Ditto Uncertain Smile (piano by Jools Holland - just beautiful).

grumpytrousers wrote: »

Find the Answer Within - Boo Radleys

'Wake Up' was the single everybody whistled, but this was the second single, and for my money peed all over the other...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPwcmPn895U

God, the Boos were so brilliant... and Wake Up Boo! is such sh1te.

oh - and whoever said Pure by the Lightning Seeds - I'd agree completely. Mind you, you could substitute *anything* Ian Broudie went near. Look up "perfect indie pop" in the dictionary, and there's a picture of him there...

Yup - absolutely. And Weezer are his American counterparts, in my opinion.

sparkzter wrote: »

Does anyone remember Mock Turtles-can you dig it? Class pastblast!:cool:

And Then She Smiles from that album is pop bliss! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTWe_M2unw

Throwing Muses - Not Too Soon. Seriously should have been released as a single. Utterly scrumptious slab of 1960s Phil Spector-inspired bubblegum guitar pop (DUN deh DUN drum bit and all).

mental07

Morgans wrote: »

Ah here, I got to stop thinking of these one at a time, but

The Lightning Seeds - Pure

again cant be left out.

I think anything by the Lightning Seeds qualifies!!

Earthhorse

Half the songs being posted aren't catchy. Also, is it too much to ask people to label links?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4D5N0vqFXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQX4FSuCIUo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSmfNxmaQHc

tricky D

The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmodvpD-Cvs

Sútalún

HouseHippo wrote: »

Anything by the Futureheads,The Wombats,Artic Monkey's etc

Ah come of it. Ya can't say everything by those bands is the perfect indie pop song. I like some of their stuff..well except for the Future Heads. Can't stand them. No point naming acts, the thread is about songs.

In my opinion perfect indie pop songs -

The Little Ones - Ordinary Song
Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
The Stanglers - Golden Brown
Joy Division - Love will Tear us Apart (Best of all!!)

grumpytrousers

quick trivia fact about 'can you dig it' - written by Steve 'Alan Partridge' Coogans brother...

Dudess

Yep, Martin. Remember him being interviewed by Fanning during their fleeting success (when Can You Dig It? was out) and he was saying he had this really talented comedian brother and to watch out for him. I immediately thought "aw, fraternal loyalty/bias - he's probably crap".

Boy is my face red...

Morgans

On the Ian Broudie love in. I think I heard that he produced Grand Parade for The Frank and Walters. A very underrated album IMHO.

The Cure got a mention earlier. Boys Dont Cry is just about perfect for the original criteria. You almost want not to like it because it is soooo catchy and soooo pop, but its just a top notch tune. A song that you feel that you should come up after your first hour jamming. It was staring you in the face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8CDERzun4k

Earthhorse

A lot of Cure songs fit the bill for this thread.

I hate Ian Broudie.

Dudess

Liked him... went off him then as Lightning Seeds stuff got increasing more bland.

The Cure - definitely. Just Like Heaven is the best example IMO.

Earthhorse

Dudess wrote: »

The Cure - definitely. Just Like Heaven is the best example IMO.

Heh, was just listening to that on YouTube. Inspired by this thread.

That and Boys Don't Cry and Love Cats and Pictures of You and...

JoeJoe9

Take her Back - Pigeon Detectives

In all honesty not my favourite band but the song is just so damn infectious

ANarcho-Munk

The Vibrators - Automatic Lover

endaob

Great keyboards - check
Handclaps - check
Recorder solo - check

Indie pop perfection - Belle & Sebastian, The Boy With The Arab Strap


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYZPTTgMGCk

Dudess

Lots by Super Furry Animals - in particular Northern Lites and God! Show Me Magic.