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Various

This Is Indie Rock: Vol. 2 (2005)
Deep Elm Records

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Contributed by: Pacer
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on May 20th 2005

To me, compilations mean headaches and heartaches. Headaches because they're invariably stuffed with 24 bands of varying low quality and, if you're very lucky, one or (and this is rare) more good songs. Heartache because these good bands have most likely broken up before getting anything released. For these reasons, I don't buy compilations as a rule, and if I happen to come across one on loan or sent as a promo, it gets the compulsory first-thirty-seconds-of-each-song-chuck-it-in-the-drawer.

However, This Is Indie Rock is that most rare of things - a good compilation. Scratch that, a great compilation - every last song is a killer, with no filler despite barely any thread holding these bands together sonically. What makes it more extraordinary is that all of these bands are relative unknowns, this being part of Deep Elm's "Best Bands You've Never Heard" series, hand picked for this release.

This lack of pressure to come up with "name" bands makes for a wonderfully eclectic mix, going seamlessly from the folk-electronica of opener Maxel Toft, to the Hot Water Music-like Jena Berlin, the Led Zepplin-ish rock of Cameran, on through the old-school blues of Sedona and so on. And even amidst such quality, there are still standouts, such as the aforementioned Jena Berlin and the Husker Dü-like melancholic rock of the New Lows, whose "Cold Shivers" feels immediately like the first time you heard your favourite band, and could quite possibly be.

Anyone with so much as a passing interest in indie, rock or emotional punk should pick up this CD. Anyone with a vested interest in unknown bands should already have this. Either ways, what you get for your money is twelve incredible bands, playing twelve incredible songs. Nothing short of essential.

[originally written for readysteadyjedi.com]

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pwfanatic (May 23, 2005)

i've never listened to kill your idols before except for that split they did with good riddance.

Anonymous (May 23, 2005)

Well, I stand corrected then. I wonder what site I'm thinking of...

-sickboi

pacer (May 23, 2005)

Sickboi, wrong again. Our only female reviewer is lucy and all she's written is the bright eyes review. If anyone was reviewing that, it would be peter, who posts here as pwfanatic, and there's no way in hell i'd take down one of his reviews.

Anonymous (May 23, 2005)

Pacer-

If I am wrong, sorry, but I could have swore that some chick wrote that review for your site, or did you pull a Tate and take it down?

-sickboi

Anonymous (May 23, 2005)

I actually preferred it when it was called emo. "Indie rock" sounds so incredibly, terrifyingly lame -- I can't imagine anyone actually saying it out loud.

"Hi, I'm Justin, and I'm really into indie rock at the moment..."

You may as well wear a t-shirt that says "punch me 'till I bleed".

.Jack

Anonymous (May 22, 2005)

Pacer, comps don't get tens. Man, I can't believe that. I feel bad for you.

maverick (May 21, 2005)

The Deathships and Forecast songs on this CD are good. Score's for those.

Or were those on Volume One? I forgot.

-Scott

pacer (May 21, 2005)

Hey sickboi, quit talking shit, we don't even have a review of the kill your idols record.

Anonymous (May 21, 2005)

I will punch every member of every band in the face. Then, the reviewer for giving this a 10.

- Ron Artest

Anonymous (May 21, 2005)

"My Score:

score is for indie rock :-"

jackass.

xmidipunkbastardx (May 21, 2005)

actually bands like BOY'S LIFE or MINERAL and most of the crank! rooster never labeled their stuff "emo", they labeled it "indie rock"
the fact that is has emo roots is another topic, but basically most of the stuff IS indie rock.

...which in the end is even more woolly term, so we end uo just where we started.
whatever, this comp does have a few good tracks but in the end it's nothing essential. nothing essential at all.

Anonymous (May 21, 2005)

Was it deep elm or jade tree that was releasing those emo diaries cd's?

either way, every single emo band has been jumping ship since the genre went under. they all hid under the guise of "indie rock". so a lot of bands listed under indie rock are just emo bands in hiding.

-benz

TheOneTrueBill (May 21, 2005)

"Your site calls the new Kill Your Idols "mediocre", yet gives this a perfect score?

Pathetic. "

The new KYI is their best material by leaps and bounds, including the split with the Nerve Agents.

theundergroundscene (May 20, 2005)

this is gay

fuck deep elm

Anonymous (May 20, 2005)

How does any compilation get 5 stars?

Anonymous (May 20, 2005)

You know, I remember a conversation with someone from "ReadySteadyJedi" telling me what a credible site they were, reviews on the mark and blah blah blah.

Your site calls the new Kill Your Idols "mediocre", yet gives this a perfect score?

Pathetic.

-sickboi