Free Pony Theory ~ The best indie Album Project

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

It'll be a semi open list. Updated whenever anybody at MdM feels like it.

The problem with "list" is too rigid. So if there is point to do this is not to repeat the mistake. So this so called list should serve as a starting point where people can explore themselves instead of being told. This is all there is.

At least that's my initial thought.

Another goal of the list is of course, to get away from major labels. Not jsut one or two album, but the sound foundation. Provide alternate music point of view.

-
(are you going to add the list? But I'll prune brutally Very Happy

) well okay the rough criteria

- It's a unique album. offer sound/musical idea that is quite interesting for its time.

- It has to be indie (not owned by the big 4 labels (Universal, Sony, WMG, EMI). add matador and Beggar banquet to it too.)

- It revolves around MdM post of course. (downtempo, pop rock, folks/psych/electronica, etc) so, the list won't drift too far into for eg. deep experimental jazz...

- you have strong personal attachment to that album, use it a lot as MdM posting idea.

I am trying to spread it out a little, so the list is not populated by too many artists from one label, or one artist having more than one albums.

...bottom line. It's interesting music, you like it, and you think people who reads MdM would find it interesting and explore...

(and it better not be a sucky music. haa haa.) Again, this is not something rigid. but meant to be a starting point for people to see alternative landscape. It meant to be broad. It maybe not precise, but good enough for everybody to start seeing differently.

I'll update stuff.

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

from that UK site. I am prunning and picking stuff since it's a long list.
(erase a) all major label, very few actually. And erase things that is extremely annoying. bad pick beyond believe. one or two. I am trying to preserve as many as possible. then prune it on the master list.)

the rest:

not sure/too retro (things I didn't find too special. either an album exist earlier in the list, or jsut plain friggin annoying.)

Comets on Fire - Field Recordings From the Sun(USA, 2002)
Dipsomaniacs - Praying Winter (Nor, 2003)
Fairport Convention – What We Did on our Holidays(UK, 1969)
Olivia Tremor Control - Dusk at Cubist Castle(USA, 1996)
Pelt - Empty Bell Ringing In The Sky(USA, 1999)
Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence - Oar(USA, 1969)
Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of…(USA, 2001)
United States of America – United States of America(USA, 1968)
Wellwater Conspiracy - Declaration of Conformity(USA, 1997)

Flaming Lips - In A Priest Driven Ambulance(Restless Records, USA, 1990)
Ghost - Second Time Around(Drag City, Jap, 1992)
Magic Hour - Will They Turn You On or Will They Turn On You(Twisted Village, USA, 1994)
Flying Saucer Attack – Further (Drag City, UK, 1995)
Green Pajamas - Strung Behind the Sun(Camera Obscura, USA, 1997)
Jeff Kelly - Coffee in Nepal(USA, 1997)
Alastair Galbraith – Mirrorwork(NZ, 1998)
Damon & Naomi - Damon & Naomi with Ghost(Sub Pop, USA/Jap, 2000)
Six Organs of Admittance - Dark Noontide(Holy Mountain, USA, 2002)

unchecked/interesting (Thing I have no way of knowing. even a single bleep. looks interesting. ...)

Acid Mothers & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - La Nòvia(Japan, 2000)
Agitation Free – Malesch(Germany, 1972)
Bob Bannister - Dives and Lazarus (USA, 2002)
Charalambides - Market Square(USA, 1995)
Clark Hutchinson - A=MH2(UK, 1969)
Comus - First Utterance(UK, 1970)
Crystallized Movements - Mind Disaster(USA 1983)
Fifty Foot Hose – Cauldron(USA, 1969)
The Golden Dawn - Power Plant(USA, 1968)
Help Yourself - The Return of Ken Whaley(UK, 1973)
High Tide – High Tide (UK,1970)
Kaleidoscope - A Beacon from Mars(USA, 1967)
Masters Apprentices – S/T (a.k.a. Choice Cuts)(UK/Aus, 1971)
Pink Fairies – Never Never Land(UK, 1971)
Spacious Mind - Cosmic Minds at Play(Swe, 1993)
Walkingseeds - Upwind of Disaster, Downwind of Atonement(UK, 1988)

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

Candidate to be added. (need to balance with master list.)

13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators (Collectables, 1966)
Misunderstood – Before The Dream Faded(Cherry Red, UK, 1966)
Moby Grape - Moby Grape(San Francisco Sound, USA, 1967)
Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (Big Beat UK, UK, 1967)
Donovan - A Gift From A Flower To A Garden(Collector's Choice, UK, 1968)
The Flat Earth Society – Waleeco(Arf Arf, USA, 1968)
Mad River – Mad River(Edsel Records UK, USA, 1968)
Savage Resurrection – Savage Resurrection(Mod Lang, USA, 1968)
Pearls Before Swine – Balaklava (Get Back Italy, USA, 1968)
HP Lovecraft – II(Collector's Choice, USA, 1968)
CA Quintet - Trip Thru Hell(Sundazed Music Inc., USA, 1968)
Amon Düül - Psychedelic Underground(Repertoire, Germany, 1969)
Frank Zappa - Hot Rats(Zappa Records, USA, 1969)

Funkadelic – Free Your Mind and your Ass Will Follow(Westbound Records Us, USA, 1970)
Pretty Things – Parachute(Repertoire, UK, 1970)
Popol Vuh - In Den Gärten Pharaos(SPV, Germany, 1971)
Ash Ra Tempel - Ash Ra Tempel(Spalax, Germany, 1971)
Nick Drake - Pink Moon(Umvd Import, UK, 1972)
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic(Discipline Us, UK, 1973)
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') (Zappa Records, USA, 1974)

Wipers – Youth of America(Restless Records, USA, 1981)
The Television Personalities - They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles(Fire UK, UK, 1982)
Rain Parade - Emergency Third Rail Power Trip(Restless Records, USA, 1983)

Spacemen 3 - Recurring(Space Age Recordings, UK, 1990)
Kinski - Be Gentle with the Warm Turtle(Strange Attractors, USA, 1991)
Loud Family - Plants & Birds & Rocks & Things(Alias Records, USA, 1993)
Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind (Pidm, UK, 1992)
Flying Saucer Attack – Further(Drag City, UK, 1995)
Roy Montgomery - Scenes from the South Island(Drunken Fish Records, NZ, 1996)
Iditarod - the River Nektar(Bluesanct Music, USA, 1998)
In Gowan Ring - The Glinting Spade(Bluesanct Music, USA, 1999)

Tarentel - The Order of Things(Temporary Residence, USA, 2001)
Sharron Kraus - Beautiful Twisted(Camera Obscura, UK, 2002)
Surface of Eceyon - Draggyn(Strange Attractors, USA, 2003)
Landing - Sphere (K. Records, USA, 2004)

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

60-70-80... complete......
will be posted.

-----------

13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators (Collectables, 1966)
Misunderstood – Before The Dream Faded(Cherry Red, UK, 1966)
Moby Grape - Moby Grape(San Francisco Sound, USA, 1967)
Zombies - Odessey and Oracle (Big Beat UK, UK, 1967)
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk (Buddha, 1967)
Pearls Before Swine - Balaklava (Get Back Italy, 1968)
Donovan - A Gift From A Flower To A Garden(Collector's Choice, UK, 1968)
The Flat Earth Society – Waleeco(Arf Arf, USA, 1968)
Mad River – Mad River(Edsel Records UK, USA, 1968)
Savage Resurrection – Savage Resurrection(Mod Lang, USA, 1968)
Pearls Before Swine – Balaklava (Get Back Italy, USA, 1968)
HP Lovecraft – II(Collector's Choice, USA, 1968)
CA Quintet - Trip Thru Hell(Sundazed Music Inc., USA, 1968)
Amon Düül - Psychedelic Underground(Repertoire, Germany, 1969)
Frank Zappa - Hot Rats(Zappa Records, USA, 1969)

Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day (Dicristina Stair, 1970)
Funkadelic – Free Your Mind and your Ass Will Follow(Westbound Records Us, USA, 1970)
Pretty Things – Parachute(Repertoire, UK, 1970)
Popol Vuh - In Den Gärten Pharaos(SPV, Germany, 1971)
Ash Ra Tempel - Ash Ra Tempel(Spalax, Germany, 1971)
Os Mutantes - A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado (Omplatten Records, 1970)
Klaus Schulze - Irrlicht (Inside Out U.S., 1972)
Nick Drake - Pink Moon(Umvd Import, UK, 1972)
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic(Discipline Us, UK, 1973)
Faust - Faust IV (Blue Plate Caroline, 1973)
John Fahey - Fare Forward Voyagers (Takoma, 1973)
Can - Ege Bamyasi (Mute, 1973)
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (') (Zappa Records, USA, 1974)
Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (Hannibal, 1974)
Richard Hell - Blank Generation (Stiff, 1974)
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (Fontana Geffen, 1978)

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (Manifesto Records, 1980)
Jon Hassell - Fourth World, Vol. 2: Dream Theory in Malaya (Editions Eg Records, 1981)
Durutti Column - LC (Factory Records, 1981)
Wipers – Youth of America(Restless Records, USA, 1981)
The Television Personalities - They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles(Fire UK, UK, 1982)
Rain Parade - Emergency Third Rail Power Trip(Restless Records, USA, 1983)
Husker Du - Zen Arcade (Sst Records, 1984)
Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (Sst Records, 1984)
Cocteau Twins - Treasure (4AD, 1984)
Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel - Nail (Thirsty Ear, 1985)
Beat Happening - Beat Happening (K. Records, 1985)
Einsturzende Neubauten - Haus der Lüge (Thirsty Ear, 1985)
Beat Happening - Beat Happening (K. Records, 1985)
They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants (Bar/None, 1986)
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (Geffen Records, 1988)
Big Black - Songs About Fucking (Touch & Go Records, 1988)

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

The 90's complete and posted (Rock only)

083. The Mercury Program - From the Vapor of Gasoline (Tiger Style, 2000)
084. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (Kranky, 2000)
085. Dirty Three - Whatever You Love, You Are (Touch & Go Records, 2000)
086. Microphones - Glow Pt. 2 CD (K Records, 2001)
087. Spoon - Girls Can Tell (Merge Records, 2001)
088. Fridge - Happiness (Temporary Residence, 2001)
089. Dntel - Life Is Full Of Possibilities (Plug Research, 2001)
090. Tarentel - The Order of Things (Temporary Residence, USA, 2001)
091. Sharron Kraus - Beautiful Twisted (Camera Obscura, UK, 2002)
092. Jessica Bailiff - Jessica Bailiff (Kranky, 2002)
093. Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi (Warp Records, 2002)
094. Tom Waits - Alice (Anti, 2002)
095. Deerhoof - Reveille (Kill Rock Stars, 2002)
096. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It in People (Arts & Crafts, 2002)
097. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism (Barsuk, 2003)
098. Low - Things We Lost in the Fire (Kranky, 2003)
099. Do Make Say Think - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn (Constellation, 2003)
100. Manitoba - Up In Flames (Leaf / Domino, 2003)
101. Surface of Eceyon - Draggyn (Strange Attractors, USA, 2003)
102. Landing - Sphere (K. Records, USA, 2004)
103. Ellen Allien - Berlinette (Bpitch Control, 2004)
104. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs (Fat Cat, 2004)
105. 50 Foot Wave - 50 Foot Wave (ThrowingMusic, 2004)
106. Charalambides - Joy Shapes (Kranky, 2004)
107. 65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math (Monotreme, 2004)
108. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat (Sanctuary Records, 2004)
109. Arcade Fire - Funeral (Merge, 2004)
110. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Self-Released, 2005)
111. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty, 2005)
112. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow (Xl Recordings, 2005)
113. Susumu Yokota - symbol (leaf, 2005)
114. The Books - Lost And Safe (Tomlab, 2006)
115. Boris, Sunn O))) - Altar (Southern Lord, 2006)
116. Uzeda - Stella (Touch & Go, 2006)

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

Jazz avant garde, electronic, etc... incomplete.
post candidate.

Thelonious Monk - Misterioso [LIVE] (Ojc, 1958)
Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra - Atlantis (Evidence, 1967/69)
Anthony Braxton - For Alto (Delmark, 1968)

The Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass - Les Stances a Sophie (Universal Sound, 1970)
Betty Davis - Betty Davis (Mpc Limited, 1973)
The Meters - Rejuvenation (Sundazed Music Inc., 1974)

Glenn Branca - The Ascension (Acute, 1981)

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Play It Again Sam Us, 1993)
Autechre - Tri Repetae++ (Tvt, 1996)
AMM - AMMMusic [LIVE] (Recommended Records, 1996)
Ken Vandermark, The Denison/Kimball Trio - Neutrons (Quarter Stick, 1997)
Ground Zero - Plays Standards (Diw Records, 1997)
Derek Bailey - Guitar, Drums 'n Bass (Avant Japan, 1997)
Labradford - Mi Media Naranja (Kranky, 1997)
Amon Tobin - Bricolage (Ninja Tune, 1997)
Lounge Lizards - Queen of All Ears (Strange & Beautiful, 1998)
Kruder & Dorfmeister - The K&D Sessions (K7, 1998)
Arvo Part - Te Deum (ECM, 1999)
Keith Jarrett - Vienna Concert (ECM, 1999)
Thievery Corporation - Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (Eighteenth Street, 1999)
Arvo Part - Te Deum (ECM, 1999)
Keith Jarrett - Vienna Concert (ECM, 1999)
The Third Eye Foundation - Little Lost Soul (Merge, 2000)
Happy Apple - Body Popping, Moon Walking, Top Rocking (Midwest Artists Dist., 2000)
Ken Vandermark - Burn the Incline (Atavistic Records, 2000)
Spaceways Incorporated - Thirteen Cosmic Standards by Sun Ra & Funkadelic (Atavistic Records, 2000)
Henry Threadgill - Everybody's Mouth's a Book (Pi Recordings, 2001)
Kammerflimmer Kollektief: Hysteria (Temporary Residence Limited, 2001)
The Nels Cline Singers - Instrumentals (Cryptogramophone, 2002)
John Zorn - Masada Guitars (Tzadik, 2003)
Four Tet - Rounds (Domino, 2003)
Mum - Summer Make Good (Fat Cat, 2004)
Venetian Snares - Rossz csillag alatt született (Planet Mu, 2005)
Alva Noto - For (12k/Line, 2006)

Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 152

Sorry for my late reply!

My first reaction is: "But what about really great records that just so happen to have been released on so-called major labels?"

That doesn't happen very often, but still, I don't really care you know. I like good music and if someone happens to make money out of it, good for them. But I think I see what you mean. In the end I think the discussion is about artistic freedom and the right of the artist to express himself through music without financial priorities of other parties interfering.

So having said that, I would at least nominate the following records in the category "important and influential albums on non-major labels":

Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (Prestige, 1956)
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Impulse, 1963)
Tony Conrad with Faust - Ouside the Dream Syndicate (Caroline, 1973)
Charlemagne Palestine - Strumming Music (Shandar, 1977)
Townes van Zandt - Live at the Old Quarter (Tomato, 1977)
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (ECM, 1978)
Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa (ECM, 1984)
Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (Rockville, 1990)
Les Rallizes Denudes - '77 Live (SIXE, 1991)
Red House Painters - Red House Painters I (4AD, 1993)
Palace Music - Viva Last Blues (Drag City, 1995)
Acid Mothers & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - La Nòvia (Eclipse, 2000)
Songs: Ohia - The Lioness (Secretly Canadian, 2000)
Fennesz - Endless Summer (Mego, 2001)

As for the tab title, why not just shamelessly steal the name from Terrascope and call it "This Is Our Music" or something like that?

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

hmmm.... my quickie

- There are already more than enough "best of" list on the net. The goal for this list is not compiling "general, best of". There are already twenty billions of those list.

- I realize this is not going to fit well with your idea of "what good music" is, but again, the biggest point of this list is simply to ask, and point of other possibility. also Is the control of so many recent "popular" music in the hand of so few healthy?

- This forces us to look at popular music from different angle. asking why, what happens, is there alternative, what other music are out there aside from what is being pushed by the 4 major labels. As you notice, the last 4 labels are quite hostile to anything digital and what people are doing on the net.

- If the task is "compiling" the best music period. I am afraid recent popular music isn't even on the list. 90% of them isn't worth listening. (in term of structural composition, texture, musicianship, etc.) there are only so few truely "desert island" type of record. That is the task for music historian.

- the center of gravity for that list is of course. MdM daily posting. So there is practical limit too. (so yeah, this is not a balck and white list, but vaguely cover what MdM is doing... and to generte discussion and energy to keep looking)

.. etc

the goal of this list:

- give MdM a unique attraction. (something that nobody else has compiled)
- It asks questions
- It gives readers and MdM members an initial point to seriously ask about popular music and its context.

PS. we are not in good term with matador/BB, the biggest of indie label due to their involvement with regulation for internet radio. That's why if you notice a good chunk of late 80's underground rock is missing.

-Title: because the goal is to put that list on first page google search keywords "best indie label"

so if somebody type in "best indie label" they will hit that page. We force the issue on alternative history and different musical landscape. Show that there is alternative, what the big labels are not showing, hasn't owned.

Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 1088

update non rock.
candidates
-------------------

Thelonious Monk - Misterioso [LIVE] (Ojc, 1958)
Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra - Atlantis (Evidence, 1967/69)
Anthony Braxton - For Alto (Delmark, 1968)

The Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass - Les Stances a Sophie (Universal Sound, 1970)
Betty Davis - Betty Davis (Mpc Limited, 1973)
The Meters - Rejuvenation (Sundazed Music Inc., 1974)
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians (ECM, 1978)

Glenn Branca - The Ascension (Acute, 1981)
Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa (ECM, 1984)

Les Rallizes Denudes - '77 Live (SIXE, 1991)
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Play It Again Sam Us, 1993)
Autechre - Tri Repetae++ (Tvt, 1996)
AMM - AMMMusic [LIVE] (Recommended Records, 1996)
Ken Vandermark, The Denison/Kimball Trio - Neutrons (Quarter Stick, 1997)
Derek Bailey - Guitar, Drums 'n Bass (Avant Japan, 1997)
Labradford - Mi Media Naranja (Kranky, 1997)
Amon Tobin - Bricolage (Ninja Tune, 1997)
Lounge Lizards - Queen of All Ears (Strange & Beautiful, 1998)
Kruder & Dorfmeister - The K&D Sessions (K7, 1998)
Arvo Part - Te Deum (ECM, 1999)
Keith Jarrett - Vienna Concert (ECM, 1999)
Thievery Corporation - Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (Eighteenth Street, 1999)
Arvo Part - Te Deum (ECM, 1999)
Keith Jarrett - Vienna Concert (ECM, 1999)
The Third Eye Foundation - Little Lost Soul (Merge, 2000)
Happy Apple - Body Popping, Moon Walking, Top Rocking (Midwest Artists Dist., 2000)
Ken Vandermark - Burn the Incline (Atavistic Records, 2000)
Spaceways Incorporated - Thirteen Cosmic Standards by Sun Ra & Funkadelic (Atavistic Records, 2000)
Henry Threadgill - Everybody's Mouth's a Book (Pi Recordings, 2001)
Kammerflimmer Kollektief: Hysteria (Temporary Residence Limited, 2001)
The Nels Cline Singers - Instrumentals (Cryptogramophone, 2002)
John Zorn - Masada Guitars (Tzadik, 2003)
Four Tet - Rounds (Domino, 2003)
Mum - Summer Make Good (Fat Cat, 2004)
Venetian Snares - Rossz csillag alatt született (Planet Mu, 2005)
Alva Noto - For (12k/Line, 2006)

Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 152

Ok, that's pretty much what I meant too. You see, the list I gave you is certainly not my own "best of" list of some sorts. I'm not very interested in those lists either since they are simply impossible to compile. My list contains a few albums which I think have changed something in the musical scenery directly or have influenced artists only much later and with less exposure.

Take Tony Conrad with Faust and Charlemagne Palestine for example. Records which were largely unnoticed at that time and still are very underground and by no means should be regarded as "best of something", but they DID change something in the musical scenery. They have broadened boundaries and inspired artists to extend their explorations.

Uncle Tupelo basically created a whole new genre with their album “No Depression”, “Viva Last Blues” by Palace Brothers still inspires many artists in the alt-country scenery and “Endless Summer” remains the definite landmark album of ambient electronica based on processed guitar. Are these albums among the best ever made? That’s just a matter of opinion, but a fact is that they have changed our musical landscape purely through artistic expression, and not through something planned out beforehand.

I like the following metaphor: when the lightbulb was introduced, houses were quickly wired to supply the needed electricity. But soon enough people started using this wired network of electricity also for other purposes, creating many new appliances. So the discovery led indirectly and very much unintended to a whole new wave of innovation. Some albums are like the lightbulb, they might be very good albums in themselves, but more importantly they have created a whole new landscape were other artists can build on. There is an interesting video of Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com) on TED.com who also uses this metaphor to bring our current internet developments in perspective.

Oh, and Les Rallizes Denudes is totally ROCK. Smile