I’ve been meaning to do something similar to this for years now. Essentially, I want to induct bands and/or specific albums into what I will call the Indie Canon: those artists and albums that have already exhibited staying power and/or independent scene importance as well as the indie zeitgeist that will hang around if all goes well. After all, a canon is a fluid collection. For instance, an anthology of literature from 1950 would be vastly different from a more recent anthology. Sure, both will have Shakespeare, Chaucer and Milton, but there may be numerous inclusions/exclusions as far as 20th century novelists/poets go. I should probably give a definition of “indie” because nobody can seem to agree.
indie – noun/adj. – a band or album that was either: 1) released on an independently owned record label, or 2) maintains a similar sound/feel (lower production value, marketed to a niche audience, a member of the pop sub-terrain)
I will create a separate page for the Indie Canon; however, I thought it would be appropriate to make the first induction. Everybody is probably going to think, “C’mon! Sonic Youth? What the fuck?” The reason I’m making this induction versus the aforementioned is because, though their entire catalog is enjoyable, their second album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea in 1998 is purely genius, not to mention one of my favorite albums of all time. And, I’m lazy. I’m going to have to do a huge write-up for Sonic Youth and other bands of the same indie ilk going forward.
Congratulations, Neutral Milk Hotel! You have been inducted into the Indie Canon by a rando (yes, rando…me) for the excellence shown in your album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. A special thanks is due to Jeff Mangum’s lyricism. It’s as if a tripping manboy learned how to extinguish an apocalyptic fire with semen. Wonderful.
the self-hating hipster 
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