Indie pop in 2009 was about all young energy and autumnal melancholy, about the rush you feel when you first hear an exciting new band, and the bittersweet feeling you get when your favorite band calls it quits.
In 2009, a flood of plaid-shirted indie-roots bands built on the beardy throwbacks who gained country-rock traction in 2008. And while mainstream country music continued its evolution into '80s pop metal, plenty of roots acts turned the other direction with back-to-basics records.
As part of PopMatters’ 20th anniversary, we are revisiting classic features. Travel back in time a decade ago to 2009, when indie rock was in its full ascendency,and hear the songs that soundtracked the era.
Up now on Brits in Hot Weather, we have swaggering alt-pop from Pelicandy, rousing indie from Chay Snowdon, electrifying synth-rock from former Wild Beasts co-vocalist Tom Fleming, the melodic electronics of GLOWS, and the brooding debut single from Baby Taylah.
Revisiting our best electronic albums from 2009, we find these records have stood the test of time.
Continuing our celebration of PopMatters' 20th anniversary, we revisit our 10 picks for the best debut albums of 2009. It turns out our selections were prescient as many of these artists have gone on to storied careers. Travel back to 2009 and see them again for the first time.
PopMatters turns 20 years old this October and we're beginning to celebrate our history by taking you back in time a decade ago. Obama was in the White House and the musical times were very good indeed. Revisit 2009 through its best albums.
As we approach PopMatters' 20th anniversary this October, we are re-presenting some of our most popular features of all time. This list of the best "alternative" songs of the 1990s followed a year after our similar '80s list and was one of most popular series ever.
One of our most popular series ever, this 2015 list of the 1980s best "alternative" music has it all, from new wave to punk and post-punk to goth.
Squint upon the Outside Lands playbill or you might miss a new favorite act performing while the sun is fully shining.
We all miss the now-defunct UK outfit Wild Beasts, but with his solo album, singer Hayden Thorpe is aiming to make something more personal, and raw. Guiding his way? His "Five Albums That Show Me How It's Done".
Songwriter Andy Platts has played for everyone from Corinne Bailey Rae to Beyoncé and has written hits for K-Pop stars. However, his home base is UK soul outfit Mamas Gun, now going a decade strong. Celebrate their new album with Andy's picks of "Five Albums Where the Voice Is King".
Wombats' frontman Matthew Murphy has new project called Love Fame Tragedy with members of the Pixies, Alt-J, and Pearl Jam. He gives us the "The Five Artists/Bands that have influenced I Don't Want to Play the Victim, But I'm Really Good at It EP".
Electronic duo Plaid discuss their favorite tracks from their 10 albums and two soundtracks released on Warp.
By way of Charles Manson, Suzanne Vega, Gram Parsons, and, yes, Simon and Garfunkel, the Lemonheads once utilized cover songs to reinvent themselves and spark brilliantly infectious guitar-pop originals. And they will again. One day. Perhaps.
"It's the perfect size festival," said Andrew Bird from the Nelsonville Music Festival main stage in recent years. "Any bigger and you'd lose something."
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