DAY 4 of the 30 Day Song Challenge, alternative music styles!

Challange four gets a little deep and dark….

Each day I’ll post the challenge and you share some of your favorite alternative & indie songs that meet the challenge!

HELLO & WELCOME to Alternative Nation, the Fediverse's largest alternative & indie music community!

We are all so happy you are here. You love music, we love music, and here we are, headphones on, in our own little world happily outside the mainstream while also supporting the growth of Lemmy, Kbin, & the Fediverse at large. 💕

Figured it was time to talk about recommendations on how to format your posts for maximum visibility & engagement and also let you know the different ways you can post to the community.

Sound good? Let's go!

. . .

☝️ POST FORMAT RECOMMENDATION 🔊🎵

Key word here is "recommendation". I don't think we need strict rules to post, but here's what I recommend:

1. Band - Song or Album Title: At the very least, this should be included in your post title. Pretty standard way of identifying something. No worries about quotation marks, the text and the dash are more than enough. Obviously, if it's an article link, the article title would go here.

2. [Description Brackets]: Totally up to you, but personally I've been enjoying adding [Fresh] if the song or album is pretty new within the last week or two or so, or adding [Stream] if it's a link to an album stream link on Songwhip. I also sometimes use brackets to indicate the source if it's an article like [BrooklynVegan]. Not a rule, I just think it's nice to give some cred out.

3. Dates or small commentary after the title: Again, you do you. Year of release can be nice for older tracks & albums, or if you have a strong emotion about the album that you think needs to be in the title, go for it - though I think the caption section is probably best.

4. Album Art/Image or Link?: Lemmy is set up to share an image or a link as the primary content. Personally, I love album art or a cool image of the artist and would rather share the link to the music, video, or article in the caption. Lemmy's auto-thumbnails seem hit or miss, so to me it makes a richer post. But again, you do you!

Great! But let's say you aren't posting from Lemmy or Kbin?

. . .

✌️ POSTING FROM MASTODON, FIREFISH, & OTHER FEDIVERSE MICROBLOGGING PLATFORMS 🔊🎶

While having a Lemmy/Kbin account is the best way to not miss any comments, you don't need to be on Lemmy to post here. By tagging "@alternativenation@lemmy.world" in a Mastodon, Firefish (Calckey), or other federated microblogging platform post, you also actually post to our community! How cool is that!

But the format of your post can get real janky if you don't follow a certain format. My recommendation is set up your Mastodon et al post in the following way:

1. Make the 1st line of the post the title like "Band - Song or Album Title" - no hashtags or account tags here, they get real messed up on Lemmy.

2. After the line break from the title, include your caption and any links. Feel free to add hashtags in the caption area (I know people follow hashtags on Mastodon et al)

3. Include "@AlternativeNation@lemmy.world" in the post (just not in the first line, please). This is how the post gets posted here!

4. Finally, I recommend adding an image to the post - this will be the thumbnail on Lemmy!

. . .

🤟 HAPPY LISTENING! 🎧

That's it y'all! Hope this helps. Please spread the word to all your alternative music fans here, on Mastodon, and even on Reddit. Let's build something special together.

Cheers,

ren 🌈💕

• MusicBrainz: https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8de5700e-668a-41f5-8859-573a7021abaf

They are no longer his creations

NPR has a story about them today which reminded me of this song from the mid-90s.

> you know my love is sweeeeeet!

Familiar now strange

Just posted today, recorded last year.

> Last fall at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur our show was rained out. The sky cleared just as dusk fell & someone said: let’s go into the forest. So in a grove of redwoods we played a few songs for the hermit thrushes and spotted owls. Thank you Mark Satterthwaite & crew for filming it.

I loved them before and I love them now.

• Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/2000825-The-Antikaroshi

It's a Saturday night/early Sunday morning in 1994. You've just returned home from a gig, stopping off for some junk food, to soak up the booze, on your way. You flick on the TV, adjust the antenna because the signal isn't that great sometimes, and switch on an overnight music video show.

As the cathode ray tube warms up, this music video comes on and you think, "They sound like a cross between Curve, Lush, Cocteau Twins and The Telescopes. I wonder if they are on 4AD or Creation?".

The room starts spinning. You eventually regain consciousness, flat on your back, on the cold floor. You realise it's not 3am on Sunday in 1994. It's actually 2024 and Austin, Texas band, Blushing, have released an album called Sugarcoat, that this is the title track of.

Slapping yourself, you get back to distracting yourself from real work, looking for more indie bands you haven't heard yet, on the internet.

Youtube backup link

Youtube backup link

The first in a series of bands with terrible names (with decent tunes, in this case). Do you have any other examples?

Apparently this Japanese band chose their name by combining random words that the founding members liked. Despite the absolutely terrible name, they have some good sounding songs.

They are going on tour in N. America in Sept.

• Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/de/artist/8230550-Rote-Augen
• Bandcamp: https://roteaugenmusik.bandcamp.com/

> As Guided by Voices’ resident mad scientist, Robert Pollard churns out songs at a rate that makes the speed of light seem slothful. From homegrown four-track fuzzfests to comparatively high-tech stints with famous producers, GBV’s dozens-strong discography defies easy listening. With Pollard as the only constant, the Dayton band toiled in ‘80s indie rock’s sub-basement obscurity before emerging as the surrealist kings of lo-fi land in the mid ‘90s.

> Today, they’re a scrappy but stalwart alt-rock institution. At each album’s core are Pollard’s delirious dream-logic lyrics and miniaturist mania, with songs sometimes ending after a single verse. “I’ve tried to write epics, but I’ve got a short attention span from working with kids for 14 years,” the former schoolteacher told SPIN.

It's Propeller, right? The best GBV album? Yeah, OK.

Nice and mellow.

The band has a new album due out in Sept.

https://lunarvacationatl.bandcamp.com/album/everything-matters-everythings-fire

I dig 'em.

Songwhip: Alien Ant Farm - These Days

• MusicBrainz: https://musicbrainz.org/artist/41225e9f-3b4c-4287-a778-165c65f04be9
• Official homepage: https://davidjhaskins.com/

Youtube link

Sydney's (terribly named, IMO) Phantastic Ferniture released one self-titled album. This was the featured track that got a bit of play around the place, at least where I live.

Julia Jacklin (vox/guitar), Elizabeth Hughes (guitar), Tom Stephens (bass), and drummer Ryan K. Brennan's song is a chill yet jaunty, mellow yet catchy slice of tuneful guitar music that just might be suitable for your next playlist.

Andersen's Mising Bell is a melancholic alternative rock band based in Quebec city. Inspired by bands like Manchester Orchestra, The Hotelier, Death Cab For Cutie and Radiohead, the band defines itself by its explosiveness and vulnerability.

Bandcamp

I won’t ever get a house I won’t ever feel secure I won’t ever be something more

So just give up already You’ve got better things to do Then listen to a lost cause

‘Cause everyone can be replace And nobody’s special Sometimes I would just rather

Get hit by a car I’d feel so much better Sometimes I would just rather Get hit by a car I’d feel so much better Well, sometimes I would just rather

No I’m not worth your time (Not worth my time) And I hope that you leave As soon as you can (As you can)

And I won’t even try (Won’t even try) To keep you in my life ‘Cause I’m hurting you Yeah I’m hurting you so bad (You’re hurting me so bad)

‘Cause I never talk (Never talk) And I never smile I can’t cope with my mind (With my mind)

So I’ll go back (Go the fuck away) To where I belong All alone in my queen sized bed (Queen sized bed)

I’m not worth your time (Not worth my time) And I hope that you leave As soon as you can (As you can)

And I won’t even try (Won’t even try) To keep you in my life ‘Cause I’m hurting you Yeah I’m hurting you so bad (You’re hurting me so bad)

‘Cause I never talk (Never talk) And I never smile I can’t cope with my mind (With my mind)

So I’ll go back (Oh please go the fuck away) To where I belong All alone in my queen sized bed (Queen sized bed)

Sometimes I’d just rather Sometimes I’d just rather

Get hit by a car I’d feel so much better Sometimes I would just rather Get hit by a car I’d feel so much better Well, sometimes I would just rather

Get hit by a car Get his by a car And fly (and die) And fly (and die)

Youtube link

I was delighted to find this clip from an appearance on Conan O’Brien in 2006. I was lucky enough to be in New York at the right time to go to one of the shows that Conan mentioned in the intro. It was a really good show!

Conan mentioned that this song was from the album Rabbit Fur Coat that’s they were on tour for, however, it was actually on the follow up, Acid Tongue (2008). Both are good albums.

When checking this, I discovered that Paz Lenchantin played on See Fernando and several other tracks on Acid Tongue. Paz was later recruited to play bass in The Pixies.

Youtube link

I’m not a big fan of Muse but I am of this song!

Do the sounds of early Primal Scream, The Pastels, Sarah Records and all things jangle pop, appeal to you? Then take a listen to this.

This band from a town west of Glasgow is the reincarnation of the spirit of C86. Fronted by two sisters, they appear to be young aficionados of jangle pop, setting out to create it anew. Appropriately, the physical release of this single is on a cassette tape.

Youtube link

A remastered video for a song that was indeed, quite widespread, in its day.

Yard Act performing a song off of one of my favorite albums this year on Later... With Jools Holland

Youtube link

Mega Fäuna members are also involved with some of Sydney’s most compelling contemporary guitar bands. Guitarist Lily Keenan and bass player Lucy Warriner are both members of Sweetie. Drummer Tess Wilkin plays in The Buoys. Keyboardist Ellen Fitzgibbon is part of the Skeleten live band and Wilkin. Vocalist Freyja Fox previously performed in Rochelle Rochelles. I like their jangle.

Not to be confused with Megafauna from Austin, TX.

This is a 2021 live version of a song that got a release in 2023 on a this EP.

Youtube link

Megafauna are described as an “Austin, Texas-based math rock/garage rock outfit”

A young band from Athens, Georgia, who are new to me.

Youtube link

Rest in Chaos Mark

Youtube link

I just discovered this band who are from St Catharines, Ontario. Their new album is worth a listen IMO.

I think this song sounds like early Aztec Camera. In fact, compare it to the song Pillar to Post: Invidious link or Youtube link..

Released in 1981, this is the opening track on Black Flag's debut studio album Damaged. It's a punk classic album that Kurt Cobain listed in his top fifty albums of all time.

I don't know the provenance of this video but has a 1984 copyright.

Youtube link

Sometimes same same is good good.

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New album Frog in Boiling Water is great by the way!