While this list certainly isn’t the end-all, be-all of 2010s indie pop, it’s not a bad place to start. Trying to recall the albums you used to love as a teenager? Getting into millennial indie pop for the first time? Just stumbled in and wondering what it’s all about? Here are three albums I recommend to kickstart a deeper dive into this era.
‘The Family Jewels’ by Marina & The Diamonds
Marina released her debut album, The Family Jewels, in February 2010, when she was still going by the name Marina & the Diamonds. This album is quintessential 2010s indie pop, and you can’t change my mind. In her following albums, Marina polished her sound a bit, going for more conceptual art pop projects. But The Family Jewels remains one of her best albums for its raw, unfiltered quality.
This album is youthful, playful, sarcastic, and brutal all the way through. At times, Marina seems to almost come unglued, like one minor inconvenience and she’ll go postal. It comes out in wild exclamations and animal sounds, leaping out from behind unsuspected imagery to catch listeners by surprise.
‘Contra’ by Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend released their second album, Contra, in January 2010. Besides the cover art causing a personality rights controversy, the album further cemented Vampire Weekend in the indie-rock-and-pop zeitgeist. Even the success of their self-titled debut paled in comparison to Contra. Vampire Weekend’s skill at making highly concentrated albums that aren’t heavy or forced made them perfect for the indie pop era of the 2010s.
The album’s longevity stems from its unforgettable track list but also from its major commercial achievements as an indie record. It was Vampire Weekend’s first album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and only the 12th independently released album to top the chart. To this day, Contra remains a beloved example of whip-smart 2010s indie pop sentiment.
‘What We Saw From the Cheap Seats’ by Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor’s sixth album, What We Saw From the Cheap Seats, was released in May 2012. Personally, I hold Spektor’s early work to the same esteem as I do Marina’s. She has a wildness about her that always seems on the verge of breaking loose. Instead, it comes out in unexpected sound effects, dolphin noises, even beat-boxing. I saw her live in 2012 when she was touring this album, and it remains one of the best live shows I’ve been to. Not because of production value, stage design, or any fancy sound setup. But simply because of how easy she makes it to get completely lost in her voice.
To see Regina Spektor live is to begin to understand the importance of Foley work as a concept. Now, she’s not on stage cracking celery to simulate broken bones. But what she does is sit alone at a piano, ringed by a minimal backing band, and recreate all of her sound effects with her voice and her body. Hearing “All the Rowboats” live is what I imagine happens during religious experiences.
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