Indie music as an actual genre is an interesting dichotomy, mostly because “indie music” works better as an idea rather than a definable category. Why? Because indie music too often becomes–very easily, it turns out–a sort of Kool-Aid that people gulp down in the name of escaping the toxic reach of the supposedly very soul-less, very un-cool mainstream pop and rock music. Too often, seemingly rational groups of people get it in their heads that the band no one else has heard of, that is playing at a venue that is overtly cliquish, whose stage presence is described as “incendiary,” whose lyrics are sometimes described using comparisons as outlandish as “it’s like Rumours-era Stevie Nicks meets Chuck Palahniuk,” whose drummer is currently also in five other bands, one of them being an African-ska fusion band; that these types of bands are seen as being very important.
For five minutes.
So much of indie music is so of-the-moment it is amazing that a lot of its fans even engage in passionate debate (because, odds are, the band they are swearing allegiance to now will be forgotten by them in two years). To be sure, indie music provides a necessary counterbalance to the mainstream music machine. Its inherent eclectic nature provides a fertile breeding ground for new sounds to become popular, new fashions to be worn, and new soundtracks to be accidentally written for young guys and girls all over the world looking for something unique to identify with. It is just that a lot of it is truly forgettable–ironically, just like the supposedly inane factory pop music that indie’s disciples must rail against.
But every once in a while an indie record comes out that changes the landscape of the music industry, however slightly. And Neutral Milk Hotel‘s 1998 album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is one such album. Now, as you are reading this there is good chance that you have never heard of this band or this album. Which is fine. Because all you really need to know is that “Holland, 1945″ is one of the greatest songs of the last dozen years.
Inspired by The Diary Of Anne Frank, “Holland, 1945″ is a track that is so melodic and filled with such energy that if you do not pay attention to the lyrics you may find yourself thinking that this is a happy song–something you could romp to at a party or live show without thinking twice. Jeff Mangum singing the lyrics seemingly without pause certainly help with this feeling. He sings this song with a lilt and volume that is pitch-perfect, like someone eager to tell you about something important but has the wherewithal to be composed and polite about it. Added to the mix here is a wonderfully paced drum beat that acts as the foundation for the fuzzy lo-fi guitar, as well as the mariachi-sounding horn arrangements.
While I ultimately find In The Aeroplane Over The Sea to be too uneven an album, one certainly cannot take away its stake on the music industry. Aeroplane is representative of the type of album that only comes out every few years, maybe only twice in a decade. It is an album of mostly stripped-down songs meant to be an antithesis to the prevailing casting call-driven rock and boy bands of the day. It is an album that feels like it is about something. Most importantly, though, and this is the quality that makes it unique, it has its own mythology.
The band has been on hiatus since 1999, and have not made another album. Jeff Mangum has essentially become indie rock’s own J.D. Salinger, a seemingly willing recluse whose persona only grows larger the longer he hides in the shadows.
You may not like In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. You may not like indie music in general. But “Holland, 1945″ is the gorgeous foyer that invites you into the home of both–it allows you to explore the estate. It is catchy, it is passionate, and it was recorded with more of a focus on capturing an essence of a time rather than a polished state of mind.
If there was a song to recommend that could be described as being indicative of the last twelve years, this is where you should start.
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