Various - This Is Indie Rock: the Best Bands You've Never Heard - Volume One Deep Elm (DER439)
Ah, 'indie'. Not the genre, but the spirit of independence, remaining free of external influence, namely that of majors, big business and the mainstream media. Most who are mildly 'successful' - however you want to gauge that - succumb to the seductions of security, perceived luxuries and greater notoriety in the end, for better or for worse.
Those few labels that strike out on their own, resisting attempts to manipulate and control their destinies are generally showered with huge respect, but equally fail to make any serious sort of dent in the collective consciousness. There is of course the odd exception, the most obvious being Washington DC's Dischord, home of Fugazi, Rites of Spring, Q and Not U and a plethora of others.
Perhaps less well acknowledged, but worthy of no less respect, and operating out of the slightly unlikely base of North Carolina, is the mighty Deep Elm. Releasing records by the likes of Appleseed Cast, Planes Mistaken for Stars and Settlefish, their last compilation series was the much-loved 'Emo Diaries' - long before the term was misappropriated by floppy-fringed, trousers-around-their-arses indentikit scenesters - bringing to the attention of an avid listening public numerous admirable bands (like the previously mentioned Appleseed Cast, Red Animal War and now pop-rock behemoths Jimmy Eat World) for the first time.
Well, this is take two. 'This Is Indie Rock..' is exactly that, indie rock and lashings of it. Totally open submission, it brings together exclusive tracks from bands as far afield as Jerusalem (The Pit That Became A Tower), Larne (Throat) and Santa Fe (The Kidcrash). Whether or not they're "the best bands you've never heard" is open to debate, but what's not is that this is nevertheless a fine collection. From Dino Velvet's At The Drive-In-esque electronica-tinged melodic hardcore to Joanna Erdos' piano-led evocation of the likes of Fiona Apple and the very best female vocalists around, via The Blind King's marvellously understated 'Indie Pop Song' - that Yo La Tengo wouldn't turn their noses up at - and the Husker Du-like pop-punk of Lakota, TIIR scores hits left, right and centre, and provides something to love right across the spectrum of independent music.
Just twelve songs is maybe a little short for a compilation - especially when DE boast proudly of the hundreds and hundreds of submissions they've received - and on the basis of one song each, they're probably not the best bands you've never heard, but they certainly merit further investigation and I fancy the 'Elm will consider that mission accomplished. Deep Elm are just one of those labels you can't help but love, and it's because of records like this; and not just because of the music, but the ethic.
'This Is Indie Rock: The Best Bands You've Never Heard - Volume One' is out October 25th on Deep Elm. www.deepelm.com 
Various - This Is Indie Rock... 
