threevue

I, like Tyler, feel that the folks behind Rock Band may not truly understand what a “classic” album is. Judas Priest? No, sir. That being said, I’m here to give them a little free advice, in the form of lists of albums that should become fully-downloadable DLC albums.

The 90s are when things get heated. Everyone’s got an opinion. We’re still feeling the reverberations of this decade, and I can see this list changing over the years. I had a hard time fitting only six albums into one list, so I split them by popular releases and indie titles. This is the indie list. Let the comments flow:

90s! Unite!

Operation Ivy - Energy (1990)
Not really an “indie” album, but it definitely didn’t belong on my popular 90s list. Energy is one of my favorite punk/ska albums, and it features a pre-Rancid Tim Armstrong. And yeah, it’s 27 songs, and I have all of them memorized from my teenage years. There’s an incredible range in this tracklist, and although they’re not for everyone, I can see at least the ten best of them being Rock Band hits.
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Modest Mouse - Lonesome Crowded West (1997)
Although a previous list of mine listed a different Modest Mouse album, this one came out in the 90s. It’s not as easy to swallow as The Moon and Antarctica but that doesn’t make it any less stellar. This is Modest Mouse nearing their peak, when creativity was just oozing out of Isaac Brock’s ears (thanks, drugs!!).
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Jimmy Eat World - Clarity (1999)
Also on my aforementioned list, this album contains pop, rock, and glimmering emo anthems all in one. Each of the songs would do really well with the Rock Band setup, and the album’s closer is 16 minutes that aren’t just super-long guitar solos.
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Belle & Sebastian - If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)
This indie-pop album would be great for a lazy Sunday saunter through Rock Band, kicking back some lemonade and snacking on some pistachios. Not that those two things have anything to do with this album, but they sound pretty good right now. This is B&S’s best album, and it deserves to be heard by the gaming public.
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Jets to Brazil - Orange Rhyming Dictionary (1999)
Highlighting the transition from Jawbreaker to this band, this album is a perfect end-product after years of perfecting simple and straightforward punk/pop (and then deciding to grow up a little bit). These 11 songs are catchy, smart and probably pretty easy to play.
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Sunny Day Real Estate - How it Feels to be Something On (1998)
SDRE’s third studio album (and first after their first breakup) is classic. I know I’ve been throwing that term around loosely during these posts, but this one really takes the cake. Skirting that fine line between good prog-rock and shitty prog-rock, this one falls into the first category. Soaring choruses, diverse vocals, and fun guitar parts all blend together to make the 90s best indie rock representative for Rock Band players worldwide.
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Honorable Mentions:

Creeper Lagoon - I Become Small and Go (1998)
Nobody really knows this album, which is a shame, because it did “alternative” music just as good as the rest of them. Rock Band would be the perfect medium to get this album its deserved credit, but I don’t see it happening.
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Spoon - Series of Sneaks (1998)
Not Spoon’s best album by a long shot, but it’s still energetic and fun, and would go well with the game. Especially classics like “Metal Detektor”, “No You’re Not”, and “Advance Cassette”.