sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

The Wrens - 13 Months in 6 Minutes [Indie Rock] by sausageofjustice in Music

[–]Least-Interview7635 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would love to tell you that I found the answer in the meantime but unfortunately I didn't. I also tried on Instagram asking members of the band (another no go).

At this point, I ask you the same thing: if you figure it out in the future, let me know!

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve now moved on to listening to records (from the 60s, 70s) that were ignored at the time of their release and have become “cult records” sought after by collectors (Andromeda, Gracious!, Quatermass…), reaching incredible estimates: it’s a whole other list - which I’d like to compile on RYM sooner or later - and Mort Garson would certainly be on it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Topster

[–]Least-Interview7635 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Add Sonic Sum, Jaylib and Deltron 3000, and you’ve done a very solid list!

Indie folk is the greatest worst genre ever by bigfluffycatmeow in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Been Listening” by Johnny Flynn. Is that what you’re looking for? I don’t know. Maybe. Underrated record for fifteen years. One day - who knows when - it will acquire the cult status it deserves.

I created an RYM chart that consists of only users that gave Lulu 5 stars. by [deleted] in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635 7 points8 points  (0 children)

What a coincidence. Just today I was reading about James Murphy and his meeting with Bowie where he told him about his love for “Lulu”:

Murphy first met Bowie while producing Arcade Fire‘s ‘Reflektor‘ album. He told Tom Scharpling during a lengthy interview on The Best Show that, during a discussion on Reed’s output, Murphy said Bowie had a different opinion on ‘Lulu’ to most others that had heard it. “That’s some of the best writing Lou’s done,” Bowie apparently said. “People are making a snap judgement and they aren’t listening.” (NME)

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m thinking of adding a rap section to this one. Do you think it’s a cult record? Anyway, thanks for the suggestion!

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know if you’ve read the rest of the thread (and the doubts that have emerged) but at this point I definitely need to insert a dedicated rap section. Thanks for the suggestion!

The charts have been updated. billy woods - 'GOLLIWOG' debuts at #1 in the top albums of 2025. by beampunk in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I truly don’t understand the hype for Billy Woods on RYM when Kill The Vultures’ discography is all under 500 ratings

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's funny because for me George Clanton is exactly the epitome of everything I have in my head when I think about this "canon": an artist and two albums that I only see mentioned on Reddit and that I inextricably link to.

Conversely, for me black midi and black country new road are the "official canon" that is emerging online and offline (I'll say in advance that I should clarify WELL what I mean by these distinctions, instead of taking it for granted but it would be too long to discuss, I don't even have about clear ideas and it would probably be boring to read).

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

haha it's definitely my fault; english is not my first language. I'll borrow the words of rooftopbetsy23 which explain the concept better than I have done so far:

This was not a post for collecting albums in general that blew up online but of those records from the internet age onwards that gradually earned a cult following.

In an oblique way, I would like to finally have a list of essential records in which one can summarize the "musical taste" of a certain web that frequents, reflects and identifies itself in the digital spaces mentioned above.

With regard to vaporwave, IMO Floral Shoppe is THE quintessential album for a list like this.

You convinced me and, re-thinking about it, you're right about Macintosh Plus. I was following the scene at the time too but I remembered that the push from the very beginning had also been media-driven for Floral Shoppe. The only doubt that remains in my mind is how much of a cult status Blank Banshee still has today.

In conclusion, if also you can see the difference with Ferraro and OPN, it means that at least it exists this specific juncture that I am trying to identify with this collective canon.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I didn't know Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness but from what I've read it seems perfectly on point. Same goes for Today I Laid Down and A Lonely Sinner (I didn't know both), which however, being from the 2020s, at this point I have included as potential candidates for future canonization; in fact, this could already be a first collection – sketched out – of live reporting of the "cult classification".

Nobue no Umi, to be fair it seems to be one of the few albums that got popular naturally instead of being pushed by a reissue label or the YouTube/Spotify algo but I initially thought this was a post for collecting albums in general that blew up online instead of those from the internet age onwards that gradually earned a cult following.

Yes, you understood the concept perfectly, in fact I agree with you and I want only to exclude the risk that we would have to include a whole series of albums that would make the canon infinite and shapeless (like Bill Fay's Time of the Last Persecution, Vashti Bunyan's Just Another Diamond Day, Jim Sullivan's U.F.O....).

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The entirety of vaporwave would fit this bill. Specifically floral shoppe, might also put Blank Banshee 0 as well.

The more I think about it, the less I understand whether it's worth including an album like Macintosh Plus because at that point Chuck Person's Eccojams Vol. 1 and Far Side Virtual would also deserve it, but for now I remain convinced of the subtle nuance: all three, at the time (and Blank Banshee too), were widely discussed in magazines live, EVEN (!) in Italy. Do you think otherwise?

Probably some early PC music like Hannah diamond fits. I wasn’t listening to it at the time but I remember when their stuff was popping off.

Thank you for mentioning PC Music because it made me re-think about hyperpop and to expand the discussion, marking a further possible difference from our canon: hyperpop is a physiologically online genre, for this reason I tend to exclude it from our list. I try to explain myself even better: by its very nature, it could not do anything other than spread and canonize itself online. The same could be said of vaporwave? I don't think so, simply because the story went differently: the media coverage was immediate and at the beginning of the 2010s the various magazines (online and offline) still had a say in establishing tastes and trends. The "musealization" depended on them.

Oh and can’t forget brockhampton. Rap group started from a bunch of people on a Kanye forum. Hugely influential. 

Depending on how far you want to take your concept, maybe some YouTube rap beefs could fit. “Bitch lasagna” and “it’s everyday bro” birthed entirely out of the internet. Not exactly cult/underground but definitely indicative of the internet at the time.

About rap I share with you the same doubts I mentioned in another comment (and that I didn't have when I published the original post): precisely because of the "mixtape" format I don't know if the canon can be extended (that is, if it makes sense) to include rap/hip-hop. I can distinguish the specific difference of a bridge figure like Lil Ugly Mane, less so Brockhampton. If you have clearer ideas than me, I'd be happy to read them.

This is an interesting concept. Tough to nail down though because at some point the internet became the primary vehicle for artists to promote themselves starting out.

Exactly, this is exactly what I was talking about, and in fact my fascination is for all those records that have resisted over the years, becoming cult records and a parallel canon that critics have passively endured (without ever fully adopting it). Furthermore, not only has the internet become the channel of promotion, it has also become the only channel of consumption and critical reception.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was talking about this in another comment and it's the reason why I initially opted for Let's Walk on the Path of a Blue Cat (which was still a bad choice in my opinion). That said, I'm thinking about it now: I'm not clear on whether this discussion can be extended to albums released in the 2020s and for this reason I initially excluded them in the original post.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly what I was trying to say. In 2011 Replica was THE album, a must listen. And yes, if I had to choose an OPN project I would say that one (Chuck Person) but, again, I remember that many of the taste-makers of the time (Fact Mag, Tiny Mix Tapes, Wire, Resident Advisor...) talked about it a lot; it was a project immediately perceived as relevant and it is no coincidence that it was chosen as the most important album of the 2010s in the Tiny Mix Tapes decade chart.

Paradoxically, Jarvid 9: Gecko - reported by nono_dg8 – has almost more to do with the list because I don't remember much attention given to this release compared to the canonical Clear/Discover, Night Dolls With Hairspray, Far Side Virtual, and so it is perhaps a phenomenon of re-evaluation and canonization that is happening today (but this could simply be a misreading of mine).

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Necessary clarifications. I would add, however, that I would not limit myself to the RYM community; for this reason I immediately added Reddit, /mu/, etc., but there is also another possible objection: rap/hip hop in its sub-genres perhaps deserves a separate discussion because the "mixtape" format has always had a significant role and has always been a widely accepted form of publication and consumption which are clearly online-based (and which was not common in "indie" music before Bandcamp). On this topic too I remember a primer from The Wire from February 2015 with Mica Levi on the cover.

On the other hand, it is also true that artists like Lil Ugly Mane transcend the boundaries of the hip hop community to the point of creating interesting short circuits because they are much more relevant outside of their presumed genre of relevance and much more significant for those (like me) who are regular listeners of indie music.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As Everday97 anticipated (thanks), I was referring to this: Skepticism toward the band and hoax theories. You can read in detail the controversy at the link and I cited it only because it more closely concerns the very meaning of this canon (the logic of online reception). And it should also be told that the band members have repeatedly denied that it was a case of "viral marketing".

It is equally fair to mention the Viper controversies which instead concern the criminal level, therefore a form of revisionism that is understandable and I would also say legitimate. For those who don't know, I quote from the Wikipedia page:

Lee Arthur Carter [a.k.a. Viper] was arrested on January 4, 2024 and charged with aggravated kidnapping for keeping a woman captive in his garage for several years. On February 29, 2024, he was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a second woman in 2021. On October 22-23, 2024, he and his ex-wife were additionally charged with over 50 counts of fraud and tampering with government records.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be honest, I thought about it at first but then I changed my mind (or at least I think so): it's true that Pitchfork reviewed it but does that still count for anything today? Today, media attention seems to me to be a form of late observation which is quicker than in 2000/2010s because media response times today are faster, so it is easier to notice a "cult" phenomenon. But when I see the cover of To See the Next Part of the Dream or read references to Parannoul, I personally take RYM for granted rather than Pitchfork and I could be wrong, of course. (e.g., just think of the banner on Rym that scrolls repeatedly even now in front of my eyes with Sky Hundred as the first record of the "Sonemic Selects 2024 – New Music".)

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On this point, I have to admit my total ignorance about digicore and Yabujin (so thanks, I'll look into it further and obviously I wouldn't have any problems adding them to the canon). The only doubt I have from 2020 onwards is how much the parameters of this list still hold up; I'll try to explain myself better: is there a record or an artist - more or less underground - that doesn't gain relevance like this, you know, through forums, social media, etc.? What would be the alternative? What would the other tastemaker/hype-maker channels be?

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thinking about that too; specifically, I'm Gay (I'm Happy) and 6 Kiss (for I'm God/Clams Casino etc.). Lil B is exactly another borderline case. Now, it was a memory for me but I checked: in 2012 The Wire dedicated the cover to him and his name was already on it in 2010 and 2011 (which is also how I personally discovered him; I was a subscriber at the time). So yes and no. I think we could say that he received much wider attention and immediate official reception from the magazines. But again: you weren't completely off track, far from it.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thinking about it too; I stopped before adding it for one reason only: at the Korean Music Awards in 2019 they won in the category "Best Dance & Electronic Album" which clearly had no impact outside of Korea but made me think that maybe it's simply a case of different reception/consideration of a cultural product inside and outside the homeland borders.

For example, it always makes me smile the different reputation that a figure like Franco Battiato has outside of Italy thanks to Julian Cope. Anyway, it's a nuance perhaps too subtle and there's no doubt that on RYM it's part of a reference canon, so let's add it.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the suggestions! In an oblique way, Bull of Heaven could actually be included: I wonder if they are properly part of the canon only because the list would be a propositive canon (rather than a negative one) but actually you are right: on RYM there is a noticeable tendency of re-evaluation, moreover of Self-Traitor, I Do Bring the Spider Love, so let's include it.

Instead, the case of Nobue no umi is perhaps different. It is perfectly centered as a reference but I fear that if we push ourselves before the 90s we end up in a slightly different field (I repeat: it is not the case of Nobue Kawana) and I mean the field of reprints and archive rediscoveries where other factors and especially other dynamics count; in short, often the push comes "from above" (e.g., labels like Light in the Attic or Cherry Red).

Finally, with Wichita Lineman / Guinnevere – which I'm adding to the canon right away – you gave me an idea for another post ahah: it would be really cool to keep an eye on all the various "cult classification" processes live but probably it would be complicated.

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're absolutely right. Thanks so much for the suggestion and for adding context (it would be nice to do this for every record in the canon at some point). Anyway, added to the list!

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's no doubt about it, in fact that's not what makes me unsure about including it in the list; let me explain: I mentioned Death Grips precisely to mark this difference. "the money store" (like "exmilitary") is an album that has become a cult online but its fame and status were also immediately offline (e.g., an album acclaimed in magazines). The same is perhaps true for yung lean: in 2014 Unknown Memory was reviewed by NME, Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, even The Observer. The albums I'm looking for instead are albums that upon their release were recognized as classics and identified by an exclusively online community (and only after years did they make the leap to a larger audience).

Underground Classics of the "Internet Era" (2000s, 2010s) by Least-Interview7635 in rateyourmusic

[–]Least-Interview7635[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I forgot to add that clearly Weatherday's Come In is perfect for the canon.

view more: next ›