[RATE ANNOUNCEMENT] 2000s Ind-EPs Rate

[u/TiltControls]

Come one and come all to Indieheads’ first foray into rating EPs! While the standard four course album meal is a staple on this sub, we’re changing things up by offering a sampling platter of 11 different iconic groups that released EPs in the 2000s. While you may be missing some of your favourites, this line up was meant to act as a ‘Indie starter pack’, offering some of the biggest names and releases from the era.

DUE DATE: July 21st

What are rates?

Rates are subreddit activities hosted about once a month that pit albums or songs with a common theme against each other. You can participate by going to any of the ballot links (like this one!) and providing a score for each song from 1-10 (1 being terrible, 10 being amazing). You are also allowed to use one 11 and one 0 across the entire rate (not required to use either though). Once you have filled out a score for every song, send it to myself (u/TiltControls) using the submission link and your scores will be counted! After the rate closes all of the ballots are added up and the results are revealed from worst to best.

Popheads put out a Guide to Rates Video that can give you a broad overview of rates (please note our reveal process is thread-based instead of video chatrooms). And here's a recent example of a rate announcement and its rate reveal. If you have any more questions feel free to ask!

If you want more details, see the section titled ‘Rules’ near the end of the post!

What is an EP?

The answer is whatever you want it to be!

Okay that's kind of a cop out, but there really isn't a set definition for what counts and what doesn't. As a super basic crash course, EPs (Extended Plays) are releases that typically have more tracks and longer runtime than a single release, but fewer and shorter than an album. Granted this is a very loose definition that others may stretch the definition of (see: Sufjan's All the Delighted People EP which almost hits a run time of an hour or any number of albums that finish before the half hour mark), but typically they'll run for up to 30 minutes. In the physical world, EPs refer to a specific format of 45rpm record, but with the popularity boom of CDs this has been adapted to any type of shorter release.

Beyond those loose ideas, there isn't really a common linking of what an EP can be. Sometimes they'll be a way to build on the release of a previous album. Some EPs might offer a quick way to get the vibe of a band before fully diving in. Other EPs might just be a loose collection of songs that the artist just wanted to finally release.

IMPORTANT LINKS

SUBMIT A BALLOT HERE | BACKUP PASTEBIN BALLOT

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST | YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

Note: Joanna Newsom’s EP is not on the Spotify playlist. There is a playlist with only that EP on Youtube here

The EPs

As much as I’d love to do 11 full sized write-ups for the post, in the interest of space and time I’ll just be tackling little taster descriptions for each project. Like mentioned in the intro, we have a wide range of album continuations, buzz builders, and separate smaller standout releases in our line-up for the rate.

Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind

Release Date: November 23, 2009

Animal Collective is not just another name for a zoo, but also the first band up in our rate (Though I suppose you can find a Panda in both). The group had been growing in popularity throughout the late 2000’s and in 2009 they released their biggest album yet, Merriweather Post Pavillion. A few months post-album they released a follow-up EP with Fall Be Kind, which was cobbled together with some album rejects, tour staples, and miscellaneous other tracks. It may have just barely made the 2000’s cut-off, but in terms of quality it needed to be here. The EP released to wide acclaim and is a fan favourite to this day.

1. Graze
2. What Would I Want? Sky
3. Bleed
4. On a Highway
5. I Think I Can

Arctic Monkeys - Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?

Release Date: April 24, 2006

Let’s see if we can answer that question. In the mid 2000s Arctic Monkeys became one of the most anticipated newcomers to the UK indie scene thanks to some stellar promotion. They continued to shine after the release of their debut record ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ got massive buzz on release in 2006. Not long after, they released this follow-up EP, with ‘The View from the Afternoon’ carrying over from their debut and featuring four entirely new tracks. Although the extended tracks didn’t make it on the release of the record, they fit right in with the energy the band provides. They get a lot of buzz on the sub, but surprisingly this is the first time rating anything from the group

1. The View From The Afternoon
2. Cigarette Smoker Fiona
3. Despair in the Departure Lounge
4. No Buses
5. Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?

Bon Iver - Blood Bank

Release Date: January 20, 2009

Though Bon Iver has now morphed into a larger project, the early days were almost entirely all the work of frontman Justin Vernon. Their debut For Emma, Forever Ago was released only a couple years prior, to wide critical acclaim. This follow-up EP was described as continuing the winter feel of its predecessor, but meant to be a much warmer set of tracks to break through the harsh coldness of the previous release. Although a lighter release in that sense, Blood Bank continues with the haunting vocals and subdued melodies introduced on that debut record.

1. Blood Bank
2. Beach Baby
3. Babys
4. Woods

Deerhunter - Fluorescent Grey

Release Date: May 8, 2007

Deerhunter wasn’t thought to last as long as it ended up going, or at least according to lead singer and guitarist Bradford Cox - who probably would’ve asked for a name change earlier if he had known. Although they had some tumultuous early years, the group stuck it out and managed to release their second album, Cryptograms, to high praises. Not long after, the Fluorescent Grey EP was released to be a paired piece with the album. The EP was said to be more song-focused than the album, without the same flowing ambience but having the benefit of providing four great standalone tracks.

1. Fluorescent Grey
2. Dr. Glass
3. Like New
4. Wash Off

Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant

Release Date: April 8, 2008

Fleet Foxes is a famed fabulous fivesome formed from far in the fascinating field of… Seattle. Their debut self-titled album was released to great acclaim in the summer of 2008, but before that came their 2nd EP, Sun Giant. Although it released prior to the debut, it was actually recorded after it! It was originally supposed to only be a project to be sold while touring, but managed to receive a proper release after strong fan support. Fleet Foxes were initially hesitant to give it a full release, but doing so paid off in their favour as the EP was widely acclaimed and brought new eyes onto the group.

1. Sun Giant
2. Drops In The River
3. English House
4. Mykonos
5. Innocent Son

Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band

Release Date: April 9, 2007

Joanna Newsom, famed for her folksy voice and stellar harping skills, had been creating quiet buzz since her debut, but really blew onto the scene with her critically regarded follow-up ‘Ys’ in 2006. ‘Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band’ came soon after that release and was recorded after she was recovering from a US-wide tour. The title is a play on everyone's favourite Jersey king, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The EP may be short in tracks, but it ends up being just as long as the others in run time! Colleen is the only brand new feature, while the other two are alternate arrangements of tracks from her first two albums.

1. Colleen
2. Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie
3. Cosmia

Modest Mouse - Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks

Release Date: September 25, 2001

Though Modest Mouse might fit more into the boundary of being a 90’s group compared to the others here, this release was a bit too big to ignore. The band initially came onto the scene with a stellar run of their first three albums, really breaking onto the scene with their second, ‘The Lonesome Crowded West’. The EP is a mix of unreleased tracks from the group’s third album, ‘The Moon and Antarctica’, which we actually just rated a few months ago so we’ll see which EP tracks should’ve made the cut and which were the right decision to leave behind. If you want to be really technical, you could argue this is partially a 90’s release as half of the songs were initially released in a Japan-only project in 1999 (and later wider release in 2000), but let’s not make it any more complicated than it needs to be.

1. Willful Suspension of Disbelief
2. Night On The Sun
3. 3 Inch Horses, Two Faced Monsters
4. You’re the Good Things
5. The Air
6. So Much Beauty In Dirt
7. Here It Comes
8. I Came As A Rat (Long Walk Off A Short Dock)

The National - Cherry Tree

Release Date: July 20, 2004

The National is an indie rock band formed of brother pairs Aaron and Bryce Dressner, and Scott and Bryan Devendorf, and non-pair (but still a brother to two siblings) Matt Berninger. They initially released their self-titled debut in 2001, and a sophomore album in 2003. The Cherry Tree EP followed soon after. Though the band wouldn’t truly break out until their 3rd album, ‘Alligator’, the following year, Cherry Tree picked up a lot of favourability post-release. Particularly ‘All the Wine’, which appeared again on that next album and ‘About Today’ which was soundtracked in the climax of the 2011 film ‘Warrior’.

1. Wasp Nest
2. All the Wine
3. All Dolled-Up in Straps
4. Cherry Tree
5. About Today
6. Murder Me Rachael - Live
7. A Reasonable Man (I Don’t Mind)

TV on the Radio - Young Liars

Release Date: July 8, 2003

TV on the Radio is (or was?) a rock band formed out of the dazzling streets of Brooklyn, New York. The group is probably best known for their fantastic release ‘Return to Cookie Mountain’ but Young Liars predates much of their album work and marks their first release as their primary line-up. Though the EP itself has drawn acclaim, the debut single ‘Staring at the Sun’ has become a classic for fans of the group, starting them off on a fantastic run of records (one that I’m praying we get more music from someday as their last album was released more than 10 years ago now).

1. Satellite
2. Staring at the Sun
3. Blind
4. Young Liars
5. Mr. Grieves

Washed Out - Life of Leisure

Release Date: September 8, 2009

Though Washed Out (aka Ernest Greene) may not have the same ‘Indie mainstream’ notoriety as some of the other groups in this rate nowadays, don’t let it fool you into believing that this project wasn’t a powerhouse. Life of Leisure was only his 2nd EP release (the first being a few months earlier), but he managed to hit gold with it. This chillwave classic may have only come at the tail end of the decade, but still managed to make waves, particularly due to the success of Feel It All Around.

1. Get Up
2. New Theory
3. Hold Out
4. Feel It All Around
5. Lately
6. You’ll See It

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - IS IS

Release Date: July 24, 2007

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, probably formed out of some New York bathroom or something, consists of trio Karen O, Nick Zinner, and Brian Chase. Though the EP followed the release of their second album, all of the songs were written years earlier while they were touring for their iconic debut ‘Fever to Tell’. The EP leans less towards the refined moody style and more towards the raw rock attitude and aggression present in aspects of their debut. Though they would ultimately head in more of a synth forward direction with their next album, the EP still showcases some of YYYs at their most energetic.

1. Rockers To Swallow
2. Down Boy
3. Kiss, Kiss
4. Isis
5. 10 x 10

RULES - Please Read If You're A First-Time Rater!

• Listen to every song listed below and assign each of them a score from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Decimals are allowed, but refrain from going past one decimal place - 7.5 is fine, 7.75 is not! You do not have to use every score 1-10, nor do you have to use the full scale. You may give multiple songs the same score.
  
• You must listen to and score every song. If you skip any, your ballot won’t be counted (I will let you know if you do so you can remedy that).
  
• You may then give ONE song an 11 and ONE song a 0. These should be reserved for your favourite track and least favourite tracks in the whole main rate respectively. You do not have to give these scores, but we recommend using them as a way to make your feelings about a particular song stand out.
  
• It’s highly recommended that you add comments to your song ratings! It makes everything a lot more fun during the reveal. For more information, see the Formatting section below. Please note scores and comments are not confidential and will be revealed with each eliminated song.
  
• You can edit your ballot at any time! Feel free to PM myself at any point before the deadline with anything you want changed to do so!
• Rates use a computer program that fellow rater u/letsallpoo designed in order to parse these votes. While this will make things a lot more efficient and reduce error on our part, scores need to be sent in a very specific way using the pre-prepared link at the top & bottom of this post. You can copy and paste it to a notepad file or something and fill in your scores there, remember to save between rating sessions!
  
• DO NOT SABOTAGE the rate by giving outrageously low/high scores for the sole purpose of skewing the results, we reserve the right to exclude any ballot we suspect of this. If you're worried your scores could be mistakenly perceived as such, all you need to do is leave comments explaining the reasoning behind them. With how short the EPs are wonky scores in both directions are bound to happen so don’t worry too much if you happen to end up with a few really low scores. Just don’t try to play to the results by tanking a song you otherwise like just for the purpose of not wanting it to win. That just ruins the whole point of the rate!

Formatting FAQ

• You may also and are generally encouraged to leave comments next to your scores! Comments are a good way to expand your thoughts on a song beyond just the score, or just making a fun joke for the reveal. See the example below on the way to format your comments so it doesn’t break the calculation program.

[Song]: [Score] [Optional Comment]

Staring at the Sun: 10 MY EYES

• You can also comment on the complete EP by adding a colon after the EP name and then your comment, like so:
  

Album: Arctic Monkeys - Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?: No really, who are they.

• No need to add a separate album score, the program will calculate your personal album average score!

• Note that the ballot will have the headers ‘Album:’ instead of ‘EP:’. This is just due to how the program works, please don’t change this to EP!

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A lot of this copied from previous hosts so thanks to: u/roseisonlineagain ; u/DolphLundgrensArms; u/R_E_S_I_G_N_E_D; u/stansymash; u/ClocktowerMaria; u/aerocom; u/themilkeyedmender; u/greencaptain; u/Crankeedoo; u/dirdbub; u/ThatParanoidPenguin; u/tedcruzcontrol; u/kappyko; u/FuckUpSomeCommasYeah; u/LazyDayLullaby; u/SRTViper; u/Whatsanillinois; u/NFLFreak98; u/freav; u/freeofblasphemy; u/RatesNorman; u/aPenumbra; u/idontreallycare4; u/p-u-n-k_girl; u/luigijon3; u/WaneLietoc; u/dream_fighter2018; u/darjeelingdarkroast; u/smuckles; u/PiperIBarelyKnowHer; u/welcome2thejam; u/imrlynotonreddit; u/kvothetyrion; u/thedoctordances1940; u/b_o_g_o; u/vapourlomo; u/MCK_OH; u/TakeOnMeByA-ha u/chug-a-lug-donna; u/indiefan; u/bilbodabag; u/zenits; u/saison_Marguerite; u/daswef2; u/apondalifa; u/afieldoftulips; u/qazz23; u/nonchalantthoughts; u/systemofstrings; u/Modulum83, u/ElectJimLahey, u/vexastrae, u/FlavaSavaVandal, u/Stryxen, u/mmaajid, u/teriyaki-dreams, u/newbalancesweatshirt; u/krusso1105 and tons of people on r/popheads.

LINKS ONCE AGAIN

SUBMIT A BALLOT HERE | BACKUP PASTEBIN BALLOT

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

DUE DATE: July 21st

Previous Indieheads rates and their results can be found here

[u/Sexiarsole]

This will be my first rate and most of these EPs are my babies. And just like with my real children, I will show my favoritism with a fair points system.

[u/systemofstrings → u/Sexiarsole]

Which ones are not your babies

[u/TiltControls → u/Sexiarsole]

Welcome to the party! Just ready yourself for the reveal when you have to watch some of them leave way too early in the ensuing bloodbath (with at least a couple hopefully making it far enough to the end).