How Well Do You Know Your Indie Lyrics? Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which indie band is responsible for the following lyrics: "The last few months I've been living with this couple. Yeah, you know the kind who buy everything in doubles. They fit together like a puzzle."

Answer: Bright Eyes

The name of this song is "Waste of Paint" and it comes from the album "Lifted or The Story Is In the Soil Keep Your Ear to the Ground". Bright Eyes is a folk/alt-country/indie rock band based in Omaha, Nebraska. This band helped popularize and cultivate the independent label, Saddle Creek Records. If you are a first-time Bright Eyes listener, I would recommend the album "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" to start out with.

2. Finish the lyric from this Azure Ray song: "It's just an ordinary try. We learn to ____, we live to ___. Just accept and don't ask why. My lips they form a crooked smile".

Answer: live, die

The name of this song is "Nothing Like a Song" and it comes from the album "Hold on Love". "Hold on Love" was released in 2003. The members of Azure Ray--Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink--have not made another full-length album as Azure Ray since "Hold on Love," but have been pursuing various exciting solo projects. Maria's latest album is the beautiful, "Lynn Teeter Flower" released by Saddle Creek in 2007, and Orenda has started a new band, Art in Manila, whose debut, "Set the Woods on Fire," was also released on Saddle Creek in 2007.

3. Simon Joyner wrote/recorded a song with the lyrics: "In a perfect world he said we would all be blind, then love would be cerebral. Hey, love should always be cerebral!" What is the name of this song?

Answer: Jeff Engel Rules

This great song comes from the album "Beautiful Losers: Singles and Compilations: 1994-1999" released on Jagjaguwar label in 2006. To me, Simon Joyner is the epitome of what independent music is all about: the art. Every Simon Joyner song drips with such artistic intensity and depth that with every listen comes a completely new experience.

4. What indie pop band is responsible for these lyrics: "Well, I swear that you spilled into my room last night. Oh, covering me in sheets so tight that I didn't move I just laid around until the early afternoon."

Answer: Tilly and the Wall

The name of this song is "Ice Storm, Big Gust, and You" and it comes from Tilly's first full-length album "Wild Like Children," released by Team Love Records in 2004. Oh, how do I describe the sound of Tilly and the Wall? Tilly sounds like teenage summers and puppy love and rainbows. Tilly and the Wall are pure, sugary-sweet candy for my (and your) ears.

5. "I cried myself to sleep last night and the ghost of Carl, he approached my window. I was hypnotized; I was asked to improvise on the attitude, the regret of a thousand centuries of death." The name of the album this lyric comes from is called "Illinois". Can you name the artist?

Answer: Sufjan Stevens

The name of this song is "Come on! Feel the Illinoise!" The album, "Illinois," released on Asthmatic Kitty records in 2005, is the second of Sufjan Stevens' ambitious "50 States Project". The ultra-talented, banjo-picking, heavenly-bluegrass-playing, Sufjan, is endeavoring to produce 50 concept albums each featuring one the 50 united states (already complete and released are two, "Michigan" and "Illinois"). I really hope that Sufjan fulfills his project because judging from what I've heard thus far, I'm ready to listen for the next 50 years.

6. Name the Kimya Dawson song that includes the following lyrics: "I had a dream that I had to drive to Madison to deliver a painting for some silly reason.I took a wrong turn and ended up in Michigan. Paul Baribeau took me to the giant tire swing, gave me a push and he started singing."

Answer: Tire Swing

This song comes from the album "Remember That I Love You" released in 2006 by K Records. Ive only recently become acquainted with Kimyas music, but I can tell you the first thing that attracted me to her was the homemade sound of her songs and the insane, crisp-as-a-new-dollar-bill-but-still-kinda-edgy tonal quality of her voice. Listen to her-I promise only love.

7. Finish this Iron & Wine lyric: "And shes chosen where to be, though shes lost her _________ ring. Somewhere near her misplaced jar of bougainvillea seeds. There are things we cant ________, blind as night that finds us all. Winter tucks her children in, her fragile china dolls."

Answer: wedding, recall

The name of this song is "Passing Afternoon" and it comes from the album "Our Endless Numbered Days" which was released in 2004 by Sub Pop Records. Iron & Wine, centered around the lovely, Sam Beam, is quite a magical, alt-country experience. Sams gorgeous vocals paired with his scrawling poetry and the bands rich sound make for absolute listening pleasure.

8. Which Venzuelan-raised musician(s) wrote/recorded this lyric: "Luna de margarita es como tu luz, como tu voz, y como tu amor."

Answer: Devendra Banhart

The name of this song is "Luna de Margarita" and it comes from the album "Cripple Crow," released in 2005 by XL Recordings. The translation of this verse is "Daisy moon is like your light, like your voice, and like your love". This song is an excellent example of Devendra's eclectic style, showcasing his seamless ability to blend the interesting sounds new age "hippie" folk music with his own Latin American roots.(Not to mention, he's got one helluva freakish-awesome voice.)Folk music en espanol? Yes, please!

*By the way, most of Devendra's music is not in Spanish, but the majority of my favorites from him are.

9. TV On the Radio are responsible for these super-cool lyrics: "And it's been a while since we went wild and that's all fine, but we're sleepwalking through this trial and it's really a crime, it's really a crime, it's really a crime.It's really criminal." Can you name the song?

Answer: I Was A Lover

This song comes from TV on the Radio's third full-length album, "Return to Cookie Mountain," released by Interscope Records in 2006. The guys of TV on the Radio are so cool that they actually got David Bowie to sing backup on one of the tracks on this album ("Province"). "I Was A Lover" is definitely my all-time favorite TV on the Radio song. I love the seemingly strange juxtaposition of the voice and the instrumentals on this piece. For some reason, it works perfectly.

It's a complete, beautiful, funky mess.

10. Which indie artist do these lyrics belong: "Kingdoms and queens they all bow down to you. Branches and ranch hands are bowin' too. And I've taken off my straw hat for you, singing, here comes the sun again."

Answer: M. Ward

The name of this song is "Here Comes the Sun Again" and it hails from M. Ward's fourth studio album, "Transistor Radio," released in 2005 on Merge Records. To my horror, I have recently learned that this song has actually been featured in a Cadillac commercial. Oh no! (That's a big pet peeve for me--great musicians selling their music to promote crappy cars.

It sucks.) Nevertheless, "Here Comes the Sun Again," a bit of a sequel to George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun," is about as pure in beauty as one piece of music or art can be.

Source: Author a_stuart

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Questions about great indie bands and their lyrics.

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