“Indie rock” is a frustratingly vague term, even for those who deal with it every day. As the genre grows, it seems to become definable only by what it’s not. But even that method of exclusion becomes useless when famously “indie” groups like Modest Mouse sign to major labels and still release killer material. San Francisco’s the Dont’s leave no question as to what they are: an independent rock band that deliberately departs from the mainstream. The unsigned band’s latest release, Inner El Camino, officially due out January 30, honors the patron saints of indie rock — groups like the Fall (check out opener “Blah Blah Blah” at their MySpace page) and the aforementioned Modest Mouse — without sounding derivative. Instead, it sounds edgy and wildly creative. Who cares what bands influenced the Dont’s? Only those too jaded to realize this is a fantastic indie rock record.
.MP3 of the Day: The Dont’s’ “Blah Blah Blah”
