Top 10 Indie Artists of the Decade

Based on opinion and observations made working at a college radio sta tion for four years, I've compiled a list of the 10 'best' indie artists of the last decade. Not all of the artists are favorites of mine, but I think each is noteworthy and represents resurgences of styles and cross-sections of important musical scenes. In no particular order:

1. Animal Collective - Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Animal Collective have successfully captured the attention of an audience that spans the indie and pop scenes. With their weird, experimental (yet largely accessible) sound and strongly stylized image, they've introduced a young generation to an entirely new sound. Expect many, many bands to list them as an influence in the future.

2. Devendra Banhart - Poster boy of the 'psych-folk' and New Weird America movement, Banhart is known for his peculiar singing voice and fanciful lyrics. He's the reason headbands and hippies are hip again. His label, Gnomonsong, has also released music in the same vein.

3. Dan Deacon - Another musician hugely popular in the Baltimore scene, Deacon has popularized a glitchy, electronic sound and neo-psychedelic style. He's also known for his live performances.

4. Grizzly Bear - A band out of Brooklyn (where other important indie artists like Yeasayer emerged) with huge, symphonic and beautiful sounds, dreamy vocals and an animal referenced in their name--this basically sums up everything you need to make it in this decade.

5. No Age - Los Angeles-based, two proto-punk skate kids make infectiuos, old-school music, re-defining the uniquely forever-summer sound that was especially popular Summer 2009 with bands like Wavves and Vivian Girls echoing the playfulness and irreverance of No Age.

6. Arcade Fire - A band out of Montreal with an epic, symphonic sound who, like Animal Collective, have garnered much mainstream attention and praise. Their album Funeral continues to be hugely influential, and was the indie soundtrack for the entire year of its release. They were the sonic counterbalance to the stripped-down folkiness of New Weird America.

7. Dirty Projectors - Underappreciated yet largely influential, also from Brooklyn. Dirty Projectors is Dave Longstreth and collaborators creating weird, falsetto-laden experimental sound. In the past few years they've gotten increasingly more attention, and have collaboarated with the likes of David Byrne. To me, they're a less-accessible, more-interesting Animal Collective.

8. Hot Chip - Hot Chip is important for making dance music acceptable again. Hot Chip taught indie kids to dance to euro-trash-inspired electronic beats.

9. Bon Iver - After the hype of New Weird America died down, Bon Iver brought the folk fever back, with a stunningly beautiful 2006 release For Emma, Forever Ago. Haunting love songs which feel timeless and distinctly modern all at once.

10. Beach House - My personal favorite on this list, and one of my favorite bands to emerge in the past few years. Beach House followed in the folk-wave and brought back lo-fi, with downbeat, off-tempo kickdrums, humming synths, and Victoria Legrand's operatic, strange, beautiful voice. January 2010's Zebra introduces an entirely new, yet decidedly Beach House, sound and is perhaps their best album to date. Expect them on many best-of lists in the next year.