10 Perfect Indie Albums Of The 1990s

10. Exile In Guyville - Liz Phair

Part of the beauty behind the '90s alternative scene was that there were no rules anymore. After being defined by the neon colored craziness for the past decade, the idea of having just people making music that was from the heart that appealed to you was a breath of fresh air on its own. Hell, sometimes you'd find the albums that would even get a little too close for comfort.

In the era when riot grrl was about to dominate the culture, Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville was something a little different, bringing together pop friendly hooks with a sort of snide cynicism towards romance. Although there are a lot of great moments on here like Never Said which could cross over to a larger audience, that wasn't what Liz was really going for. Going through the track listing, this is a woman trying desperately to hold on to any of her sanity through her interactions.

Even though the title of something like "F*ck and Run" might seem a little ridiculous, the story that you have to go with it has the potential to casually break your heart if you're not careful. While Liz's career would go through a lot more ill advised directions after this, it's pretty excusable when you make a record that's this good on your first try. Move over heartthrobs...indie had found its new goddess.