Indie Middle

It's weird to feel marginalised in a hobby that is already at the margins. However, I'm starting to feel that I might be the only person who plays toy soldiers that isn't into metal. There are no end of posts all over t'internet about what songs to listen to while painting and while the genres may differ, they all fall under the umbrella of metal (and yes, even as an indie kid, I'm aware of how broad a description that can be) Anyway, I thought it was time to redress the balance and unleash the wolfy indie:

Howlin' Wolf

Okay, we'll start with the blues. There's a direct line from the blues to metal so this could be the most accessible thing on here (Hendrix was heavily influenced by the blues and his popularisation of the three piece led to the heavy idiom that became popular in the later '60s through bands like Cream and The Who. Since it was Keith Moon who came up with the name Led Zepplin for Jimmy Page, it's not too much of a jump to make)

A Wolf At The Door - Radiohead

It feels a bit unfair to label Radiohead as indie as they tend to span musical genres from rock to jazz. Anyway, this is from the Hail to the Thief album which is awesome despite not being quite as good as The Bends or Kid A.

Let The Wolves Howl At The Moon - Super Furry Animals

SFA are brilliant. That's all that needs to be said really. This is from their "concept album" Hey Venus! which despite being their 8th album is as good as their first.

Lone Wolf - Eels

Eels are another fantastic band who are much underrated. Apart from the music, you need to know that the father of Mark Oliver Everett, the man who essentially is Eels, invented the theory of parallel universes.

Betty and the Werewolves

These released their debut album, Teatime Favourites, earlier this year to no fanfare which is a shame since it's one of the better CDs to come out in 2010. Since everyone else on this list is better know, these are the only band to get a link. The only disappointing thing is that none of them are called Betty

The Wizard Turns on The Giant Silver Flashlight And Puts on His Werewolf Moccasins - The Flaming Lips

It's a bit weird, I search for 'wolf' and 'wolves' on my iPod and it brings back songs by my three favourite bands - Eels, The Flaming Lips and Super Furry Animals.