Amplified Vault: Decoding The Apples In Stereo – Ranking Every Album

The Apples in Stereo grew out of the early 1990s underground and became one of the central bands associated with the Elephant 6 Recording Co., alongside Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. At the center was singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Robert Schneider, who always went into albums with new recording techniques and ideas to make the next record unique while still maintaining a classic indie pop structure.

The band’s lineup shifted over time, with Hilarie Sidney, Jim McIntyre, Chris Parfitt, John Hill, Eric Allen, John Dufilho and others contributing during different eras, but Schneider’s vision has always been the driver. What separated The Apples from many of their Elephant 6 peers was just how direct their songs could be, some of the most pop leaning we heard from the collective. Studio experimentation mattered, but so did the chorus. Even at their strangest, The Apples in Stereo remained a power pop band at heart and were always good for a perfect three minute song.