True indie lovers are likely to shun any compilation that features the indie world's biggest artists' biggest singles, since hipster bylaws state that an indie artist must stay obscure to be reputable. By nature, most hipsters are pretentiously under the impression that it's only respectable to mention an indie band that crossed over into the mainstream when it's in reference to a first rare bootleg EP that was cool before the band's popular album was released. But before this turns into an analysis penned by Jeff Foxworthy -- "you know you're a hipster if," it should be mentioned that territorial indie rock experts will find this compilation completely unnecessary, and should direct themselves elsewhere. Those newcomers who are unfamiliar with the artists on this disc (yes, there are still some people who aren't aware of indie rock) will find it a valuable sampler platter for introducing new music, in the fashion of a K-Tel compilation or the alternative collection Stanley, Son of Theodore, and a pretty good one, since at least half of these artists are essential to have in a blossoming indie rock record collection. It's not a comp for the trendy, since most of the songs are from albums that have already broken ground in the past year or two, and the artists aren't brand new or up and comers. However, the song choices are solid, despite the fact that they aren't necessarily the biggest hits. It's doubtful that someone with limited knowledge of indie rock's wide span will enjoy every type of band, and due to the scattered musical styles the flow wavers a bit, especially towards the end of the disc with lackluster tunes by Cold War Kids ("Hang Me Up to Dry") and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists ("Colleen") but hopefully, listeners will walk away from this release educated enough to dig further into their favorite artists' back catalogs. In a perfect world, the formerly uninformed will invest in Deerhoof's amazing The Runners Four, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Fever to Tell and the godfather of indie releases, Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. Think of it as the Christmas present that could potentially convert your mom and little brother from Neil Diamond and HIM fans into aficionados of Cat Power and Of Montreal. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide