NMH are a cult band that only released 2 albums in the mid to late 90's. Then they disappeared off the map. Their reclusive singer/songwriter Jeff Mangum literally went underground until a few years ago...no explanation. Then he started playing so some solo dates including festivals.
Their crowning acheivement is their final album "In The Aeroplane, Over The Sea" in 1998. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is widely considered to be written about Anne Frank due to lyrics seemingly referring to her, such as lines referring to her birth and death dates. Though the group has never officially stated that the album is indeed about Frank, it is a popular theory among fans, and Jeff Mangum has mentioned the influence her diary has made on his craft and outright referred to "Holland, 1945" being about her while performing live.
It's widely considered to be one of the best Indie albums ever made, including Q magazine's readers who named it the 16th best album of the last 25 years (in 2010).
Neutral Milk Hotel's sound has influenced numerous groups such as Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Beirut, Franz Ferdinand, and The Decemberists.
Here's another gem:
[video=youtube;bCxEWPLDg5c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCxEWPLDg5c[/video]
