Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Alex G, The 1975, Mac DeMarco, and more.
While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.
Alex G — God Save The Animals
This week, Alex G dropped his tenth studio album God Save The Animals, and it’s already shaping up to be his magnum opus. The 13-track effort combines bluesy influences on tracks like “Mission” and “No Bitterness,” heard most distinctly on 2017’s Rocket, while leaning into experimentation like the auto-tuned number “S.D.O.S” and “Cross The Sea.”
Khruangbin, Vieux Farka Touré — Ali
Texas trio Khruangbin are known for their unmistakable jam band-like chemistry both on stage and in the studio. That magic doesn’t get lost — only amplified — on their collaborations. After dropping the silky-smooth EP Texas Moon in collaboration with Leon Bridges, Khruangbin honor a legendary musician with Ali, an ode to Mali’s renowned musician Ali Farka Touré. Recorded with his son, Vieux Farka Touré, Ali combines Khruangbin’s signature psychedelic guitar with the inspired sounds of Touré’s West African hits.
The Wonder Years — The Hum Goes On Forever
The Wonder Years‘ early albums were all about suburbia woes. But this time around, The Wonder Years had a different inspiration for their music: parenthood. With their latest album The Hum Goes On Forever, the pop-punk veterans continue with their aesthetic that first set them apart from the pack, while also honing their sound (and leaning on a helping hand from none other than pop punk legend Mark Hoppus). Overall, The Hum Goes On Forever manages to be both melancholy and inspiring, proving that you never truly lose your punk edge, even in parenthood.
Remember Sports — Leap Day
Remember Remember Sports? They’ve been building a steady catalog of power pop songs since 2017, their latest album arriving just last year. But this week, the band returned with a surprise EP, the four-track project Leap Day. Laced with frenetic riffs and explosive refrains, vocalist/guitarist Carmen Perry aptly describes the project as “a great EP for walking around your neighborhood on a sunny day and noticing things you never noticed before.”
Wild Pink — “See You Better Now” Feat. J Mascis
Following up Wild Pink’s 2021 album of the year contender A Billion Little Lights, the band have been moving from strength to strength with the singles off their upcoming LP ILYSM. The latest, “See You Better Now,” is wistful and nostalgic and even features a guitar solo by J Mascis. Wild Pink’s John Ross calls the track the “most straightforward love song on the album” and notes it was inspired by Tom Petty and Traveling Wilburys, which certainly comes through in Ross’ talky cadence.
Alvvays — “Belinda Says”
Fans have been patiently awaiting a new album from Alvvays following the Canadian indie-pop group’s 2017 sophomore release. But the wait is close to over, as the band are releasing their next project, Blue Rev, next month. Their latest single “Belinda Says” is a dreamy ode to ’80s pop icon Belinda Carlisle, and references her hit “Heaven Is A Place On Earth.” The song starts off with an explosion of fuzzy instrumentals which perfectly compliment vocalist Molly Rankin’s magnetism.
The 1975 — “All I Need To Hear”
The 1975 have been showing off their diverse songwriting abilities with the recent singles off the forthcoming Being Funny In A Foreign Language. They’ve delivered the folksy track “Part Of The Band” and the exuberant pop anthem “I’m In Love With You.” But this time, The 1975 show off their romantic side with the piano ballad “All I Need To Hear.” The slowed-down number is sincere and swooning, perfect for setting a late-night mood or taking the floor for a first dance at a wedding.
Mac DeMarco, Snail Mail — “A Cuckhold’s Refrain – Peppermint Patty”
It’s been a little while since Mac DeMarco has put out an album (since 2019’s Here Comes The Cowboy to be exact), but his new collaboration with Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan proves he hasn’t lost his musical talent or his humorous edge. The song, titled “A Cuckhold’s Refrain,” is booth tongue-in-cheek and groovy, somehow managing to be a jam even while using the lyrics “scrub a dub dub.”
Tenci — “Vanishing Coin”
Chicago band Tenci first won over hearts with their pastoral charm and lead singer Jess Shoman’s unique, throaty lyrical delivery. Now preparing their sophomore album A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing, the band makes it clear they haven’t let go of their enveloping sound, only refined it on the new track “Vanishing Coin.” The new songs carry a new perspective, a result of the band becoming older and wiser, which is reflected throughout “Vanishing Coin,” a song about the ebbs and flows of friendships.
Miss Grit — “Like You”
After turning heads with two critically acclaimed EPs over the past few years, Miss Grit is coming off a newly inked deal with Mute for their new single, “Like You.” The track is haunting, catchy, and vibrant, inspired by our inner voices and the actions they encouraged. “I had the character of Ex Machina in mind as the voice I was singing from,” Miss Grit said of the song. “Her arc in the movie felt really beautiful to me, and I wanted to reach the same ending as her in this song.”
