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 The National, Death Cab For Cutie, Chvrches, Blur, and more.
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Fiddlehead — Death Is Nothing To Us
The third Fiddlehead album Death Is Nothing To Us is a riot. The opening track “The Deathlife” watches frontman Patrick Flynn yelling as passionately as he did in his days in cult-followed hardcore band Have Heart; closer “Going To Die” is similarly a tumultuous highlight. In between are dynamics tracks that take the listener through the ups and downs of grief and gratitude.
Jean Dawson — DESTRUCTION FOR DUMMIES PT. 2
Made up of three songs called “NO SCOPE,” “X-RAY,” and “VEXED,” the second part of Jean Dawson’s trilogy is rivetingly atmospheric, with “VEXED” as the most memorable track. “I only sleep when I’m stressed / Smoking cigarettes throwing up / Putting off sh*t for fun / I don’t own nobody none,” Dawson raps, finding power in a brooding, low-key ambiance that sheds more light on his dreamlike vocals.
Runnner — Live In Los Angeles 8-09-2022
If you (like me) have not had the honor of experiencing Runnner’s daydreamy folk ballads in-person, then this new live album will fill the void. His songs are already intimate and emotional enough in recorded versions, but these renditions from shows are an even harder punch to the gut.
Blur — The Ballad Of Darren
Blur’s new album The Ballad Of Darren is as cinematic as it sounds. The opening ballad bursts with the melodrama of the beginning of a movie; the following track “St. Charles Square” is an idiosyncratic anthem that flirts with classic rock, kicking off with the amazing line: “I f*cked up / I’m not the first to do it.”
The National — “Space Invader”
The National released their new album First Two Pages of Frankenstein, but they’re already back with new material, consisting of songs “Space Invader” and “Alphabet City.” The former is a standout, encapsulating their evocative, gloomy sound and dismal lyrics whose delivery is resigned and powerful.
Death Cab For Cutie — “Arrow In The Wall”
Death Cab For Cutie pleased many indie fans with last year’s album Asphalt Meadows, and they’re already back with a new song. It’s more upbeat and catchy then the band usually is; however, Ben Gibbard’s distinct vocals fit perfectly against the buzzing sonic backdrop.
Chvrches — “Manhattan”
In October, Chvrches are sharing the 10th-anniversary edition of The Bones of What You Believe. “Manhattan” is a hallucinatory, pulsating song that comes from the album, and it has equally as trippy lyrics: “Eyes like mine / Watching you blow us all to hell.”
Sun June — “Get Enough”
Sun June are back with a disarming new indie earworm called “Get Enough.” Against lighthearted, buoyant sound with vulnerable, poignant lyrics: “And it’s easy for me to get lonely when I love someone / It’ll all come down in an instant / I can feel it / I can almost taste it,” Laura Colwell sings in a mesmeric lull.
Another Michael — “Candle”
Preparing for the release of two albums (Wishes to Fulfill this year, and Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down in 2024), Another Michael are sharing another preview of what’s to come. “Candle” is a warped, groovy dream-pop ballad that captures the delirium of nostalgia: “Seeing it all again / I remember what happened back then / When we were going through it / Seeing it all go down.”
Diners — “Working On My Dreams”
Diners, the project of Blue Broderick, have announced a new album called Domino, and the lead single “Working On My Dreams” is an infectious power-pop treat with lyrics that are irresistible to sing along to: “Anywhere you go, people wanna know, / How to have a real time. / Habit overdue, looking for a clue, / Tangled up and tongue-tied.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
