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 Glass Beach, Sleater-Kinney, Khruangbin, and more.
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Glass Beach – Plastic Death
The second Glass Beach album has finally arrived. It has been five years since The First Glass Beach Album, and J. and co. have given us a whirlwind of a follow-up. Plastic Death, over the course of 13 songs, draws from Radiohead, prog rock, emo, hardcore, jazz, and so, so much more. But it would be weirdly reductive to list out the genres and stylistic excursions the now-Tacoma-based band trades in. It may sound heady and possibly clunky on paper, but it couldn’t be farther from that. Glass Beach pulls it all off with aplomb.
Sleater-Kinney – Little Rope
Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker have been pumping out great records since their ‘90s origins in the Pacific Northwest. On classics like 1997’s Dig Me Out and 2005’s The Woods, Tucker’s and Brownstein’s symbiosis of incendiary guitars and anthemic vocals, paired with former drummer Janet Weiss’ scorching drumming, reached a dizzying zenith. That core combination realizes a new form on Little Rope, an album mired in a family tragedy in which Brownstein’s mother and step-father died in a car accident. In Tucker, Brownstein finds another voice for her strife, and they both sound stronger together. Little Rope is their most urgent work in years. The companionship feels tactile.
Kim Gordon – “Bye Bye”
Kim Gordon is one of the most influential voices in punk. As a founding member of indie rock luminaries Sonic Youth, Gordon’s imprint has extended across generations, from the riot grrrl movement to the NYC garage-rock revival. Even outside of the music she has made with Sonic Youth and as a solo artist, her multimedia, interdisciplinary interests have demonstrated her truly singular voice. Whether that be her art exhibits, acting cameos, fashion lines, or directing work, Gordon is a force to be reckoned with. In March, she will release her second solo album, The Collective, and she has shared its bass-heavy, rattling lead single, “Bye Bye.” Like 2019’s No Home Record, her latest song is a potent distillation of the multifaceted nature of Gordon as a songwriter, auteur, and iconoclast.
The Jesus And Mary Chain – “Chemical Animal”
Scottish brothers Jim and William Reid are one of the formative bands of the ‘80s alt-rock wave, which also included the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen and Siouxsie And The Banshees. As The Jesus And Mary Chain, the Reid brothers released some of the most invigorating music of their time, and they’re celebrating 40 years as a band this year. To commemorate the occasion, they’re releasing Glasgow Eyes in early March, and their new single, “Chemical Animal,” shows a mellower side to the album, contrasting the distorted lead single “Jamcod.” Featuring a melodic bassline, a steady, muted drumbeat, and flourishes of white noise, the JAMC sound timeless.
Cheem – “Fake Fans”
Several artists in recent memory, including everyone from glitchy maximalists 100 Gecs to pop dignitary Olivia Rodrigo, have mined the music of their youth for recontextualization. Add Cheem to that ever-growing list, the Connecticut quintet that gave pop-punk, ska, and rap-rock new life on 2022’s Guilty Pleasure. They keep it up on their new single, “Fake Fans,” which sounds like Take This To Your Grave-era Patrick Stump if he got really into DIY indie rock and Andy Hurley played funkier drums. It’s hard to imagine anyone being a fake Cheem fan with a song this good.
Jlin – “The Precision Of Infinity”
On “The Precision Of Infinity,” the lead single for Jlin’s forthcoming album Akoma, the Indiana-born electronic musician unearths another new layer within her frenetic, footwork-inspired beats. She teams up with one of her inspirations, NYC minimalist legend Philip Glass, and Glass’ meditative piano riffs find a fitting home within Jlin’s hyperactive sonic world. They complement each other’s styles beautifully, as Glass’ piano weaves in and out of the mix like a bird flying through the woods, coming and going as Jlin’s dexterous drums and looming sub-bass keep everything grounded.
Ellis – “Obliterate Me”
“Obliterate Me” might be the best song borne out of someone scream-crying to “Karma Police” while speeding. Ellis’ new single, which she shared alongside the announcement of her new album, No Place That Feels Like, is a pure marvel. The Ontario musician envisions a hollow, isolating afterlife over ruminative synth pads and a guitar line that evokes “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” It slowly picks up steam, almost imperceptibly, before it evaporates into the horizon, reflecting the bittersweet ephemerality she sings about.
Laura Jane Grace – “Birds Talk Too”
Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace is less than a month away from sharing her new solo album, Hole In My Head. The latest preview, “Birds Talk Too,” was inspired by Gakkin, a tattoo artist Grace admires who gave her a hand-painted Gretsch guitar while she was on tour in Amsterdam. Moments after receiving it, she absconded to her hotel room and wrote “Birds Talk Too” in a frenzy of inspiration, and that extemporaneous spark fully translates. Its lyrics abound with references to Amsterdam, including the Schiphol Airport and the Rookies Coffeeshop.
Adrianne Lenker – “Sadness As A Gift”
In late 2020, Big Thief frontwoman Adrianne Lenker released two LPs simultaneously: Songs and Instrumentals. She’s back with the forthcoming Bright Future, which includes last year’s one-off Big Thief single “Vampire Empire” and a brand-new tune, “Sadness As A Gift,” which has been something of a fan favorite at Big Thief shows for a while now. Now, that song has finally received proper studio treatment, and it’s certainly a gift.
Khruangbin – “A Love International”
Houston trio Khruangbin are back with their first new record in four years, A LA SALA, and it’s due this April. Alongside that announcement comes “A Love International,” a song built on a relentlessly groovy bassline, in-the-pocket percussion, and a single-string guitar melody that sounds like The xx with funkier sensibilities.
