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 PJ Harvey, Feeble Little Horse, Sharon Van Etten, Pup, and more.
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Fiddlehead — “Sullenboy”
Fiddlehead’s discography is a sprawling exploration of grief and life. 2018’s Springtime And Blind was a colossal masterwork of a debut; 2021’s Between The Richness was an introspective, amplified follow-up. Now, the Boston-based band is back with the announcement of Death Is Nothing To Us, and the lead single “Sullenboy” encapsulates their ambitious post-hardcore greatness. When Patrick Flynn shouts empathetically to replace fear with love, his voice is saturated with hope and understanding.
Feeble Little Horse — Girl With Fish
Singles like “Tin Man” and “Steamroller” were bewitching slices of Feeble Little Horse’s delightfully weird album Girl With Fish. Mixing blared-out indie rock with elements of twang and hyperpop is a formula for success. The record moves mesmerizingly like a medley, floating between captivating sounds, unpredictable.
Pup — “How To Live With Yourself” & “Smoke Screen”
Last year, Pup unleashed the explosive album The Unraveling Of PupTheBand. The punks have returned with B-sides from the mayhem. The infectious melodies, the unhinged instrumentation, the big build-ups are retained on these new songs “How To Live With Yourself” and “Smoke Screen.” The love for Pup is simple — they shred.
Sharon Van Etten — “Quiet Eyes”
Sharon Van Etten’s music has always had a haunting and beautiful texture not unlike an A24 film, so it makes sense that she made a song for Past Lives. “Quiet Eyes” showcases her otherworldly, evocative vocals, while grappling with ideas of longing, loss, and identity.
PJ Harvey — “I Inside The Old I Dying”
“This delicate and beautiful song eluded us until the very last day in the studio,” legend PJ Harvey said about her singular new ballad “I Inside The Old I Dying.” It does sound made up of magic; her voice is angelic. She describes the result as “the ethereal and melancholic longing I was looking for,” and there’s no better way to put it.
Soft Kill — Metta World Peace
Soft Kill’s Canary Yellow was an overlooked gem of last year, released on Halloween and containing some of the best indie-rock earworms you’ll ever hear, like the triumphant “Magic Garden.” They’re already shared another album, the elusive Metta World Peace, which returns to the dark, synth-based sound they started off with. “Trouble” is a highlight, capturing their eerie magic.
The Front Bottoms — “Punching Bag”
The New Jersey-based group The Front Bottoms have been celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their emo classic Talon Of The Hawk. Since then, they’ve been teasing You Are Who You Hang Out With, which draws from that early material by sticking to an intimate, stripped-down sound and detailed lyricism, especially on this vulnerable new track “Punching Bag.”
Lydia Loveless — “Toothache”
Lydia Loveless is back with the announcement of Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again out this fall. The lead single “Toothache” vibrates with the brazen confidence of that album title; her tone is unafraid against a flirty bassline as she sings: “How many times have you said that it’s never too late / What about a heartbreak?”
Wombo — Slab
Wombo are masters in post-punk. This is especially true on the song “Slab.” It explodes with colorful riffs and energetic rhythms, topped off with Sydney Chadwick’s deadpan delivery. However, the rest of the Slab EP explores new territory as they float through softer sounds on “Thread” and “Wolfe Ave 40.”
Restraining Order — “Misled”
Restraining Order’s songs are just bursts of energy — like the unexpected explosion of illicit fireworks or the invigorating feeling of driving well over the speed limit. 2019’s This World Is Too Much remains a hardcore masterpiece, and their new single “Misled,” from their forthcoming record Locked in Time, is a massive supernova.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
