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 Hurray For The Riff Raff, MGMT, Perfume Genius, and more.
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MGMT – Loss Of Life
MGMT, the duo comprising vocalist Andrew VanWyngarden and multi-instrumentalist Ben Goldwasser, have one of the most fascinating career trajectories in contemporary music. They satirized rock stardom only to be embraced by the very industry they critiqued, leading them to pursue outré stylings on records like 2010’s Congratulations and 2013’s MGMT. They came back to synth-pop on 2018’s Little Dark Age, their most accessible work since Oracular Spectacular. On Loss Of Life, their sixth album, MGMT resuscitates the psychedelic leanings of their sophomore album on tracks like “Nothing To Declare” and “People In The Streets” but keeps the pop-centric songwriting à la Elephant 6. It’s their first for Mom + Pop, so they are now officially an indie band after cementing themselves as one of the definitive indie bands of the late aughts.
Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive
Alynda Segarra’s songs are heartfelt and spellbinding. As Hurray For The Riff Raff, they chronicle universal themes like grief, youth, and love with disarming specificity and a memoirist’s gift for storytelling. The Past Is Still Alive, their magnificent new record that reunites them with producer Brad Cook, is full of songs like these. Whether it’s the country-fried travelogue “Hawkmoon” or the twangy, moving ode to queer existence “Colossus Of Roads,” Segarra’s pen remains as sharp as ever.
Bonny Light Horseman – “When I Was Younger”
Each member of folk trio Bonny Light Horseman is a singular talent. There’s Anaïs Mitchell, who wrote the Broadway musical Hadestown, Eric D. Johnson, who also performs with Fruit Bats, and Josh Kaufman, who has worked with everyone from Taylor Swift to The War On Drugs. When they combine powers, it’s transcendent. Such is the case with “When I Was Younger,” their first single for revered indie label Jagjaguwar. It’s a stunning paean to both lost youth and gained wisdom, its soft piano chords and discordant guitar solo conveying the conflicted emotions that aging can bring.
Perfume Genius – “What A Difference A Day Makes”
“What A Difference A Day Makes” has been passed down over the years, as most standards are. Mexican songwriter María Grever originally penned it in the 1930s, and Dinah Washington popularized it in the English language a couple of decades later. Now, Mike Hadreas, who makes swirling indie-pop as Perfume Genius, has shared his own rendition. Hadreas’ version is starkly minimalist, soft in tone and texture. There’s seldom anything save for Hadreas’ trembling, soothing vocals and gentle piano. Embellishments like quiet horns and cooing harmonies are here only for atmosphere, coming and going like the days and hours themselves.
Glitterer – Rationale
Glitterer is a band now. The project’s genesis as Ned Russin’s solo endeavor has now expanded to include a more varied instrumental palette, such as (ahem) glittering synthesizers, rich guitar tones, and pummeling drums. But that doesn’t stop Russin and co. from discarding post-hardcore entirely on Rationale, the group’s latest album. Having honed his chops as co-vocalist and bassist of Kingston kingpins Title Fight, Russin’s vision for his new pursuit is his most realized yet. Cramming 12 songs into a speedy 21-and-a-half minutes, Glitterer doesn’t ask for much of your attention, but they shouldn’t have to; to put it simply, the songs rip.
Nourished By Time – “Hand On Me”
Marcus Brown, the mastermind behind Nourished By Time, released one of the best albums of 2023 with Erotic Probiotic 2, a brilliant blend of synth-pop, new jack swing, and Baltimore club. Freshly signed to XL Recordings, Brown is back with an EP next month, Catching Chickens, named after the footwork-testing scene in Rocky II. “Hand On Me,” its lead single, is everything that’s wonderful about Nourished By Time condensed into a three-minute package: scurrying drums, catchy synth melodies, and Brown’s idiosyncratic baritone.
Bat For Lashes – “The Dream Of Delphi”
On her latest single as Bat For Lashes, Natasha Khan embodies a character she calls “the Motherwitch.” “The Dream Of Delphi,” the single in question and the title track of her upcoming record, is named after her three-year-old daughter, Delphi. Khan invented the character to explore new motherhood from another perspective, further opening the creative wellspring the English artist has drawn from throughout her storied career. The song itself is beautiful, building on a repeated melody that yields to harps, strings, and, eventually, IDM drums. “The Dream Of Delphi” is one from which you’ll never want to wake up.
King Isis – “Monki”
King Isis is primed for their bona fide breakout moment. Having already released singles like “Make It Up” and her Scales EP last year, they’re now releasing another EP, Shed, next month. Whereas “Make It Up” dabbled in synth-pop, King Isis’ latest single, “Monki,” takes cues from ‘90s alternative rock with its distorted guitars and snarling delivery.
Real Estate – Daniel
Real Estate have been a tight-knit indie rock operating machine since their eponymous debut in 2009. For their sixth album, Daniel, however, they recruited a new collaborator: a guy named Daniel. To be more specific, they’ve worked with Daniel Tashian, a songwriter and producer best known for his work on Kacey Musgraves’ genre-bending masterpiece Golden Hour. Still, Daniel is pure Real Estate. Its lived-in melodies, earthen guitar tones, and winsome harmonies coalesce to form yet another wonderful Real Estate record.
Mac DeMarco – “Boku Wa Chotto”
It has been over 50 years since Japanese songwriter Haruomi Hosono released his influential debut solo record, Hosono House. To celebrate its five-decade anniversary, several musicians have banded together to create a compilation album of covers from it. Indie rocker Mac DeMarco’s take on “Boku Wa Chotto” retains the original’s relaxed yet freewheeling spirit with its dulcet acoustic guitar and DeMarco’s mellow vocal performance.
Hurray For The Riff Raff is a Warner Music artist. .
