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 1975, Julien Baker, Alvvays, and more.
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Quinton Brock — My Shadow
Buffalo-based artist Quinton Brock cashed in on his hype with his debut album My Shadow this week. The genre-fluid 17-track album features a medley of jangly indie rock on tracks like “Morning Coffee” and “Touch” and propulsive pop punk tunes like “Wannabe.” The ambitious project has a few guests as well, inviting artists Portugal. The Man., Travie McCoy, and Pink Siifu to rock out beside him.
The 1975 — “Part Of The Band”
The 1975 officially kicked off a new era of music with the witty and wistful track “Part Of The Band.” With a prominent string section, the song sounds heavily inspired by indie folk artists like Bon Iver. “Part Of The Band” heralds their upcoming LP Being Funny In A Foreign Language and shows a promising new direction for the band.
Julien Baker — “Guthrie”
Speaking of wistful folk-inspired music, Julien Baker dropped off the lulling single “Guthrie” this week. The song arrives as a B-side to her acclaimed 2021 LP Little Oblivions and is a callback to some of her earlier music with stripped-down production and a pastoral acoustic guitar.
Alvvays — “Pharmacist”
2010’s indie rock favorites Alvvays dropped “Pharmacist,” their first new music in nearly five years. The shoegazy and upbeat tune includes a fun and noisy instrumental break and officially points to their forthcoming third studio album Blue Rev, which is set to arrive this fall.
The Brazen Youth — “If These Wild Winds Are Yours” Feat. Alix Page
Connecticut trio The Brazen Youth’s shimmering track “If These Wild Winds Are Yours” officially points to Eagle, Idaho, an album centered around coping with loss and change. “I think my true ambition in life is to simply be at peace,” band member Nic Lussier said about the project. “That’s a theme that has found its way into the album, and into our songwriting as a band as we’ve gotten a little older.”
The Mars Volta — “Graveyard Love”
After breaking their lengthy hiatus and making a triumphant return last month, The Mars Volta drop the striking new track “Graveyard Love.” Leaning into a synth-forward production, “Graveyard Love” is teeming with energy and hard rock influences that tease their anticipated upcoming tour.
CHAI — “Hero’s Journey” Feat. Superorganism
After making waves with their debut LP Wink last year, Japanese quartet CHAI is back with another whimsical release. The effortlessly bright and sunny track “Hero’s Journey” is a feel-good tune arriving just in time for summer. It features UK indie-pop band Superorganism, who described the song as a “sugary explosion of nothing but pure and refined girl bossery.”
Florist — “Feathers”
Folksy indie powerhouse Florist is just about to release their self-titled fourth studio album, which they’ve so far previewed with a number of cathartic tracks. Their latest, “Feathers,” is no different, creating wistful soundscapes with dreamy arrangements and pleasant prose. “This song is a meditation on the cycles we follow all throughout our lives,” lead singer Emily Sprague noted about the track. “As individuals, as families, as humans.”
Lande Hekt — “Gay Space Cadets”
Lande Hekt is offering escapism in the form of a queer space adventure fantasy with her new single “Gay Space Cadets.” The gauzy song is layered with tranquil tones and reverberating guitars and officially announces her upcoming solo album House Without A View. “It’s a daydreaming song about wanting a life of excitement and adventure rather than a dull and ordinary life — one where people underestimate you and belittle you,” Hekt said about the single. “And where you’re forced to buy into capitalism and become a pathetic, losing player in a game that you hate. I’d rather escape and live in a queer space fantasy and be brave.”
The Berries — “Down That Road Again”
The Berries’ bandleader Matt Berry is no stranger to the indie rock scene. Having played in groups like Happy Diving, Big Bite (Pop Wig), Angel Du$t, and Dark Tea, Berry has mastered his craft at the intersection of indie rock and americana. With his third studio album High Flying Man, Berry takes on themes of isolation, as previewed with the track “Down That Road Again.” The meandering single features expansive melodies and cascading chords coupled with Berry’s twangy lyrical delivery.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
