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 Strange Ranger, Claud, Grian Chatten, Panchiko, and more.
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Grian Chatten — “Fairlies”
The Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten is stepping out on his own for this new song “Fairlies.” His vocals are disarming and intimate, and the ambiance is jovial: “No fair / They can talk to me / I can live alone / I can live alone / Happy,” he sings. Fans of his band are sure to like it, though it’s quite a bit different.
Bush Tetras — “Things I Put Together”
Bush Tetras are a riot, most known for their 1983 feminist classic “Too Many Creeps.” Their first album in eleven years is on its way, titled They Live In My Head, and the single “Things I Put Together” is a compelling first taste. The guitars are playful and sharp, and the vocals are as strong as ever with an infectious melody.
Greg Mendez — Greg Mendez
Greg Mendez’s new album opens with a church organ. His voice comes in with a Conor Oberst-like quiver over an acoustic guitar, uttering lines of anguish: “I don’t mind if you stay tonight / It’s just another promise you never meant.” There’s a weightlessness with the pain, especially on the record’s highlight “Sweetie.” Over more funeral-esque organs, he intones, “I won’t love again after you.” His words hold so much immediacy that there’s a freeing aspect to it. Greg Mendez is a religious experience.
Cusp — You Can Do It All
Cusp’s 2021 EP Spill was a treat. You Can Do It All watches the band going all in, showcasing exactly what they’ve got. The first lines of the album are instantly impactful: “You said you had a dream / Where I couldn’t speak,” Jen Bender mumbles. It spills satisfyingly into the following, upbeat track “Dead Things Talk,” which also ruminates on the topic of slumber: “I could sleep / For a year and wake up tired from a dream.” The blown-out “Limited Edition” is the record’s centerpiece, exploding with Ovlov-like guitars that envelope the listener into its warm embrace.
Drain — Living Proof
Drain are known for unrelenting, cutthroat hardcore tinged with metal. Living Proof is the latest of their mischief and its unabashedly fun and angry throughout, speckled with pissed-off growls and tumultuous instrumentation. At 25 minutes, it’s a jam-packed experience with plenty of breakdowns.
Gouge Away — “Idealized”
It’s been five years since Florida’s Gouge Away unveiled their last album Burnt Sugar, a hardcore masterpiece. Their new ripper “Idealized” marks a brazen comeback, unfurling with their usual brooding tension that builds into an off-kilter melody. The hook is shouted infectiously: “No apology,” and it gets better every time.
Claud — “Every F*cking Time”
From their just-announced new album Supermodels, “Every F*cking Time” is a touching preview of what’s to come. The ballad explores an unsatisfactory relationship, serving as a place for Claud to reckon with disappointments: “By the way I’m playing next Friday / I want you there but I know you’ll miss the train / And you’ll show up at the last song / But tell me you were there all along,” they sing.
Strange Ranger — “She’s On Fire”
Strange Ranger vocalist and guitarist Isaac Eiger said in a statement that “music is the steadying hand I lean on when looking for meaning. It provides a spiritualism that feels absent from much of life and I want to be as close to that feeling as possible.” “She’s On Fire” is a dive into that meaning and spirituality; the sprawling song has a transcendent texture with entrancing vocals and a tame rhythm.
Clearbody — “New Essence”
Charlotte, North Carolina’s Clearbody impressed many with their debut One More Day. “New Essence” is a more vibrant take on their shoegaze sound, moving swiftly with glimmering guitars and breezy instrumentation reminiscent of Drop Nineteens. The track comes from their forthcoming EP Bend Into A Blur.
Panchiko — Failed At Math(s)
To say Panchiko’s new record Failed At Math(s) is highly anticipated is an understatement. It’s their first album in over two decades. The band is known for having a cult-following online after their LP D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L caught traction on the Internet forums well after the group broke up. The idiosyncrasy that they’re cherished for is retained on Failed At Math(s), twinkling and glitching with their distinct personality.
