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 the anticipated new live albums from Arctic Monkeys and Deafheaven, the return of The Network (who is definitely not Green Day in disguise), and the greatest hits compilation from The White Stripes. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
Arctic Monkey – Live At The Royal Albert Hall
A recent episode of Indiecast was all about the many live albums of 2020. The latest release from Arctic Monkeys is a career-spanning performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall that was put to tape in June 2018. Spanning 20 tracks, Live At The Royal Albert Hall simultaneously captures the band’s infectious live energy and inscrutable “cool” factor, especially on classic AM tracks like “Do I Wanna Know?” Plus, proceeds from the album’s sales will benefit the organization War Child UK, which aims to protect and support children affected by war.
Deafheaven – 10 Years Gone
With touring off the table in 2020, Deafheaven instead decided to celebrate their tenth anniversary with a live-in-studio LP, featuring songs from throughout their first decade as a band. It’s everything you’ve come to know and love from the black metal shoegaze outfit’s studio recordings, but with the dialed-up intensity of their live show.
The Network – Money Money 2020 Part II
It’s been seventeen years since The Network, Green Day’s mysterious masked side project, released their debut album Money Money 2020. Now, the band has returned for a brand new LP to celebrate the prophetic title of their debut. Featuring a staggering 25 tracks, Money Money 2020 Part II is equal parts synth-pop and ’80s-inspired new wave, with tracks decrying the Trump family and anti-mask crusaders during the pandemic.
The White Stripes – The White Stripes Greatest Hits
Almost a decade after their break up, The White Stripes have cataloged their legendary career in a new greatest hits set. Although the tracklist is far from a chronological recollection of the band’s discography, it’s a good reminder of just how exciting and innovative the duo could be at the height of their powers.
Ryan Pollie – Museum At The End Of Time
The latest release from Ryan Pollie is 15-minute ambient visual album, designed alongside two leading video synthesis artists. Together, the team patented a new technology to assist with meditation or mindfulness exercises, a groundbreaking way to listen to music that provides a shortcut to a sense of calm and relief from anxiety. Museum At The End Of Time is an entry into the world of calm.
Tigers Jaw – “Lemon Mouth”
2021 is quickly approaching, and with it comes a new Tigers Jaw album. “Lemon Mouth” is the latest preview of the band’s latest effort I Won’t Care How You Remember Me, a shimmering alternative rock track that features Breanna Collins taking on the lead vocal for yet another exciting promise of what’s to come from the full LP.
Orson Wilds – “Stand Up”
On their first single after signing with a major label, Canadian duo Orson Wilds deliver one of the most anthemic indie rock jams since Arcade Fire dropped “Wake Up. “It’s the type of song that instantly grabs you and doesn’t let up until the final notes fade. It’s an exceptional promise of what’s to come from the duo, who is currently at work on their debut full-length album with producer extraordinaire Will Yip. The track’s b-side, “Mothers Daughters,” is pretty exceptional, as well.
Jenny Lewis & Serengeti – “Unblu”
Jenny Lewis has had a relatively quiet 2020, with a few standalone releases here and there. The latest of such releases is a collaboration with Chicago rapper Serengeti, a downtempo number featuring hushed vocals from both collaborators. “Unblu” is said to be the first of a handful of collaborative tracks that the duo recorded remotely during the pandemic.
The Wonder Years – “Out On My Feet”
To celebrate ten years of their breakthrough albums The Upsides and Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing, Philadelphia punks The Wonder Years returned to the mindset of 2010/2011 for a pair of tracks that were recreated from notes and demos of the era. “Out On My Feet” is the heavier of the two new tracks, but still incorporates everything the band has learned to fine-tune their craft in the subsequent decade. The result is a track that will please old-school fans, while also charting a path forward for the band as they embark on their next decade.
Claud – “Soft Spot”
Claud, the first signee to Phoebe Bridgers’ newly minted label Saddest Factory, is gearing up for the release of their debut album, Super Monster. “Soft Spot” is the latest offering from the LP, a warm track wherein Claud sings of dealing with unrequited love and the mixed emotions that come with it.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
