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 two more Big Thief songs, an awesome Nada Surf cover from Pom Pom Squad, and a new track from Waxahatchee. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Big Thief – “No Reason” / “Spud Infinity”
Big Thief’s massive 20-track album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is just a few months away, and we’ve already heard almost half of it. “No Reason” and “Spud Infinity” are the latest additions to the list, and both show completely different sides of the band. “Spud Infinity” is a relatively funky affair featuring an epic jaw harp section, while “No Reason” boasts an equally epic flute solo.
Pom Pom Squad – “Popular” (Nada Surf cover)
All the way back in March of this year, Pom Pom Squad’s Mia Berrin tweeted, “I’m gonna recreate the video for popular by Nada Surf but I’m gonna play every character.” Nine months later, Berrin has made good on her promise with a cover so faithful that she even recreated the original video nearly shot-for-shot. For added effect, Nada Surf vocalist Matthew Caws even contributed backing vocals to the track.
Waxahatchee – “Tomorrow”
In just a few weeks, AppleTV+ will release their animated adaptation of Cece Bell’s 2014 graphic novel El Deafo. The show features an original soundtrack by Waxahatchee, and this week we got the first taste of what to expect from the accompanying music. “Tomorrow” doesn’t sound too far from Katie Crutchfield’s recent work as Waxahatchee, with a bit of extra upbeat punchiness to accompany the show’s animation.
Band Of Horses – “In Need Of Repair”
It’s been more than five years since the last Band Of Horses album, but that’s all about to change with the release of their sixth LP, Things Are Great, early next year. “In Need Of Repair” is the latest taste of the album, which Derrick Rossignol describes for Uproxx as “an easygoing and heartfelt single,” and continues the narrative of the band looking to return to their musical roots.
Cat Power – “I’ll Be Seeing You” (Billie Holiday cover)
Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) is no stranger to covers albums. Next year, she’ll follow up The Covers Album, released in 2000, with an all-new collection titled Covers. Along with the album announcement, Marshall shared a sparse, emotional rendition of Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Be Seeing You,” which Marshall described in a statement as “a conversation with those on the other side… and it’s really important for me to reach out to people that way.”