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 a surprise new solo album from Hayley Williams, the tenth studio album from Foo Fighters, and a Boygenius reunion on the new Julien Baker single. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Foo Fighters – Medicine At Midnight
The Foo Fighters sound a little different on their tenth studio album. For Medicine At Midnight, the veteran rockers take more influence from David Bowie’s dance period than the alternative rock sound of their contemporaries. With spastic time signature shifts and other experimental looks, the album marks a journey into uncharted territory for the Foos.
Hayley Williams – Flowers For Vases / Descansos
Less than a year after releasing her debut solo album Petals For Armor, Hayley Williams is back with another full-length effort. Flowers For Vases / Descansos is a more laid-back affair than its predecessor, focused mostly on acoustic and piano tracks that showcase Williams’ raw songwriting and ability to anchor a song with little more than her infectious vocal.
Vampire Weekend – 40:42 EP
“2021” was the shortest cut on Vampire Weekend’s 2019 album Father Of The Bride, clocking in at just 1 minute and 38 seconds. To celebrate the arrival of 2021, the band recruited both jazz saxophonist Sam Gendel and jam band Goose to give the track an extended makeover, with each artist delivering versions of the song that clock in at 20 minutes and 21 seconds. “Gendel’s rendition is a spaced-out and jazzy affair while Goose takes things in the jammy direction that Vampire Weekend have flirted with in recent years,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
The Staves – Good Woman
On their third album, The Staves take a more experimental and electronic approach than their last Justin Vernon-produced effort. Good Woman was written in the aftermath of the passing of the sisters’ mother, as well as Camilla Stavely-Taylor’s decision to leave a long-term relationship. Both events, and the ensuing grief, informed much of what would go into the record, which Caitlin White calls for Uproxx “an album only these sisters could make.”
The Weather Station – Ignorance
On the latest album from The Weather Station, Tamara Lindeman “specializes in incisive, insightful songwriting set to warm, organic sounds that evoke the glory years of sensitive tunesmiths in the 1960s and 70s,” writes Steven Hyden in a recent issue of the Indie Mixtape newsletter. Ignorance is among Lindeman’s best work to date, and will certainly prove the staying power of The Weather Station.
Sun June – Somewhere
Sun June’s sophomore album finds them zeroing in on exactly what makes their band sound special, and fine-tuning it to create the fullest illustration of why the band deserves the spotlight. “Throughout eleven gripping tracks, the Austin, Texas five-piece find poetry in the monotony and grief of life’s most dramatic moments,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Julien Baker – “Favor”
With her third LP just around the corner, Julien Baker has shared the latest new single “Favor,” which reunites her with her Boygenius bandmates Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers. The track continues to illustrate the full-band feel of Little Oblivion, and “features Baker singing reflective verses over a shuffling beat,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Rostam – “These Kids We Knew”
On his first official new music of 2021, Rostam delivers a breezy number with a heavy narrative. With simple, repeated lyrics, the former Vampire Weekend member “takes a critical position on how older generations deal (or don’t deal) with climate issues,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
USERx – “Headsick” Feat. Manchester Orchestra
With two singles under their belt, UserX — comprised of songwriter Matt Maeson and producer Rozwell — are prepping for the release of their debut EP. The announcement of the EP was paired with another new single, this time featuring Manchester Orchestra. The emotional and nostalgic “Headsick” marks the first time that the three artists have collaborated, but it was “an incredibly validating feeling,” Maeson said in a statement. “Matt and Roz are a really complimentary team and the final product gave me the chills,” Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull added.
The Armed – “All Futures”
On the first taste of their forthcoming album, The Armed give a good indication of what Ultrapop can be. With eight members performing at the same time, “All Futures” combines elements of metal, noise, and other “heavy” subgenres into what can only be described as… “Ultrapop.”
Spirit Of The Beehive – “There’s Nothing You Can’t Do”
Fun fact: toward the end of my tenure as a resident of a punk house, we booked Spirit Of The Beehive. Nearly five years later, this version of the band sounds very different than the one that played in my living room that night, but “There’s Nothing You Can’t Do” still maintains the chameleonic energy that made them so exciting in the first place. The track is a dark, almost gothic, electronic track that goes to show how much the band has evolved on their forthcoming debut LP Entertainment.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
