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 latest from Lana Del Rey, the long-awaited release of Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett’s official score for Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her, and the first new music from Foxing in more than three years. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey’s follow-up to Norman F*cking Rockwell, our favorite album album of 2019, is a more subdued and calculated affair. With just 11 tracks, Chemtrails Over The Country Club manages to once again remind us what Lana is what Steven Hyden calls for Uproxx “a master of vibe.”
Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett – Her (Original Score)
I have written in the past about the incredible ways that Spike Jonze’s incorporates music in his work to evoke in the viewer the exact emotion portrayed on screen. Jonze’s last feature film, Her, was released all the way back in 2013, and was accompanied by an Oscar-nominated score from Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett. Now, without so much as an explanation, the highly sought-after score has been officially released for your listening pleasure. Don’t miss it.
Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest
On their sophomore album, Australian rockers Middle Kids look to reconcile with the past. The tracks the comprise Today We’re The Greatest are airy and meditative, creating the necessary space to dig in and understand.
Chase Cohl – Dear Dear: Volume 1 EP
You might know Chase Cohl as a poet or fashion entrepreneur, or model, but now she is adding musician to her resume. Dear Dear: Volume 1 was recorded at Los Angeles studio Valentine Sound, which served as the home base for artists like The Beach Boys and Elvis Presley. The time capsule element of the space definitely makes its way into the EP’s four tracks, evoking classic love songs. They just don’t make ’em the way they used to!
Foxing – “Speak With The Dead” (ft. WHY?)
Foxing has been relatively quiet since the cycle supporting their (incredible) 2018 album Nearer My God. That’s all about to change with the release of “Speak With The Dead,” a nearly seven-minute opus featuring WHY?. “For over a year now, we’ve all either faced a direct encounter or a biting proxy for death,” the band wrote in a statement accompanying the release. “When it feels like the ones we love are lost entirely, this song is meant to be a reminder, we couldn’t shake them if we tried. Wherever we go there they are.”
Lord Huron – “Mine Forever”
A month after sharing a new song called “Not Dead Yet,” Lord Huron have officially announced a new album called Long Lost. With the announcement came another new track, the breezy and heartland rock-inspired “Mine Forever.”
Mxmtoon – “Creep” (Radiohead cover)
The Life Is Strange series of video games has become a beloved success since the debut title was released back in 2015, and Mxmtoon fans are even more excited about the newest installment after finding out that she had been tapped to provide the singing voice for the main character, Alex. As a first taste of what the music sounds like, Mxmtoon shared her rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” on social media, giving the legendary a track a new reinterpretation that makes it a perfect fit for a video game.
Alex Lahey – “This Kiss” (Faith Hill cover)
Alex Lahey is taking it back to 1998 with a cover of Faith Hill’s massive crossover hit “This Kiss.” For her version, Lahey gave the track a distinctly 2021 vibe – she “cranked up the tempo and added electric guitars, turning the country-pop song into a modern indie rocker,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
Hit Like A Girl – “Monsters”
Hit Like A Girl just announced their new album Heart Racer, and it is somehow already here. “Monsters” is the latest offering from the LP, and was inspired by a paradigm-shifting panic attack that Nicolle Maroulis incurred recently. The new track features Bartees Strange, and opens with buoyant, shimmering chords before the full band enters to evoke Maroulis’s new perspective.
Fake Dad – “Listen”
And now for something completely different. Brooklyn’s Fake Dad formed back in 2018, but the forthcoming Old Baby EP is their first official release. “Listen” combines the best of R&B with bubbly electronic indie-pop for a truly enjoyable listen, and a promising sign of what’s to come from the up-and-coming duo.
Squid – “Paddling”
Buzzing UK outfit Squid are just a few weeks away from unleashing their debut album Bright Green Field. Every new teaser has been more intriguing than the last, and “Paddling” is no different. The six-minute epic covers a lot of sonic ground, embracing “shades of David Byrne, The B-52s, and punk,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
Lightning Bug – “The Right Thing Is Hard To Do”
Lightning Bug’s new album, A Color Of The Sky, was recorded live in a rundown home-turned makeshift studio in the Catskills. The album’s first single “The Right Thing Is Hard To Do” has the organic sounds of a live recording on full display, but still manages to sound incredibly rich and full of dimension. Definitely a track to throw on as you roll down the windows for your first long drive of spring!
Allison Russell – “Nightflyer”
After years spent as the mastermind of projects like Our Native Daughters and Birds of Chicago, Canadian songwriter Allison Russell is embarking on a path as a solo artist, for the first time. “Nightflyer” is the first stop in this new journey, a slow-burning attempt to come to terms with the childhood abuse she suffered at the hands of her white stepfather. Russell’s vocals crack with emotion throughout, over light percussion and plucked acoustic guitars.
Pollard – “Bottom Line”
After moving from the midwest to New York City, Kyle Luck took a few years off from music. Now, the former Oliver Houston songwriter is back with new solo music under the name Pollard. “Bottom Line” is a more subdued affair than Luck’s previous emo-inspired work, but still showcases the strength of his songwriting skills as he laments the punishing cycle of being a part of the modern American workforce.
Early Riser – “Pleasantries”
New York lo-fi folk punks Early Riser are prepping their new album Vocations, which is out later this week. The latest offering is “Pleasantries,” a fast, infectious punk number centered around acoustic guitar. Early Riser is reminiscent of bands like Lipstick Homicide, which will always give them a place in my heart.
The Dumes – “Caught”
Los Angeles-based quintet The Dumes make music perfect for warm weather. Their forthcoming EP Everything Is Horrible was produced by Grammy-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes, The Killers), and you can hear the shine and polish coming off a track like “Caught,” which makes the best of jangly guitars and Elodie Tomlinson’s rollicking vocal.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
