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 announcement of Lucy Dacus’ highly anticipated third solo album, another genre-defiant new track from Foxing, and an album of Paul McCartney remixes. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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The Armed – Ultrapop
One of the most mysterious — yet constantly talked-about — bands of 2021 is The Armed. Ultrapop is latest from the Detroit punks and is what Steven Hyden could only describe as “bonkers” in a recent Indie Mixtape newsletter. In addition to being a notably very strong group of individuals, The Armed makes music that is very difficult to classify, with sounds ranging from raging hardcore to a more melodic form of electro-fused power pop.
Greta Van Fleet – The Battle At Garden’s Gate
The latest from these modern classic rockers is bigger, shinier, and even more bombastic than the band’s debut. The Battle At Garden’s Gate also features a song that Steven Hyden described for Uproxx as “Axl Rose singing a Celine Dion power ballad on the hull of the Titanic as it is set ablaze by dragons.” What more could you possibly ask for from this young quartet? For a deep dive on why Greta Van Fleet gets so much hate, check out the most recent installment of our Indiecast visualizer series.
Paul McCartney – McCartney III Imagined
Last year, Paul McCartney shared his latest solo album McCartney III, which he recorded by himself throughout quarantine. Now, the Beatle has enlisted some of the brightest stars in rock music including Phoebe Bridgers, Anderson .Paak, St. Vincent, Khruangbin, and more, to reimagine and cover the album’s tracks for a project fittingly titled McCartney III Imagined. The variety of performance styles across the LP makes for a very interesting listen.
Sharon Van Etten – epic Ten
Over the last several weeks, I’ve been including in this column selections from Sharon Van Etten’s epic Ten reissue, which featured an entire album of covers from Big Red Machine, Shamir, Courtney Barnett and Vagabon, and many more. Now, the celebratory project is finally out in its full form, allowing fans to put the original and reimagined tracks side by side.
Babygirl – Losers Weepers
Canadian duo Babygirl have been more of less prolific over the last five years or so, with new songs and projects dropping every few months. Losers Weepers is the latest release, a six-track pop rock EP that is “a collection of songs written for anybody who feels like an underdog, whether it be in their relationships, careers, whatever,” according to a statement from the band.
Lucy Dacus – “Hot & Heavy”
Three years after breaking through with her sophomore album Historian, Lucy Dacus is back with Home Video, a new solo album. The album is preceded by the sought-after fan favorite track “Thumbs,” as well as “Hot & Heavy,” an introspective and nostalgic number that Dacus says is “about me outgrowing past versions of myself.”
Foxing – “Go Down Together”
After a few years of silence since the release of their epic album Nearer, My God, Foxing is slowly returning to the spotlight with new music. “Go Down Together” is the second song from the St. Louis band in a few weeks, and finds them leaving behind their emo-tinged roots in favor of more pop sensibilities. Musically and stylistically, the track is “among the band’s most accessible work so far,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
Origami Angel – “Footloose Cannonball Brothers”
Origami Angel is gearing up to release their sophomore album, Gami Gang, a sprawling double-LP that is already one of my favorite albums of 2021. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s been difficult to really get excited about new music over the last year. However, “Footloose Cannonball Brothers” is an example of a track so undeniably engaging that it’s difficult to look past, making Origami Angel an important band to watch over the next several months.
Jodi – “Go Slowly”
You might recognize multi-instrumentalist Nick Levine from their time on the guitar and pedal steel in Pinegrove. Now, Levine is setting out on their own for a solo project under the name Jodi. “Go Slowly” is the first taste of what to expect from Jodi’s debut album Blue Heron, a beautiful self-described “queer country” track that retains a refined twang from Levine’s former project.
Maple Glider – “Swimming”
Australian songwriter Tori Zietsch is gearing up to release her debut album under the Maple Glider moniker in a few short months. To Enjoy The Only Thing is previewed by “Swimming,” a sparse, ethereal number that Zietsch said is a “rubbish attempt at a love song.”
EKKSTACY – “I Want To Be By Your Side” (ft. Herhexx)
18-year-old Vancouver songwriter EKKSTACY has delivered the perfect soundtrack for a gloomy day with “I Want To Be By Your Side.” Featuring guest vocals from Herhexx, the dreary, straightforward guitar riff is supplemented by rolling percussion as the duo recall life failures through a veil of heavy reverb.
Tendertwin – “Absolute Nobody”
Bilge Nur Yilmaz was born in Turkey, but currently splits her time between Philadelphia and London. The music of Yilmaz’s Tendertwin project retains this feeling of existing between time and space, with the new track “Absolute Nobody” employing elements of folk and pop to create a unique sound that is equal parts relaxing and intriguing.
Islands – “Set The Fairlight”
Islands’ first album in five years, Islomania, is due in June, and the band is steadily rolling out new music to ease back into the musical spotlight. “Set The Fairlight” is the latest preview of the new LP, a track that Nick Thorburn said is about “isolation and the desire to reach out and touch someone” in the midst of a global pandemic. Don’t let the weighty subject matter deter you – “Set The Fairlight” is an extremely fun synth-pop number.
Uwade – “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow”
21-year-old singer-songwriter Uwade grew her following greatly last year after being featured on Fleet Foxes’ Shore. Now, the Nigerian-American artist is sharing her second-ever original track with “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow,” a gorgeous and aching ode to her late father.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
