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 album from Snail Mail, the announcement of a Franz Ferdinand greatest hits set, and a star-studded new track from Christian Lee Hutson. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Radiohead – Kid A Mnesia
After Steven Hyden called upon Radiohead to combine Kid A and Amnesiac into the ultimate Radiohead album, the band listened. Kid A Mnesia is the long-awaited combination of the two LPs, with additional unreleased material and B-sides tacked on to make for another third full-length effort. It serves as a document of an era for when the band was at their most inventive and experimental.
Snail Mail – Valentine
Three years ago, Lindsey Jordan catapulted into the upper echelons of the indie scene at the age of 18 with her debut album Lush. Where several artists have returned in 2021 with notably scaled-back productions (see: Clairo, Lorde, Taylor Swift etc.), Jordan took the opposite approach to flessh out the Snail Mail sound for her sophomore album Valentine. On Valentine, Jordan has “expanded her musical palate significantly, layering her songs with keyboards and strings in a manner consistent with ‘mature sophomore efforts’ from young indie phenoms,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.
Hana Vu – Public Storage
In case you missed it, Hana Vu made waves in a big way with her 2018 EP How Many Times Have You Driven By, and her new album Public Storage continues down the path toward a more refined sonic environment. Across 12 tracks, Public Storage is a ceaselessly original body of work that pushes Vu to new heights as a songwriter and producer.
Dijon – Absolutely
After a run of excellent EPs, New York artist Dijon has finally unveiled Absolutely, his proper debut album. The first full-focus distillation of Dijon’s talent, the album has the nu-wave R&B singer tackling all boundaries of genre and sound to unleash something truly unique and evocative.
Munya – Voyage To Mars
At long last, Josie Bolvin has revealed her debut album under the name Munya. Bolvin served as producer, songwriter, engineer, and performer on Voyage To Mars, making the LP a stellar introduction to the singular artistic vision, based in her background in opera and jazz.
Bent Knee – Frosting
The new album from Bent Knee boasts elements of what made bands like Glass Beach and Foxing so exciting, but with more of a tendency for the unexpected. Frosting is truly a whirlwind of musical insanity, with the Boston six-piece proving that they are fully capable of existing on their own terms, without any of the restrictions of “convention.”
Jenny Lewis – “Puppy And A Truck”
Jenny Lewis has been out on the road over the last few months playing arenas with Harry Styles, and now she’s back with some brand new music to signal a new era. The breezy new track “Puppy And A Truck” has Lewis reflecting on how awful the world has been lately, before revealing her secret for improving her mental state: a new puppy and a truck.
Christian Lee Hutson – “Strawberry Lemonade”
Christian Lee Hutson has been pretty prolific over the last year or so, with a full-length album and an EP to his name. Now, he’s back with even more music. “Strawberry Lemonade” was produced by Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, features instrumentation from Bright Eyes’ Nate Walcott, Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy on electric guitar, as well as Oberst and Sharon Silva on backup vocals. “The song itself is a tender acoustic guitar ballad that’s a quiet reflection on mistakes and rebirth,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Franz Ferdinand – “Billy Goodbye”
Greatest hits albums are a lost art, but Franz Ferdinand is here to revitalize the genre. Hits To The Head is due in March, and comes with two brand new cuts from the band. “Billy Goodbye” is one of those tracks, which were recorded last year to accompany a list of tracks that Alex Kapranos described in a statement as “obvious singles, but also songs you know have a special meaning for both band and audience.”
Cassandra Jenkins – “American Spirits”
Cassandra Jenkins is prepping to release a series of alternate cuts and outtakes from the sessions for her February album An Overview On Phenomenal Nature later this month. “American Spirits” is one of the new offerings, which Carolyn Droke describes for Uproxx as “a swell of swirling soundcapes brought together by the low hum of Jenkins’ moving vocals.”
Young Guv – “Lo Lo Lonely”
You might recognize Ben Cook from his work in No Warning and Fucked Up but Young Guv is Cook’s solo project reserved for massive choruses and his best power pop output. “Lo Lo Lonely” is the lead single from the forthcoming Guv III, a stomping anthem that evokes the best of Oasis.
Waveform – “Favorite Song”
The latest addition to the Run For Cover Records roster is Connecticut duo Waveform, who are set to release a remastered version of their album Last Room early next year. To celebrate the announcement, Waveform shared the album’s opening track “Favorite Song,” an idyllic dream-pop number that quickly illustrates the duo’s songwriting strengths and potential.
Dan Campbell – “In Love In Various Rooms”
Dan Campbell is, first and foremost, a storyteller. His forthcoming debut solo album, Other People’s Lives, is culled from songs he was commissioned to write and record for individuals during the heights of the pandemic. “In Love In Various Rooms” is a startlingly vivid look into, well, another person’s life.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
