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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 very best of the indie releases from the past seven days. This week saw The Raconteurs return after more than a decade, Mannequin Pussy unleash their masterpiece new album, and Hatchie finally deliver an official debut.
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The Raconteurs — Help Us Stranger
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11 years is a long time. It took Jack White’s most down-the-middle project more than a decade to reconvene, but it doesn’t sound like it’s been more than a few days. Chock-full of blistering guitar solos, Help Us Stranger is up there as one of White’s best projects of the 2010s, a singular vision of nostalgia for the heyday of rock and roll. White seems happy to share the spotlight with Brendan Benson, who helps focus the pop-oriented side of his writing partner, making songs like the title track and “Bored And Razed” indelible.
Mannequin Pussy — Patience
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Mannequin Pussy’s third LP — and debut effort for Epitaph — is a statement of purpose, a marking of territory, and a ferocious punch to the gut of raw emotion. TL;DR: it’s a really great album from one of the most promising punk bands of recent memory. “The progression on Patience recalls the leap that Nirvana made from Bleach to Nevermind — the sound is more muscular, and the songs are much sharper and more assured,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx. For me, the Nirvana comparisons don’t stop there: Mannequin Pussy is here to take over the world, and they’re ready to fight whoever stands in their way.
Bedouine — Bird Songs Of A Killjoy
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Azniv Korkejian’s brand of folk is unique, but pleasing in a way that feels special and intimate. Throughout Bird Songs Of A Killjoy, her latest effort under the name Bedouine, Korkejian’s voice is like a warm blanket. It offers a sense of comfort and beckons like the throes of your childhood bed. With Bird Songs, Bedouine “successfully mixes the elegance of folk music past with a delicious sense of the present, living in the world of 2019, nodding toward the genre’s history, and fearlessly one-upping herself in the process,” writes Caitlin White for Uproxx.
Hatchie — Keepsake
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A record the defies categorization, Hatchie’s full-length debut has everything from dream pop to industrial to shoegaze to straight-up alternative rock. Shrouded in reverb, each song feels like a dream. On Keepsake, “Hatchie dares to imagine what love, friendship, and community look like from multiple perspectives, in different tempos, in entirely new worlds,” writes Chloe Gilke for Uproxx.
Black Midi – Schlagenheim
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Speaking of music that defies genre, Black Midi’s debut album does just that, channeling art rock and post-punk and so much more. The music is meticulous, but messy; rhythmic, but spastic — it’s honestly really hard to pin down. All of this is why they are “the most exciting new British rock band in a long time,” according to Steven Hyden for Uproxx.
The Regrettes — “I Dare You”
The latest single from The Regrettes’ forthcoming album How Do You Love (out August 9th) sounds like technicolor. Maybe that’s just the video. Either way, “I Dare You” boasts a killer hook that is reminiscent of ’80s pop rock anthems. Lydia Night is only 18, but she already has a fine-tuned knack for pop song structures that will certainly transcend the confines of the clubs onto larger stages.
The Hold Steady — “Denver Haircut”
Thrashing Thru The Passion is out on August 16 and it is the first Hold Steady album in five years, though they have been releasing singles on Bandcamp over the last few sun revolutions. “Denver Haircut” sounds like textbook Hold Steady, with vivid narrative lyrics telling the story of people living on the outskirts of society.
Spoon — “No Bullets Spent”
Spoon are getting ready to single-handedly revive the lost art form of the greatest hits album on July 26, and “No Bullets Spent” is a new offering that pairs nicely with the aforementioned hits from one of the most consistently great rock bands ever. Over a straightforward drum beat, Britt Daniel laments the harsh realities of aging, with a chorus that reminds the listener that “all we need is an accident.” Though, I’m not sure what we need an accident for — maybe to escape the responsibilities of adulthood?
Sheer Mag — “Blood From A Stone”
One of the most consistent and underrated bands of the 2010s, Sheer Mag are back with a new classic-rock infused barn stomper. “Blood From A Stone” previews their new album A Distant Call, which is out August 23. It sounds like a combination of the best parts of Thin Lizzy and The Runaways, complete with a nice, quick guitar solo, if you’re into that type of thing (which I certainly am).
Joanna Sternberg — “Step Away”
Quirky lo-fi folk rock will always occupy a spot in the hearts of indie lovers. Joanna Sternberg is here to fill the void left by the Moldy Peaches with their new album Then I Try Some More, which is due July 12. Accompanied by nothing but a lightly strummed acoustic guitar and a keyboard melody, Sternberg’s voice shines here, wavering to deliver the perfect amount of emotional vulnerability that we all long for.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .