All The Best New Indie Music From This Week

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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, of pop, or of 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 installment includes a new single from Florence + The Machine , excellent new records from Dawes and Gang Gang Dance, and some great songs from rising artists like Tomberlin, Restorations, and Wild Pink. It was a very good week.

Dawes — Passwords

HUB Records

As part of the Laurel Canyon revival, Dawes has quietly made a successful career on straight-ahead songwriting and breezy rock compositions. Their latest, Passwords, doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel, instead furthers them on their folky journey to grapple with the modern times they live in.

Tomberlin — “Seventeen”

The songs devoted to a teenage number are vast, making up some of the best tracks of all time (Big Star, Youth Lagoon, and Tegan & Sara all come to mind). With “Seventeen,” rising young songwriter Tomberlin makes her own claim to the pantheon of greats within the form, cementing her status as an artist to watch going forward.

Florence + The Machine — “Big God”

In our first tastes of new music from Florence + The Machine, we’ve seen both radio-ready fare and introspective ballads. On “Big God,” Flo walks the tightrope between the two, opening with a spare and moody aesthetic before the song erupts into grandeur. Florence Welch is a woman of many hats, but maybe her best sound is when she wears them all at once.

Wet — “You’re Not Wrong”

The advance singles from Wet’s sophomore album have made it one of the most anticipated albums of the year. On their latest, they enlist pop music’s go-to collaborator, Rostam, for a surprisingly upbeat romp. Wet’s versatility has been the biggest surprise of this cycle, and they continue that streak here.

Wild Pink — “Jewels Drossed In The Runoff”

If you aren’t familiar with Brooklyn rockers Wild Pink yet, that all figures to change once they release their new album next month. Their singles have been a refreshing brand of ’70s and ’80s-inspired rock, like a less-jammy War On Drugs. “Jewels Drossed In The Runoff” continues that trend, showing another shade of what the band does well.

Tony Molina — “Wrong Town”

Time, as they say, is a flat circle. On “Wrong Town,” Bay Area native Tony Molina shows that his circle might be a little smaller than others. Running just over a minute, the song doesn’t feel cut short or incomplete, but just a small gesture towards beauty and expression. It’s proof that modesty and humility still hold great value in the music world, and that small packages can be just as affecting as large ones.

Mothers — “Blame Kit”

When Mothers appeared on the scene a couple years back, the then-Athens-based band occupied a place not far from Angel Olsen, with heartbreaking compositions built on unfamiliar singer-songwriter arrangements. On their new song “Blame Kit,” unconventional time signatures preview something more experimental, like a raw version of Deerhunter. It’s an exciting song that might be challenging to their old fans. That seems like exactly what the band is going for.

Steady Holiday — “Nobody’s Watching”

Steady Holiday has been one of Los Angeles’ most exciting rising artists for the last couple years, and on her just announced new album, she’ll try to take the project to the next level. First single “Nobody’s Watching” might just be the song to it, as the feathery tune floats with ease, juxtaposing lyrics that speak directly to the current political climate.

Restorations — “The Red Door”

It seems like every week I’m writing about an artist who deserves to be heard by, like, many more people than currently do. This week’s entry into that realm in Philadelphia’s Restorations, who return after a four-year gap with an immediate, pulsing rocker that encapsulates everything that the band does well. For anyone that continues to mourn the lack of The Gaslight Anthem making new music, Restorations is a welcome substitute.

Gang Gang Dance — Kazuashita

4AD

Experimental NYC art rock icons Gang Gang Dance are back with their first album in seven years. To say that the music world they return to has changed would be an understatement, but Gang Gang Dance doesn’t seem concerned about much outside their radical creative space and their political causes. The latter boils over into the former, but with their blend of global influences and penchant for unpredictable beauty, Gang Gang Dance sound at home in any era.

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