It has been reported that 99 percent of all music streaming activity comes from just 10 percent of all available songs, meaning that the most popular tracks are pretty much all most people listen to. Even if those reported numbers aren’t completely accurate, that still feels true. That’s great for those artists, but what about everybody else? What about the folks who don’t have as much promotional firepower in their arsenal but are still releasing terrific material that ought to be heard? Well, this is my small attempt to help level that disparity: A list of this week’s finest indie albums that you may not have heard, or even heard of.
There were some solid releases this week, like The Dream Syndicate and Wyndham, so check it all out below.
The Dream Syndicate — These Times
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The Los Angeles group has been active since their comeback album in 2017. Today, they’ve shared their third since then, and the group continues to prove that they’re one of the first psychedelic rock purveyors today. “Put Some Miles On” feels like a road/acid trip in song form, and “The Way In” is some good old-fashioned alternative rock.
Wyndham — A Fistful Of Stars
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Wyndham adapts an old-school rock aesthetic to a modern canvas better than most of his contemporaries on A Fistful Of Stars, an album that’s timeless but never aged. Songs like “Time To Kill” sound familiar yet new, and that’s an achievement that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Florida Man — Tropical Depression
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If you’re looking for raw, unsanitized punk, welcome. Florida Man is adept at delivering an out of control ride without never actually losing their grip on the reigns, like on the frenetic “Rat On The Loose” and the punchy garage rock of “Holy Roller.” The next time you hear somebody say the guitar is dead, point them down to Florida, man.
Looms — The Way Up
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There’s some rock-solid indie pedigree here: Wilco guitarist Nels Cline joined the group on “Eclipse,” and much like Wilco, it’s some delightful indie right that’s slightly left of center. The album spawned from the end of a relationship for songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sharif Mekawy, and that sorrow is poignant on songs like “From A Roof.”
Le Boom — All Of My Highs EP
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The Irish duo has delivered electropop done a variety of ways on their new EP: “Dancing Bug” is ready for the floor, “Just Want To” is a funky club banger, and “Be There For You” is reminiscent of Toro Y Moi. This is their debut EP, and it’s a promising, promising start.
Drahla — Useless Coordinates
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The UK group has shared the stage with Parquet Courts before, and that’s an apt reference point for them. The band pumps out post-punk-informed art rock in a similar fashion, and they toe the line between catchy and weird on songs like “Stimulus For Living” and “Pyramid Estate.”
