Getty Image/Ralph Ordaz
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 highly anticipated new albums from Black Midi and Bachelor, a new single from the forthcoming Sleater-Kinney LP, and the return of hardcore heroes Turnstile. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Black Midi – Cavalcade
If you thought Black Midi’s debut album Schlagenheim was a challenging listen, just wait until you hear its follow-up. On their sophomore album Cavalcade the English outfit is what Steven Hyden calls for Uproxx “the rare rock band with a significant profile that is unafraid of irritating people.”
Bachelor – Doomin’ Sun
The debut album from Bachelor was born out of a mutual love of chicken tenders and reality TV. Across the ten tracks of Doomin’ Sun, Palehound’s Ellen Kempner and Jay Som’s Melina Duterte make music that Carolyn Droke calls for Uproxx “both atmospheric and comical, laying out anecdotes like falling in love with the no nonsense confidence of a trashy Florida woman or the endearing charm of a partner unknowingly kicking you all night in their sleep.”
Gulfer/Charmer – Split
The art of the split 7″ seems to have been lost with the advent of streaming, which is a big bummer. But that isn’t stopping Gulfer and Charmer, two of the emo scene’s shining stars, who each contributed one song to a split release that showcases each of their strengths. Gulfer’s “Look” and Charmer’s “Diamond (Sprinkler)” serve as good entry points for both bands.
Sleater-Kinney – “High In The Grass”
The first preview of Sleater-Kinney’s forthcoming LP had a Janet Weiss-sized hole in the arrangement, but the latest offering gets a little closer to filling the void. “High In The Grass” features the off-kilter guitar lead that we’ve come to know and love from Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, and Tucker’s vocals sound as good as ever while she sings of coming alive alongside the blooming spring after a long winter.
Turnstile – “Mystery”
It’s been nearly three years since Turnstile released their major-label debut Time & Space. “Mystery” is the hardcore outfit’s first proper release since then, and showcases a bit of a more experimental vibe than its predecessor. “The loud/soft dynamic — paired with lyrics about fighting for a love that’s running out of gas — gives the song an urgent, Sleigh Bells-meets-“Motorcycle Drive By” kind of vibe,” writes Sarah Grant for Uproxx.
Foxing – “Where The Lightning Strikes Twice”
Foxing have been teasing their forthcoming fourth LP for months, and now the effort finally has a name. Draw Down The Moon is coming this August, and is preceded by the booming and moving single “Where The Lightning Strikes Twice.” “Only Brandon Flowers and company have made songs that are as The Killers-esque as this one,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
Orson Wilds – “dec 19”
Canadian outfit Orson Wilds have been dropping standout after standout single over the last several months, and “dec 19” might just be the strongest of all. Where previous singles “Stand Up” and “Mothers Daughters” took on a more grand and anthemic approach, “dec 19” represents the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s a full-speed-ahead rocker that features epic guitar and vocal melodies.
Ellis – “What If Love Isn’t Enough”
It’s only been slightly more than a year since Ellis released her debut album Born Again, but she’s already back for more with a follow-up EP called Nothing Is Sacred Anymore. “What If Love Isn’t Enough” is the second sampling from the effort, a track about the falsehoods of romantic love that features what Carolyn Droke calls for Uproxx “comfortingly warm guitar chords.”
Lightning Bug – “Song Of The Bell”
The third taste of Lightning Bug’s forthcoming album A Color Of The Sky is a gorgeous number that Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “a neo-nostalgic burst of ’90s-style shoegaze that’s in the same family tree as The Verve’s early-career material and My Bloody Valentine.”
Koreless – “Joy Squad”
In just over a month, Welsh producer Lewis Roberts, who makes music under the name Koreless, will release his debut album, Agor. With the announcement of the new album, Roberts also shared “Joy Squad,” the a glitchy electronic number that seems to build and evolve as it goes on.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
