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 new music from Bartees Strange, Perfume Genius, Claud, and more.
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Bartees Strange — Farm To Table
Since the release of his 2020 debut album Live Forever, Bartees Strange has skyrocketed to center stage — and his ambitious new album Farm To Table shows why. The concise 10-track effort runs through an eclectic blend of musical genres from his hip-hop-inspired flow on “Cosigns” to pop-punk inspired guitar chords on tracks like “Mulholland Dr.”
Perfume Genius — Ugly Season
Perfume Genius returned with the dazzling album Ugly Season this week, which was written just weeks following his 2020 LP Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. One of his most collaborative works to date, which also includes an accompanying dance film Pygmalion’s Ugly Season, Mike Hadras created intoxicating atmospheres to layer his fluttering vocals over on tracks like “Pop Song!” It also includes several woozy mostly instrumental numbers that show off his experimental side.
Nova Twins — Supernova
UK duo Nova Twins, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South, dropped their anticipated stadium rock LP Supernova. Named “the best band you’ve never heard of” by Tom Morello, Nova Twins prove their hype is well-deserved with 11 electrifying tracks featuring ripping electric guitars, distorted bass, and confident, in-your-face lyrics.
Caregiver — Bathing In Yesterday’s Fire
Sacramento songwriter Caregiver breaks through her confines with sophomore album Bathing In Yesterday’s Fire. Blanketed in lush storytelling and heart-tugging reflections on identity and relationships, the album is a cathartic folk-rock exploration of womanhood and the modern condition.
Claud — “Go Home!”
After making a name for themselves with their buzzy debut album Super Monster, Claud shares the energetic “Go Home!” as their first single of the year. Featuring cascading chords and their earnest lyrical delivery, “Go Home!” is a sunny ballad arriving just in time for summer. “‘Go Home!’ is about falling into that hole of feeling awkward and uncomfortable in your own skin that all you crave is going home and sliding into whatever is familiar,” Claud said of the single.
The Beths — “Silence Is Golden”
Rolling out a new era of music around their recently announced project Expert In A Dying Field, New Zealand band The Beths share their propulsive track “Silence Is Golden.” One of their most ripping tracks to date, “Silence Is Golden” combines arousing hooks and fast-paced riffs, showing off the band’s refined songwriting.
MICHELLE — “Sea Shanty”
NYC-based collective MICHELLE released their project After Dinner We Talk Dreams earlier this year, but that wasn’t the end of new music from the band. Now sharing new music ahead of an upcoming tour, MICHELLE release the endlessly dreamy tune “Sea Shanty.” Featuring ethereal synths and a crawling beat, the song is described by the band as “a daydream, or a nightmare, the song soundtracks the calm before the storm – the moment before a journey, the moment after a sobering realization.”
Preoccupations — “Ricochet”
Announcing their fourth studio album Arrangements, post-punk group Preoccupations drop the discordant “Ricochet.” The song’s dark, new wave-inspired chords are mirrored by equally gloomy lines about destruction. It’s bleak lyrics have a point, though, as vocalist Matthew Flegel explains the track is about “the world blowing up and no one giving a sh*t.”
Julia Jacklin — “I Was Neon”
Continuing to previous her upcoming LP Pre Pleasure, Julia Jacklin shares the melodic and lulling track “I Was Neon.” Featuring a driving guitar, the song opens up space for Jacklin’s unique voice to shine through. “I first wrote ‘I Was Neon’ for a band called Rattlesnack, a short-lived much loved 2019 side project that I played drums in,” she said in a statement. “I rewrote it for my album in Montreal, during a time when I was desperately longing for a version of myself that I feared was gone forever.”
Dry Cleaning — “Don’t Press Me”
UK group Dry Cleaning put out one of our favorite albums of 2021, and they’re already preparing for their next release. Announcing the upcoming project Stumpwork, which is due out in the fall, Dry Cleaning fire off the new track “Don’t Press Me.” Laced with jangly chords and lead singer Florence Shaw’s deadpan delivery, the song is embedded with an understandable amount of existential despair.
Black Midi — “Men Eat Men”
Prolific and experimental UK trio Black Midi are back with another heady track, the rock and flamenco-infused single “Men Eat Men,” which arrives on next month’s Hellfire LP. The song, like most of Black Midi’s music, is highly conceptual — it tells the story of couple’s quest to overcome a militaristic mine captain over a slew of anxious instruments.
Whitney — “Real Love”
After dropping their wistful third album Candid in 2020, Whitey is back with a new, shimmering sound. With crystal clear production and quietly skittering synths, “Real Love” is Whitney’s bid for a move to more pop-leaning sounds. The song points to their upcoming album Spark and was written last summer as they experienced the anxiety and euphoria of the world re-opening.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.