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 Paramore, Indigo De Souza, Tennis, Andy Shauf, and more.
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Paramore — This Is Why
Finally: It’s been five years since Paramore’s last album After Laughter, and This Is Why has arrived. The singles were all dynamic, leaning toward high energy. But This Is Why isn’t all party bangers; “Liar” is a mellow reprieve, whereas “Crave” is a dreamy detour. The songs flow well together, exploding with danceable rhythms or slowing into vulnerable moments.
Tennis — Pollen
The shimmering, lively sound of Tennis never gets old. The sensual basslines, glowing vocals, and infectious rhythms create a hypnotizing ambiance, much like that of Mac DeMarco. Pollen is full of special moments, but overall it’s the kind of music to suck you in and make you float. By the time it’s over, you forget where you are.
Andy Shauf — Norm
The singles of Andy Shauf’s Norm were all fascinating glimpses into the complex record. The folky record mixes tenderness with an ominous texture, seeing how far longing can go before it turns into obsession on songs like “Wasted On You” and “Catch Your Eye.” On “Halloween Store,” the narrator imagines running into his crush at the Halloween store — a funny yet eerie scene that sums up the appeal of the LP.
Pierce The Veil — The Jaws Of Life
Pierce The Veil’s last album Misadventures arrived in 2016, a time that barely feels real anymore. It’s inevitable that the band would evolve since then, and The Jaws Of Life shows an expansion into new sounds and an overall maturation. “Shared Trauma” buzzes like an electronic song; “Pass The Nirvana” is indebted to Deftones.
Yo La Tengo — This Stupid World
Yo La Tengo have been going at it for decades and never seem to miss. This Stupid World — which is a great album title — kicks off with a Sonic Youth-esque instrumental that immediately pulls the listener into a distorted, introspective state. All of the following tracks retain this thoughtfulness: “Prepare to die / Prepare yourself while there’s still time,” Ira Kaplan sings on “Until It Happens” against meditative guitars.
Black Belt Eagle Scout — The Land, The Water, The Sky
“My Blood Runs Through This Land” is the opening track of Black Belt Eagle Scout’s new album The Land, The Water, The Sky, and it’s urgent, striking from all angles, turning singer Katherine Paul into something of a prophetic. Though it’s risky to start off so strong and powerful, the pace of the LP works, going back and forth between building into a crescendo before quieting down and laying low again, which feels metaphorical of the whole world.
Indigo De Souza — “Younger & Dumber”
Indigo De Souza’s 2018 LP I Love My Mom and 2021 record Any Shape You Take are unique bursts of poignant, mesmeric indie rock that showcase a singular artist. Now, the Asheville, NC native is preparing for her third album, All Of This Will End. “Younger & Dumber” is the first taste, and it proves that De Souza is wise beyond her years as she reflects on being a kid: “Which way will I run when I want something new?”
Scowl — “Opening Night”
How Flowers Grow by Scowl was one of the most exciting hardcore records of 2021. Endlessly invigorating, rippers like “Four Walls” and “Bloodhound” came for blood. “Opening Night” takes things a little easier, watching vocalist Kat Moss sings all the way through, at least until the corrosive track ends in a build-up that explodes with Moss’ unrelenting howls.
Squid — “Swing (In A Dream)”
Squid are back with the announcement of their new album O Monolith. “Swing (In A Dream)” is a disorienting, vibrating track that gets weirder as it goes on, sounding as if it’s from another world: “To live inside the frame / And forget everything,” sings Ollie Judge ominously.
Pile — “Lowered Rainbow”
All Fiction, Pile’s new album, is just on the horizon and the singles thus far have been compelling. Known for darkness, Pile go all-in on these new songs, unafraid of the sinister. “Lowered Rainbow” is no different; the track is an eerie hymn. the instrumentals are cinematic and the lyrics are haunting and vaguely profound.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.