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 the anticipated new opus from Perfume Genius, a new track from The Beths, and the return of a Justin Vernon side-project.
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Perfume Genius — Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
The fifth full-length album from Mike Hadreas feels like the culmination point of a decade of fine-tuning and perfecting his craft. According to Caitlin White for Uproxx, “While his first two albums, 2010’s Learning and 2012’s Put Your Back N2 It established Perfume Genius as an indie force and a critical darling, the arc of 2014’s Too Bright, his 2017 release, and now, this year’s record, clearly portray an artist at the top of his game, pushing toward a clarity of purpose and voice, building toward a pinnacle of sound and movement.” Set My Heart On Fire Immediately experiments with shoegaze, grunge, experimental art pop, jazz, and so much more. It’s quite unlike anything else, and is surely one of the most entrancing releases of the year.
Moses Sumney — Græ
At long last, Moses Sumney’s ambitious Græ project is available to listen in its full form. While we’ve been digging into the first half for the better part of the last three months, we can finally envelop ourselves in its full glory. It’s been three years since the last Moses Sumney LP, and Græ was certainly worth the wait, 20 tracks welcoming the listener into the world of Moses Sumney.
Nick Hakim — Will This Make Me Good
On his sophomore album, Nick Hakim dials into a more psychedelic, R&B-inspired sound, delivering a record that you can tell he truly sunk himself into, examining every detail, and making sure they were perfect. To that end, Will This Make Me Good is a record that feels extremely diverse and endlessly enticing.
Retirement Party — Runaway Dog
Retirement Party are at the top of their game throughout Runaway Dog. Avery Springer’s natural ability to weave narrative arcs into her songwriting, anchored by propulsive drums and bass, make the Chicago trio’s sophomore LP a can’t-miss. With tracks about letting yourself get hit by a car for potential financial compensation to wanting to roll with the “wild boys,” Runaway Dog is a perfect listen for the uncertainties of today.
Gayngs — “Appeayl 2 U”
It’s been a whole decade since Justin Vernon joined Gayngs, the supergroup founded by Poliça’s Ryan Olson, for the band’s first and only album Relayted. Now, out of nowhere, the band has returned with a new track called “Appeayl 2 U.” Clocking in at around five-and-a-half minutes, the track is interestingly completely silent for the final 90 seconds. “The relaxing and relatively freeform track incorporates influences from soft rock and electronic music (much more so the former than the latter),” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.
The Beths — “I’m Not Getting Excited”
While we’re starting to get excited for the upcoming new album from The Beths, they’ve reminded us to temper our expectations with the new single “I’m Not Getting Excited.” In typical Beths fashion, the track is an “energetic indie-rocker,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx, and one that reinforces our high hopes for the band’s upcoming album Jump Rope Gazers.
Keaton Henson — “Career Day”
For his first new music since 2016’s Kindly Now, Keaton Henson’s “Career Day” features nothing but a somber vocal over intricate guitar plucking. According to a statement, the track is about “the many different versions of ourselves that we have to carry on a daily basis, and the overwhelming sense that you are of a million professions, but to one extent or another, failing slightly at them all.” While there is no news of a new Keaton Henson album, “Career Day” is a promising taste of what is to come.
Elvis Perkins — “Anonymous”
While Elvis Perkins has spent the last few years working tirelessly on various film and television scores, he has turned his attention back to his solo music for the release of the epic, swooning “Anonymous.” It’s been some time since Perkins has released anything under his own name, and “Anonymous” is song that has been bouncing around his head for a while now. “It seems we know each other quite well and hardly at all,” he says in a statement. “I couldn’t say where all of its melodies came from.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.