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 albums from Oneohtrix Point Never and Salem, a surprise side project from Clairo, and a standalone single from Kevin Morby. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
Oneohtrix Point Never – Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
The latest from Daniel Lopatin comes after he spent much of the 2010s edging closer to the mainstream, thanks to his work on two acclaimed Safdie Brothers films, Good Time and Uncut Gems. With impressive electronic arrangements and a feature from The Weeknd, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never could be the turning point that gets Lopatin’s name on the mind of the masses.
Salem – Fires In Heaven
After nearly ten years of silence, the Michigan group has returned as a duo after losing original vocalist Heather Marlatt. Fires In Heaven marks a welcome return for the notorious group, an eleven-track effort that puts on a display a more focused and refined version of the duo than ever before.
Nothing – The Great Dismal
Four years after forcing everyone to pay attention with their 2016 LP Tired Of Tomorrow, Philadelphia shoegaze outfit Nothing is back with another noisy monster. For The Great Dismal, the quartet teamed up once again with prolific producer Will Yip (Panic! At The Disco, Title Fight, Turnstile) for a record that is as melodic as it is loud, boasting massive percussion and soaring guitars.
Jim-E Stack – Ephemera
On his new album Ephemera, Jim-E Stack recruited the likes of Bon Iver, Dijon, and Empress Of to help him bring his tracks to life, with a focus more on melody than lyrics. Clocking in at just 21 minutes, the album still manages to come off as one of the most impressive releases of 2020, both with its pure star power and the uniquely modern combination of synthesizers and guitars.
Miloe – Greenhouse
With only five tracks, Miloe’s Greenhouse is an incredibly exciting taste of what this 19 year-old Minneapolis artist by way of The Democratic Republic of Congo has to offer from a forthcoming full-length release. Tracks like “Winona” and “Change Your Mind” show an almost effortless knack for melodies that make the project as a whole undeniable.
Shelly – Shelly
Shelly is like the Infinity Gauntlet of lo-fi indie, bringing together Clairo and fellow rising star Claud, who just recently announced their signing to Phoebe Bridgers’ new label Saddest Factory. The two-track single was recorded entirely in quarantine, but the lo-fi nature of the songs only adds to their instant charm.
Covey – Tour To Nobody
When the pandemic set in and the entire touring plan for Tom Freeman’s Covey project was wiped out, instead of accepting defeat, he decided to embark on the Tour To Nobody. In one of the most innovative production processes of the modern quarantine era, Freeman hit the road to film and record performances in off-the-wall tourist destinations across the northeastern United States. The result is an album bursting with inspiration and vitality, with each of the twelve tracks recorded live in different locations around the country.
Rhye – “Back Rain”
After taking substantial time off between albums, Rhye (aka Michael Milosh) is feeling more inspiration than ever, releasing Spirit just last year and now gearing up for another full-length album, Home. The new album is previewed by “Black Rain,” a track that Derrick Rossignol says for Uproxx boasts an “undercurrent [of] funky disco.”
Kevin Morby – “US Mail”
Just a few weeks after releasing his new album Sundowner, Kevin Morby has shared another new standalone single. “US Mail” was originally debuted during a livestream as an ode to support the post office, and it tells the story of a mother and daughter communicating via the USPS from within an inpatient rehab facility.
Indigo Sparke – “Baby”
For her debut album, Australian singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke enlisted Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker as producer. Sparse and powerful, “Baby” is the first taste from the album, featuring backing vocals from Lenker as well as contributions from her other Big Thief bandmates. Sonically, the track swells with emotion as Sparke’s vocals float atop ethereal guitars.
Bevan – “San Francisco”
On his latest single “San Francisco,” 23-year-old singer songwriter Bevan longs for a vacation (don’t we all). Although it was written during a bleak British winter, the sun-soaked track would make for the perfect soundtrack for a carefree drive to the beach in the height of summer.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.