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 hotly anticipated new album from Julien Baker, Cloud Nothings’ third album in a year, and new collaborative track from Petey and Miya Folick. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Julien Baker – Little Oblivions
On her third solo album, Julien Baker dials up the intensity with the introduction of a full band into her previously sparse arrangements. For a songwriter already wearing her heart on her sleeve, on Little Oblivions, “the emotional brutality of the lyrics somehow melds with the uplifting beauty of the music, perhaps giving Baker some peace in the process,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.
Cloud Nothings – The Shadow I Remember
A month before the world went into lockdown, Cloud Nothings hit the studio for another round with producer Steve Albini, who helmed the group’s 2012 breakthrough Attack On Memory. They sat on the resulting album for nearly a year, releasing other new music in the meantime, but The Shadow I Remember reminds us why Cloud Nothings have what Steven Hyden called for Uproxx one of the “most consistently strong catalogues for a loud, punk-leaning act.”
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage
Back in January, Nick Cave revealed that he was working on a new album with Warren Ellis, a longtime collaborator and member of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds. He then went silent on the project, until Carnage dropped out of the sky last week. Cave describes working on the album as “a gift,” and it’s easy to understand why, as doom scrolling has become a way of life in the last twelve months. Fittingly, the album is “a brutal but very beautiful record embedded in a communal catastrophe.”
Glitterer – Life Is Not A Lesson
Look, we all miss Title Fight. But on the latest Glitterer album, Ned Russin gives us a taste of what a new album from the legendary post-hardcore group might sound like in 2021. Life Is Not A Lesson is full of fuzzed-out melodies and down-tuned guitars, and isn’t lacking on catchy melodies and hooks to keep you engaged throughout.
Jetty Bones – Push Back
Jetty Bones has been on our radar for a bit now, but Push Back is their debut full-length, finding its thematic footing in the moments that exist in the space Galluzzo’s infectious optimism and her fight with depression and impostor syndrome. Throughout the album, Kelc Galluzzo embraces a unique mixture of pop sensibilities with indie aesthetic that makes for an enveloping and exciting listen.
Sydney Sprague – Maybe I Will See You At the End Of The World
On her debut album, Sydney Sprague has tracks that channel the songwriting flair of Phoebe Bridgers that exist alongside tracks with a nostalgic alt-rock sensibility that keeps Maybe I Will See You At The End Of The World feeling fresh and familiar. It’s a major statement for a debut album, and is certainly just a starting point for Sprague.
Petey & Miya Folick – “Haircut”
Only hours after he was included on our list of indie artists to watch in 2021, Petey dropped a brand new track reasserting why he was included on that list. “Haircut” is a collaboration with Miya Folick that dives into the mindset of a quarter-life crisis resulting in a shaved head.
Real Estate – “Half A Human”
Only about a year after the release of their last album, The Main Thing, Real Estate are back with a brand new EP. They’re previewing the EP with its title track, a nearly six-minute epic that Derrick Rossignol says “slots nicely into the band’s distinct brand of dreamy indie rock.”
Wolf Alice – “The Last Man On Earth”
Nearly four years after breaking through with their sophomore album Visions Of A Life, Wolf Alice are ready to follow it up with Blue Weekend. “The Last Man On Earth” is an excellent first taste of the effort, with Derrick Rossignol describing it for Uproxx as a track that “starts as a gentle piano ballad before exploding into dreamy rock bliss.”
Bachelor – “Anything At All”
When two indie rockers beloved in their own right team up for a collaborative project, you know you’re in for a treat. Jay Som’s Melina Duterte and Palehound’s Ellen Kempner are teaming up as Bachelor, and their first single “Anything At All” is enough evidence that the project will be something special. “Each of the songwriter’s distinct styles can be heard on the track, combining playful elements with the anxious tension of screeching guitars,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Half Waif – “Party’s Over”
A few weeks after releasing the first taste of new 7″ single, Half Waif has shared the effort’s second track. “Party’s Over” is a minimalist art rock track, which gives Nandi Rose’s immaculate vocals the opportunity to fill the space left by sparse instrumentals.
Future Teens – “Play Cool”
Future Teens have a new EP around the corner, and “Play Cool” shines a light on the group’s pristine indie-tinged emo. The track continues to build to an emotional conclusion as Daniel Radin repeats the ever-relatable mantra: “Oh, I wish I didn’t say that.”
Hit Like A Girl – “Boardwalk”
Three years after their sophomore album What Makes Love Last, Hit Like A Girl is back with Heart Racer, a third full-length album set to include guest spots from Bartees Strange and Petal’s Kiley Lotz. “Boardwalk” displays the band’s freshly polished sound, with Nicolle Maroulis recounting a lost relationship. Eventually, Maroulis reveals a Shyamalan twist: the whole narrative was a dream all along.
Early Riser – “Vocations”
On the title track for their new album, Brooklyn’s Early Riser zeroed in on their collective strengths and amplified them to capture their energy on record. “Vocations” is a fun lo-fi punk track complete with infectious hooks that will keep you coming back for more.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.