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 a new album from Sleater-Kinney, the announcement of a new Clairo album, and the official return of Deafheaven. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Sleater-Kinney – Path Of Wellness
After taking a right turn into electro-pop on their 2019 album The Center Won’t Hold, the Pacific Northwestern duo are back with an album that brings them back to their alt rock roots. Path Of Wellness features pointed lyrics and angular guitars that can square up with the best of Sleater-Kinney.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Butterfly 3000
We’re halfway through 2021, and that means we’ve gotten about 25 new albums from this Australian outfit. But the massive quantity of releases does not mean that the band is sacrificing any quality. Butterfly 3000 is the latest offering, a melodic and psychedelic affair that certainly justifies the band’s prolific nature.
Pronoun – OMG I MADE IT
Pronoun’s excellent 2019 debut album I’ll Show You Stronger was definitely the best sleeper album of that year. The new EP OMG I MADE IT picks up right where the full-length left off, boasting Alyse Vellturo’s uncanny knack for melody on top of shimmering dream pop instrumentals.
Kennyhoopla – Survivors Guilt
We’ve had our eye on Kennyhoopla for some time now, and Survivors Guilt delivers upon our intrigue. Though not quite a full-length album, the project finds Kennyhoopla together again with Travis Barker to create a truly unique modern take on pop punk.
Angel Du$t – Bigger House
Angel Du$t have expanded upon their Lil House EP with the addition of two brand new singles and the inclusion of remix tracks from Panda Bear and Lunice. The completed offering is a well-rounded representation of everything that the reformed Baltimore hardcore heavyweights have to offer in their latest incarnation.
Clairo – “Blouse”
Just two years after releasing her stunning debut album Immunity, Clairo is back with a brand new effort. Silk was produced by Jack Antonoff and is out later this summer, previewed by the sparse, beautiful single “Blouse,” which features backing vocals from Lorde.
Bleachers – “How Dare You Want More”
Speaking of Jack Antonoff, the producer extraordinaire also has some music of his own coming soon. Bleachers’ new album Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night is also out later this summer, and the latest sampling is “a huge dose of saxophone for a jazzy, Springsteen-ian feel, even if the lyrics themselves are a bit more morose,” writes Caitlin White for Uproxx.
Deafheaven – “Great Mass Of Color”
After a brief teasing period, shoegaze black metal heroes Deafheaven have officially returned with new music. “Great Mass Of Color” is the first taste of the band’s forthcoming album Infinite Granite, and is what Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “an aesthetic departure for the group, as it sees the post-hardcore group venturing into softer territory more than ever before.”
Lucy Dacus – “Brando”
With her third studio album, Home Videos, just around the corner, Lucy Dacus has shared yet another searing single called “Brando”. According to Uproxx’s Sarah Grant, the new track “has the sound and scorch of a Highway 61-era Dylan,” but with the muse being the Criterion Collection rather than F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Pom Pom Squad – “Crying”
Pom Pom Squad has been picking up steam as their debut album Death Of A Cheerleader draws closer, due for release at the end of this month. “Crying” opens with an almost vaudeville overture, before bursting into an excellent sludgy, slow-burning grunge track.
Illuminati Hotties – “Pool Hopping”
Illuminati Hotties are here to prep us for the warmth of summer. “Pool Hopping” is a jubilant lead single for the band’s forthcoming album Let Me Do One More, which “emits so many summertime vibes, it’s easy to gloss over Tudzin’s most excellent couplet game,” writes Sarah Grant for Uproxx.
Laura Stevenson – “State”
Laura Stevenson is one of the most underrated songwriters and vocalists out there right now. On the first preview of her self-titled sixth(!!) full-length, Stevenson demonstrates her impressive range, from intimacy to thrashing alternative rock.
Kevin Devine – “Lakes On The Moon”
Originally only available for a few hours during Bandcamp Friday earlier this year, Kevin Devine is finally gearing up for the proper release of a five-song EP. No One’s Waiting Up For Me Tonight is due later this month, and is preceded by “Lakes On The Moon,” a glowing folk song about forgiving the people you love.
VIAL – “Roadkill”
VIAL’s new single “Roadkill” opens with a lone guitar that gives the impression of a lo-fi punk song, before exploding into a full-band onslaught filled with murderous lyrics. The Minneapolis band’s new album Loudmouth is due in July, and was produced and mixed by Henry Stoehr of Slow Pulp and co-produced by Avery Springer of Retirement Party.
McCleney – “Kerosene”
At the ripe young age of 27, McCleney already has a co-sign from Quincy Jones and is building up an extremely impressive catalogue. Featuring St. Panther, “Kerosene” is the latest addition to McCleney’s setlist, a raw track that combines elements of acoustic folk with bedroom pop and an incredible sense of groove and rhythm.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.