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 Killers’ second album in under a year, another new track from Courtney Barnett, and a new track from Indigo De Souza that features screams from fans. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.
The Killers – Pressure Machine
The Killers are back with Pressure Machine, the band’s seventh LP that comes almost exactly a year after their last full-length effort, Imploding The Mirage. Where its predecessor was an upbeat, triumphant affair, Pressure Machine finds the band exploring new sonic territory that is markedly more downbeat and introspective.
Pet Symmetry – Future Suits
Pet Symmetry is back to remind you that shit’s f*cked… but that doesn’t mean it has to suck. The Chicago indie-emo supergroup’s new album Future Suits is a burst of positivity in the face of what feels like a nonstop barrage of horribleness, filled with driving punk anthems and lyrics that pack an existentialist punch.
A Great Big Pile Of Leaves – Pono
It’s somehow been almost a decade since we last heard from Brooklyn-bred emo idols A Great Big Pile Of Leaves. On their new album Pono, the trio delivers an intricate genre-bending experiment that incorporates everything from jazz to math rock, reveling in reverb-soaked guitars and ethereal harmonies. It’s a welcome return.
M.A.G.S. – Say Things That Matter
On his debut studio album under the name M.A.G.S., Elliott Douglas showcases his mastery of the power pop structure, unleashing fourteen songs that are sure to remain in rotation at least until the leaves start to turn. Say Things That Matter boasts some stellar hooks with intoxicating melodies that will draw you right in.
Courtney Barnett – “Before You Gotta Go”
We still have a few months to go before Courtney Barnett drops her new album Things Take Time, Take Time, but the Australian songwriter has been steadily dropping a stream of new music over the last few weeks. The latest offering, “Before You Gotta Go,” is a contemplative, mid-tempo number. “While it seems to be making sense of a romantic separation, the lyrics are gracious and understanding,” writes Rachel Brodsky for Uproxx.
Turnstile – “Fly Again”
Hardcore heroes Turnstile are set to return with their boundary-pushing new LP Glow On later this month. We’ve heard a handful of tracks so far that span from experimental ambience to straight hardcore, and “Fly Again” falls closer to the latter end of that spectrum. However, the track does still open with a dramatic piano interlude that sounds like it was recorded in a wide-open room before the full band bursts in with a heavy groove.
Indigo De Souza – “Real Pain”
With her sophomore album just around the corner, Asheville-based singer/songwriter Indigo De Souza has shared a powerful new track. “Real Pain” is what Rachel Brodsky calls for Uproxx “a highly cathartic track that captures the type of frustration many of us have been experiencing over the last year and a half.” Interestingly, the new song features layers of voice memos from fans who shared themselves yelping, crying, and screaming.
Chloe Moriondo – “Not Okay” (feat. Mazie)
With her album Blood Bunny barely in the rearview, eighteen-year-old singer/songwriter Chloe Moriondo is already back with another new song. Featuring Mazie, the track is a bright and bouncy number that opens with a solo guitar before layering on electronic beats that give the track added life and danceable energy.
PinkPanthress – “Just For Me”
If you’re like me and spend way too much time watching videos of people falling in snow or babies eating lemons on TikTok, you’ve likely already heard a track from PinkPanthress. Now, the 20-year-old London DIY performer is back with “Just For Me,” a track that Rachel Brodsky describes for Uproxx as “a hyper-quick pop bop, complete with delicate guitar strums and, of course, PinkPantheress’ helium-high vocals.”
Shortly – “The Reaper”
With their debut album Dancer due out in a little over a month, Michigan singer/songwriter Shortly — AKA Alexandria Maniak — has shared “The Reaper,” a vulnerable and emotionally resonant new track about “reaping what you sow when you project yourself onto the people around you,” Maniak said in a statement. “I take a lot of things for granted, and I’m angry with myself for it here.”
Magdalena Bay – “Secrets (Your Fire)”
“Chaeri,” the first single from Magdalena Bay’s forthcoming debut album Mercurial World, was an undeniable dark pop anthem that refused to be ignored. “Secrets (Your Fire)” is another shining example of the young duo’s strengths, featuring “sparkling synths and dance-ready instrumentals [that] float alongside vocalist Mica Tenenbaum’s honeyed vocal delivery,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.