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 LP from The War On Drugs, a wonderful Weezer cover from Japanese Breakfast, and a great new track from Spoon. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
The first new album from The War On Drugs in four years has finally arrived. Musically, I Don’t Live Here Anymore is a refinement of the craft the band explored on 2017’s A Deeper Understanding, which itself was a refinement of 2014’s Lost In The Dream. It’s without a doubt the band’s most accessible material to date, boasting dramatic guitar solos and cathartic instrumentation.
Save Face – Another Kill For The Highlight Reel
It’s always fun to see a band wear their My Chemical Romance inspiration on their sleeve. For Save Face’s new record, the New Jersey outfit attempt to build a musical world that exists as a culmination of emo icons like MCR and Thursday, but also their unabashed love for Broadway musicals like Sweeney Todd and Rocky Horror Picture Show. The resulting effort is big, bold, and impressively constructed.
Japanese Breakfast – Live At Electric Lady EP
Japanese Breakfast’s new Spotify-produced Live At Electric Lady EP features live renditions of tracks from Jubilee, as well as a cover of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So.” It’s not exactly a faithful cover, as Michelle Zauner calls upon the the Quartet 121 string section to give the track a true makeover and build what Caitlin White called for Uproxx “a whole new layer into the song.”
Orson Wilds – What Is It That You Won’t Let Go EP
Canadian outfit Orson Wilds write big, anthemic choruses that feel like a callback to the aughts. Their debut EP, What Is It That You Can’t Let Go, was recorded with producer extraordinaire Will Yip (Bartees Strange, Turnstile) and features three previously-released tracks that have been staples of all my playlists since they were unveiled.
Boston Manor – Desperate Times Desperate Pleasures EP
Boston Manor’s 2020 LP Glue was an impressive step forward for the pop-punk outfit, balancing more melodic vocals with heavy, groovy instrumentation. The new EP Desperate Times Desperate Measures continues building upon that momentum, driving into a new era for Boston Manor as they emerge back onto the road.
Spoon – “The Hardest Cut”
One of the most consistent indie bands of all time is officially back with a brand new album that already sounds… pretty good! Alongside the album’s announcement, the band shared “The Hardest Cut,” which Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “a pure rocker driven by a forward-moving and upbeat riff.”
Snail Mail – “Madonna”
With the new Snail Mail album Valentine set to drop this week, Lindsey Jordan has shared its final preview in the form of “Madonna.” The polished, driving rocker is all about “why love can’t exist between a person and a concept of a person,” Jordan explained in a statement. “Remove the pedestal and you might realize there was never anything there at all.”
Beach Bunny – “Oxygen”
Beach Bunny can’t be stopped. One of the first indie rock bands to rocket to stardom from a TikTok smash, the Chicago quartet is set to embark on 32 sold out headline shows later this month and is celebrating with a brand new track. “Oxygen” features what Adrian Spinelli calls for Uproxx “yet another sing-a-long hook for a band who just can’t seem to stop to keep producing them.”
Michelle – “Mess U Made”
I’ve been digging New York City collective Michelle for a while and truly can’t wait for their forthcoming debut album After Dinner We Talk Dreams. We’ve already heard a few tracks from the LP, and album opener “Mess U Made” is a contemplative slow burning track that continues to build as the group’s four vocalists trade verses before finding gorgeous joint harmonies on the chorus.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.