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 music from Beabadoobee, Dry Cleaning, Steady Holiday, Pile, and more.
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Runnner — Like Dying Stars, We’re Reaching Out
Runnner‘s Always Repeating felt like a collage of intimate memories and powerful feeling. Like Dying Stars, We’re Reaching Out functions similarly, instantly opening with crisis: “Am I wasting this chance to be / Better than whom I’ve been?” The instrument is delicate and his vocals are like leaves falling in a slight breeze. The songs flow into each other seamlessly, anchored by Noah Weinman’s thoughtful reflections and nostalgic chords.
Pile — All Fiction
All Fiction unravels eerily from the start, “It Comes Closer,” whose title aptly sums up the feeling of the song as it inches forward, building a sense of fear. When the brooding ends, the songs immediately explode with heavy guitars and quick rhythms. The album bounces back and forth between this unsettling quiet and abrasive loudness; “Gardening Hours,” a highlight, contains both extremes.
Steady Holiday — Newfound Oxygen
Steady Holiday is the project of Dre Babinski. Her album Newfound Oxygen is an emotional rollercoaster, which was expected from the lead single “Can’t Find A Way,” whose hook is: “Can’t find a way to fall in love with you.” The record is full of visceral moments like that; her lyrics are like gut-punches against delicate guitar chords.
Dry Cleaning — “Swampy” & “Sombre Two”
Stumpwork by Dry Cleaning was a great follow-up to their breakout debut New Long Leg. That sophomore album was only released in October of last year, but they’re already back with Swampy, a forthcoming EP with “Swampy” and “Sombre Two,” two tracks that didn’t make the cut for Stumpwork. The songs are brooding and atmospheric, especially the slowburner “Sombre Two.” Dry Cleaning aren’t in a rush; they know they don’t have to prove themselves.
Men I Trust — “Ring Of Past”
Everything Men I Trust put out is dreamy and cinematic. “Ring Of Past” feels like an old romance movie, and the music video lives up to that, capturing rollerblading in a rink, some effortlessly slick and others terribly clumsy. There’s a feeling of playful innocence to it that also exists in the song; it warbles infectiously, and the vocals are a delight.
Bully — “Lose You” (feat. Soccer Mommy)
A mischievous bassline immediately kicks off the headbang-worthy anthem “Lose You” by Bully, which is only made better with the help of Soccer Mommy. “Writing ‘Lose You’ was a way for me to work through the pain and reality of impermanence,” Bully said of the track. It all builds up to the revelatory bridge: “Either way I’m gonna lose / Either way I’m gonna lose you,” they sing powerfully in unison.
Fidlar — “Centipede”
It may be hard to believe that Fidlar still possesses the compelling angst that made their old albums, especially 2015’s reckless Too, so special. But the singles from their forthcoming EP That’s Life have been as charmingly scrappy and witty as ever. That’s especially true for this newest song “Centipede,” which has the hilarious line: “My girlfriend thinks I’ll abandon her / She’s my Oasis, but she treats me like I’m a Blur.”
Tanukichan — “Take Care” (feat. Toro y Moi)
The singles from Tanukichan’s new album Gizmo have been mesmeric and thoughtful. “Take Care,” which features Toro y Moi, might be the best one yet. The guitars are easygoing but immersive; the vocals are breathy and glimmering, blending into the soaring instrumentation to become one.
Beabadoobee — “Glue Song”
Beabadoobee is lovestruck in “Glue Song.” “Finding the right words / To use for this song / I have you in mind / So it won’t take so long,” she sings, and she’s not afraid to repeat herself or get cliché; sometimes romance just is that simple. It was the perfect Valentine’s Day release.
The New Pornographers — “Angelcover”
“Angelcover” is an interesting contrast from The New Pornographers’ last single “Really Really Light.” “Angelcover” has more of a groove, moving with a somewhat post-punk edge with deep, intimidating vocals against a sensual bassline. The lyrics paint a strange story: “Why you’d put your faith in a wild guest, who knows?”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.