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 The Killers, Soccer Mommy, Slow Pulp, Mitski, and more.
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Mitski — “Star”
Mitski’s new album The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We is out next month and “Star” is a standout new single that reverberates with an ethereal aura, much like Weyes Blood. Her voice is wise amongst sparkling synthesizers: “That love is like a star / It’s gone, we just see it shining,” she sings.
The Killers — “Your Side Of Town”
“Your Side Of Town” is the first song by The Killers of 2023. With an ’80s influence, it’s adorned with glimmering synths and Brandon Flowers’ Auto-Tuned voice singing dramatic lines: “I’m hanging on your side of town / I notice when you’re not around / Can’t keep my cool, I’m burning inside / A broken heartbeat, barely alive.”
Soccer Mommy — “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” (Taylor Swift Cover)
Soccer Mommy is preparing to release a covers EP with songs by Sheryl Crow, Slowdive, R.E.M., and more. The newest taste is “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” by Taylor Swift, a deep-cut from her debut. Sophie Allison captures the youthful innocence and twangy sweetness of it.
Slow Pulp — “Broadview”
“Broadview” is a slow, intimate sliver of Slow Pulp’s forthcoming album Yard, whose singles have all been diverse and compelling thus far. Against an emotional, twangy sound, Emily Massey sings poignantly: “Am I wrong / Or is it okay to stay inside / And out of love / Tell me I’m wrong.”
Buck Meek — Haunted Mountain
The Big Thief guitarist has shared his new solo album Haunted Mountain, whose songs are soft, twinkly slices of indie folk. The revelatory lyrics serve as the centerpiece of each precious ballad: “I knew the moment that I saw you / That my life would never be the same,” he sings on “Didn’t Know You Then.” “You drew a flower on my face / My heart bruised as you flew away.”
Toro Y Moi — Sandhills
Toro Y Moi are back with a pleasant surprise for fans with Sandhills, a folk-pop project that comes with a short film. On their Bandcamp, they say it’s “both a tender love letter to Chaz Bear’s hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, and a poignant, bittersweet acceptance that one can never really go back home.” The sincerity is evident in the vibrant music.
Life In Vacuum — “Lately”
Life In Vacuum make raucous anthems that serve as cathartic encapsulations of frustration. “Lately” is one of these, and it’s undeniably great. Against an invigorating rhythm and sharp riffs build into a gigantic clamor as words are shouted about wanting to escape, but this is the perfect song to listen to if you’re looking for that as well.
Anjimile — “Animal”
“‘Animal’ is one of the first protest songs I ever made,” Anjimile wrote in an Instagram post about his new song. The lyrics are razor-sharp: “If you treat me like an animal / I’ll be an animal,” he says, his voice earnest amongst unsettling, vibrating instrumentation.
Worriers — “Cloudy And 55”
“This song is for your soundtrack to missing Autumn in New York, where every corner has a memory you can’t shake,” Lauren Denitzio of Worriers said in a statement. This is accurate, as they sing, “It’s walking with my hood up / And drinking sh*tty coffee / It’s familiar like the feeling / That you might be right behind me.”
Becca Mancari — Left Hand
Describing their new album Left Hand in four words, Becca Mancari said, “Truthful. Interesting. Seeking. Sonically Minded.” All of the songs drift with a bewitching air of introspection and thoughtfulness, sprawling with silky vocals and shimmering, unpredictable instrumentation.