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 Waxahatchee, Faye Webster, MGMT, and more.
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Infant Island – Obsidian Wreath
Infant Island is the musical equivalent of two glasses of cold brew injected straight into your veins. The Fredericksburg, Virginia, group are one of screamo’s most exciting bands right now, and, while their knack for an adrenaline rush remains as effective as ever, Obsidian Wreath is their most dynamic work yet. Infant Island’s fourth album and first for Jeremy Bolm’s label, Secret Voice, shifts on a dime from the quiet, Greet Death-featuring “Kindling” to the brutal blast beats of opener “Another Cycle.” It’s only January, but Obsidian Wreath will certainly be a contender for one of the best heavy records of 2024.
Naliah Hunter – Lovegaze
Harpist and composer Naliah Hunter excels at building alluring atmospheres. Take a song like “000,” whose electronic drums trail off in a reverb-soaked haze while Hunter’s voice glides in and out of frame, or the centerpiece “Lovegaze,” in which her diaphanous harp arpeggios give way to a hypnotic, halftime groove. Lovegaze, Hunter’s debut album, abounds with moments like these, ones that leave a tangible impact despite their gentle constructions. Across 10 tracks, Lovegaze engulfs you in its mesmerizing world from start to finish.
Waxahatchee – “Right Back To It”
You wouldn’t think a songwriter as talented as Katie Crutchfield would wait so long to write her first love song, but she did. “Right Back To It,” the lead single from her forthcoming album, Tigers Blood, exudes the warmth and intimacy that her music as Waxahatchee always has, whether it’s the grittiness of 2013’s Cerulean Salt or the twang of 2020’s Saint Cloud. In-demand guitarist MJ Lenderman backs Crutchfield with his soothing timbre, conjuring the timelessly classic country duet, and Phil Cook provides a plucky, banjo-led backdrop. It’s a gorgeous introduction to a new era of Waxahatchee, one where the love songs ring as heartfelt and winsome as they ever could.
Jamie xx – “It’s So Good”
It has nearly been a decade since Jamie xx dropped his sole solo album, the electronic masterpiece In Colour. In the meantime, he has released occasional singles, like “Let’s Do It Again,” “Kill Dem,” and “Idontknow,” with no hints at another full-length. Fortunately, they’ve all been utterly incredible, as is the case with his latest offering, “It’s So Good.” Released in conjunction with the new Chanel Coco Crush campaign, “It’s So Good” pushes and pulls with its four-on-the-floor house beat and squeaky, metallic synths. Jamie xx knew what he was doing when he named this track; it really is so good.
The Smile – “Friend Of A Friend”
We are just over a week away from Wall Of Eyes, the sophomore album from The Smile. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood seem perfectly content putting Radiohead on hold for the time being and dedicating their creative focus to this project instead. Alongside former Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, the trio have shared the latest preview of their upcoming record, “Friend Of A Friend.” Its swaying, jazzy pulse evokes the uneasiness of “Pyramid Song” but without the proggy feel. Simply put, it’s wonderful to hear Yorke and Greenwood making music without the burden of a New Radiohead tag.
Rosali – “Rewind”
North Carolina has slowly become one of indie rock’s most prominent hotbeds, home to artists like Wednesday, Indigo De Souza, and Helado Negro, to name a few. Add Rosali to that burgeoning list, a recent Merge Records signee who’s on the cusp of releasing her new album, Bite Down. Rosali Middleman fuses alt-country and folk to create a style that feels equally twangy and gentle, as exemplified on lead single “Rewind.” It’s a gorgeous tune that underlines the beauty found within simplicity, how you’d be willing to relive the past as long as it leads you to present-day happiness. With backing musicians like David Nance and Destroyer’s Ted Bois (plus a glowing endorsement from Dan Bejar himself), Rosali is one of indie’s brightest rising stars.
Faye Webster – “Lego Ring”
On the surface, Faye Webster and Lil Yachty sound like an odd pairing. But then you dig deeper; there’s the Atlanta connection, they’ve been friends since they were both in middle school together, and their voices work remarkably well with each other’s. On “Lego Ring,” from Webster’s upcoming album, Underdressed At The Symphony, Yachty’s warbling, Auto-Tuned vocals evoke the unsteady tremolo of a Wurlitzer. He adds an otherworldly dreaminess to Webster’s equally gauzy strain of indie rock, one in which tragedy and comedy get equal billing. Since 2021’s I Know I’m Funny Haha, Webster has undergone a major breakthrough both in terms of her TikTok popularity (even surpassing Boygenius in monthly Spotify listeners) and indie stardom. Still, she doesn’t appeal to the masses on her new single. Instead, she digs her heels in and sings about Legos.
MGMT – “Nothing To Declare”
Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser are officially three for three. Every single leading up to next month’s Loss Of Life, the fifth album from MGMT, has been great, including its latest, “Nothing To Declare.” Its finger-picked, folky aura is a far cry from the synth-heavy Little Dark Age, but that’s no surprise given the psych-rock leanings of the previous two singles. “Nothing To Declare” shows that the duo is just as adept at cinematic indie-pop as they are at ‘60s-indebted esoterica.
Fat Dog – “All The Same”
When your first single is a shapeshifting, seven-minute epic, there’s no doubt that you’re taking a big risk. Nevertheless, Fat Dog put out the chameleonic post-punk opus, “King Of The Slugs,” last August, and that risk paid off handsomely. After accumulating hype opening up for Yard Act, Viagra Boys, and Shame, the UK duo’s following up on that excitement with “All The Same,” a dizzying, industrial synth-punk tune that condenses the aggression and grit outlined in “King Of The Slugs” into just a few minutes. Even with two songs to their name, these recent Domino signees are here to prove that they’re no flash in the pan.
Helado Negro – “Best For You And Me”
Phasor, the new album from Roberto Carlos Lange, is just a few weeks away now. But Lange has given us one more taste ahead of its release, the delightfully groovy “Best For You And Me.” Its woozy synths and laid-back percussion perfectly complement Lange’s soothing vocal delivery. Needless to say, Helado Negro’s latest single is nothing short of spellbinding.
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