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 fiery new EP from Mannequin Pussy, a collaborative track from Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen, and the announcement of a new album from Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.
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Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
If you were a fan of Matt Sweeney and Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s Superwolf earlier this year, you probably will recognize Mdou Moctar’s frantic, fierce guitar tone. The Nigerian phenom’s excellent album Afrique Victime falls into the category of projects that make you think “they just don’t make em like this anymore!” Spanning just nine tracks, Afrique Victime “is loaded with moments where Moctar steps out of the song in order to ram his guitar directly into your guts,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.
Mannequin Pussy – Perfect
Although Mannequin Pussy’s new EP Perfect clocks in at just 15 minutes across its five songs, the ferocity and strategic sequencing work together to illustrate the full spectrum of Mannequin Pussy’s unstoppable power. All told, Perfect is what I called in a recent feature on the band “an excellent collection of power pop and punk rock songs, but also a reminder of just how vital music can make you feel when it’s been missing for so long.”
Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To”
It’s hard to believe that indie legends Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen haven’t collaborated on music until now. The duo’s first-ever joint release, “Like I Used To” is what Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx a “bold Americana” track, and both songwriters have confessed that the opportunity to work together served as a reminder of the beauty of creating music.
Bleachers – “Stop Making This Hurt”
Jack Antonoff has certainly been keeping busy with a jam-packed production schedule since the last Bleachers release. Now, he is finally ready to turn his attention back to his solo project, with the forthcoming Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night. The new LP is preceded by “Stop Making This Hurt,” a jazzy number that continues the introspection and reconciliation with grief that Antonoff began to dig into on “Chinatown,” the Bruce Springsteen collaboration that dropped late last year.
Vundabar – “Aphasia”
Vundabar has been more or less prolific over the last several years. Now, barely a year after the release of their last full-length album Either Light, the Boston outfit is back with “Aphasia.” The track is more low-energy than what we’re used to hearing from the band, and came to be after songwriter Brandon Hagen’s father suffered a stroke that left him with global aphasia.
Japanese Breakfast – “Savage Good Boy”
2021 is a huge year for Michelle Zauner, with the recent release of her debut memoir Crying In H Mart, and the forthcoming new Japanese Breakfast LP, Jubilee, which is just around the corner. Ahead of the album’s release, Zauner has shared “Savage Good Boy,” a relatively straightforward track featuring grand piano accents that was inspired by an article discussing how billionaire’s are buying bunkers to prepare for the possible coming apocalypse (that they likely had a hand in perpetuating).
Pronoun – “I’m Right Back In It”
Pronoun’s I’ll Show You Stronger was one of our favorite sleeper albums of 2019, and Alysse Vellturo’s forthcoming EP OMG I Made It picks up right where the full-length left off. “I’m Right Back In It” is another beautiful, anthemic bedroom pop number that might feature what is very possibly Vellturo’s most infectious hook to date.
Hurry – “A Fake Idea”
Philadelphia outfit Hurry make beautiful music, plain and simple. “A Fake Idea” is the (almost) title track from the band’s forthcoming album Fake Idea, and finds songwriter Matt Scottoline wishing so hard for different realities that he starts to manifest them for himself, over shimmering guitars and gorgeous melodic structures.
Just Friends ft. Lil B – “Stupid”
On a recent episode of Indiecast, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen discussed new bands that might be able to push ska back into the mainstream. Just Friends are certainly in the running to be that band that breaks through, especially with their insanely fun new track “Stupid,” which features none other than Lil B.
Bad Luck – “ROY”
Pop punk seems to be making a comeback these days. New York outfit Bad Luck represents what the future of the genre might sound like, with fun and catchy melodies anchored by massive drums and distinct vocals. “ROY” is a song about pushing through peer-induced stagnancy and trying to find a path that truly makes you happy. No one else matters.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.