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 very best of the indie releases from the past seven days. This week we got the anticipated new album from The Strokes, the announcement of a new record from Phoebe Bridgers, and the return of The Beths.

While we’re at it, if you want more music recommendations curated by Steven Hyden delivered directly to your inbox every week, sign up for the Indie Mixtape newsletter.

The Strokes — The New Abnormal

On their first full-length album since 2013’s disappointing-but-then-reappraised Comedown Machine, The Strokes deliver some truly strange and ’80s-inspired synth-pop numbers, and a few undeniable bangers. While the band’s previous two LPs were criticized for documenting a band at their point of least engaged, Steven Hyden writes for Uproxx that The New Abnormal seems to have been “consciously constructed to be another ‘disappointing Strokes album’ that will sound better in about three years.” Now that’s a different, borderline genius type of forward-thinking.

Trace Mountains — Lost In The Country

After the disbandment of beloved New York indie rock outfit LVL UP in 2018, guitarist and vocalist Dave Benton didn’t take long to pivot to his solo sporadic project Trace Mountains. Lost In The Country is the debut full-length from the newly full-time project, and showcases Benton’s knack for catchy songwriting. Where Benton is usually writing about himself in his songs, the ten tracks on Lost In The Country see Benton turning the focus even more inward than on past projects.

Laura Marling — Song For Our Daughter

Song For Our Daughter marks Laura Marling’s fourth release since 2013, and seventh overall. Only thirty years old, Marling is still exceptionally reflective, perhaps aided by her pursuit of a master’s degree in psychoanalysis. Her newfound knowledge comes through in her music, and transforms Daughter into what Steven Hyden calls for Uproxx “a song cycle addressed to the child that she might have one day, in which the prospective mother unloads wisdom and warnings.”

Hamilton Leithauser — The Loves Of Your Life

You might know Hamilton Leithauser from his work with The Walkmen. The Loves Of Your Life is his second solo album, and each song was written about a specific person. In this way, the record works similarly to a photo album, documents of people, places, and things that you wanted to capture. It is chock-full of beautiful vocal melodies and harmonies that sound like they are soaked with love. Among the guest backing vocalists on the record are Leithauser’s wife Anna Stumpf, their daughters Georgiana and Frederika, and Lacrisha Brown, the girls’ former preschool teacher. More than an album, The Loves Of Your Life is a document of a tight-knit community.

Phoebe Bridgers — “Kyoto”

Phoebe Bridgers has been so busy collaborating with other artists recently — Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Conor Oberst, and The 1975, to name only a small handful — that it would be easy to forget that nearly three years have elapsed since Stranger In The Alps landed in our laps, the best indie album of the 2010s. Finally, Bridgers has announced her sophomore solo LP, Punisher. “Kyoto” features a soaring chorus and orchestral arrangements courtesy of Bright Eyes’ Nathaniel Walcott. “This is Bridgers’ first solo album in a few years, but she’s not going about it alone,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.

The Beths — “Dying To Believe”

The Beths’ debut album Future Me Hates Me was one of our favorite indie albums of 2018, and we can barely contain our excitement for its follow-up. “Dying To Believe” is a very promising entry to The Beths’ catalogue, a beautifully-arranged power pop number wherein “vocalist Elizabeth Stokes reckons with the distance that inevitably comes between friends as life passes by,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Varsity — “Runaway”

On their new album Fine Forever, Varsity decided to take some risks sonically. “Runaway” previews this approach, anchored by a driving bass line that lends itself to a dance-ready number with big guitars and shimmering guitars. Singer/keyboardist Stef Smith’s vocals really shine here, doused in reverb and complimented by a luscious saxophone solo.

2nd Grade – “Velodrome / My Bike”

You might be inclined to call 2nd Grade a Philadelphia supergroup, featuring members of Free Cake For Every Creature, Remember Sports, and Friendship. “Velodrome / My Bike” are technically two tracks, but they work together nicely, with the former flowing seamlessly into the latter. On the tracks, the band are “as honest as they are sarcastic,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx. It’s this unique balance that makes 2nd Grade a band to keep an eye on in 2020.

Washed Out — “Too Late”

Although Washed Out has not announced a new album, “Too Late” marks Ernest Greene’s first new release since a handful of standalone singles in 2018. It’s a breezy, fun track that acts as a nice, temporary respite from the world around us. Maybe one day we’ll be able to listen to it on the beach, where it belongs.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After previously announcing that it would suspend Kyle Larson indefinitely without pay, Chip Ganassi Racing has opted to “end its relationship” with Larson altogether. Larson had come under serious fire in recent days following his actions during an iRacing event on Sunday afternoon — while testing the audio on his stream, Larson used a racist slur. The video of the incident is accessible here, but of course, viewer discretion is advised.

The fallout was swift, as multiple sponsors — such as Credit One Bank and McDonald’s — dropped the former Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. NASCAR, citing its commitment to “diversity and inclusion,” suspended Larson indefinitely, as did his team, which called his actions “offensive and indefensible.”

Now, Chip Ganassi Racing has taken things a step further, releasing a statement on Tuesday morning that announced it is severing ties with the 27-year-old California native.

“After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that it will end its relationship with driver Kyle Larson,” Ganassi said in a statement. “As we said before, the comments that Kyle made were both offensive and unacceptable especially given the values of our organization. As we continued to evaluate the situation with all the relevant parties, it became obvious that this was the only appropriate course of action to take.”

Larson had been a member of the team since 2013. NASCAR, on its official website, indicated that for Larson to potentially get reinstated, he would need to go through sensitivity training. In addition to losing his team on Tuesday, Chevrolet announced that it was also terminating its partnership with Larson.

After Knives Out fans enjoyed sequel-teasing, hopes were high for Chris Evans (and that sweater) to somehow make a return. Rian Johnson has since revealed that the followup will not, in fact, revolve around Ransom Drysdale, but instead, around Daniel Craig‘s Benoit Blanc and a mostly-new surrounding cast. Yet there’s simply no telling when Johnson will be able to lift-off on a sequel, since Hollywood productions have ground to a halt for the forseeable future due to you-know-what happening in this world.

If you are really needing a quick fix, though, and you also love trashy, soap-operatic takes, then Netflix might have an alternative for you very soon. Dangerous Lies doesn’t have sweater porn, but it does have Jessie T. Usher wearing tight Henley shirts. The theme looks awfully familiar, too, with Camila Mendes (Riverdale) being sucked into an intricate web of lies after “inheriting” an estate. From the synopsis:

Katie Franklin (Camila Mendes) takes a job as a caretaker to a wealthy elderly man in his sprawling, empty Chicago estate. The two grow close, but when he unexpectedly passes away and names Katie as his sole heir, she and her husband Adam (Jessie T. Usher) are pulled into a complex web of lies, deception, and murder. If she’s going to survive, Katie will have to question everyone’s motives — even the people she loves.

Admittedly, this doesn’t look like high-quality cinematic fare, but I don’t think that was the goal here, either. Some good news? Sasha Alexander also appears in this movie. I hope she’s the killer. The film also includes Jamie Chung, Cam Gigandet, and Elliott Gould. Look for this imitation Knives Out movie to arrive on April 30.

NPR’s long-running video series Tiny Desk highlights both popular and up-and-coming artists from the claustrophobic comfort of a confined office desk. But, as everyone is urged to remain at home, talk shows and late-night television alike are making do by filming from home. NPR’s Tiny Desk follows suit by tapping various musicians to film a 20-minute set from their living rooms. While there may not be a tiny desk in sight, Waxahatchee and Kevin Morby share soulful renditions of their music for NPR’s series.

“Hello everyone, we’re going stir crazy — this is take number 55,” Morby quips during the set. Morby and Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield have been partners and collaborators for several years. The couple got together to perform at-home renditions of some of their most popular songs, including two tracks from Waxahatchee’s recently-released record Saint Cloud.

The setlist includes songs from Waxahatchee’s recent effort, as well as a track from Kevin Morby’s breakout single and a cover of the late Jason Molina. The duo kicks things off with a stripped-down performance of Waxahatchee’s Saint Cloud soaring lead single “Fire.” Next, the duo exchange acoustic guitars and launches into Morby’s heartbreaking ballad “Beautiful Strangers,” which was recorded to benefit the charity organization Everytown For Gun Safety.

Switching gears, the two harmonize gentle strumming for Waxahatchee’s “Lilacs” before paying homage to one of their “favorite musicians” Jason Molina. Covering Molina’s “Farewell Transmission,” Morby said: “Hearing any song and applying it to your current situation, you can bend the meaning of songs. But, there’s something about this song that seems appropriate right now.”

Watch Waxahatchee and Kevin Morby’s Tiny Desk At-Home performance above.

Saint Cloud is out now via Merge. Get it here.

Amid the fun reveals from Drake and the controversy over Lizzo’s twerking, the main goal of Diddy’s Team Love Dance-A-Thon was to raise money for coronavirus relief — and it turned out to be a resounding success in that respect, as well. The Team Love website is keeping a running tally of the total funds raised, and as of this writing, has totaled $3,731,345.00 since Sunday.

That money will be donated to Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization that gets medicine and supplies to communities affected by poverty or emergencies worldwide. In the case of the Team Love funds, it will all go toward Direct Relief’s emergency response to COVID-19, supporting “healthcare organizations and professionals who care for medically underserved communities.”

Diddy is one of dozens of celebrities who either raised funds or directly donated to coronavirus relief efforts, which have included Jay-Z and Rihanna, Future, Kanye West, Lizzo, and Cardi B. During the Dance-A-Thon, Diddy and his sons played music, interviewed guests, and invited their friends and family to show off their best moves in the name of charity — and fighting off the quarantine blues.

Visit TeamLove.com for more information or to donate.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Disney‘s two biggest acquired properties are at a crossroads. Following the tepid (and billion-dollar grossing) reaction to The Rise of Skywalker, the Star Wars sequel trilogy is over, as is the decades-long Skywalker Saga as a whole, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe will release two new franchises next year (The Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) for the first time since 2011. Underdog stories, these are not, but it will be interesting to see what comes next. Patton Oswalt has some ideas.

In an interview with the Observer celebrating the seven-year anniversary of his nerd favorite filibuster on Parks and Recreation, Oswalt was asked what he would like to see going forward from Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“I would like to see both of them do what they’ve done when they were at their best,” he replied. “After [Star Wars], George Lucas handed it over to different writers and directors to keep expanding on the world. Marvel, the best movies in their series were the ones where they went with the not-first choice directors. First out of the gate with Jon Favreau directing Iron Man made it such a unique film. He has a unique vision as a director. And then they kept doing that — picking people like Taika Waititi and Scott Derrickson. Keep doing that, keep taking chances on more idiosyncratic, visionary directors.”

Beyond the names Oswalt listed, there’s also Ryan Coogler and James Gunn for Marvel and Rian Johnson for Star Wars, as Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy and The Last Jedi are highlights for both franchises. Marvel is off to a good start in finding the next Taika, so to speak (an indie director making a four-quadrant blockbuster), with Cate Shortland (Black Widow), Chloé Zhao (The Eternals), and Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi) helming the next three installments. Hopefully Star Wars is paying attention.

Here’s Oswalt’s classic Parks and Rec filibuster.

(Via the Observer)

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DaBaby revealed the release date of his next project on Instagram with a post also revealing the title and cover artwork. It’s called Blame It On Baby and it’s dropping this Friday, April 17. The cover jabs lightly at the unusual context for the project’s release, with an image of DaBaby wearing a protective mask and looking away from the camera, his head covered by a camouflage print durag (a nod to our collective inability to get to the barber — a lot of us are wearing our durags a lot more lately).

DaBaby has been teasing the new project since early this year, when he recapped his wild 2019 with the documentary-style music video for “Shut Up.” Although his promotional run was nearly derailed by yet another “fighting in the club” controversy in which he struck a woman who got too close seeking a photo, he quickly got back to business in the wake of his subsequent apology.

He previewed his first single “My Way” showing off a new flow on Instagram before releasing the cinematic video for the song while helping Lil Yachty promote his own comeback project with the flippant video for “Oprah’s Bank Account.” Now, it appears the fast-churning precedent he set by releasing two full-length projects in 2019 continues with his new project.

Blame It On Baby is due 4/17 on Interscope.

With nearly every concert and festival becoming postponed or canceled amid the coronavirus, the live music industry has come to a screeching halt and left ticketholders with boundless disappointment… and less money. Some festivals and artists, like SXSW, are offering a full ticket exchange for an upcoming iteration of the event. But others don’t have a clear policy. Unfortunately, it looks as though some may never receive the money they purchased a ticket for before the onset of the pandemic. Ticketmaster has quietly changed its refund policy at the expense of buyers who are experiencing an event change due to the coronavirus.

Without warning, Ticketmaster updated the policy section of their website. As pointed out by the New York Times, the ticketing company had previously indicated that “refunds are available if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled, with the only exception reserved for MLB games and US Open events.” However, amid cancelations and postponements due to the pandemic, Ticketmaster changed their policy’s language. Now, refunds are no longer available for events that have been postponed, only canceled.

Ticketmaster addressed the policy change in a statement after facing backlash, saying they are taking the “evolving situation” of the pandemic into account: “In the past, with a routine volume of event interruptions, we and our event organizers have been able to consistently offer more flexibility with refunds for postponed and rescheduled events. However, considering the currently unprecedented volume of affected events, we are focused on supporting organizers as they work to determine venue availability, new dates and refund policies, while rescheduling thousands of events in what continues to be an evolving situation.”

Ticketholders and live music fans were outraged by the policy modification and took to Twitter to share their displeasure.

This wouldn’t be the first time Ticketmaster has found themselves in hot water. In 2018, a private investigation found Ticketmaster does nothing to stop the practice of ticket scalping. The investigation caused the ticketing giant to face several class-action lawsuits. Furthermore, at the end of last year, the Justice Department announced it would begin taking legal action against Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, over its practice of strong-arming venues into using their services.

This week in pop music, artists continued to bring cheer to ease quarantine blues with upbeat anthems. Selena Gomez debuted three new tracks from her deluxe album, Charli XCX began working on an at-home album, and Alesso teamed up with Liam Payne for a buoyant number.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new releases. Listen up.

Selena Gomez — “Boyfriend”

Selena Gomez debuted three new tracks from a deluxe version of her album Rare this week. With the deluxe edition came her anticipated track “Boyfriend.” A deep bass provides the backbeat for Gomez’s auto-tuned vocals. While the singer is comfortable being single, she sings about missing having another in her life.

Charli XCX — “Forever”

Last week, Charli XCX announced she would be making an album from home entirely from scratch with the input of her fans. After asking her followers for feedback on an instrumental track, Charli released “Forever” as an anthem for navigating a relationship in quarantine. The revved-up track features an eclectic mix of noisy instrumentals smoothed over by Charli’s heartfelt lyrics.

Alesso — “Midnight” Feat. Liam Payne

Grammy-nominated producer Alesso teamed up with ex-One Direction member Liam Payne for the transcendent single “Midnight.” A vivacious melody is uplifted by Payne’s earnest musings. “During these difficult times Liam and I hope this song can bring some light,” Alesso said in a statement about the track.

Omar Apollo — “Imagine U”

Burgeoning Indiana songwriter Omar Apollo returns after a prolific 2019 with “Imagine U,” his first new track of the year. In a statement, Apollo described how the song came to be: “I’m all about the feeling when it comes to music. The lyrics and melody came to me so naturally and I feel like free thinking is what’s missing in a lot of music nowadays… I was listening to a lot of daft punk at the time so I was really inspired by those themes.”

Mxmtoon — “Lessons”

After sharing a handful of singles the last few months, Mxmtoon has announced her forthcoming EP Dawn with her latest track “Lessons.” Mxmtoon described how the song is a reminder to be kind to oneself in a statement: “Life is full of teachable moments, and allowing yourself the space to make mistakes and to become better from those is vital. ‘Lessons’ serves as a reminder to be kind to yourself, to trust your instincts, and live life with purpose.”

Alec Benjamin — “Six Feet Apart”

Singer/songwriter Alec Benjamin has had a prolific quarantine. The singer wrote and released “Six Feet Apart” as an anthem for social-distancing. The emotionally-charged track reminisces on loved ones. “They say distance is relative and relative to relatives I have / I’d say I’m relatively close to breaking down / Because right now I feel so alone,” Benjamin croons.

Alina Baraz — “Endlessly”

Though she’s been making a name for herself through a handful of EPs and singles, Alina Baraz is gearing up for the release of her debut album. It Was Divine arrives in early May and Baraz has been teasing its release through singles. “Endlessly” is her latest, slow-burning number with Baraz’s velvety cadence dripping over a washed-out beat.

Shy Martin — “Can I Call You Back?”

Swedish pop artist Shy Martin returns with the honest track “Can I Call You Back?” Delving into her mental health history through a poetic stream of consciousness, Martin examines her struggles on the sincere track. “I remember first experiencing anxiety when I was turning 13,” she said in a statement. “At the time I didn’t know what that feeling was, only that it made me very sad, and extremely lonely. Last year I decided to finally share my struggles with anxiety with the people who listen to my music.”

Dove Cameron — “Remember Me” Feat. BIA

Following two singles that marked her new era, Disney star Dove Cameron has returned with “Remember Me.” A collaboration with rapper BIA, the single touts a deep bassline under Cameron’s high-reaching vocals. Speaking about the track, Cameron expressed her excitement about the collaboration: “I also couldn’t be happier to be working with an artist like BIA, I’m such a fan and the tone and energy she brought to the track is magic.”

Almondmilkhunni — “Bandana”

The first release off her self-titled debut EP, “Bandana” melts Almondmilkhunni’s dreamy vocals over a sample of Usher’s 2001 hit “U Remind Me.” In a statement to Billboard, the singer offered insight into the song’s meaning. “I had just been told about a girl my ex started dating like around the same time we were talking. [I wanted to] address the fact that this guy clearly has a type, because his new girl looks so much like me,” she said.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.