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 Lucy Dacus, Anxious, Perfume Genius, and more.
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The Weather Station – Humanhood
Tamara Lindeman has long been enamored of human connection. On recent albums like 2021’s Ignorance and its companion piece, 2022’s How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars, the Toronto musician underlined the necessity of climate activism through a deep appreciation for the natural world and the ways in which we share it. Humanhood, her seventh album as The Weather Station, adopts a decidedly humanistic viewpoint. In an age of technocrats and (de)generative AI, Humanhood isn’t a balm so much as a reminder of why we should preserve everything — and everyone — that is precious to us. Who knows when it could all be lost?
Florist – “Have Heaven”
Florist’s music has always leaned into a spellbinding mysticism. Gentle, homespun tunes about friendship, such as those on their 2022 eponymous album, and the wintry folk tunes that embody 2019’s Emily Alone showcase a hypnotic quality to Florist’s work. For Jellywish, out April 4, the New York four-piece are no longer being subtle about it. They embrace the fantastical more than ever. “Have Heaven” is the type of song that a reclusive sorcerer would make, its bucolic acoustic guitars and whimsical hand percussion conjuring images of dense fog blanketing a mysterious yet peaceful forest. If Florist’s previous songs merely hinted at the supernatural, then the enchanting milieu of “Have Heaven” makes it all the more real.
Perfume Genius – “It’s A Mirror”
Reuniting with longtime collaborator Blake Mills, Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas returns with “It’s A Mirror,” the lead single of the forthcoming Glory. Whereas 2022’s Ugly Season predicated itself on classical arrangements literally fit for a ballet, “It’s A Mirror” signals a homecoming to the densely rich indie rock terrain of 2020’s masterful Set My Heart On Fire Immediately. Accompanied by earthen guitars that yield to bursts of distortion, Hadreas succumbs to his inner saboteur. “It’s a mirror, holy terror / Taking focus off the horizon,” he sings. Strangely enough, he sounds resolved and focused, delivering one of his most confident vocal performances to date.
Lucy Dacus – “Limerence”
Lucy Dacus has taken off in the four years since her last solo album, Home Video. Alongside Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, Dacus’ star power ascended to new heights with 2023’s The Record, accruing Grammys, arena shows, and late-night television appearances. Forever Is A Feeling, her fourth studio record, takes cues from classicism and Baroque stylings; ornate paintings and harpsichord; Blake Mills and orchestral strings. It’s the kind of left turn that stays true to Dacus’ work while incorporating elements completely new to her songwriting. “Limerence” underscores the obsession with obsession itself (a true Dacusism if there ever were one) atop twinkling piano and swooning violins. At its heart is heartbreak, one of her greatest muses. “Is there a difference between lying to you / If it feels just as bad as telling the truth,” she asks in the second chorus. The romantically tragic instruments in the background hold the answer.
Anxious – “Some Girls”
When emo quintet Anxious released their 2022 debut LP Little Green House, it was immediately clear that there was something special about this band. They possess a certain je ne sais quoi that sets them apart from their peers. Every single from the forthcoming Bambi has only further affirmed that. The latest preview, “Some Girls,” is the additional proof that we didn’t need to know that Anxious are of their own ilk. Drawing from the sugary sweet hooks of Bleed American, the Connecticut group stacks thick, double-tracked power chords on top of Jonny Camner’s dense drums. There may not be a house on the cover of this one, but this is pristine emo through and through. This is music brimming with raw feeling.
1010benja – “Incent”
The chameleonic singer-songwriter-producer 1010benja is back with another one-off single. “Incent” sees the Kansas City-based artist locking into a syncopated groove with his characteristic bravado, toeing the line between growling ad libs and a soothing R&B falsetto. The biggest surprise comes when everything breaks out into a fiery shredder of a guitar solo that’d make John Frusciante proud. “Incent” simultaneously contains everything we’ve come to love about 1010 while pushing his artistry forward.
Horsegirl – “Switch Over”
The second Horsegirl album is less than a month away now, but the Chicago trio have given us another tidbit of what’s to come. “Switch Over” continues the band’s recent spate of tunes featuring jangly, bright guitars and steady percussion. Members Gigi Reece, Penelope Lowenstein, and Nora Cheng drive forward with the unity of a single organism. They already sounded cohesive on 2022’s Versions Of Modern Performance, but “Switch Over” sees the three musicians lock in their playing like never before.
Porridge Radio – “Don’t Want To Dance”
Pour one out for Porridge Radio. They’re officially calling it quits. But on Feb. 21, the Brighton post-punk group are sharing one more EP, The Machine Starts To Sing, before they leave forever. Taken from the recording sessions of last year’s excellent Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me, lead single “Don’t Want To Dance” contains ringleader Dana Margolin’s signature warbly vocals, which skate atop warm acoustic guitars and ambling drums. Even though Porridge Radio will soon break up, it’s a gift to receive one more batch of wonderful songs from them.
Drop Nineteens – “Mayfield”
Boston shoegazers Drop Nineteens are mere weeks away from the official release of 1991, a treasured predecessor to their 1992 masterpiece Delaware. The latest preview, “Mayfield,” is another glimpse into the noisy, enveloping world the group constructed ahead of their magnum opus. Even casting its successor aside, this iteration of Drop Nineteens is special on its own terms. Colloquially known as “Mayfield” among fans, this quasi-title track unearths the foundation that makes this band an enduring touchstone for many. Stirring, cacophonous guitars tend to steal the show, but Greg Ackell’s wistful vocal delivery is another key factor of their appeal. Submerged beneath a sea of rich, swoonworthy effects pedals, Ackell’s voice never fails to rise to the surface, radiating like a lighthouse in the distance.
Jasmine.4.t – You Are The Morning
The first detail you notice is jasmine.4.t’s voice. Meeting the middle point between Mike Hadreas’ wavering coos and Phoebe Bridgers’ colloquial delivery, jasmine.4.t sounds vulnerable and self-assured. She’s the first British signee on Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, and her debut LP, You Are The Morning, was produced by Bridgers alongside her boygenius bandmates Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. But Jasmine’s voice is a singular force of its own. Alongside members of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, Jasmine documents her varied experiences as a trans woman, and how identity itself is often a conduit for a deeper understanding of community and belonging. Adorned with finger-picked guitars and ornate string arrangements, You Are The Morning is a transfixing opening statement from a talented songwriter.
