These New Young Bands Have Really Energized Indie Rock This Year

You may have noticed that Indie is always evolving.  At the moment there are bunches of new bands, and these young sounds are capturing an audience.  Here are 5 hot young bands you should know.  (The fact I picked bands all fronted by women was not intentional.  These are just the bands I think are bringing in new energy to Indie Rock at the moment. Women have always been big in Indie rock and these bands are blowing up right now.)

The Beths – Future Me Hates Me – What a great new band.  Young, ready, and willing to rock out in what I can only describe as an early Indie Rock feel, with music and lyrics coming from someplace real.  They’re attracting fans of all ages.

Soccer Mommy – Your Dog – With melodic guitar lines and songs of youthful love and heartbreak, you can’t go wrong with Soccer Mommy.

Big Thief – Mythological Beauty – With two full length albums out, they are the most experienced band in this list, but still new to many of us. Soft-spoken, but cutting to the bone, Big Thief brings a modern sensibility and deep lyrics and is winning hearts and minds everywhere.

Snail Mail – Pristine – The solo project of Lindsey Jordan, Snail Mail expresses themes of survival in a mad world.  Uncertainty, empathy, confusion, love – you know the trials of youth – looked at with intelligence and care.

Hop Along – How Simple – Great upbeat melodies, slick production, high energy –  Hop Along is making the world a better place.  Go listen and make this a better day.

Youtube playlist:  Young Bands Energizing Indie Rock in 2018

Spotify playlist:  Young Bands Energizing Indie Rock in 2018

Four Women Singers With New Indie Rock Albums for International Women’s Day

Women are front and center in Indie Rock.  To commemorate International Women’s Day don’t forget to download new albums by some of the best female singers around.  Each of these have new album either just released or soon to be released:

Neko Case – Just dropped the first new song from her upcoming new solo album “Hell-On” coming out June 1.  The return of the queen of Indie Rock.

Beach House – With lead singer Victoria Legrand, just dropped the second song, “Dive” from their upcoming new album “7” coming out in May.  Between their hypnotic sound and their hypnotic graphics – just sit right down and listen and watch.

Tune-Yards – With lead singer Merrill Garbus, just released a new album, “I can feel you creep into my private life” in January.  What a powerful, unique, and important voice.

Sleigh Bells – With lead singer Alexis Krauss released a new EP, Kid Kruschev, late in 2017.  I caught them at Brooklyn Steel in their current tour – absolute knockout band.

YouTube playlist: Women Leads with New Music

Spotify playlist: Women Leads with New Music

Beach House – Chill, Gaze, Repeat

Beach House is well known for their dreamy sound.  It’s been a minute since they’ve put out a new album and they’ve just dropped a new song!  New album coming this Spring.  So think warm thoughts and check them out.  This new song shows they continuing to be inventive.  I think we can anticipate a great summer now with Beach House leading the way.

When I think Beach House the word that comes to mind is “Chill.”  Sit back and let the music hit you.  The lead singer, Victoria Legrand, has a low dusky voice that brings so many emotions to the surface.  This is a band for a lazy sunny afternoon or a slow dance at the prom.  Can’t wait to hear what comes next.

On this playlist: Lemon Glow (the new song), Space Song (from their last full album), and Zebra (some classic Beach House for you).

Check out the 2001 Space Odyssey film clips set to their music.  Float on!

YouTube playlist: Beach House

Spotify playlist: Beach House

Sleigh Bells – Hot Noise, Beat Drops and Power Slay On

No one drops it harder than this power rock duo.  Start with a killer beat, now bring on Alexis Krauss, midriff bare, shaking the stage, screaming her heart out and add in Derek Miller turning his guitar into a weapon, and you have an idea of what you’re in for with Sleigh Bells.

There are a number of influences here.  M.I.A. for sure – you’ll hear it on the first song.  They are known as “Noise Pop” but they’ve moved beyond that label, still keeping the intensity, but incorporating more.  More guitar, more meaning, and even some more quiet but still very intense and engaging songs (listen to “And Saints”).

I saw them last night (along with opening act, “Sunflower Bean” who were fantastic and I’m downloading their new album March 23rd as soon as it hits) in Brooklyn.  Wow, what an intense performance.  Alexis was super-hot and super-pumped.  I was happy to be right up front, losing it to the beat.  These guys are still as hot as ever.  Check their music on the playlists below and definitely see them live.

On this playlist:

Riot Rhythm – You’ll get the M.I.A. influence hear right away

Favorite Transgressions – From their new EP – more guitar, same intensity

And Saints – Also from the new EP

Comeback Kid – More classic Sleigh Bells (2012)

Bitter Rivals – Watch the video.  Cute and sexy turns to wild and crazed in the blink of an eye.

YouTube playlist: Sleigh Bells

Spotify playlist: Sleigh Bells

 

Ty Segall – Rock & Roll Creativity Unleashed

Ty Segall is a prolific songwriter and Rock & Roller.  He is tremendously creative and musical, his songs are mostly bangers, and you can count on some serious guitar.  There is plenty of classic rock influence here, but his songs vary with his fancy.  In other words Ty Segall’s music is whatever Ty Segall wants it to me at any given time.  That means you may hear straight up rock, a hard core punk sound, a ballad, or an anthem; but it’s always rock and roll for sure.

Hopefully this playlist will give you a good start with the straight-up “Break a Guitar” and including “Alta”, a song that is part ballad, and part rock anthem.

He’s got a brand new album out called Freedom’s Goblin.  All but the first song on this playlist are from that album, but you’ll see it’s a pretty broad range of musical types.  Enjoy.

(Segall’s music is not all on Spotify so I’m providing a link to his Band Camp page instead.  No Spotify playlist in this post. )

In this playlist: Break A Guitar – She – Alta – Every1’s a Winner

YouTube playlist: Ty Segall

Band camp Ty Segall link: Ty Segall

(photo credit: Will Oliver)

tUnE-yArDs – Inventive, World-Aware Sounds

(Post concert update:  Merrill does crazy things with loop pedals live.  She was essentially singing duets and trios with herself all night all while laying down intense dance beats.  Pretty remarkable skills and very “live” giving us sounds in the moment.  See this band live if you possibly can.  Super-powerful performance – upbeat and challenging spirit.  Wow.  The photo is now one I took at the show.  As you can see – no back-up players this time.)

The first song I heard from this band was their hit “water fountain.”  I grew up in New York City and it made me think of the always falling apart state of playgrounds where the water fountains never worked. It seemed to speak from the perspective of a low income urban neighborhood where you make do with what you have and find a way to turn a tough situation into a positive life.  In my mind’s eye I envisioned a collective of diverse city-dwellers joined together to make neighborhood music gone big.

That mental image was seriously wrong.  Somehow, this white woman from Massachusetts and her band mates have managed to do something really unique.  They bring political awareness, elements of worldbeat, indie, and pop music, and danceable fun together in a addictive and always engaging way. Challenging ideas, experimental sounds, dance beats, and creative videos – this band is definitely worth knowing.

They’ve got a new album out.  Check out the playlist below to catch-up on this great band, who I think have created something really fun, powerful, unique, and open to a wide audience.  Maybe check out this article too: Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus Wants You to Think About Whiteness (and to Dance)

On this playlist:

Water Fountain – The song that got me hooked

Bizness – An older tune with a fun video

Look at Your Hands – From the new album

Hammer – Live video – song from the new album

YouTube playlist: tUnE-yArDs

Spotify playlist: tUnE-yArDs

Daniele Luppi grabs Parquet Courts and Karen O – Indie Rockers Celebrate!

If you are saying to yourself “Daniele who?” you are not alone.  He’s an Italian composer living in the US with an album in 2011 and several movie soundtracks to his name.  He just burst on the scene with a new album on Danger Mouse’s label with some of the most outrageous indie rockers around.

Parquet Courts is an American Indie band with tremendous guitar strength and rock/punk attitude.  Karen O is the front women of the well-loved Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  What a combination!  These songs are just unique and powerful, well-constructed, and a bit hard core.  A surprise from left field, and a very welcome one.  If you haven’t heard them yet, please do, you won’t be sorry.  Vocals are sometimes by Karen O and sometimes by Parquet Courts lead singer, A Savage.  I’ve included two with each singer.

In this playlist:

Talisa, Karen O on vocals

Flush, Karen O on vocals

Soul and Cigarette, A Savage on vocals

Mount Napoleon, A Savage on vocals

YouTube playlist: Luppi, Parquet Courts and Karen O

Spotify playlist: Luppi, Parquet Courts and Karen O

15 Top Indie Songs of 2017 – In Chronological Order

Very clever of me to choose 15, right?  Well anyway this was certainly a fun activity.  It reminded me what an incredible range of great music got made this year.  By putting them in order by month it plays like a walk down memory lane.

Since this is obviously more than 15 minutes feel free to pick and choose by clicking on the songs you want to hear – or – for the full year experience, click the full playlists below.

JANUARY

Chicano Batman: This Land is Your Land This video is actually a commercial, but it is a great production. This band has lots of great music. Look them up.  Powerful and musical and a clear statement against some of the anti-immigration stuff coming out of Washington.

FEBRUARY

Middle Kids: Edge of Town This new band out of Australia is my first choice to make it big when they release their first full-length album.  Their debut EP and their live performance knocked me out.

Orwells: Heavy Head The Orwells are a Rock and Roll band in the old school style.  Great banging rock and crazy lead singer.

Animal Collective: Kinda Bonkers Electronic psychedelic bonkers music for sure.  Their live show was mind-warpingly good.

MARCH

Temples: Certainty This English psychedelic guitar rock band has amazing musical and can definitely get into your head.

APRIL

Sylvan Esso: Die Young I can’t get enough of this band.  Saw them in Brooklyn twice this year and would go again anytime.  It’s hard to just pick one song from the great, Grammy nominated 2017 album, “What Now”.

New Pornographers: Whiteout Conditions My favorite from the album of the same name.  An album full of deep tracks that get more interesting the more you listen.

JULY

Lana Del Rey: Love What an epic song, and sung by a woman who performs like someone inhabited by the music.

AUGUST

The War on Drugs: Holding On I’m certain this will be number one one someone’s list.  This band keep delivering awesome music with deep roots.  With a bit of an “E Street Band” feel, this song is absolutely one of the best of the year.

SEPTEMBER

LCD Soundsystem: I Used To LCD Soundsystem’s return in 2017 was one of the biggest Indie Rock events of the year.  They headlined at Coachella and have been playing night after night of sold-out shows everywhere they go.  Hard to describe, LCD combines electronics with their own off-center vision of the world.

Alvvays: In Undertow This band our of Toronto, Canada, got the world’s attention with “Marry Me Archie” in 2014 with its happy retro feel with and indie vibe.  They scored again in 2017 with great upbeat melodic songs that are hard not to like.

OCTOBER

King Krule: Dum Surfer On a much more challenging note, here is an artist from a distinctly different part of England, who can move easily from post-punk to the blues.  There is a lot more here than meets the eye.

Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile: Continental Breakfast What happens when two very popular independent musicians with similar, somewhat out of tune, sing-song styles collaborate between Australia and Pennsylvania? A video so cute it is curing millennial depression everywhere.

Tune Yards: Look at Your Hands If you don’t know Tune Yards, check them out.  Be sure to watch the whole video, the second half is electric!  I hear a city vibe, a multi-cultural vibe, an experimental vibe, a great voice, and music that you can listen to, dance to, or, just vibe to!  This song was just released, but the full album won’t come out until January.  So check out their catalog, and look for them in next year’s list.

November

Sleigh Bells: Rainmaker Sleigh Bells is back and looking to combine their noise-pop, M.I.A. inspired intense beats, into something that works on the dance floor at high volume or in the living room, just hanging.  But my suggestion, turn it up!

Full Top 2017 YouTube playlist

Full Top 2017 Spotify playlist

Indie Rock Nerds

This one is just for fun.  Here are some Indie Rock songs that lean a little on the nerd side.  Why?  Words like parallelogram, ion displacement  and encryption don’t seem very likely in rock songs – but here they are.  Great music – slightly nerdy words.  Enjoy.

In this playlist:

alt-J – Tessellate  – Tessellate: cover a plane surface by repeated use of a single shape, without gaps or overlapping

The New Pornographers – High Ticket Attractions – Use of the word encryption is here – along with reference to Mayans, the science of falling, and ignoring the warning – good enough to make the list

Vampire Weekend – Bryn – Not really a nerdy song except for the opening words: ion displacement

Certainty – Temples – making parallelograms cool again

Courtney Barnett – Elevator Operator – Courtney gets on the list for her reference here to SimCity – watch the video – cute – maybe not so nerdy

YouTube playlist: Indie Rock Nerds

Spotify playlist: Indie Rock Nerds

Neko Case – Queen of Indie Rock

The title may not be official, but never mind, she is the queen (and occasionally the king too).  She is a consummate professional, a great singer, a feeling human being, and a serial collaborator.  If she is singing, I’m listening.  As someone in the YouTube comments wrote, “you don’t need auto-tune if it’s built in.”  Neko is one of the lead singers of the New Pornographers but I feel I need to pay homage to her as a solo artist first because, well,… she is the queen.

I’ll post the New Pornographers another time (edit: here now), but for now, just enjoy her performance, her voice, and if you feel the need, you may bow.

I took the blurry photo above at a free Neko Case concert in New York on the pier in 2012.  I’ve seen her twice with the New Pornographers and I’m psyched to say I’ve got tickets for her upcoming solo tour in January.  Neko Case rules.  Check out the comments on YouTube to see some serious admiration.

For more examples search for her collaborations with Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, Elton John, and the album she did with k.d. lang, and Laura Veirs.

Song on this playlist:

Behind The House / This Tornado Loves You / Man / Magpie To The Morning / I’m An Animal

YouTube playlist: Neko Case

Spotify playlist: Neko Case