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

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