BEST INDIE SONGS: THE 10 BIGGEST BANGERS OF THE WEEK

Photo by Carina Allen

Why is it when things seem to be finally returning to some kind of normality, we suddenly find ourselves being plunged back into a dystopian hellscape? I'm not sure you guys, but it's during times like this I'm extra thankful for music and the artists using their voices and platforms for good. Anyways. Sending you lots of love this Monday ahead of the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Best Indie Songs, featuring Sir Chloe, Charlie Hickey, McCall, and more <3.

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SIR CHLOE – COMPANY

This. Goes. Off. Having returned in March with "Mercy," Sir Chloe's Dana Foote is once again cranking up the anticipation for the Bennington band's next chapter this Monday with the mammoth "Company." Produced alongside the GRAMMY Award-winning John Congleton, "Company" hears Sir Chloe taking the quiet-loud formula of grunge to the next level, with Dana channeling the sexy machismo of Joan Jett in the gargantuan chorus: "I'll pay good money for some company/Pay good money for some company."

CHARLIE HICKEY – GOLD LINE

Love is a glorious, terrifying thing. Charlie Hickey is very much capturing this on "Gold Line." The latest single to be taken from his forthcoming debut album, Nervous at Night – an 11-piece collection coming to us via the Phoebe Bridgers-founded Saddest Factory Records – "Gold Line" hears Charlie balancing his tender melodic delicacy alongside some of his heaviest guitars yet, with this soaring combination speaking to the song's duality. "It's scary, but also really exciting and joyous," says Charlie. Listen.

MCCALL – HAIR SALON GOSSIP

There's something deeply visceral, almost intuitive about the music of McCall, with the Los Angeles singer-songwriter offering up perhaps her most moving cut to date in the form of "Hair Salon Gossip." Coming after "Famous" and "What Then," "Hair Salon Gossip" finds McCall piecing together memories and anecdotes like shards of broken glass and mirrors. The final result is nothing short of shattering, with McCall delivering a stirring eulogy for a lost love: "Oh well, there's damage done/I see you in everyone."

GIRLHOUSE – FACETIME AFTER SEX

Following weeks of anticipation, girlhouse's Lauren Luiz has finally unveiled the third EP. We've already heard "paul blart mall cop" and "cool guy," and today, girlhouse is back with "facetime after sex." According to Lauren, "facetime after sex" was inspired by her experience with dating apps. "This song is about a few men I met along my journey to get off of the apps and why I tolerated the shit that I went through," she adds of the cut – a retro bit of dreamboat melancholy that hears her turn sighing siren.

WALLICE – FUNERAL

Coinciding with the release of 90s American Superstar EP, Los Angeles act Wallice is returning with the eruptive "Funeral." Described by Wallice as her "favorite song" she's ever written, "Funeral" is an ode to death that transforms from a low-slung dirge into a crunchy, cathartic celebration that ironically teems with life. Wallice: "Even though it's a song about death, I don't think it necessarily feels that way. Maybe we should shift the perspective of funerals to not be so sad." CC: Phoebe Bridgers.

SUNFLOWER BEAN – IN FLIGHT

We've already heard "Baby Don't Cry," "Who Put You up to This," "Roll the Dice," and "I Don't Have Control Sometimes," and this Monday, Sunflower Bean is back with the fifth and final song from their recent album, Headful of Sugar. "In Flight'' is a bright, strummy dreamscape that hears Sunflower Bean's guitarist, Nick Kivlen, taking over lead vocal duties. "This song is a romantic vision of meeting a lover, running away together, and entering a dangerous new world," he says of the radiant chugger. Listen.

BEACH BUNNY – KARAOKE

Ahead of the release of Emotional Creature in July, Chicago guitar-pop connoisseurs Beach Bunny is back today with the third single from the album after "Oxygen" and "Fire Escape." "Karaoke" is a jangly tribute to crush that hears Lili Trifilio falling head over heels atop a bright, blues-esque shuffle. "It's about infatuation, fleeting feelings, and the bittersweet nature of uncertainty," reveals Lili. "It's about learning pieces of who someone is and liking them before even knowing the whole story."

TRIATHALON – TIME

Earlier this year, Triathalon announced their signing to Lex Records by sharing "Spin," and today, the New York City band is continuing to deliver the vibes on "Time."  "We wanted to explore both old and new sounds but through a darker lens," says Triathalon, adding "Time" was three years in the making. "We hope people get lost in the chaos." Beginning surreal and amorphous, like a late-night mushroom binge in the desert, before turning into something more bright and energetic, "Time" is the definition of a trip.

JUNIOR VARSITY – SHARE UR FEELINGS

Just over a year on from making their debut on We Are: The Guard with "Cold Blood" – a song that went viral after the Los Angeles duo draped a painting of a cow over the  "O" of the Hollywood sign — Junior Varsity is back with "Share Ur Feelings." While "Cold Blood" made for a big, explosive introduction, "Share Ur Feelings" hears Junior Varsity showcasing a softer side to their sound. A tender alternative ode to pure, unconditional love, "Share Ur Feelings" is as much blink-182 as it is BROCKHAMPTON.

EMILY YACINA – DB COOPER

It doesn't get much more beautiful than this. Philadelphia's Emily Yacina attempts to come to terms with the loss of her friend and associate, Eric Littmann, on "DB Cooper." "The song itself is about losing him, and how grief forces you to stop whatever you're doing and re-evaluate your life," says Emily. "It's also about finding meaning when that person is gone." With Emily recalling treasured memories of Eric over dappling, almost intangible riffs, "DB Cooper" is a gorgeous insight into sorrow and friendship.

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Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.