THE 10 BEST INDIE SONGS YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE THIS WEEK

by Jess Grant
11/2/20

Photo by Louis Smit on Unsplash

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Check out this week’s edition of We Are: The Guard’s Best Indie Songs, featuring Teezo Touchdown, Myd & Mac DeMarco, Shelly, and even more.

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TEEZO TOUCHDOWN (FEAT. THOMAS LOPEZ) – BAD ENOUGH

I’m convinced Teezo Touchdown isn’t of this world. It’s as if the Houston artist has escaped from a cosmic alternate dimension populated by the likes of Prince and ‎André 3000, with Teezo’s interstellar rock-and-roll flair coming showcased in full on “Bad Enough” – an unapologetic alien stomper that oozes with creative ideas.

 

MYD & MAC DEMARCO – MOVING MEN

Not since the days of Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks” has The Whistle been applied so irresistibly as it has on Myd’s “Moving Men.” A collaboration with everyone’s favorite troll Mac DeMarco, “Moving Men” is a truly, utterly joyous piece of pursed-lip perfection, with Mac wriggling between Myd’s glorious indie-pop vibes with ease.

 

SHELLY – STEEEAM

Leave it to Clairo to shine some much-needed light onto 2020 with her brand new band Shelly. Comprising of Clairo, Claud, Josh Mehling, and Noa Frances Getzug, the indie outfit are delivering a dose of pure radiance on “Steeeam” – an ode to a lockdown loving that hears Clairo’s sweetened vocals coming swept up by a lagoon of lo-fi guitars.

 

BAKAR – 1ST TIME

London boy Bakar returns from a self-imposed social media exile with “1st Time.” The follow-up to 2019’s Will You Be My Yellow? EP hears Bakar continuing to refine his distinctly British vibe, with Bloc Party-esque inflections meeting rainy-pavement musings for a maturation of the sound that first made us fall in love with him three years ago.

 

WOLF – HOOPS

Wolf celebrates the simple joy of shooting the sh*t with friends on “Hoops.” Written and produced alongside Loote’s Jackson Foote, “Hoops” is a dreamy dose of indie-pop attitude, with chugging guitars and trap beats allowing for Wolf to soulfully pay tribute to those moments spent talking boys and big feelings with the BFFs.

 

BRIGHT EYES (FEAT. PHOEBE BRIDGERS) – MIRACLE OF LIFE

Just a few weeks on from the release of Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, Bright Eyes return today with “Miracle of Life.” Described by the indie outfit as a “protest song,” it finds Conor Oberst spinning a terrifyingly grim tale about the threat to abortion rights in America, with Phoebe Bridgers acting as hauntingly beautiful backup.

 

JORDANA – I GUESS THIS IS LIFE

In 1997, blink-182 famously sang “Well, I guess this is growing up,” and today, Jordana emerges with a similar sentiment on “I Guess This Is Life.” Written about “the motions of everyday life and how experiences, no matter big or small, make up the person that you are,” “I Guess This Is Life” is a wistful ode to adulthood that lands like a beautiful sigh.

 

ROUTINE, ANNIE TRUSCOTT & JAY SOM  – CADY ROAD

Meet Routine, the brand new band from Chastity Belt’s Annie Truscott and Jay Som’s Melina Mae Duterte, who are immersing us in a world of eternal sunsets on “Cayd Road.” Featured on their forthcoming And Other Things EP, it’s a country swirl about seeking acceptance in uncertainty, with Routine simmering in that golden hour sound.

 

EMPRESS OF (FEAT. AMBER MARK) – YOU’VE GOT TO FEEL

Empress Of and Amber Mark? Name a more iconic duo – I’ll wait. Coming to us via Empress Of’s imprint Major Arcana, “You’ve Got To Feel” is a big, thwacky, 80s-tinged banger about rising up against the crippling capitalist system, with Empress Of and Amber giving it their absolute all on the vocal front over squiggly synth grooves.

 

SEVDALIZA– RHODE

Sevdaliza is a goddess. Case in point: “Rhode.” Featured on her recent album Shabrang, it’s a crashing, clattering ode to the importance of nurturing one’s self in times of need, with the song’s trip-hop-indebted beats giving way to an electrifying guitar solo that feels like a sonic manifestation of Sevdaliza’s divine feminine energy.

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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.