NEW INDIE MUSIC - WEEK 13

by Jess Grant
3/23/20

Just when I thought the COVID-19 crisis couldn't get any worse, Gal Gadot went and dropped that “Imagine” cover. Way to kick us while we're down, huh, Gal? Anyways, now we're all stuck inside in our pajamas for the foreseeable future, at least we have plenty of time to dedicate to discovering new music. Of course, artists need our support more than ever right now, so if you do find anything you like in this latest edition of We Are: The Guard's New Indie Music, please go on to support those performers however you can (Buy records! Buy merch! Support Patreons!). Check out the following 10 tracks from Perfume Genius, Hayley Williams, The Avalanches, and lots more!

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PERFUME GENIUS – ON THE FLOOR

Things Perfume Genius did? THAT! Following on from the release of “Describe” earlier this month, Mike Hadreas returns today with “On the Floor.” It's a glorious jaunt that, quite frankly, couldn't stand further apart from his previous distorted effort, with Mike channeling Kate Bush circa The Red Shoes as he sings of the dizzying, maddening ways of love.

 

KENNYHOOPLA – THE WORLD IS FLAT AND THIS IS THE EDGE//

KennyHoopla is inviting us into his existential world of melting clocks on the genre-agnostic “the world is flat and this is the edge//.” Listen as Kenny draws on emo, trap, post-rock, and everything in between in order to construct his sixth overall single – a darkly nihilistic, surreal swirl of echoing vocals and skittering hi-hats that nothing short of slaps.

 

HAYLEY WILLIAMS – ROSES/LOTUS/VIOLET/IRIS

Hayley Williams continues to build up to the release of Petals for Armor (I'm literally counting down the days to the album!) by sharing “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris.” It hears Hayley once again exploring her femininity over soft, shuffling beats and intoxicatingly fragrant strings, with the song featuring stunning backing vocals from none other than boygenius.

 

SEVDALIZA – LAMP LADY

Come through, Queen Sevdaliza! Having shared “Oh My God” last month, the Iranian-Dutch act returns today with “Lamp Lady.” It's a majestic offering that pulls you in from the off, with muddy, grunge-like guitars and trip-hop beats forming a tapestry beneath the 32-year-old as she hushedly invokes religious imagery like a High Renaissance painter.

 

THE AVALANCHES (FEAT. RIVERS CUOMO & PINK SIIFU) – RUNNING RED LIGHTS

The Avalanches, Rivers Cuomo, and Pink Siifu? Erm, the most ambitious crossover event in history, much? Packed full of possibility, the follow-up to “We Will Always Love You” is a glimmering ode to loss and Los Angeles, with Rivers taking the lead with his devastating pop touch before Pink Siifu enters the booth to pay tribute to the late, great David Berman.

 

DENAI MOORE – CASCADES

OKAY, DENAI MOORE! The British-Jamaican act really didn't come to play during this era, huh? Following on from the release of “To the Brink” last year, Denai returns today with another surreal masterpiece in the form of “Cascades.” Written about depression, it's a warped art-pop wonderland that eventually melts into a totally gorgeous a cappella outro.

 

JADU HEART – SUDDENLY I KNOW WHO YOU ARE

There's something about Jadu Heart's music that makes me feel so very ALIVE! Having shared “Dead, Again” last month, the British outfit return today with “Suddenly I Know Who You Are.” Opening to a salvo of heavy guitars before giving way to a swirl of dreamlike vocals, “Suddenly I Know Who You Are” is another life-affirming listen from this rising duo.

 

KACY HILL (FEAT. FRANCIS AND THE LIGHTS) – I BELIEVE IN YOU

Kacy Hill goes in search of hope on the deeply soft and lovely “I Believe in You.” Featured on the former G.O.O.D. Music signee's forthcoming album Is It Selfish If We Talk About Me Again, the song is about “finding faith and purpose” in the little things in life, with Kacy and Francis and the Lights making for a much-needed comfort in these utterly trying times.

 

RENFORSHORT – BUMMER

Introducing renforshort, the 17-year-old making bops for anxiety-riddled Generation Zers everywhere on her debut EP teenage angst. “There are times I wish that I was somebody else/Pretending I'm okay but, sh*t, I'm hating myself,” sings ren in her angelic tones on “bummed” – an ode to teenage depression that can be filed next to Lorde and Billie Eilish.

 

JORDANA (FEAT. MELVV) – CRUNCH

This is WILD! Ahead of the release of the remastered version of her 2019 album Classical Notions of Happiness, Jordana has shared “Crunch.” It's an urgently raw bedroom-pop rager about desperately yearning for someone else's attention, with offbeat drums and fuzzed-up basslines accompanying Jordana before a furiously distorted guitar solo lets rip.

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Until next time, follow We Are: The Guard's Weekly Chart for lots more! x

 

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

 

 

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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.