NEW INDIE MUSIC – WEEK 50

So apparently we live in a world where people think that Justin Bieber's Purpose is more worthy of the title “Album Of The Year” than David Bowie's Blackstar. WTF? Oh, in case you haven't guessed, I'm talking about the Grammy nominations. If I had to sum up the whole thing in one word, it'd probably be “trainwreck.” The Grammy Awards have been a hot mess for years, and 2017 looks set to be no different. But at least Parquet Courts are up for Best Recording Package, right? RIGHT? Anyways, moving swiftly on to this week's edition of New Indie Music featuring the definitely NOT Grammy nominated artists Poliça, Of Monsters And Men, White Lies and lots more!

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POLIÇA – LOSE YOU

Poliça are everything! The Minneapolis outfit who Bon Iver once described as “the best band I've ever heard” return today with “Lose You.” A heady synth pop drift that hears frontwoman Channy Leaneagh sing the line “I can't fuck you enough” through low-key Auto-Tune, the song closes Poliça's third album and most innovative work to date, the Ryan Olson-produced United Crushers.

OF MONSTERS AND MEN – WE SINK

Reykjavík folk outfit Of Monsters And Men put a face to the refugee crisis in the lyric video for “We Sink.” Filmed in conjunction with the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees, the devastatingly beautiful clip features refugees of all ages performing the Beneath The Skin cut. “Although we may not choose the situations we are born into, we can choose how we help and treat those in need,” Of Monsters And Men tell The Huffington Post. “And that no matter our differences, we all deserve to live in a world without violence and hatred and in one with more peace and kindness.”

WHITE LIES – HOLD BACK YOUR LOVE

British three-piece White Lies are sure to have you longing for your bed this Monday morning with the official video for “Hold Back Your Love.” Watch as a whole variety of characters, including White Lies frontman Harry McVeigh, share some of their most intimate moments under the sheets in the David Pablos-directed clip, which makes for a perfect accompaniment to the danceable Friends cut.

TW3LV – SUNSET SKIES

With temperatures continuing to plummet, French producer duo and Dirty Soul signees Tw3lv are bringing some much-needed summer vibes to proceedings this December with their latest single “Sunset Skies.” A shimmering, tropical-laced blast of deep house that reminds me of warm days spent by the beach, “Sunset Skies” comes paired with a truly euphoric music video about a summer romance like no other!

BIG BLACK DELTA (FEAT. KIMBRA) – BITTEN BY THE APPLE

In April, Big Black Delta shared the Kimbra-featuring “Bitten By The Apple” – a minor key-laced electronic pop odyssey that sounded like it marched straight out of a terrifying space circus – and this month, he returns with the official video. Directed by Adam Osgood, it's a deeply unnerving animation set on a nightmarish parallel universe, and features Illuminati-style triangles, a cartoon Kimbra, lizard people and lots more!

IMAGINE DRAGONS – LEVITATE

As we wait on the release of their third album and the follow-up to 2015's Smoke + Mirrors, Las Vegas outfit Imagine Dragons return today with “Levitate.” Written for the forthcoming science fiction thriller Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, it's a catchy-as-hell slice of interstellar synth pop that hears frontman Dan Reynolds sing: “I know that we're far from where we need to be/But the world wasn't made in just one day/Though our journey's long/I know our love is strong/You're my shooting star/We're flying high above.”

SYNCHRONICE – ILLUSION

The ever-prolific Synchronice are back with what might be their best offering to date. Clocking in at just over three minutes, the thoughtfully crafted “Illusion” hears Will and James Saulsky pair frenetic bass-driven beats with beautiful piano flourishes, resulting in a truly genre-defying piece that hits you right in the feels. Synchronice: “'Illusion' is a song about thinking for yourself and seeing through facades to get to the truth, and about how ignorance can be blissful but harmful.” Check it out!

XYLØ – GET CLOSER

Xylø, the brother-sister duo comprising of vocalist Paige Duddy and producer Chase Duddy, wrap up their wildly successful 2016 with “Get Closer.” Mixing synth pop sensibilities with Hollywood Sadcore flair, “Get Closer” is an at once dramatic and incredibly catchy song about losing touch with someone that you love. “To be young in 2016 comes with many distractions,” Paige tells The Fader. “We live in a chaotic, clickbait, top 10 list-instant gratification generation. Sometimes we need to look up from the small screens and take a look at ourself, and the people who are closest to us."

STORME – SOLDIER

Prepare to be blown away by the force of nature that's Storme! The Sweden-born, London-based singer-songwriter showcases a truly larger-than-life sound on her debut single “Soldier.” Produced by Adam Betts and featured on her EP Rootless, it starts out as a simple piano ballad before surging up into a truly powerful baroque pop tempest, at the eye of which billows Storme's skyscraping, Kate Bush-esque vocals.

NIIA – LAST NIGHT IN LOS FELIZ

Classically trained jazz vocalist and purveyor of so-called “modern noir” Niia returns to grace our ears this December with “Last Night In Los Feliz.” A cinematic six-minute jaunt through deeply woozy strings and Niia's oh-so-timeless vocals, “Last Night In Los Feliz” oozes with a romantic kind of elegance that really helps to bring the song title to life.

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Thanks for listening hipsters! Until next week! x

“Photo” by Matthew Dix is licensed under CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized).

About Jess Grant

When Jess Grant isn't writing on music, she can be found playing it – on her guitar, on her ukulele, and on her recently acquired mandolin. Playing it hideously, she ought to add. Jess also studies. She studies the English language, to be precise. Jess is currently on her way to a degree in the subject, and enjoys starting and never finishing novels, screenplays, and poetry in her spare time. She also likes dogs. Lots of dogs.