NEW INDIE MUSIC - WEEK 16 PART 2

So the first weekend of Coachella was pretty uneventful, right? I mean, yeah Drake struggled while receiving a kiss from the queen of pop herself, but I feel like this is was the first year ever that my social media feeds were almost Cocahella-free. Does this mean that people are finally over all of the floral headbands and cringe-inducing outfits? Well, we’ll see how this weekend goes, but until then we have even more awesome new indie music for your listening pleasure! Read on to discover the latest from Sufjan Stevens, Best Youth, Passion Pit, and more. And don’t worry—Madonna wont make any unwanted moves on you as long as you stick with us.

JAMIE XX - LOUD PLACES FEAT. ROMY

Jamie xx has teamed up with his The xx bandmate, Romy Madley Croft, on his new single, “Loud Places.” The track is off his upcoming solo album, In Colour, and it’s an uplifting and soft house track featuring whispery vocals, piano, and an infectiously echoey beat. The video itself is also worth watching, as it features the two skating around London and serves as the track’s perfectly dreamy counterpart.

SUFJAN STEVENS - THE ONLY THING

Sufjan Stevens’ new album, Carrie & Lowell, is titled after his mother and step-father, and it features his heavy yet beautiful single, “The Only Thing.” The acoustic guitar-driven song features his signature heartfelt croon, and with lyrics like “everything I see returns to you somehow” and “everything I feel returns to you somehow,” it’s a beautifully written song that deals with the pain of loss and moving on.

BEST YOUTH - MIRRORBALL

From their new album, Highway Moon, comes Best Youth and their new single, “Mirrorball.” The Portuguese electropop duo create dreamy magic with synths, a steady drum machine beat, and wonderfully hazy vocals from singer Kate that will captivate you instantly.

PANDA BEAR - TROPIC OF CANCER

Things get nice and mellow on Panda Bear’s new single, “Tropic Of Cancer.” The track eases you in as if you’re waking up from a dream with softly plucked strings and sweeping atmospherics while his far away-sounding and echoey vocals lace over it all. The video itself is definitely goes with the song’s dream-like vibe as it features a family dressed in weirdly constructed bear costumes getting attacked by dogs.

PASSION PIT - UNTIL WE CAN’T (LET’S GO)

Passion Pit’s new album, Kindred, is just about to be released, and their lead single, “Until We Can’t (Let’s Go),” is the ridiculously uplifting song we needed. Like many of their other singles, it’s bound for radio success with its shimmering synths, blasts of energy, and energetic vocals that will keep you coming back for repeat listens.

AYER - COUNTDOWN

Ayer’s “Countdown” is the second single off his upcoming EP, In My Headphones, and it’s a dark slow burner that makes us eager to hear the EP in its entirety. The Brooklyn-native grabs you instantly with pounding drums, pulsating synths, and his sensual falsetto vocals.

SUJAN STEVENS - SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER

You can’t blame us for featuring two Sufjan tracks on this week’s list—he has a new album and we’re excited! In the same vein as “The Only Thing,” “Should Have Known Better” also deals with heavy issues relating to his mother, and it features not only guitar but intriguing precision and what sounds like a recorder just before the 3 minute mark that adds something special to the heartfelt track. It gets more and more uplifting throughout its duration, and it’s simply a wonderfully crafted song that has everything we love about him.

THE EDEN PROJECT - BLANK SPACE

Dublin’s Jonathon Ng, aka The Eden Project puts a beautiful and haunting twist on Taylor Swift’s hit song, “Blank Space.” His raw and silky vocals lace over eerie electronic elements and softly pounding drums, and by making subtle changes to the lyrics like “be my queen baby/ I’m your king” he adds a fresh male-perspective to the original.

LAUV - THE OTHER

New York-based new artist Lauv will easily captivate you with their simply enchanting new single, “The Other.” Starting off with piano and a urgent ticking beat, the track slowly evolves with the addition of music box-sounding keys after the 0:30 mark, claps, and layered vocals that make for a beautiful and solid track.

MURA MASA - ARE U THERE

Alex Crossan aka Mura Masa is a 18 year old producer/singer/songwriter that proves he is on his way to great things with his chill-inducing track “Are U There.” Coming in at just over 2 and a half minutes in length, it’s a short and solid track that keeps your undivided attention throughout. Beginning with fuzzy synths, glitchy electronic elements, and a totally crazy chorus, you just can’t help but love this fun and original track.

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So there you have it—even more of the best indie tracks of the week. See you next time!

“And We’ll All Float On OK, Coachella 2013—Indio, CA” by Thomas Hawk is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized).

About Erin Crider

Erin Crider eats, breathes, and sleeps pop culture. If you have a question about a one-hit wonder from the ‘90s or need help remembering lines from a SNL skit, she’s your girl. When she isn’t lurking the internet, she's either going to a show or hanging out at Disneyland. Erin lives in Southern California and has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Cal State Long Beach.