BEST INDIE SONGS - WEEK 28

Heya, peeps! Thanks for joining me for the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Best Indie Songs! How are ya? How was your Fourth of July? Have you managed to shake off the last of your hangover yet? LOL! Anyways, while you were scoffing the remains of your auntie's potato salad over the previous couple of days, the team and I were busy as ever filtering through the blogosphere for all of the top indie tracks to ease you back into reality after the holiday weekend! Just grab your headphones and some cold brew coffee, as it's time to enjoy the following tuneage from The Black Keys, Of Monsters and Men, Young the Giant, Bat for Lashes, the bird and the bee, and plenty of other faves!

-

BONES UK – I'M AFRAID OF AMERICANS (DAVID BOWIE COVER)

A cover of David Bowie's “I'm Afraid of Americans” has been in order for a very long time now, and who better to take on the job than BONES UK? The Los Angeles-based duo bring a whole new wave of relevance and meaning to the Earthling cut on this seedy, snarling reinvention, which captures the unfortunate reality that, for some people, living in the United States remains a truly terrifying concept.

THE BLACK KEYS – SIT AROUND AND MISS YOU

The Black Keys are taking us back to the golden age of rock on this cut from their recent ninth album. With its blend of warmly undulating guitars and nostalgic vocals, “Sit Around and Miss You” makes for an essential addition to summer picnic playlists everywhere. Does anyone else think that the video budget woulda been better spent on recreating the torture scene from Reservoir Dogs, though? *Wink*

OF MONSTERS AND MEN – ALLIGATOR

Some songs are so nice, I have no choice but to feature them twice. Case in point: “Alligator” by Of Monsters and Men. Just under two months on from unveiling the vibrant, explosive rocker, the Reykjavík outfit return this July with the video, which the band reveal in the press release was shot over two days in the most haunted hotel in Iceland. Creepy! Fever Dream is out July 26th.

VON SELL – THINK AGAIN

It's been a minute since we last heard from Von Sell, but I'm pleased to say that electronic-pop auteur returns today with “Think Again.” It's another deeply intriguing lament from the Brooklyn-via-Germany artist, with Von Sell making use of a whole bunch of vocal and percussive layers in order to dexterously craft and build out the tune, resulting in a truly hypnotic elegy that feels like it reveals something brand new with every listen.

MEG MYERS – RUNNING UP THAT HILL (KATE BUSH COVER)

Kate Bush is one of my favorite artists, and “Running up That Hill” is one of my favorite songs, so it goes without saying that I don't take covers of the Hounds of Love cut lightly. I'm relieved to say that Meg Myers more than does the track justice on this pummelingly synthy reinvention, however, with Meg's sonorous vocals lending the song a whole new sense of emotional heft. Check out the video – which was hand-colored by over 2,130 school children – above.

YOUNG THE GIANT – HEAT OF THE SUMMER

Summer is a time for having fun in the sun, but the fact of the matter is, it doesn't always work out that way. Just ask Young the Giant's Sameer Gadhia, who's got a case of the summer blues on “Heat of the Summer.” “Feel like it's been forever/Since I had my shit together/I just do what I wanna/In the heat of the summer,” sings the frontman on the infectiously catchy Mirror Master cut, which today comes accompanied by a video that finds Sameer quite literally under the weather!

BAT FOR LASHES – KIDS IN THE DARK

Remember that thing that I said about how some songs are so nice, I have no choice but to feature them twice? Yeah, this is one of those songs. It's only been three weeks since she released “Kids in the Dark,” but Bat for Lashes is already back today with the video. The self-directed clip sees the English artist turn star-crossed vampire, with the melancholy, melodramatic balladry serving as a perfect backdrop to Natasha Khan and her lover (victim?) roaming the sunset streets of Los Angeles.

NO SUITS – SUE

Introducing No Suits, the Los Angeles band who have just dropped the most carefree tune of the whole damn summer! No, really, “Sue” is basically the audio equivalent of cracking open a Corona on the hottest day of the year and stretching out on a sun lounger, with laid-back raps meeting easygoing percussion, before a funky, groovy guitar solo rips through to wake us up from our daydream.

THE BIRD AND THE BEE – HOT FOR TEACHER (VAN HALEN COVER)

The covers just keep on coming today! Next up, we have indie-pop duo the bird and the bee joining forces with “Loser” legend Beck for a version of “Hot for Teacher” by Van Halen. Listen as both artists make the tune completely their own, with the bird and the bee putting a sexy, sultry jazz spin on the 1984 cut, while Beck makes a hellah horny cameo as the substitute teacher Mr. Goodbody: “We'll be reviewing the text from Moby Dick/So please turn now to page...69.” *Blush*

DAYGLOW – HOT ROD

Concluding today with a cut that more than delivers on those joyous summer vibes. With its sing-along vocals and jangly guitars, “Hot Rod” by Texas-based indie singer-songwriter Dayglow is the sort of tune that you want to listen to while dancing in a festival field with friends and lovers. The delightful video is worth a watch, too, with the clip serving as a reminder that not all summer romances tend to live up to our expectations.

-

Follow We Are: The Guard's Weekly Chart on Spotify for even more music! x

Photo by Anderson W Rangel on Unsplash

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.