NEW INDIE MUSIC - WEEK 21 2014

Stop everything! I've got a fucking epic dose of new indie music for you this week, guys. This column almost never happened, as I almost gouged my eyes out streaming Coldplay's new album. I'm glad I didn't, though, as it means I've been able to watch that Solange elevator fight over fifty fucking times since. I'm sorry, but that shit is high-larious. Maybe Jay Z is cheating on Beyoncé with Gwyneth Paltrow, and that's why Gwyneth Paltrow divorced from Chris Martin, and that's why Chris Martin wrote this crap album? Or maybe it's The Illuminati's fault again? Whatever, I'm gonna depress myself with some of not-actually-Morrissey's tweets, so here's Arcade Fire, Poliça, Metronomy and more.

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ARCADE FIRE – WE EXIST

Andrew Garfield has done a Jared Leto. Am I the only one who's frankly tired of people exploiting the trans experience as a shocking plot device, or to gain critical respect? Why didn't they cast a true trans actor, rather than fucking Spiderman in a bad wig and David Bowie facepaint? I've got nothing against Arcade Fire bringing mainstream attention to the topic of gender identity, but I can't help but sense ulterior motives here. Just saying!

METRONOMY – RESERVOIR

Okay, time for something a bit more light-hearted. You can always reply on Metronomy to cheer this girl up! This song and video are both ridiculously cute, not to mention Love Letters is probably, definitely the most delightful album of the year so far. A big thank you to director, Daniel Brereton and animator, Matt Lloyd for making my day. By the way, congratulations if you noticed the multiple references to previous Metronomy videos. Now I've got an overwhelming urge to go and watch “A Thing For Me.”

FIRST AID KIT – MY SILVER LINING

First Aid Kit have sure grown up a lot since they covered “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” in the forest that time! They're almost uncomfortably sexy nowadays, like watching your little sisters put on makeup for the first time. “My Silver Lining” is the first single to be released from the duo's upcoming album, Stay Gold. Intriguing title, it sounds like it should be a Ke$ha record. Anyways, it was a toss up between bringing you this and “Cedar Lane,” but they don't get their legs out in that video. Gorgeous song, though. Stay Gold is gonna be beautiful.

SAVAGES – FUCKERS

Not gonna lie, I tend to hate it when live videos are used as promotional clips, but Savages are so fucking monstrous in concert, I don't even care they've gone with said format for their new single. Give me all of the Savages live videos. Jehnny Beth frightens me! At least we know who Ian Curtis reincarnated as, though. I'm almost sure “Fuckers” could bring down governments. Let's all buy it on vinyl and start a revolution.

HOW TO DRESS WELL – REPEAT PLEASURE

I'm gonna ignore the fact that “Repeat Pleasure,” the second single to be released from How To Dress Well's upcoming album, What Is This Heart?, sounds exactly the same as “If I Could Change Your Mind” by Haim, and focus on the video instead. It's the first part of a trilogy by director, Johannes Greve Muskat, and is centred around a young couple looking after a sickly older man. It hit me right in the feels, obviously. In fact, I was kinda hoping that Alana Haim would turn up and do a bass face to lighten the mood! By the way, is PBR&B still a thing, or are we back to calling it pop music these days?

POLIÇA – RAW EXIT

Poliça are one of my favorite bands of all time, and Shulamith was one of my favorite albums of 2013, therefore I obviously lost my fucking shit when I heard this new song from the upcoming deluxe edition of the record. “Raw Exit” is the sum of everything that makes Poliça great. Groovy synths, an aggressive and unrelenting rhythm section and, of course, Channy Leaneagh's trance-inducing vocals. Did I mention that Channy is one of my favorite lyricists of all time, too? Fangirling over!

LANA DEL REY – WEST COAST (FOUR TET REMIX)

If you needed any more proof that “West Coast” has secured Lana Del Rey the credentials she always kinda deserved, then look no further than this remix by Four Tet. Four fucking Tet! BitCandy's very own Lord and Savior. Dude doesn't touch any old shit. He has extracted the original vocal and applied it to a kick ass kick drum loop, taking the song from the golden beaches of Los Angeles to the underground club scene of everywhere. Amen.

V O Y A G E U R – I DON'T WANT YOU (BUT I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO WANT YOU)

V O Y A G E U R is like an unshit John Newman. How's that for a fucking introduction? In fact, I think V O Y A G E U R should make it his Twitter bio. “An unshit John Newman.” The upcoming British artist only has two songs to his name, this and “Tear My Heart Out,” but they're both infectious as hell, combining raw and soulful vocals with an electronica production that's already bordering on the signature. If you dig on it, feel free to Snapchat your appreciation to voyageurtv. Behave though, perverts!

AVEC SANS – WILL DO (TV ON THE RADIO COVER)

Avec Sans have been fairly uneventful since they released “Shiver” six months ago, but it's all gravy as this week they return with a stunning electronica cover of TV On The Radio's “Will Do.” Alice Fox's lends the song a tender feminine perspective with her breathy London lilt, which is encircled by the effervescent synths that've very much become a part of the British duo. This is definitely my favorite cover since Owl Eyes took on Daft Punk's “Something About Us,” which you're gonna love if you're loving this!

JAMES BLAKE – LIMIT TO YOUR LOVE (KYGO REMIX)

This remix of James Blake's “Limit To Your Love” is over a year old now, but I rediscovered it on my SoundCloud feed the other day and forgot how good it was. Kygo is the man. The Norwegian produces some of my favorite shit on the blogosphere. If you haven't already, check out his SoundCloud for even more deep house reinterpretations of artists like M83, The xx, Ellie Goulding and Coldplay. That's right, ladies and gentleman, the impossible has happened. Thanks to Kygo, Coldplay no longer actually make me want me to gouge my eyes out. It seems that today, I've come full circle. Success!

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If you didn't gouge your eyes out to this week's dose of new indie music, feel free to hit me up in the comments! Please, I'm even lonelier than this guy..

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.