Category: Indie
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Sway ‘The Millia Pink And Green’ (2003)
Sway’s The Millia Pink and Green EP is one of those quietly brilliant records that has never got the recognition it truly deserves. It’s pretty much completely unknown outside of a cadre of hardcore shoegaze fans. You have all the typical shoegaze tropes, layered guitars that shimmer and dissolve, while vocals float like whispers in…
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Father John Misty ‘Fear Fun’ (2012)
Father John Misty’s Fear Fun introduced the world to a bold new incarnation of Josh Tillman in the early 2010’s that would eventually watch him become one of the more commercially successful indie folk artists in an era when it seemed like everyone was doing the vintage indie folk thing. Tillman cut his teeth in…
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Andrew Bird ‘The Mysterious Production of Eggs’ (2005)
Andrew Bird’s The Mysterious Production of Eggs is a lush, introspective journey that showcases Bird’s rare ability to turn eccentricity into elegance. Known for his cerebral songwriting and intricate arrangements, Bird weaves together violin loops, delicate plucks, and soaring whistles into something that feels like it almost comes from another world. It’s like waking up…
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Lana Del Rey ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell’ (2019)
I’ve always understood how Lana Del Rey could be beloved by so many but never understood why she was so beloved if that makes sense. The cinematic qualities of her music, classic Americana nostalgic undertones, and romantic sentimentality of her music felt incredibly compelling at face value. But there was always something that felt sort…
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Noah Cyrus ‘The End of Everything’ (2020)
Being the sister of megastar Miley Cyrus and the daughter of similarly commercially popular father Billy Ray Cyrus doesn’t leave a whole lot of room on the family tree for another well known music star. But it seems like Noah Cyrus may revel in that sort of environment. Her 8 song extended play The End…
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M83 ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’ (2011)
Synth pop was absolutely all the rage during the 2010’s and there’s very few songs out their that capture that feeling of youthful exploration better and more succinctly than “Midnight City” off Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. From the bizarre ass synth introduction to the massive drum fill that kicks everything into high gear to softly…
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Foster The People ‘Torches’ (2011)
When I think of Foster The People I think of Coachella and the music festival scene of the 2010’s. I never saw them live during any of their stints at Coachella, but damn do they embody the sound of that era and the feeling of being young and free. Torches is kind of a low-key…
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SKATERS ‘Rock and Roll Bye Bye’ (2017)
SKATERS’ Rock and Roll Bye Bye sounds like a scrappier, sunnier cousin to early 2000s New York garage rock, sort of like what The Strokes Is This It would have sounded like if they spent less time in dive bars and more time riding skateboards by the beach. There’s a loose, surfy charm running through…
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The Forms ‘The Forms’ (2007)
The Forms blend intricate indie rock with art-inspired elements, complex time signatures and captivating vocal arrangements. The band has created a puzzle-like quality that challenges listeners while maintaining a clear sense of purpose.
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JR JR ‘JR JR’ (2015)
Spring is one of my favorite seasons– flowers blooming, glorious sunshine, and a sense of renewed purpose. JR JR’s bright pop rock is an ideal pairing for relaxed mornings drinking coffee on the porch.
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Archers of Loaf ‘Icky Mettle’ (1993)
Archers of Loaf’s Icky Mettle is the kind of rag-tag early 90’s debut that feels like it’s about to fall apart at any second. But that’s exactly where its magic lives. It planted the band squarely in the center of indie rock’s messy glorious heart during the midst of the grunge wave, all jagged guitars,…
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Modest Mouse ‘Good News For People Who Love Bad News’ (2004)
For a band that had spent the late ‘90s weaving anxious existential crisis songs in near-obscurity Good News For People Who Love Bad News felt like a sharp left turn for Modest Mouse. At the center of it all was “Float On”, a song so relentlessly optimistic it felt almost suspicious (especially coming from the…
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Neutral Milk Hotel ‘In the Aeroplane Over the Sea’ (1998)
Released in 1998 to little mainstream attention, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea grew quietly until it became a sort of sacred text in the history of indie folk music. Lo-fi, cracked open, and bizarre in many ways, it made room for a type of vulnerable artistic expression that would define indie rock for the…
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MGMT ‘Oracular Spectacular’ (2007)
There was a time—somewhere between the collapse of the MySpace Top 8 and the rise of ironic mustaches (guilty)—when my generation went off to college and experienced our first real taste of freedom. You know the moments. BitTorrent running 24/7 on your laptop, skinny jeans that had lived three lifetimes, bedsheets that hadn’t been washed…
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Fink ‘Hard Believer’ (2014)
Hard Believer is an album that has stuck with me since the first time I heard it. There’s a real pain underneath the surface of each and every song, a long forgotten wound that has been covered by scar tissue and hardened with the passage of time. Delicate acoustic guitar lines weave through shadowy atmospheric…
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Bloc Party ‘Silent Alarm’ (2005)
I remember the first time I heard Silent Alarm it felt like some lightbulbs went off in my brain. Here was an album that defied a lot of traditional songwriting barriers and embraced a genre-blurring approach that fused post-punk urgency with electronic music. It was an album that threw the middle finger up to rigid…
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Cherub ‘Year of the Caprese’ (2014)
If you’re looking for a hedonistic ride through a world where druggy electronica meets slick indie pop, Cherub’s Year of the Caprese is kind of made for you. The Nashville duo leans heavily into funk-laced synths, bouncy beats, and falsetto-driven hooks in an album tailor-made for late nights and hazy mornings. At the heart of…
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Frightened Rabbit ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ (2008)
Frightened Rabbit sounds like the soundtrack to nearly every Indie film from the mid-aughts. Sentimental and cinematic, hazy with reverb and quiet in its approach. There’s a subtle longing in every word and note on The Midnight Organ Fight that feels like you’re opening a diary and reading the words verbatim on the page. It’s…
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Peter Cat Recording Co. ‘BETA’ (2024)
Peter Cat Recording Co.’s BETA is a kaleidoscopic journey through sound that defies genre conventions with its avant-garde spirit and restless creativity. Emerging from the vibrant indie scene of New Delhi, the album feels like a sonic experiment conducted in a dimly lit jazz club on a spaceship. Layers of waltzing horns, hypnotic vocals, and…
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Chappaqua Wrestling ‘Plus Ultra’ (2023)
Chappaqua Wrestling’s debut album Plus Ultra is a kaleidoscope of sound that merges the dreamy textures of shoegaze with the swagger of Britpop, creating a sonic identity that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking. The Brighton-based band channels the shimmering guitars of My Bloody Valentine and the anthemic confidence of Oasis (once you hear it you…
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The Jealous Sound ‘Kill Them With Kindness’ (2003)
The Jealous Sound’s music occupies a bittersweet niche in indie rock’s history—respected by peers and beloved by fans, yet never achieving mainstream recognition. Rising from the remnants of Knapsack and Sunday’s Best, the band crafted a distinctive sound blending Blair Shehan’s understated, palm-muted rhythms with Pedro Benito’s shimmering leads. Their music, at once emotionally charged…
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Alex G ‘Trick’ (2012)
Alex G is the stage alias of Alex Giannascoli, a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who built his reputation with intimate lo-fi pop that combines strong melodic sensibilities with a ragged performance style. Trick was self-recorded with an unpolished charm that’s prominent from the opening song, and the album’s bedroom pop aesthetic stands out in an increasingly…
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Phoebe Bridgers ‘Stranger in the Alps’ (2017)
Phoebe Bridgers’ debut album Stranger in the Alps is steeped in melancholy, with lyrics that expose some pretty raw emotional depths. But despite the dark themes she explores with reckless abandon, there’s a subtle, self-aware humor woven into every song on this album, as if Bridgers wants to reassure listeners that she’s somehow okay. Case…
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Tame Impala ‘Currents’ (2015)
With Currents, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker takes a bold step away from the introspective isolation that characterized his earlier albums, marking a profound evolution in his artistry. It manifests itself in many ways– the lyrical themes, the musical structure, and the instrumentation. Parker’s approach to this album reflects a desire to explore the complexities of…
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The Smiths ‘The Smiths’ (1984)
The Smiths have been an Indie Rock touchstone since forming in 1982 in Manchester, England, and have had a profound impact on alternative music and the culture surrounding it. Their jangly guitars, melancholic melodies, and introspective lyrics helped define the “sad boy” genre with Morrissey’s grim outlook on life. The Smiths frontman has a distinct…
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The National ‘Boxer’ (2007)
It’s been a few years since I’ve listened to Boxer. I burned through this album during my early 20’s (it was my de facto soundtrack during my commute up highway 280 from Cupertino to San Mateo during my first job out of college) and it sounds just as great as it did back then. The…
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Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer ‘Self-Titled’ (2002)
As I wrote in my writeup for Circa Survive’s magnum opus On Letting Go, I’m a huge stan for Anthony Green. From my perspective everything he touches is gold: The obvious element which makes it work Anthony Green. Green’s prolific artistic output as both a member of multiple bands (he currently fronts four of them)…
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Two Door Cinema Club ‘Tourist History’ (2010)
Jangly and energetic guitar-driven Indie Rock was all the rage during the late aughts and early 2010’s, especially across the pond in Europe. Irish-based Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album Tourist History (aptly named after their hometown of Bangor which is a popular tourist destination) is one of those albums that somewhat flew under the…
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Grizzly Bear ‘Shields’ (2012)
I remember being in an absolute haze watching Grizzly Bear at Outside Lands in 2013, the year after they went on tour supporting Shields, and being absolutely blown away by their live performance. This was a band who had found a way to tap into the more obscure side of Indie Rock, infused with peculiar…
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The Temper Trap ‘Conditions’ (2009)
I spent the better part of last weekend listening to The Temper Trap’s 2009 album Conditions and asking myself if this album was a low-key late aughts masterpiece that time somewhat forgot. The Australian-based quartet has all of the delayed glittery guitar grandiose of Edge from U2, the driving rhythm section of Coldplay that sounds…
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Wallows ‘Nothing Happens’ (2019)
Nothing Happens is the debut studio album from Indie Pop group Wallows, who has taken the city of Los Angeles by storm in the past few years. One of the primary reasons why? The band is comprised of B-list actors Dylan Minnette (best known for his role as Clay Jensen in the Netflix smash hit…
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My Morning Jacket ‘It Still Moves’ (2003)
Well before My Morning Jacket turned the corner from underground darling into a mainstream adjacent band that your mom saw perform on the Jimmy Fallon show (she enjoyed it), they were a group of reverb-lovin’ good ole boys from Lousville, Kentucky that loved to get out there and crank out 8-minute meandering folk rock rock…
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Local Natives ‘Gorilla Manor’ (2010)
Gorilla Manor was an absolute gem of an album when it was released in 2010 and almost immediately became a fixture during my final years of college. Everything about this album brings me back to those sunny days in Isla Vista, feeling the wind on your face as you biked past front yards littered with…
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Motion City Soundtrack ‘Commit This To Memory’ (2005)
Motion City Soundtrack was a perennial favorite of mine during high school. This was the era of my life when pop punk reigned supreme and I immediately found connection with Motion City Soundtrack for a variety of reasons– our shared Midwest roots (we both hail from the Twin Cities in Minnesota), their unique blend of…
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Ween ‘Quebec’ (2003)
Ween’s eclectic discography isn’t for the faint of heart– described as “bratty deconstructionists of alternative rock”, Ween’s brand of rock took on various forms over the course of two decades, traversing from R&B to pop to rock to lo-fi Indie to country, effortlessly incorporating all of those disparate elements in every single album they released.…
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Big Thief ‘U.F.O.F.’ (2019)
There’s a real beauty in seizing a moment in space that captures a specific period of time. It’s a concept that Big Thief managed to capture during the recording of their third full-length album U.F.O.F. Featuring majestic soundscapes, ethereal vocal melodies, and subtle mood changes that matriculate throughout the entirety of the experience, Big Thief’s…
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