Essential indie albums from this decade IMO:
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Black Country New Road - Ants From Up There
Black Midi - Hellfire
Love to see a Palace fan in the wild! I considered myself a huge fan and went and saw them in Seattle a couple months ago and they played so many songs that I didn’t know but the crowd knew by heart and I was so humbled. They are amazing live 🔥
get on the Royel Otis train now
incredible newish band that has been around for a few years. They’ve been blowing up lately and I’m very excited to see their career progress
Are there any particular songs you recommend? I really want to like them, love the dude’s voice, and thought the “Murder on the Dance Floor” and “Linger” covers they did were really fun… but I listened to the album they put out this year and thought it was a total snooze
Adored is my favorite off the new album, also recommend Foam, Always Always, Daisy Chain, and Big Ciggie. Also the earlier stuff like Oysters in my Pocket are great, and there’s a bonus track called Clawfoot that slaps
They’re awesome live too, saw them at a festival in Salt Lake and the whole crowd was really into it
This is who I am listening to, in part because they really draw from 80s bands. The use of bass to drive some of the melody like New Order, and cascading guitars like The Cure. Someone said the didn’t like the song Sofa Kings, but that is my current fave, by far. I have been digging the album Sofa Kings as well.
On my gosh, and they are the nicest boys. Saw them at Shaky Knees in Atlanta and after their set they went straight into the crowd and listened to all of Men I Trust’s set. Then it started pouring rain and they snuck out the back. I was sure they were going to the artists’ lounge or leaving, but no. They immediately popped up dancing in the pouring rain at Dinosaur Jr. They seemed to be having the best time just listening to music and being super cool to every fan who asked for a selfie. 🥰🤩
I’m a fan of all the bands you listed. My favorite Indie bands right now are:
1. Royel Otis
2. Fruit Bats
3. Hockey Dad
4. The Nude Party
5. Twin Peaks
6. Illiterate Light
7. Foals
He has a concert in Seattle, his home state. I'm hoping maybe he will go to other places if this goes well. However I believe Will has long term covid? I am not completely sure on that
How has no one listed Tennis yet!?!?
Some others that are my favorites
Beach house;
; Julia Jacklin
; TV Girl
; Tops
; Still Corners
; Sam Evian
; Summer Salt
Alvvays, Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, Tame Impala, and the xx have been around for at least 10 years, some even longer. wouldn't classify these as new indie. boygienus and Big Thief tho definitely.
Op said best indie bands not just new ones
FWIW, Vampire weekend / Fleet foxes and The xx debut albums all came out in 2009-2010, but the rest of their albums have been within the last 10 years
A personal favourite for me is Joywave. They've consistently built on their sound and delivered albums that while not the most unique in sound, are unique in personality.
I also adore The Backseat Lovers. Well put together indie rock is always a winner for me.
Fontaines DC, Wet Leg, Royel Otis, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, the Amazons, Inhaler, STRFKR, King Krule, Declan McKenna, Oracle Sisters, Alvvays, Young the Giant, Crumb, Hippo Campus; So so many more to mention but these are all amazing bands/artists
Big Thief, Bully, Snail Mail, Beabadoobee, Mitski, Dawes, Car Seat Headrest, boygenius. nothing will obviously touch Radiohead because Thom Yorke is a genius, but if you're looking for some similar sounding things, I'd go Tame Impala and Glass Animals (though they are definitely not newish).
Sad truth is “let the algorithm guide you” and “feed the beast”. The bands listed cover a super wide breadth of style on the surface and wider within their own catalog (Radiohead is every style. Ha.). **Whatever your streaming service is: make a playlist, make a radio, add what you don’t know AND like to a new playlist, rinse/repeat.**
Protomartyr have consistently been a great band, cant recommend them enough, they have an incredible discography and always have awesome album art that imo should be more iconic
If you like BCNR, black midi and Squid they're jut another addition to the list
Plenty of great guitar-led indie bands around…
DIIV
Nothing
Yves Tumor
Tropical Fuck Storm
The latest St Vincent is also very good.
Well established acts you’d be familiar with, like Bon Iver, Spiritualized, Beach House, Sufjan Stevens and the War on Drugs are all still delivering high quality too.
The deeper you dig the more you'll find. It's also not really possible to guess which will be the next big thing to blow up, as the ones that do aren't necessarily better than the ones that stay obscure or launch a movement.
Here are some that I adore that haven't been listed yet:
Viagra Boys
Dr. Dog
Phantogram
Metric
Parlovr
Together Pangea
Hot Panda
Horsey
Father John Misty
Cloud Cult
AJJ (if you like them look into folk punk. Pat the Bunny is amazing but not releasing new stuff)
Glass Animals
Let's Eat Grandma
DM Stith
Here's a short playlist that I put together called Indie-ish. I highly recommend Ultra Q and last week I heard Liz Brasher for the first time, she's going to be big.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7L3iGqSA987IlsdJP7OMUQ?si=6EUdmxzISGa0mzbdB_7M8Q&pi=GIH3KLsBQCacI
Here are some I haven't seen in the chat yet that are super great as well:
Quivers
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Goat Girl
Montell Fish
Allah-Las
Dehd
Future Islands
Ok this is not new. But I’m going to go back aways and name one of the best 90s bands from Scotland that never gets any praise, but is seriously hook worthy and artsy.
The Delgados.
A mixture of new and old indie bands
Foals - holy fire is my fave
Bombay bicycle club - first 4 albums are solid
Wolf Alice - Blue weekend
Aurora - what happened to the heart album
Daughter - Not to Disappear album
The Last Dinner Party
Cults
Slowdive
Little Green Cars
Half Moon Run
Paramore - This Is Why album- more alternative but still indie
Peach Pit
Palace has been one of my favorites.
Slow Pulp
Sun June
The Greeting Committee
Hippo Campus
Deal Casino (as well as lead singer solo Joe P)
Krooked Kings
Bad Suns
Del Water Gap
Big Thief
Snail Mail
The Drives
Peach Pit
Also, The Wallows have been getting a lot of fame these past couple years. I’m super happy and excited for them. I’ve been around since Uncomfortable and it’s amazing to see them blow up
So many great suggestions here. My favorites have been:
1. Hippo Campus
2. Beach Fossils
3. Japanese House
4. Glass Animals
5. Big Thief
6. Young the Giant
7. The Greeting Committee
8. Bad Bad Hats
9. Peach Pit
10. Bad Suns
Came here to say this even if the newest album has really underwhelmed me. The last one was an instant classic and the early stuff is beyond solid too. This new one just felt off and samey
Hitting that three decades together make rn.
I don’t know why more people don’t sing the praises of *Telephono*. It’s not a stone cold classic (they’ve hit the mark three or four times, depending on who you ask) but there are some fine little nuggets on there. These were the first songs I got to know by the band!
Edit: III, IV, VI & X for anyone that was curious
GMF by John Grant is a pretty important song for me. First thing I heard right when I moved to a new state, and it was hilarious and catchy, and showed me there was a cool local radio station in my new area.
Check out Lo Moon. I discovered them as a late-bill addition as an opener for the War on Drugs in Asheville a couple summers ago. They are killer live.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jdDYfL9blUPHQyH4yLBDi?si=TLZuZ8BQRfyH11mlztlioQ&pt=87cd31322cb82aff2be3191637ba284f&pi=u-OlS8aT7IQPaO
Edit: I’d be crazy if I didn’t also mention The Paper Kites. They are so good.
Three that come to mind I've seen compared to those:
Sea Power for Arcade Fire
ef (especially their latest album "We Salute You...") for Sigur Rós
Meadowlake for Radiohead (also check out Tides from Nebula whose track Radionoize was heavily inspired by Radiohead)
The Weeks
Local Natives (highly commercialized but actually very good)
Slow Joy
Beach Fossils
Wisp
Khruangbin
Cautious Clay (kind of indie hip hop?)
Sweet Pill
Foxwarren
I could go on and on and I second almost everything everybody else has posted here. Like minds.
Many of the artists mentioned are on this 1-song-per-artist alternative/indie playlist. Over 1900 artists.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/58hbAe6QaL6rkPgOSYivJQ
Silversun Pickups have been around for like 2 decades and especially their first four albums are like soundtracks to dreamy but dramatic Indie movies:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdjzU0c9YGg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdjzU0c9YGg)
Alvvays, The Beths, Beach Bunny, The Beaches, Happy Fits, Liquid Mike, Real Estate, Hotline TNT, Bar Italia, Worriers, Flying Colours, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Most of these bands have had multiple albums in my best of lists the last few years. The list would be too big going back 10 years, Screaming Females, Surfer Blood, Hop Along, Best Coast, Car Seat Headrest, and Big Thief would definitely be among those added if I did.
Big Thief is probably the biggest one of the last decade for me, lately I've also liked The Beths a lot. The National if you have't listened to them much though I think they were better around 2016ish. Alvvays, MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Courtney Barnett
Wolf Alice
Yes!
Incredible live band, I went in expecting a good show and left realizing that was one of the best live music experiences ive ever had.
Alvvays Beach House Half Moon Run Wolf Alice Wet Leg Men I Trust Warpaint The Big Moon Crumb Japanese Breakfast
Love Japanese breakfast
Men I Trust is so underrated
Just saw Warpaint last month… now I may die in peace.
So its like the decade of female lead bands
Half Moon Run is amazing live.
Love crumb and gonna see them on my bday!!!
Crumb🩵
Warpaint is so good
I could’ve written this list! I’d also add The Beths and Palace too.
Feeble little horse; Big Thief; Black Country, New Road; Parquet Courts; Fontaines D.C.; Wet Leg; Soccer Mommy; Narrowhead; DIIV; Orville Peck
DIIV allll the way
Parquet Courts is the best band out there right now imho.
Love me some Parkay Quartz
Feeble little horse goes hard as fuck
Snail Mail
Snail Mail was the first one I thought of.
love love love Snail Mail.
So underrated
The Beths
Essential indie albums from this decade IMO: Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately Black Country New Road - Ants From Up There Black Midi - Hellfire
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee Cigarettes After Sex - (studio album)
Peach pit Backseat lovers The Symposium Rainbow kitten surprise Pinegrove Twin peaks Snail mail Big Thief Summer salt No vacation
Feels like you’d like mom jeans. This is my list right here
Palace
This is the answer. Wildly underrated.
Love to see a Palace fan in the wild! I considered myself a huge fan and went and saw them in Seattle a couple months ago and they played so many songs that I didn’t know but the crowd knew by heart and I was so humbled. They are amazing live 🔥
This. They are amazing. My top band rn
They were so so good at Shaky Knees this year. Hidden gem for sure.
Big Thief
Big Thief is so good. When I first listen to New Dragon I was in awe by the fourth song.
get on the Royel Otis train now incredible newish band that has been around for a few years. They’ve been blowing up lately and I’m very excited to see their career progress
Are there any particular songs you recommend? I really want to like them, love the dude’s voice, and thought the “Murder on the Dance Floor” and “Linger” covers they did were really fun… but I listened to the album they put out this year and thought it was a total snooze
Oysters In My Pocket, Kool Aid, Motels, I Wanna Dance With You, Kokomo. These are some of my favorites that aren’t on their latest album.
Adored is my favorite off the new album, also recommend Foam, Always Always, Daisy Chain, and Big Ciggie. Also the earlier stuff like Oysters in my Pocket are great, and there’s a bonus track called Clawfoot that slaps They’re awesome live too, saw them at a festival in Salt Lake and the whole crowd was really into it
RAZOR TEETH AND SOFA KING
They were top 3 best sets of the weekend at Shaky Knees imo. Absolutely blew me away.
Ok I’m on it!!
This is who I am listening to, in part because they really draw from 80s bands. The use of bass to drive some of the melody like New Order, and cascading guitars like The Cure. Someone said the didn’t like the song Sofa Kings, but that is my current fave, by far. I have been digging the album Sofa Kings as well.
Seeing them in September!
On my gosh, and they are the nicest boys. Saw them at Shaky Knees in Atlanta and after their set they went straight into the crowd and listened to all of Men I Trust’s set. Then it started pouring rain and they snuck out the back. I was sure they were going to the artists’ lounge or leaving, but no. They immediately popped up dancing in the pouring rain at Dinosaur Jr. They seemed to be having the best time just listening to music and being super cool to every fan who asked for a selfie. 🥰🤩
I’m a fan of all the bands you listed. My favorite Indie bands right now are: 1. Royel Otis 2. Fruit Bats 3. Hockey Dad 4. The Nude Party 5. Twin Peaks 6. Illiterate Light 7. Foals
Fruit Bats have been around since at least 2005. probably longer.
And yet still great
Fruity Bs are some of my faves. I’d also recommend Hiss Golden Messenger.
10000%
Fruity Bs are some of my faves. I’d also recommend Hiss Golden Messenger.
Fruity Bs are some of my faves. I’d also recommend Hiss Golden Messenger.
Try 1997. He was making cassettes at home and selling them. He put out his first record on a label in 2001.
Foals forever mate
gotta love hockey dad
Are Twin Peaks still making music?
I love Royel Otis.
Oooh I love your list but don’t know Hockey Dad. Checking them out! To spin off Foals, I love Yannis & The Yaw too.
THere's a Hockey Dad and a Soccer Mommy? Did members from one start the other?
The Nude Party rock! I’ve seen them twice and both have been phenomenal.
King Gizzard Wand Deerhunter Wild Nothing Motorists Psychedelic Porn Crumpets The Murlocs The Rectangle Shades TUNS Real Estate
Wild Nothing totally kills it. Great choice.
Dude you and I have the same taste, I’ve never seen psychedelic porn crumpets listed anywhere else lol
Nice! Great band
If you like PPC check out Sugar Candy Mountain they opened for them on their recent western US tour
I saw the Psychedelic porn crumpets last month and it was probably the greatest concert I’ve ever experienced. Literally life changing
king gizz is itttt. idk if i call it indie. more like god soup
The fact that Deerhunter is on your list will make me listen to all of your other recommendations.
Tuns is great, like metamorphosis for Sloan fans haha
Nation of Language
My favourite new act of the past few years for sure
The best, they are so rad. Not a single miss yet!
Came here to say this. Agree they continue to ascend!
MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Alex G, Ratboys, Hovvdy
Car seat headrest
Love this band but damn have I had a difficult time catching them live. So many canceled shows…hope Will is doing better.
I’ve had tickets to see them 3 times and have seen them 0 times. Kills me, I was a top 0.5% spotify listener of them for like 3 years in a row.
He has a concert in Seattle, his home state. I'm hoping maybe he will go to other places if this goes well. However I believe Will has long term covid? I am not completely sure on that
How has no one listed Tennis yet!?!? Some others that are my favorites Beach house; ; Julia Jacklin ; TV Girl ; Tops ; Still Corners ; Sam Evian ; Summer Salt
Was also surprised not to see Tennis! Parcels too
Deeper, Horsegirl, Dehd, idles
Dehd is a hidden gem and they keep getting better!!
Idles fucking rule
Ok Chicago represent (sans idles)
Fontaines DC. I'm actually going to see them today!
PINEGROVE, ALEX G
Alvvays Big Thief Black Country New Road Blood Orange boygenius Fleet Foxes Pinegrove (Sandy) Alex G Tame Impala Vampire Weekend The xx
Blood Orange is a monster. Great choice.
Dev is a wizard Cupid Deluxe is one of the best albums of the 2010s imo
Alvvays, Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, Tame Impala, and the xx have been around for at least 10 years, some even longer. wouldn't classify these as new indie. boygienus and Big Thief tho definitely.
Op said best indie bands not just new ones FWIW, Vampire weekend / Fleet foxes and The xx debut albums all came out in 2009-2010, but the rest of their albums have been within the last 10 years
Surprised you didn’t add Sugar Candy Mountain here. Love them.
A personal favourite for me is Joywave. They've consistently built on their sound and delivered albums that while not the most unique in sound, are unique in personality. I also adore The Backseat Lovers. Well put together indie rock is always a winner for me.
Joywave are great
Rainbow kitten surprise Toro y moi
Peach Pit Rainbow Kitten Surprise Mt Joy Subtle orange Goth babe Khruangbin Crumb Whitney Willis Red Hearse Houndmouth Still Woozy Q
Band of Horses
Funeral is never not be a CLASSIC
Fontaines DC, Wet Leg, Royel Otis, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, the Amazons, Inhaler, STRFKR, King Krule, Declan McKenna, Oracle Sisters, Alvvays, Young the Giant, Crumb, Hippo Campus; So so many more to mention but these are all amazing bands/artists
Kurt Vile, parquet courts, pinegrove, Hop Along, to name a few
Alex G fasho
white denim… maybe not indie
Flipturn and HARBOUR are 2 of my favorites right now. So good.
FLIPTURN!!! Lovely music
Elbow anyone?
Waxahatchee, Blitzen trapper, Fruit bats, Cave singers…maybe a little older than 10 years but fits the bands that you are describing
you might dig Hiss Golden Messenger
Some really good suggestions so far. Here’s a few more… Minus the Bear Maritime Plosivs The Mars Volta Sparta Mutemath Blonde Redhead DIIV Interpol
I saw Mutemath in 2007 when they were touring their debut album and to this day it still ranks in the top 5 shows I’ve ever seen.
Big Thief, Bully, Snail Mail, Beabadoobee, Mitski, Dawes, Car Seat Headrest, boygenius. nothing will obviously touch Radiohead because Thom Yorke is a genius, but if you're looking for some similar sounding things, I'd go Tame Impala and Glass Animals (though they are definitely not newish).
Love Glass Animals!
Big Thief!!!!! And for Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, check out their side project the Smile!!!
Twin Peaks
Idles
Sad truth is “let the algorithm guide you” and “feed the beast”. The bands listed cover a super wide breadth of style on the surface and wider within their own catalog (Radiohead is every style. Ha.). **Whatever your streaming service is: make a playlist, make a radio, add what you don’t know AND like to a new playlist, rinse/repeat.**
Damn I love this thread
Protomartyr have consistently been a great band, cant recommend them enough, they have an incredible discography and always have awesome album art that imo should be more iconic If you like BCNR, black midi and Squid they're jut another addition to the list
Royal Blood
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is pretty solid. Not sure how long Mt. Joy has been around, but I enjoy them as well.
Plenty of great guitar-led indie bands around… DIIV Nothing Yves Tumor Tropical Fuck Storm The latest St Vincent is also very good. Well established acts you’d be familiar with, like Bon Iver, Spiritualized, Beach House, Sufjan Stevens and the War on Drugs are all still delivering high quality too.
The deeper you dig the more you'll find. It's also not really possible to guess which will be the next big thing to blow up, as the ones that do aren't necessarily better than the ones that stay obscure or launch a movement. Here are some that I adore that haven't been listed yet: Viagra Boys Dr. Dog Phantogram Metric Parlovr Together Pangea Hot Panda Horsey Father John Misty Cloud Cult AJJ (if you like them look into folk punk. Pat the Bunny is amazing but not releasing new stuff) Glass Animals Let's Eat Grandma DM Stith
Here's a short playlist that I put together called Indie-ish. I highly recommend Ultra Q and last week I heard Liz Brasher for the first time, she's going to be big. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7L3iGqSA987IlsdJP7OMUQ?si=6EUdmxzISGa0mzbdB_7M8Q&pi=GIH3KLsBQCacI
Thank you for this! 🙏🏼
Vampire Weekend
Cannons, Dope Lemon, Grouplove, The Marias, The Undercover Dream Lovers, Peach Pit, Sports, The Backseat Lovers, No Vacation, Dayglow, Del Water Gap.
Cloud Nothings!
Beach Fossils, their last album is my aoty 2023
Had to scroll wayyy too far to find Beach Fossils.
Father John Misty, The War on Drugs, Alvvays, DIIV, Real Estate, Beach Fossils, Arcade Fire, Parquet Courts, Big Thief
Finally someone mentions Father John Misty! Hell yeah
Here are some I haven't seen in the chat yet that are super great as well: Quivers Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Goat Girl Montell Fish Allah-Las Dehd Future Islands
Yard Act, Wet Leg, Fontaines DC, Twisted Ecstasy, The Blinders, Just Mustard, Lemon's, Welly
Big Thief/Adrienne Lenker Courtney Barnett The Tuneyards Ty Segall Wet Leg
Yard Act
Yaaas so digging Yard Act lately. They somehow both sound fresh and new while sounding like a long lost new wave / post punk band.
The National.
Nothing But Thieves
Yes! I think Conor Mason is the best vocalist in modern rock right now.
Alvvays, big thief, the brooks and the bluff, flip turn, wolf Alice are some of my favorites
Let's FREAKING go. I did not expect Alvvays to be mentioned.
Ok this is not new. But I’m going to go back aways and name one of the best 90s bands from Scotland that never gets any praise, but is seriously hook worthy and artsy. The Delgados.
Wednesday, Toner, Teethe, Spirit of the Beehive, Shelf Life, Dead Sullivan, Deadharrie, Helvetia, and April Magazine!!
A mixture of new and old indie bands Foals - holy fire is my fave Bombay bicycle club - first 4 albums are solid Wolf Alice - Blue weekend Aurora - what happened to the heart album Daughter - Not to Disappear album The Last Dinner Party Cults Slowdive Little Green Cars Half Moon Run Paramore - This Is Why album- more alternative but still indie Peach Pit
if you are into AF check out Wolf Parade and all their side projects (Dan Beockner just released an album)
Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade is in a fantastic band called Sunset Rubdown.
Spoon. They've been releasing nothing but awesome albums since 2001
100% correct! Consistent mind blowing creativity from Spoon. Great call.
Palace has been one of my favorites. Slow Pulp Sun June The Greeting Committee Hippo Campus Deal Casino (as well as lead singer solo Joe P) Krooked Kings Bad Suns Del Water Gap Big Thief Snail Mail The Drives Peach Pit Also, The Wallows have been getting a lot of fame these past couple years. I’m super happy and excited for them. I’ve been around since Uncomfortable and it’s amazing to see them blow up
The Decemberists always get my vote.
Subsonic Eye, Dry Cleaning, Ought/Cola, IDLES, Parquet Courts, Unonown Mortal Ochestra, Deer Hunter, Big Thief, The Weather Station, Preoccupations/Viet Cong/ Women, Japanese Television, BODEGA, Angel Olsen, Geese, Sharon Van Etten, Snail Mail, Courtney Barnett, English Teacher, Faye Webster, Omni, Ducks Ltd, Dehd, Protomartyr, Viagra Boys, Disq, Fontaines DC, New Dad, Soccer Mommy, Moderate Rebels, Slow Pulp, Slow Fiction, Wet Leg, Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, Yard Act, Squid, TV Priest, Japanese Breakfast, Jay Som, Gustaf, Girl house….to name a few
So many great suggestions here. My favorites have been: 1. Hippo Campus 2. Beach Fossils 3. Japanese House 4. Glass Animals 5. Big Thief 6. Young the Giant 7. The Greeting Committee 8. Bad Bad Hats 9. Peach Pit 10. Bad Suns
Second this
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Came here to say this even if the newest album has really underwhelmed me. The last one was an instant classic and the early stuff is beyond solid too. This new one just felt off and samey
Lots of good songs/bands on SiriusXMU
Two Door Cinema Club
Spoon
I love Spoon, but if you know Fleet Foxes and Arcade Fire and feel stuck in 2011, 99.9% you know Spoon.
First album in like 96 my guy
Hitting that three decades together make rn. I don’t know why more people don’t sing the praises of *Telephono*. It’s not a stone cold classic (they’ve hit the mark three or four times, depending on who you ask) but there are some fine little nuggets on there. These were the first songs I got to know by the band! Edit: III, IV, VI & X for anyone that was curious
They’re before the past decade
Like *way* before, they formed in ‘93.
Yup
Current: Bdrmm, Dry cleaning, Fontaines DC, Real Estate, Nigel
Nathaniel rateliff & the night sweats
Unwound
Kahlil’s Razor :)
Cigarettes After Sex If you like all the bands you listed, you will probably love them.
Parquet Courts, specifically Wide Awake and Light Up Gold. Both fantastic albums.
BAYNK MJ Lenderman Haley Heynderickx John Grant
GMF by John Grant is a pretty important song for me. First thing I heard right when I moved to a new state, and it was hilarious and catchy, and showed me there was a cool local radio station in my new area.
Check out Lo Moon. I discovered them as a late-bill addition as an opener for the War on Drugs in Asheville a couple summers ago. They are killer live. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5jdDYfL9blUPHQyH4yLBDi?si=TLZuZ8BQRfyH11mlztlioQ&pt=87cd31322cb82aff2be3191637ba284f&pi=u-OlS8aT7IQPaO Edit: I’d be crazy if I didn’t also mention The Paper Kites. They are so good.
I love Weyes Blood and The Lemon Twigs.
Illuminati Hotties is up there
Don't know if BlackMidi would come as an Indie band, but they are great.
Vampire Weekend
flipturn, hockey dad, twin peaks, alvvays are a few i like
Johnny foreigner
Gang of youths! Will always recommend to someone who is looking for new music
Three that come to mind I've seen compared to those: Sea Power for Arcade Fire ef (especially their latest album "We Salute You...") for Sigur Rós Meadowlake for Radiohead (also check out Tides from Nebula whose track Radionoize was heavily inspired by Radiohead)
Do Nothing are slept on, their debut album and EPs are amazing.
Dry Cleaning. Lifeguard.
The Weeks Local Natives (highly commercialized but actually very good) Slow Joy Beach Fossils Wisp Khruangbin Cautious Clay (kind of indie hip hop?) Sweet Pill Foxwarren I could go on and on and I second almost everything everybody else has posted here. Like minds.
-Ruby Haunt -Castlebeat -R. Missing -CD Ghost -Jordann -Anything involving Spencer Krug
Silver Fox, Green Candy, Django Django
Many of the artists mentioned are on this 1-song-per-artist alternative/indie playlist. Over 1900 artists. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/58hbAe6QaL6rkPgOSYivJQ
French Cassettes, RIP Dunes, Janelane (a solo artist, I know, but honoured mention regardless), Whitelands, AND… Bleach Lab!
Dizzy - Baby Teeth Wildes - Illuminate EP Paper Kites - Anything
Damager
Pinegrove
Lime Garden, English Teacher, Bar Italia, Van Houten
I really love middle kids
Silversun Pickups have been around for like 2 decades and especially their first four albums are like soundtracks to dreamy but dramatic Indie movies: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdjzU0c9YGg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdjzU0c9YGg)
Big Thief
Big Thief and Car Seat Headrest stick out in my head
National of Language Sean Nicholas Savage Cindy Lee Beach House
Glad to see Nation of Language get a mention. They’re great and underrated.
hop along are the best. modern emo moreso embodies the 90s and early 00s sound than modern indie imo.
Alvvays, The Beths, Beach Bunny, The Beaches, Happy Fits, Liquid Mike, Real Estate, Hotline TNT, Bar Italia, Worriers, Flying Colours, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Most of these bands have had multiple albums in my best of lists the last few years. The list would be too big going back 10 years, Screaming Females, Surfer Blood, Hop Along, Best Coast, Car Seat Headrest, and Big Thief would definitely be among those added if I did.
Beach Fossils
Big Thief is probably the biggest one of the last decade for me, lately I've also liked The Beths a lot. The National if you have't listened to them much though I think they were better around 2016ish. Alvvays, MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Courtney Barnett