The Big Indie Playlist: Curated by Butch Kassidy
Another week has come and gone, and we’re starting to see the end of the year looming, but as other places race ahead to summarising lists of the year’s best songs, we’re still diving into new offerings here at The Big Indie Playlist.
There is still greatness to come as artists keep on delivering new tracks as albums are announced, long-awaited projects are released or just bands all together emerge in the final throws of 2025.
This week, it was Tazana that launched themselves into the music world with their debut single, meanwhile, Lime Garden relaunched with the perfect tune for a chaotic and drunken walk home from the club, perfectly timed for the weekend’s antics.
With tracks from across rock, indie, folk, alt-pop and beyond, there’s something for everyone here, but don’t just take our word for it. Ahead of their own upcoming EP release, we checked in with Butch Kassidy to see what tracks they have on repeat.
Must-hear: Curated by Butch Kassidy
Aron: Anna Von Hausswolff – ‘The Iconoclast’: Great vocal performance on this song, Anna’s songs often sound like one moving machine of melodies and grit; she’s a genius
Dälek & Charles Hayward – ‘Re-Evolution’: This is such a cool collaboration, Charles Hayward’s drumming is so creative, which is inspiring, and he’s not showing signs of slowing down. ‘From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots’ by Dälek is also amazing.
Wing! – ‘In A Second I Will Need A Second’: Adam, Joe and Kai are such brilliant musicians. The use of texture, tension and release is awesome. Wing! also just released an EP, which I’d advise checking out.
Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo – ‘Demon Time’: Another cool collaboration, the use of space and ambience is really nice on this song. It reminds me of Tool and Sunn O)))
Rosalia (feat Yves Tumor + Björk) – ‘Berghain’: Rosalia’s ability to change her sound and bend genres is unbelievable; the orchestral arrangement is also incredible on this song.
Fionn: Headache – ‘Dodge This!’: A great second album from Headache (Vegyn and Francis Hornsby Clark) worth a listen!
Tom: Claire Rousay – ‘a little death’: More ambient droney music which seems to be the flavour of the month for me. I really like the use of field recordings throughout this song (and album). Often field recordings can sound a bit separate to the music and sort of plonked on top, but here it almost acts as another instrument. Just really nice sounds to be fair (this is why I’ll never be a music critic).
Tom: Jessica Moss – ‘Washing Machine’: I saw Jessica Moss supporting Swans in Brixton this week. I hadn’t come across her music before, but I was mesmerised by the violin loops and use of bells. I later discovered she was a former member of Silver Mt Zion and that her new album had just been released by Constellation Records, so I knew it would be good. Definitely one for fans of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and ambient drone music in general.
The best new music of the week:
Big Long Sun – ‘My Stars Aligning’: Fun and twee, this Big Long Sun track brings a smile to the face as it seems to perfectly capture the joy and social nature of the Brighton music scene. [3.5/5]
Sophie May – ‘Another Song for the End of the World’: For a long time now, Sophie May has been one of the most interesting songwriters around, within both her own solo project and recently for Rosalia; now, she’s announced her debut album with this apocalyptic bossa nova tune. [4/5]
Ugly – ‘Gallowine’: One night I walked past Moth Club in London and saw a queue wrapped around the venue with fans desperate to get into a free gig, with half of them ending up being turned away by the over-capacity. The artist playing was Ugly, and with a track as interesting as this, it’s easy to understand the eagerness. [3.5/5]
Lime Garden – ‘Maybe Not Tonight’: Lime Garden are back. and they’re back with a perfect 02:00 track for a manic, chaotic night out, flitting between god complex and insecurity, just in time for the weekend. [4/5]
Pixie McCann – ‘Moth’: Watching Pixie McCann’s career begin is so rewarding, as each track released gets more interesting and more intricate as her production skills level up quickly. This latest offering is her best work to date, with the vision on offer extremely intoxicating. [4/5]
Sydney Ross Mitchell – ‘Cynthia’: Recounting a comment from someone at a strip club, telling her that she had Jesus in her eyes, Sydney Ross Mitchell’s latest track is perhaps her most moving to date, and that’s really saying something given her poignant discography. [4/5]
Charli XCX – ‘Chains of Love’: Charli XCX is reminding the world that she’s far more than just Brat green as her latest efforts from the upcoming Wuthering Heights soundtrack are truly cinematic and vast, taking her far from the club scene. [4/5]
Florence Road – ‘Storm Warnings’: As the band are currently on tour with Wolf Alice around Europe, Ireland’s Florence Road remind the world why they’re quickly becoming a major one-to-watch with a song this solid. [3/5]
Searows – ‘Photograph of a Cyclone’: Searows has one of those voices that could sing a shopping list and still stop people in their tracks, but with songwriting this sharp and moving to match, it’s heavenly and powerful all around. [3.5/5]
Confidence Man – ‘Damaged Goods’: If you’re going out this weekend, sort your pre-drinks moment as it’s just got a new soundtrack, which should see everybody say ‘Thank you, Confidence Man’. [3/5]
Wasia Project – ‘Letters From the Day’: Starting glitchy and dark before breaking open into something luscious, this could be the band’s application to do the next Bond theme tune. [3.5/5]
Blondshell and Folk Bitch Trio – ‘Change’: Blondshell’s deluxe version of her latest album contains a handful of new songs, but the show was stolen by a different act as Folk Bitch Trio’s cover of her album track ‘Change’ is stunning, as the band’s three-part harmonies always are. [4/5]
Tazana – ‘Covet’: Rock just gained a new voice with new Glasgow band Tazana launching with their debut single this week, but they’ve already been wowing and winning over live audiences for a while now, building their cult on the live circuit. [3.5/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds, curated by Ben Forrest
Taylor Williams – ‘What About Me’: Ohio’s Colemine Records usher in another lush slice of laid-back soul, this time from North Carolina’s Taylor Williams, whose modern reimagining of this track, originally released by The Exceptional Three all the way back in 1971, marks the beginning of what will hopefully be a long-running partnership between the vocalist and the label. [4.5/5]
Tiwayo – ‘I’ve Got To Travel Alone’: Paris’ premier soul vocalist Tiwayo reaffirms the thought process that he must be a time-traveller sent from the mid-1970s with this incredible, self-reflective, and deeply emotional effort rooted in the old-school soul sounds which have elevated him to the top of Europe’s modern soul scene. [4/5]
Imarhan – ‘Tellalt’: An expectedly entrancing desert blues masterpiece from Tuareg heroes Imarhan, whose upcoming album, set for release in January, already seems cruelly far away, this single blends a tumultuous introspection, indebted to their surroundings in Algeria, with an infectious garage rock groove which cannot help but demand multiple plays. [4.5/5]
Bizimungu Dieudonne – ‘Inzovu Y’Imirindi’: Mississippi Records reaffirms their skill in digging up some of the greatest and most underrated African records of all time with a new release centred around the sounds of Bizimungu Dieudonne, and on this opening track, you really get a sense for his pioneering production techniques and how beautifully they fit with traditional Rwandan songs of praise. [4/5]
La Comparsa Universitaria de la Laguna – ‘Empuja y Estira’: If anything can banish this cold winter, it is the Mexican funk mastery of La Comparsa Universitaria de la Laguna and their incredible rendition of Rufus Thomas’ Stax classic ‘(Do the) Push and Pull’, given the seven-inch treatment by the ever-generous Desierto Records. [4.5/5]
