The Big Indie Playlist: Curated by Stone
Another week, another huge dose of new music. From artists across all genres, all styles, all scales and sizes, this week was the same as every other as thousands upon thousands of songs get offered up to the world. Putting all the best in one place, welcome to the Big Indie Playlist.
This week was a strong one for hotly anticipated releases as The Last Dinner Party and Bar Italia both dropped new albums. Elsewhere, there were some other powerful deliveries, like a collaboration between Hayley Williams and David Byrne, or Sam Fender teaming up with Elton John.
In the world of up and comers too, this week saw the release of some star-making tracks from Fuzz Lightyear and Dellaxoz amongst others, covering all bases from indie to punk to folk.
But don’t just take it from us. This week we checked in with STONE to see what new music they’re loving as they announce a new album and hit the road for some shows.
Must-hear: Curated by Elliot Gill of STONE
As the Liverpudlian rockers announce their second album, we caught up with the band to see what’s on repeat in their playlist
Show Me The Body – ‘Sabotage’: “This song won’t be new to anybody who has heard The Beastie Boys’ 1994 classic ‘Sabotage’ – but this is NY hardcore punks Show Me The Body’s visceral take on it. These guys have an intense energy, moshpits with banjos. I heard this cover recently and loved his unhinged vocal delivery and all the extra sonics. IT feels like a real gritty mark-up of the original, with some upscaled production compared to SMTB’s earlier catalog.”
Hayley Williams – ‘Mirtazipine’: “I was a real Paramore kid back in 2010 so it’s great to see Hayley’s solo career taking off and all her recent success. I had a much better experience listening to this song than I had being on mirtazapine.”
Danny Brown – ‘Starburst’: “Danny’s been one of my favourite rappers since hearing ‘XXX’ when I was 14. He is one of the most unique voices in modern hip-hop and I believe him to be a legend in the making. This one has a really unhinged, hyperpop production courtesy of Holly. Danny just seems to get better and weirder with age and is a serious force, especially live.”
Shame – ‘Spartak’: “One of my absolute favourite UK bands round now are London 5-piece Shame. Post-punk really gets bandied about, having a robust and well-documented revival in the 2020s but I always think of Shame as one of the more enduring bands of the genre. I like the jaunty, sardonic, anti-intellectualist sentiment of this one, plus a super simple catchy hook with some good wordplay!”
Militarie Gun – ‘God Owes Me Money’: “Oo! Oo! I’m fairly new to these but loved ‘Big Disappointment’ – this post-hardcore band’s sound is getting bigger, anthemic and polished so I’m excited for what they bring in such a pivotal, crossover moment for hardcore punk music. Like the angstiness of the frontman and his vocals.”
Courting – ‘The Twins (1969)’: “My admiration for these guys has also been well-documented. Contemporaries and friends, Liverpool’s Courting left this as a B-side to the 2025 album Lust For Life (which is worth a serious listen). Really like how they blend alternative indie rock with more electronic and hyperpop elements and I’m a fan of Sean’s spoken, satirical style.”
English Teacher, Daniel Avery – ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab (Daniel Avery Remix)’: “I am hopeless at keeping up so need to delve further into English Teacher but I’ve never heard a bad word about them. I really liked the krautrock sound of this one and I’ve been on a big dance-punk kick recently delving into electronic, disco-come-punk tunes recently in the hopes of building a DJ set for our October tour (and beyond). But then the lyrics piqued my curiosity and I wanted to know where the huge paving slab was. This really ticks the box for me.”
The best new music of the week
The Last Dinner Party – ‘Count The Ways’: Every track from our album of the week deserves a spot here, but the one with the instant hook is ‘Count The Ways’ which sees The Last Dinner Party delivers a new singalong-ready indie hit. [4/5]
Sassy 009 and Blood Orange – ‘Tell Me’: It’s simple; you see Blood Orange’s name on a track and you can always trust that it’ll be great as Dev Hynes touch hasn’t let us down yet. [3/5]
Bar Italia – ‘Omni Shambles’: Love them or hate them, Bar Italia are back with more as they share their new album Some Like It Hot which feels like their most accessible offering yet. [3/5]
Magdalena Bay – ‘Human Happens’: Back with more after the release of their last album, Magdalena Bay’s dreamy, electro-tinged world keeps growing and keeps getting more infectious. [3.5/5]
Elias Ronnenfelt – ‘Hollow Noon’: Elias Ronnenfelt has the cool music crowd in the palm of his hand and it’s easy to tell why with this off-kilter release that is hypnotic but hard to pin down the hows or whys. [3/5]
Chloe Qisha – ‘So Sad So Hot’: If you are specifically going through a breakup and going to a party this weekend, this track is for you. Chloe Qisha is quickly becoming the ultimate alt-pop it-girl with these hyper-hooky hits. [3.5/5]
Skullcrusher – ‘Maelstrom’: For a new release that will get you in your feels, hit play on Skullcrusher’s new album, And Your Song Is Like A Circle, for introspection and sonics to set the atmosphere. [3.5/5]
DELLAXOZ – ‘Sleeping Away My Prime’: Across each and every one of Della’s tracks, her guitar playing is so unique and so gripping. This new one is no different as she muses on laziness on a track that will get you up and moving. [4/5]
Big Special – ‘Plaintive Native’: For our signature track to blow the cobwebs away, here you go. Turn it up loud and let Big Special shout them out of sight. [3.5/5]
STONE – ‘Monkey See Monkey Do’: Fresh from our playlist curators themselves, STONE return with another rager that’s sounding bigger than ever as the band announce their second album. [3.5/5]
David Byrne and Hayley Williams – ‘Open The Door’: Kids are so lucky these days, they get collaborations between legends on their movie soundtracks as Byrne and Williams join their mutual admiration together on this fun ditty. [3.5/5]
Ain’t – ‘Long Short Round’: This is the short of song I desperately want to hear live, with that guitar rattling my eardrums and the heavy drums rattling the floor. Vowing to make that happen asap. [3/5]
Fuzz Lightyear – ‘Aberfan’: Inspired by Fuzz Lightyear’s lead singer’s Welsh heritage and the Aberfan disaster of 1966, which cost the lives of 116 children and 28 adults in an event the band called the Grenfell of its time, you can feel the passion and rage in this powerful track. [4/5]
Sam Fender and Elton John – ‘Talk To Me’: Fresh off the back of his Mercury Prize victory, Sam Fender is teaming up with icons now as he announced a deluxe version of his winning album with this Elton John collaboration. [4/5]
Sam Eagle and Eirik Glambek Bøe – ‘I Never Thought’: Now this is nice. Soft and simple, beautifully sung, it’s the sort of song that feels like a cool breeze calming the brain. Even if the lyrics speak of heavy emotions, it feels light. [3/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds, curated and written by Ben Forrest
ATA Records – ‘The Galata Extraction’: Paying faithful homage to the golden age of library music, this latest seven-inch single from Leeds-based ATA Records blends fuzzy Eastern psychedelia with Latin overtones and even a few hints at disco, giving any KPM release a run for its money when blasted out over some decent speakers. [4.5/5]
Calibro 35 – ‘Harlem Nocturne’: Following on from their cinematic jazz-funk masterpiece Exploration earlier this year, Italian outfit Calibro 35 have announced an expanded edition featuring new material, including this darkly mysterious brass-fueled earworm, arriving in ample time to be added to your Halloween mix. [4/5]
Nusantara Beat – ‘Ke Masa Lalu’: Amsterdam-based Indonesian psych outfit opt for a more intimate, enchanting sound on the second single to be taken from their upcoming debut album, harking back to the age-old traditions of Malay folk with sudden bursts of psychedelic vibrancy, and all drawn together by the incredible tones of Megan de Klerk. [4/5]
Zig-Zag Band: ‘Ndoita Ripi Zano?’: Less than a month away from the hotly anticipated release of Analog Africa’s Chigiyo Music Kings, the label have unleashed a third single from the legendary Zimbabwean outfit, perfectly exemplifying their unique reggae-inspired sound and how beautifully it blends with their traditional African influences. [3.5/5]
