The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
Slowly but surely, the days are growing longer, and the end of what seems to have been a particular long winter is creeping up on the horizon; if you need a place of solace to hide out until the wind chills clear, then look no further than this week’s edition of The Big Indie Playlist.
Although we are barely one month into the year, 2026 is already shaping up to be an incredible year of new music. In this week alone, we have seen long-awaited returns from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Courtney Barnett, and that curly-haired bloke from One Direction. Meanwhile, the landscape is being overrun by incredibly promising up-and-comers, with one of the strongest releases of the week arriving from West Yorkshire rock and rollers Vehicle.
The week’s rock and roll offerings don’t stop there, either, with Melbourne retro rockers Straight Arrows entering into the year with a garage rock earworm this week, and Ukrainian outfit Хурдел delivering a particularly anarchic egg-punk EP to blow away the January blues.
Speaking of which, while everybody on social media seems determined to escape back to the simpler time of 2016, Savages have taken the opportunity to bless us all with some unreleased material from their Adore Life era. It has certainly been a week of musical treats.
Yes, folks, the year is in full swing and so is its musical output. New and old, big and small, all new releases are considered in this egalitarian realm of the Big Indie Playlist. So, hunker down and rock out, as we delve into the greatest releases of this rather turbulent week.
The best new music of the week:
Vehicle – ‘You Are Not A Cowboy’: Leeds retro rockers Vehicle blow away the January cobwebs with this country-infused attack on psuedo-gauchos, a refreshingly upbeat effort which nonetheless sounds as though it could have been taken from a particularly visceral Kinks record. Surely there is no better endorsement than that. [4.5/5]
Savages – ‘Paranoid’: Joining in with the trend of harking back to the ‘good old days’ of, err…2016, post-punk heroes Savages come back from the grave to unveil two tracks recorded around the time of 2016’s Adore Life, but never released until now, including this rather enchanting, understated cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’. [4/5]
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Opening Night’: Inarguably the most anticipated release of the week, they’re a long way from Sheffield, but Arctic Monkeys have returned in aid of War Child. While it is sure to upset those still living in 2005, the song is a strong effort from the group, being the natural development from The Car – albeit with a bit more oomph, courtesy of those John Shuttleworth-esque synths. [4/5]
Courtney Barnett and Waxahatchee – ‘Site Unseen’: Another long-awaited comeback graced the music world this week, with Courtney Barnett unveiling the second single from her upcoming Creature of Habit album, due out later this year. A country-infused slice of her iconic alt-folk sound, with the added indie sunshine of Waxahatchee, the song certainly builds excitement for the springtime release of the album. [4/5]
Straight Arrows – ‘Middleman’: A searing old-school garage punk earworm from Australia, this newly released track from Melbourne’s Straight Arrows arrives via Teramo label Goodbye Boozy, and it sounds as though it could have been lifted directly from 1965. Who knows, if you hit replay enough times, you might end up there. [4.5/5]
RRSATZ – ‘Shift Change’: New York cassette-only label Fuzzy Warbles gifts us all with this brooding, endlessly cool experimental, garage effort from RRSATZ, drawing from the underground realm of classic no-wave with some distinctly modern touches, and one of the best basslines of the week. [3.5/5]
завірюга – ‘зустрічна смуга’: Egg-punk is still going strong in 2026, and Ukrainian outfit завірюга reaffirm that fact with their new EP ‘цвяхи’, and the infectiously energetic stand-out track ‘зустрічна смуга’ is driven by pure DIY punk aggression and some of the heaviest basslines in the entirety of the egg-punk realm. [4/5]
Aimée Fatale – ‘Blood’: ‘Blood’ has been knocking around in the live sets of Hull-based anachronism Aimée Fatale for quite a while now, so it is only fitting that the impossibly catchy track finally has a proper, studio release. As with virtually every Fatale track, it is awash with both style and substance. [4/5]
Lucky Iris – ‘fall in love with the dj’: Leeds’ electropop innovators Lucky Iris have been around for a while now, but this week brings their debut mixtape, via EMI North, and it certainly succeeds in ousting the winter sniffles with a wave of upbeat hyperpop-styled dance euphoria. [3.5/5]
Snail Mail – ‘Dead End’: Ahead of the rapidly approaching Ricochet, due out late March, Lindsey Jordan reaffirms her indie singer-songwriter credentials, creating an expansive sonic landscape and answering the prayers of her ever-expanding audience, two years on from her previous single. [4/5]
San Vito Ryder – ‘Cold Teeth’: London’s rising rockers San Vito Ryder come strong with this slick, strained effort fueled by leather jackets and greased-back hair. If you need a vehicle to exercise the pent up anger of your January blues, let it be this. [3.5/5]
Alfreda – ‘Dolly The Sheep’: Retaining the suave charm of her retro-styled vocals, Alfreda creates a distinctly modernised sound on this ode to a cloned sheep, exchanging Hollywood glamour for sharp post-punk production and an unrelenting dance groove. [3/5]
Rozie Ramati – ‘Broken in Bold’: Gentle indie-pop during a particularly turbulent time period for LA-based Rozie Ramati – and for the United States in general, to be fair – this newly released track sees her explore the typical themes of heartbreak and melancholy with her ethereal tones. [3/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds:
YĪN YĪN – ‘Elma’: Netherlands-based psych masters YĪN YĪN unleashed their new LP Yatta! at long last, and ‘Elma’ – despite not being a single release – is an excellent encapsulation of the expansive sound demonstrated on that album, indebted to the group’s enduring Southeast Asian influences, along with a healthy appreciation for surf rock riffs and disco grooves. [4.5/5]
Seera – ‘Shams (شمس)’: Saudi Arabian garage rockers Seera boasted perhaps the best EP of the week, with Sarab, and this opening track is adept at demonstrating their entrancingly individualistic sound, blending age-old Middle Eastern rhythms with a rock and roll sensibility that lends itself very easily to endless replays. [4.5/5]
Jean Kefta and Max Houmous – ‘Dabo Kolo Désire’: Old-school Afrobeat sounds, disco overtones, and a floor-filling dance rhythm courtesy of this masterful edit from Jean Kefta and Max Houmous, via French label UZBK. I defy anybody to sit still during this one. [4/5]
Donnoya Drake – ‘Groove Is In The Heart’: London’s premier rocksteady label Original Gravity continue their quest to create infectious ska-centric cover versions of classic songs. This particular release sees Jamaican vocalist take on Deee-Lite’s 1990s anthem with footstomping results. [3.5/5]
