The Big Indie Playlist: Curated by Medium Build
Another week has come and gone, and brought along with it a mound of newness. With tens of thousands of tracks released every week, keeping up is literally impossible. But to make sure nothing great falls through the cracks, The Big Indie Playlist pays attention.
It was a big week for comebacks. The ultimate surprise came from Nine Inch Nails as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross announced a new soundtrack album, Tron: Ares, but took it even further by announcing a tour and sharing the first proper NIN song since 2021.
In the world of hypey new bands, The Last Dinner Party also made a reappearance, announcing their sophomore album and sharing ‘This is the Killer Speaking’, finally silencing nagging questions about what the band might do next.
Across all corners of indie, alt-pop, punk, folk and beyond, there is something fresh to be found. But don’t just take it from us. This week, we called in Medium Build to pick out some tracks not to be missed, giving us an insight into his new additions to his playlist.
The best new music of the week
Track of the week
The Last Dinner Party – ‘This is the Killer Speaking’: They’re back. Announcing their hotly anticipated sophomore album, The Last Dinner Party shared the news of From The Pyre with this characterful first taste. Affectionately known as the ‘YeeHaw Interlude’ by their fans when they played it live, ‘This is the Killer Speaking’ is the perfect theme tune for a mysterious femme fatale villain marching back into town for a shootout.
With so much hype surrounding the band’s breakout, the question of what they might do next has been pondered for a while. On this era-opening track, they put doubts to rest and prove they’re still pointed in an upwards direction with more greatness to come. [4.5/5]
On Repeat: Curated by Medium Build
As Medium Build landed in the UK for a show, we caught up with him to get his picks for the best new tracks released in the last few weeks that have swiftly been added to his playlist and stayed on repeat during his travels.
Geese – ‘Taxes’: Now that everyone is on the Cameron Winter train, can y’all realise Geese has been on it the whole time. Welcome to the party. Whatever these cats get into is alright with me.
Maya De Vitry – ‘Any Bell I See’: One of the coolest and talented people in traditional folk Americana bluegrass right now. Love Maya.
Alex G – ‘Oranges’: The king is back.
Boyish – ‘Jumbos’: I love ‘Boyish’. One time, I was anxious at a festival, and they were nice to me when I was a baby. They’re the best, and this song slaps hard.
Bethlehem Shalom – ‘Rapunzel’: The homie from Alaska making a Stevie-type earworm. Get your groove on Beth!
Must Listen: The best new tracks of the week
Ellur – ‘Missing Kid’: If you’re an indie fan through and through and haven’t started paying attention to Ellur, rectify that. ‘Missing Kid’ is the latest proof of promise with major Sam Fender energy. [3.5/5]
Green Gardens – ‘I Was Here’: Leeds’ pastoral unit are working towards the release of their second album, and if ‘I Was Here’ is a sign to trust, it’s sure to be full of interesting textures and melodies, and referenceless beauty. [4/5]
Young Rebel Set – ‘Anchorage’: Go back a decade, and Young Rebel Set was the North East’s most beloved band. But as tragedy struck in 2019 with the death of their frontman, Matt Chipchase, things were curtailed. Now they’re back with a new singer and new energy, but honouring the same aspirations. [3/5]
Lord Huron – ‘Watch Me Go’: It’s easy to get blinded by Lord Huron’s one huge hit, ‘The Night We Met’, and not explore further. But the band deliver greatness each and every time, with their new album, The Cosmic Selector Vol 1, being perhaps their most intriguing release yet. [3.5/5]
False Futures – ‘Stood Beside The Snake Pit, Smiling’: On the London live scene, False Futures are undeniably one of the most exciting names. They’ve been cutting their teeth for a fair while now, but taking it slowly with releases. It’s quality over quantity always, and the quality is up there. [4/5]
Hermanos Gutiérrez and Leon Bridges – ‘Elegantly Wasted’: This was always going to be great. Combining Leon Bridges’ velvety soul voice with Gutiérrez’s Latin-infused psychedelia, it’s a match made in heaven. [4/5]
Skullcrusher – ‘Exhale’: Having a sad girl summer? Here’s a new offering as Skullcrusher bridges the gap between Mazzy Star’s wistfulness and the production details of Cocteau Twins. [3.5/5]
Blood Orange, Caroline Polacheck, Lorde and Mustafa – ‘Mind Loading’: Come on now, what a lineup, a true meeting of alt-pop legends for a moment of pure alt-pop heaven. [4/5]
Nine Inch Nails – ‘As Alive As You Need Me to Be’: Announcing a new album, Nine Inch Nails kicked the door in with this returning track, packing the same dark, electronic punch they always did. [3.5/5]
Sofia and the Anotinettes – ‘SPIRALLING’: A masterclass in teasing and releasing, loud and quiet, the sound of this song throws you between the emotions the lyrics sing of in such a satisfying way. [3.5/5]
Off The Beaten Track: Left-field sounds, curated and written by Ben Forrest
Caíto Sánchez – ‘Luna’: Brooklyn’s Names You Can Trust records lives up to its name with this release, from Brooklyn-based percussionist Caíto Sánchez. Creating a rich psychedelic landscape with jazz overtones and the ever-present influence of retro Latin rock, the track soon gives way to an ethereal, otherworldly mood, which is only broken by the infectious hard rock mastery of the B-side, ‘Sin Ti’. [4.5/5]
Plunky & Oneness of Juju – ‘Share This Love’: There are few situations which cannot be improved tenfold by the presence of lush brass tones, particularly when rendered in the kind of timeless Afro-jazz style which the Oneness of Juju have been perfecting since back in the 1970s. ‘Share This Love’ is the opening track of their newly released album Made Through Ritual, and it reaffirms the jazz-funk excellence of the Virginia-based group. [4/5]
MonsieurWilly & Natalie Nova – ‘I Believe In Miracles’: It seems as though another cover of The Jackson Sisters’ pioneering disco anthem is released every week. This version, arriving via Funky French League, blends the compelling disco groove of the original with a modern production style and hints at funk, Latin soul, and disco’s golden age. Vocalist Natalie Nova certainly proves her credentials on the record, too. [3.5/5]
