The Big Indie Playlist: The best new releases of the week
Another week has passed, as the nights grow longer and the unstoppable tribulation of time marches on. Nonetheless, do not enshroud yourself in prison of autumnal hibernation just yet, for the music industry shows no signs of slowing down into the winter of 2024. In this, the spookiest of all weeks, we have seen an impressively broad variety of captivating new tracks mark their mark on the music scene. Helpfully, we have collected all the best of these efforts into one neat Big Indie Playlist; you can thank us later.
While the moniker of this column might fill your mind with images of messy-haired young men attempting to play guitar and moan about their fledgling love life, we should remind you that the Big Indie Playlist incorporates all styles of music. This week, for instance, we stretch from the dark, gothic experimentalism of Penelope Trappes to the upbeat electronica of LCD Soundsystem. Make no mistake, there is no genre discrimination here.
Two events have dominated the conversation this week: Halloween and the looming presence of the US presidential election, which is just around the corner. It seems fitting, therefore, that this week’s musical releases largely reflect the mood of both of those incredibly frightening days.
The Cure led the charge when it came to delivering a perfect soundtrack for Halloween, releasing their new album Songs of a Lost World, which features some expectedly gothic anthems like ‘Warsong’. Meanwhile, iconic proto-riot grrrl punk band Frightwig delivered a rallying call to arms for punks to get out and vote on their new single ‘War On Women (Get out and vote version)’.
Suppose the cold Autumn months have resigned you to the indoors, and you are after a lengthier listening experience. May we suggest heading over to this week’s Alternative Album Chart to hear all the greatest full-length releases of the week? If not, join us on this whistle-stop tour of all the wonders that the music industry had to offer us over the past seven days.
The best new music of the week:
Track of the week
Luvcat – ‘Dinner @ Brasserie Zedel’: No one is making music like Luvcat. After an exhaustingly boring period of melancholic sad girl singers, gloomy post-punk and a pastoral edge that painted over any glamour with a muted sheen, Luvcat feels like a necessary antidote delivering pure maximalist glory that is as thrilling as it is fun.
Following on from the character she built on her second single, ‘He’s My Man’, ‘Dinner @ Brasserie Zedel’ continues to capture the gripping tone of manic obsession and violent desire. It’s another stunning murder ballad, but this time, it’s set in Soho as she croons, “When are you gonna make me your baby?” like a siren song before the strings and horns come in for a full-scale theatrical production. Across all three singles, Luvcat has come in with a power and a clarity of vision that sets a straight course to stardom, and this is another golden step and a late-stage shot at song of the year. [4.5/5]
Instant Classics – The biggest releases of the week
The Cure – ‘Warsong’: A triumphant return for the goth pioneers, ‘Warsong’ is an indisputable highlight of The Cure’s newly released album. Bordering on the dark themes of fan-favourite records like Pornography and featuring a particularly enjoyable vocal performance from Robert Smith, this song is a clear indicator of the fact that The Cure never lost their tendencies for groundbreaking songwriting. [4.5/5]
LCD Soundsystem – ‘X-ray Eyes’: Although there is no sign of a full-length album on the horizon, LCD Soundsystem treated audiences to this endearingly understated new single this week. It might not pack the same punch as some of James Murphy’s other compositions, but it does provide a great deal of promise for the future and security of LCD Soundsystem. [4/5]
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – ‘Phantom Island’: Taking a break from the non-consequential whimsy of their recent material, the Aussie everymen unveiled ‘Phantom Island’ this week. A grandiose arrangement which moves dynamically from orchestral composition to blaring jazz horns and rock vocals, encapsulating the diversity of King Gizz’s sound. [4/5]
Ethel Cain – ‘Punish’: Featuring typically beautiful, moving vocals from the American singer-songwriter, ‘Punish’ is an incredibly strong new effort. Embracing the darkness of her songwriting and, at points, unsettling instrumentation, the song reaffirms Cain’s position among the most original and profound songwriters around at the moment. [4/5]
Thus Love – ‘Get Stable’: Taken from the newly released album, All Pleasure, the Vermont queercore/post-punk outfit moves further into their raw, confrontational rock sound on this track. Awash with energy, attitude, and raw power; what more do you want from a rock and roll song? [3.5/5]
On the rise – New releases to note this week
M(h)aol – ‘Snare’: A song which does what it says on the tin, M(h)aol deliver an effortlessly cool indie electronica track which is punctuated by a continuous snare sound, which only seems to become more affecting and impactful with every subsequent listen. [4.5/5]
Song People – ‘The Tiger’: A roaring indie effort that captures the feeling you get when watching a band live and slowly feeling your inhibitions slip out of existence as you bop to the building adrenalised sound of rapid riffing. [4/5]
Babel Map – ‘Pazuzu’: Fittingly, for the week of Halloween, Pennsylvania post-punks Babel Map released their third album this week, containing the infectiously dark and captivating track ‘Pazuzu’. The ethereal voice of Jessica Drummer seems to be the only thing capable of scaling the band’s impenetrable wall of shoegaze-inspired distortion. [4/5]
Frightwig – ‘War On Women (Get out and vote version)’: It is almost impossible to forget that the US presidential election is just around the corner, but the iconic punk outfit Frightwig are on hand to make sure that people do not forget to go out and exercise their democratic right, via this excellent punk call to arms. [3.5/5]
Man & The Echo – ‘Care Routine – Live’: The eclectic sounds of Warrington outfit Man & The Echo are deserving of much more praise and attention than they seem to receive. ‘Care Routine’ is a clear favourite from their early material, but this newly released live acoustic version adds an entirely new layer of appeal to the track. [3.5/5]
Wishy – ‘Planet Popstar’: Indiana rockers Wishy were built upon a diverse foundation incorporating everything from grunge to power-pop, and their new song ‘Planet Popstar’ is an excellent encapsulation of that sonic diversity and songwriting optimism. [3.5/5]
Wallice – ‘I Want You Yesterday’: Taken from her upcoming debut album, Wallice treats listeners to a slice of her vocal proficiency and penchant for penning fun, almost whimsical love songs. [3/5]
Shady Baby – ‘Held In’: Hailing from Brighton, Shady Baby unleash their latest garage rock offering in the form of ‘Held In’, complete with a reliance on distortion pedals and an indie boy vocal style that is lifted right from the 2000s. [3/5]
First spin – Debut single of the week
Tunde Adebimpe – ‘Magnetic’: Referring to this as a debut single feels incredibly strange. After all, Adebimpe has been creating groundbreaking experimental and indie rock since before the turn of the millennium. However, ‘Magnetic’ marks the first time the Nigerian-American has released a song under his own name, as opposed to being a part of TV on the Radio.
As you might expect, therefore, the song draws upon his rich history in music, as well as moving his songwriting into bold new directions. If this ‘debut’ single is anything to go by, fans are in for a treat when Adebimpe’s debut solo album gets released by Sub Pop in 2025. [4.5/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds
Iglesia Atomica – ‘Los Demonios Andean Sueltos’: Wonderfully spaced-out heavy psychedelia from the Puerto Rican kings of stoner rock, taken from their newly released three-track album of the same name. At over eight minutes long, the song offers the listener ample opportunity to bask in the guitar mastery of Agustin “Chito” Criollo. [4.5/5]
Penelope Trappes – ‘Sleep’: The first song to be released from her upcoming album A Requiem, ‘Sleep’ reflects the darkness of Trappe’s unique style of ambient experimental music and manages to be both unsettling and bewitching at the same time. [4/5]
Joseba Irazoki – ‘FB II’: Armed with retro guitar sounds and a deluge of effects, Basque musician Joseba Irazoki takes listeners on a sonic journey that is as abrasive as it is organic. A fitting introduction to Irazoki’s incredible guitar improvisations. [3.5/5]
