An Indie Bonanza
A slew of powerhouse indie bands have record releases slated for the next few months.
By Mattie Winowitch, Waynesburg University
For people with really strange taste in music, finding something good to listen to can be a challenge.
I am definitely an indie rock and alternative music lover. And when I say that, I don’t mean I listen to one Arctic Monkeys song and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” all day. Just…no.
I have always liked music that no one else listens to. It got to a point where if I was super into a band at the time, and other people started getting interested, I immediately shut off. I acted as if I created the band with my own two hands and people were trying to steal them. I know, I’m weird. God forbid that a band I liked would get famous and rewarded for their amazing music.
But, eventually, I learned to chill out and understand that music is not about hoarding, but instead, sharing. I started getting into a couple great bands and stuck with them for a few years. But then, as I slowly got more and more invested into their songs, shows and concert merch, all of a sudden, they disappeared.
For the longest time, I was only listening to music that was old. Sure, this music were amazing as all get-out, but they were mostly songs that came out from 2010-2014. I know, that seems yesterday, but in the past seven years, a lot has changed for music. I mean, even looking at some of the top hits from back in ’07 shows how different we are. Rock music turned soft. Rap music turned country. Country music turned pop. Pop music turned into a whole other monster which would take a whole other article to talk about.
Last year, there wasn’t one concert that I really wanted to go to in my city. Why? Because none of my favorite bands were making music or touring. Not to say that the bands touring last summer weren’t good, but like I said before, mainstream music isn’t my thing.
But, on the bright side, 2017 has been so amazing already music-wise that it makes up for all the outdated playlists and missed concert shenanigans.
I don’t think I was the only one beginning this year afraid for what was going to happen. Our new president is a cause for concern and disappointment. Not to mention the damn bees are dying. Poor little fuckers.
For these reasons (and many, many more), I would like to personally thank the following bands for saving my life by ending their hiatuses to continue to make more beautiful music.
First, I want to talk about John FREAKING Mayer. The man has been hiding under a rock for years now, and then all of a sudden, he went and released a brand-new album. TBH, I wasn’t expecting it. The last time I checked, he said his vocal chords shriveled up and his musical career would be no more. That bastard.
(I definitely think I called John Mayer a bastard in a previous article I wrote about him. I’m not wrong, though.)
Mayer started releasing chunks of his new album in February. First, he released “Love on the Weekend,” and now he is going on a full-fledged tour (but I can’t go, of course). What a guy.
Another group I must thank is Fleet Foxes. Out of everyone in this article, Fleet Foxes was definitely the worst at bringing new material to the table. I was still stuck on their album from like 2008, and new jams were definitely desired.
Their brand-new song, “Third of May” is very similar to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” By this, I mean it’s a long song—but wow, is it a masterpiece. I am really hoping for a whole album and a tour from these guys, but so far, I haven’t heard anything other than a few random shows and a festival or two. Their album is getting dropped on June 16, so mark your calendars now.
Father John Misty came out with a new politically-aimed album. I’m not its biggest fan, probably because I had such big heart-eyes for “I Love You, Honeybear.” But I’ll probably still go buy it and go see him tour, because I do very much enjoy his snarky rhetoric.
Lorde is also releasing a new album, but the single she released from it is really fucking terrible. It is bad. Such a shame, but maybe the rest of the album will be better. I’m still hopeful.
An album I am REALLY excited for is Alt-J’s surprise release, “Relaxer.” They released the teaser for their new song, “3WW” on March 3 (3/3), the official song three days later and will release three months and three days from that date. For those who don’t know, Alt-J really likes triangles. If you press alt-j on your keyboard, it makes a lil’ triangle icon. Triangles have three sides. You get the picture.
I just listened to “3WW” and I am really pumped for the rest of the album to be released. I went to one of their concerts a couple years back, and it was incredible. Sure, you can’t understand a single word they are saying, but they still put on quite a performance. Definitely a group to be on the lookout for.
Some other interesting bands that came out (or are in the process of coming out) with new music include Portugal. The Man and The Shins.
Also, for those who weren’t aware, Never Shout Never! is currently on a “Throwback Tour,” playing songs from their first few albums. So, for anyone wanting to relive the good old days while waiting for other new jams to be released, definitely check that tour out.
Make sure to stay up-to-date with your favorite bands by following them on social media, as sometimes that’s where bands will release their information first. Also, the iTunes store and Spotify’s “New Releases” feature are also great resources to discover new bands and to find out which hot tunes will be out soon.
