Rolling 2015 Indie Rock/Pop Thread - Bring Your Bulldozers; Time to Plow the Landfill for Great Indie Rock!

The thread title in jest, obv. ILM is not exactly known for it's warm feelings towards indie rock/pop, at least not in the last six or so years since I've joined. But it seems that every year indie rock/pop makes a significant showing in the EOY results, so I'm not the only "sheep" that proclaims love for some of it.

I don't care how you define "indie rock/pop/edm/r&b,ect' with regards to this thread; but if the music you want to discuss is more likely to fit in any other Rolling 2015 threads, maybe keep it in there? I personally don't care, but I'm hoping to discuss/find new bands to check out from others' findings. And I assume that anyone else who bookmarks this thread is hoping to do the same.

My goal, however naive, is to keep this thread a relatively hostile-free zone from the massive ILM Popist-horde. Basically, I just ask that if you hate everything that has to do with the vast majority of indie rock/pop, please skip this thread altogether? But by all means, if you like certain indie rock/pop bands, but not others, express yourself as you see fit. Or do whatever you like, just please don't be a dick.

I'm a huge fan of this genre, but I haven't found a whole lot to be excited about lately (since 2015, actually). The only album that's blown me away was Panda Bear's Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper.

Anything I've missed?

Liked Soko.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq7dTTodmgc

not much indie that I've loved so far in 2015 but these all made it onto my rolling tracks list:

https://soundcloud.com/chaptermusic/twerps-back-to-you
https://soundcloud.com/cheatahs/sunne-1
https://soundcloud.com/maggie8/hussain-bolt

i'm in charge of booking shows at an artist-run space in the sleepy canadian college town i live in so i've actually been hearing a lot of indie rock lately. this band played here last month and this song is a hit imo https://lookvibrant.bandcamp.com/track/miracle

<3 musicfanatic

xxpost the new Twerps record is very nice, "Back To You" is definitely one of the standout tracks.

I'm glad this Soko album exists. I go with her all the way back to "I'll Kill Her" in 2007, but then hated her first full-length. Love this one, though. Even the songs with Ariel Pink.

Looking quite forward to the new Eternal Summers album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzUmaZbYyKk

Spring King is fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NpSk62x0Qk

and Dead Heavens is the new project from Walter Schreifels of Quicksand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsZVCxQVGRk

The new Dick diver album is my favourite of the year so far

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOG_T4ZVfsA

God, yes, this Dick Diver album. Feels like it should be huge. Great songs. My favorite thing in a while.

There's that one really terrible song on the DD album. "Beat Me Up." Sounds like they switched instruments and the drummer is singing.

My favorite album in the tradition of American indie rock so far this year is "You're Better Than This" by Pile. Gnarled and gnarly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a85HavWIpro

Haha - they didn't switch instruments, but the bassist sings that one. He is the frontman of UV Race, who are much punker than DD.
I love that tune, though!

There's that one really terrible song on the DD album. "Beat Me Up." Sounds like they switched instruments and the drummer is singing.

I really like that one, particularly the lyrics. Their drummer is female btw so shes not singing on that track. If you check out some live DD performances, you'll notice they swap instruments all the time.

Sorry I don't know a lot about Dick Diver. The implication there was meant to be "this song sounds like it has someone who can't sing very well singing it, as opposed to the other songs, which have competent vocals." Hope this clears things up.

uv race are great

Been enjoying Lower Dens, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Westkust and Bully.

Favorite album of the year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlWWg7vf4dU

Attic Fowler's City Hall is southern inflected psych-pop drawing on late 80s and early 90s dream pop and jangle pop influences; shades of Kurt Vile, Mac Demarco, My Morning Jacket, Galaxie 500, Real Estate, The War on Drugs, and The Cranberries.

https://fallbreakrecords.bandcamp.com/album/city-hall-2

Oh and this song too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGaRHmbnL0Y

this is my current indie-rock obsession: https://soundcloud.com/happyness-4/great-minds-think-alike-all-1

maybe a bit more Sammy than Pavement, but still

I assume No Joy would belong in this thread? Their latest album is really lovely. Pretty ideal mix noise and melody.

Dick Diver's album is great. Listening to that a lot lately.

Have you all checked out the American Wrestlers' eponymous-titled 2015 album? Pretty catchy indie-pop/rock record. The whole album is strong, but here's the leadoff song:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/soj_DVBY9-U"; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.youtube.com/embed/soj_DVBY9-U

completely new band to me, Kins originally from Melbourne now London based

Kins - Little Dancer
https://soundcloud.com/kins/little-dancer

they are clearly influenced by Thom Yorke / Radiohead, combining electronics and sludgy guitars, if someone said this was a new Radiohead track, Pitchfork would be tagging it "Best New music" - best bit afer 6 minutes 15 seconds when the sludgy droney noisy jagged guitars spiral

Grimm Grimm album is kinda indie, kinda twee, kinda nice

https://open.spotify.com/track/28aiIzJcvIqgE4mRwQy0yp

hey indie rock thread, what's up!
it's me, 'fellow indie rock fan' bernard snowy, with some totally sweet, grassroots, organic questions for y'all!!

questions like:
what is the slowest good recent(~year&1/2) indie rock record?
the best slow australian indie rock record this decade??
the slowest good indie rock band currently active???

the best slow australian indie rock record this decade??

Dunno if it's slow enough to meet your needs, but Cloud Control's been my favorite Australian indie band of this decade so far.

the slowest good indie rock band currently active???

so I realized I actually already know the answer to this question, & it's Godspeed!YBE

Is this a joke and the answer is "Tortoise" or something?

no I just want slow indie rock recommendations that aren't from like 1994!

Quick note that I'm maintaining an ongoing Spotify playlist with material culled from this thread; feel free to subscribe here:

ILX's Rolling Indie 2015 Thread Spotify Playlist

Belfast band, Girls Names

Girls Names - zero triptych
https://soundcloud.com/tough-love/girls-names-zero-triptych
11 minutes uber epic track of droney psychedelic electronic-rock

Girls Names - A Hunger Artist
https://soundcloud.com/tough-love/girls-names-a-hunger-artist
new track, just released

Have you all checked out the American Wrestlers' eponymous-titled 2015 album? Pretty catchy indie-pop/rock record.

This has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year. I keep coming back to it. Pretty much every song off it is great.

Have you guys heard the Depreciation Guild?

Psychedelic Guitar-Pop / Baggy / dream-pop track

The Death Of Pop - Headaches
https://soundcloud.com/the-death-of-pop/headaches68

sublime cascading guitars on this track

Yes very nice

Mitski

Art pop / Ambient pop from Mt. Wolf - a london based artist

sublime ambient / glacial guitars on this mellow track:

Mt. Wolf - Hamburg

Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/mtwolf/hamburg

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/4VDzD5Km4wRMJ7MRkPf0um

another track:

Mt. Wolf - VIII feat. Alexa Harley
https://open.spotify.com/track/5KCwcaOgMULzaV9yZYQyji
this track has female vocals the closest reference would by Sylvan Esso

Enjoyed Mitski when falling asleep -- increasingly my favorite time to listen to new music

I'm going to screw things up by adding a 2014 release, but I don't see them mentioned anywhere on this board and it's rather great. Anyway, Omi Palone (the band name comes from the same slang that brought us "Bona Drag") doing the Feelies, and you can watch for the original band's poster in the video. In other news, I also think that Dick Diver album is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQcyz1IbThg

The happyness record sounds alternately like a convincing broken social scene impression and a poor man's pavement

The Happyness record is far too long but when they nail it they really nail it.

Lots of Summerteeth in there, too.

this is such a joyous, fun, addictive uptempo track

Swim Deep - one great song and i can change the world
https://open.spotify.com/track/6tkqqX7J4qgWD71Ts6BLaR

Black Grape / Happy Mondays / World of Twist - spring to mind as a reference

it's bugging me some of the melodies on this track remind me of something, listen in at 50 seconds... Tears for Fears? if so which track?

Not avail (maybe not in U.S.?)

on youtube

Swim Deep - One Great Song And I Could Change The World (Official Audio)
https://youtu.be/4I_-QvrKwS0

really dig the new self-defense family album

electronic psychedelic dream pop, track listened via Amazing Radio

The Diamond Age - Sleepwalking
https://soundcloud.com/the-diamond-age/sleepwalking

The Diamond Age
https://www.facebook.com/thediamondageuk

Funky psychedelic pop - there seems to be a growing trend in 2015 of British artists mining similar sound aesthetics such as Leisure / Swim Deep / LA Priest / Clarence Clarity

Leisure - Got it Bad

soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/theleisurecollective/got-it-bad

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3cJ1OmQXzZFd6vPxILAEbZ

drone electronic psychedelic guitar-pop from Dutch band Klangstof

Klangstof - Hostage
https://soundcloud.com/klangstof/klangstof-hostage

riyl: Radiohead, Tarwater

Enjoying the klangstof

my new favorite supergroup made their debut last night. danny of flaming dragons of middle earth and former members of speedy ortiz and sebadoh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xP1HvEnGtk

The Tearjerker record is nice, isn't front-loaded

Though it should lead off with the second track

Anyone liking this Jessie jones joint?
http://m.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20883-jessie-jones/

So, what is F ingers? They have a creepy album cover and got reviewed in Pitchfork today and the song posted on the review is legitimately weird. It's not my usual cup of music tea but I like it. I mean it's just SO weird.

London based band Zola Blood sounding like Thom Yorke / Wild Beasts

Zola Blood - Play Out
https://soundcloud.com/zola-blood/play-out

released September 4th

electronic psychedelic dream pop

the track has a swirly cinematic twist

super into the new kerbivore album

https://unblinkingearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-dressed

lol there's a new 7" on that same label named "Maura & Dana" by Big Quiet. WHO IS DANA?

track i listened today on Amazing Radio by Daisy Victoria

epic guitar pop-rock track

Daisy Victoria - Pain Of Dancers
https://soundcloud.com/daisy-victoria/pain-of-dancers

riyl the Pretenders / Fleetwood Mac / Haim or late 80s band Skin Games

it's not on spotify yet

more info
http://www.thefourohfive.com/music/article/daisy-victoria-unveils-pain-of-dancers-143
Victoria's powering vocals come through the rousing track with the help of mixer Damian Taylor, who's previously worked with the likes of Arcade Fire, Björk, and Robyn.

Kind of obsessed with Blood Sister at the moment. I've never heard any band write riffs like this. They're grounded in repetition (sometimes), but they seem to go on for several measures before returning to the point of origination. Also, it's distorted as fuck.

http://bloodsister.bandcamp.com/

Plus a couple singles on Spotify that aren't at Bandcamp (Dysphoria/Nothing and Crystal Teen Girls).

http://bloodsister.bandcamp.com/track/paralysis

pavement goes psych vibes from this Wirral band. like it a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBZ47Ifz4cQ

lou barlow played at my store the other night. he was really good! he even picked up a tears for fears 12 inch and then did a truncated version of everybody wants to rule the world. a song he said he loved. so, he's in line with pitchfork's 80's list. he also did a nice cover of "cold as ice". plus, his whole family was there including his mom and dad which made for a nice homespun evening of indie rock. PLUS, the young band that opened down in the basement sounded exactly like 90's indie rock. so, you know, everything was in order.

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/11150793_10154208167437137_6534213111223970820_n.jpg?oh=99ce6607d4a3121edd39e3fb72fa63f8&oe=56A8E014

Nice. Speaking of indie acts rooted in the 1980s...

Boston's Barrence Whitfield and the Savages are back and have a new album out on an indie label. Barrence and the guitarist (who was in DMZ) and bassist started the group back in the 80s. They do speedy garage-rocking covers and originals with Barrence sounding a bit inspired vocally by Little Richard, Smiley Lewis and Wilson Pickett. Touring the US now and then off to Europe

i had a nice chat with barrence last winter. he works at the awesome record store in salem, ma. i think he was getting ready to do shows with the sonics.

also speaking of the 80's and 90's and massachusetts, the dredd foole vinyl reissue of his early 90's cd is really cool. looks and sounds great.

http://feedingtuberecords.com/releases/inquestoftense/

(also his record with ben chasny on feeding tube is really good.)

(also, the new coolies record on FT is great! i'd never heard them before.)

http://feedingtuberecords.com/releases/kaka/

a track i discovered on this week's Spotify Fresh Finds by Aloric - Who, is outstanding experimental rock in the vein of Radiohead / Thom Yorke, Martin Grech and Australian band Kins

spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3NRoVCz2xT2fCVs9wc0O3C

ALORIC // Who? [Official Music Video, HD]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykYxhIpvbeg

more info @

Aloric – “Who?” Video (Stereogum Premiere)

London-based Aloric play a brand of experimental rock that juxtaposes the hard and the soft, one that exists somewhere on the Radiohead/FKA twigs/Aphex Twin spectrum. The initial impression of their video for “Who?” is of a dark eeriness but that changes as the focus turns to exposed shots of people. Each black and white solo shot looks sad and harsh. Their expressions are blank yet feel naked. There’s never a time when you really look at a stranger’s neck, eyes, lips or even simply their face so closely. It’s filmed in a way where the subtle shifts in focus mimic how an eye would — as if guiding the viewer across these faces with their intense gazes. The end results in a collection of their expressionless faces in a monstrous collage. Jessica Dowse directs; watch below.

I'm getting really into Ultimate Painting but then again I'm a sucker for Velvets-y strum. A bit of Flying Nun, Pavement and Real Estate in there too.

new Ought album is great... was sort of lukewarm on the first one but this is great. A lot of Fall moves going on

Do you (or anyone) have a suggestion for a standout track on the Ought record? I listened through once and it left no impression.

Same here ... nonplussed

^ been meaning to check out Ultimate Painting. Really moved recently by The Weather Stations' 2015 album, Loyalty. A particularly great highlight:

https://youtu.be/09WIAJ3PzFs

This is a quick, third-quarter reminder that all available tracks mentioned on this thread (and a handful of album selections from each listed) are being updated to the thread-specific Spotify playlist as posted. I just did another top-to-bottom sweep prior to posting this message and have revised as of today with everything that's been added since first mentioned. Subscribe if you're into it!

It's 43 tracks and over 3 hours.

Rolling Indie 2015 Thread Spotify Playlist

I'm enjoying the album "Weird Little Birthday" by Happyness. A little bit of early Wilco and some stuff reminds me of SEAM a bit particularly my favourite track "Montreal Rock Band Somewhere".

hey this Shopping album is a really cool pop-post-punk thing

Do you (or anyone) have a suggestion for a standout track on the Ought record? I listened through once and it left no impression.

― The New Gay Sadness (cryptosicko), Friday, September 18, 2015 8:47 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I loved the first album but wasn't really into the new one but I saw them live last night and while I'm still not a fan of "celebration", "Beautiful Blue Sky" just blew me away. See them if you get a chance. (I also like "Passionate Turn" a lot).

Basically the new stuff worked really well live.

I like the instrumentation (which could be tighter) but the vocals turn me off

How did I miss that my beloved Wheat has a new thing (an EP? an album? it's 7 songs in 30 mins anyhow) out?

https://play.spotify.com/album/43RVLCjTdl0qcAIVaSETEM

Dusk - Too sweet

https://soundcloud.com/brixton_agency/too-sweet

A sunny day in Glasgow - jet black starlit

https://soundcloud.com/a-sunny-day-in-glasgow/a-sunny-day-in-glasgow-jetblack-starlit

Nite jewel - words

https://soundcloud.com/nite-jewel/words-w-batmanonthebeatz

The Dilly Dally album is good. They're a bit like a Babes In Toyland historical reenactment society but if grunge revivalism was easy we wouldn't have suffered so many terrible attempts between 1997 and 2005.

I like the Nicole Dollanganger (morbid Tumblr indie-folk with LDR elements) record too. It apparently inspired Grimes to form her own label to release it on.

Just discovered Wisconsin band Tenement...pop punk in the best sense. Maybe a more tuneful superchunk with better chord progressions and less yelling, but with the same enthusiasm.

Solid sad trans girl songs by Dyke Drama, a solo project by Sadie Switchblade from G.L.O.S.S.:

http://dykedrama.bandcamp.com/album/tender-resignation

I love that Tenement album and appreciate ambition, experimentation, sprawl, etc., but just think how fuckin' badass it would be if pared down to just the great pop-rock songs? Think I'm gonna make that version myself.

The Dusk track above is also Tenement w/ a different singer

that Happyness album sure is depressing in a very satisfying way

This song is pretty good. Debut out on Exploding in Sound next month, but I'm in denial about the passage of time so I'm putting it in the 2015 thread.

https://soundcloud.com/explodinginsoundrecords/figure-me-out

I like this a lot! Out of Richmond VA

https://soundcloud.com/lucy-dacus/i-dont-wanna-be-funny-anymore-1

just found this via spotify discover. gently odd. reminds me a lot of what i like about stealing sheep.

https://soundcloud.com/melodic-records/the-drink-roller-2

Agent Blå - Strand

this track reminds me of U2: I will Follow in terms of the guitar sounds. early U2 with female vocals instead of Bono

Listen to “Strand” from Gothenburg’s Agent Blå
http://www.myoldkentuckyblog.com/?p=54229

spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7dyyZbnFAFE46bEj6rVVGv

as featured on this week's Spotify Fresh Finds:
https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/3rgsDhGHZxZ9sB9DQWQfuf

I'm wrapping this playlist for the year. It has been updated with a few new adds (Zola Blood, Swim Deep, The Coolies, Dyke Drama) and includes every track mentioned on thread that is available via Spotify's US catalogue as of EOY 2015. If I missed something or if a track comes available sometime in the future, bump here to let me know and I'll add.

Rolling Indie 2015 Thread Spotify Playlist

Straight outta Bloomington, Indiana....Triptides "Azur" is highly addictive psych indie pop.

Woo thanks forks

Yeah, this playlist is killing it right now.

forks, are you including in the genre playlists tracks from artists that fit in a genre but aren't mentioned in the corresponding thread because they have their own thread? Example: Low.

naw, that's where I had to draw the line. only what's discussed in the genre threads are included.