Our favourite new indie and alternative tracks on repeat this week, featuring Royal Blood, Shame, Kiwi jr, Goat Girl, The Vaccines and Teenage Fanclub.
There's nothing quite like the buzz of falling in love with a new song and obsessively listening on repeat! Here at Blinded by the Floodlights we listen to a lot of new music and are always on the hunt for the best new bangers. In our new weekly feature, we recommend our favourite new songs released by both established and upcoming artists from the world of indie and alternative.
You can listen below on YouTube and on our weekly updated Spotify playlist.
Kiwi jr - Cooler Returns
Toronto's Kiwi jr are a band that have only just entered my radar and they're just my kind of vibe. Having just heard 'Cooler Returns', from their second album of the same name (released 22 January), they're a band with a familiar easy-going, jangly, indie-pop sound. The new album, released on Seattle's infamous independent Sub Pop label, is well worth checking out, especially if you enjoyed last year's Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever's second album Sideways to New Italy, or are a fan of Pavement. Hoping this band gets more exposure this year!
Goat Girl - Badibaba
Goat Girl's second album On All Fours is released this Friday (29 January) and it's one I can't wait to hear! As a follow up to singles 'Sad Cowboy' and 'The Crack', the South London post-punk band have just released 'Badibaba', a track with an irresistible indie-pop groove and sinister undertones. The all-female band revealed the song deals with "environmental catastrophe and the pessimism and self-destruction that this causes to the human spirit". Last week they announced a seven-date UK tour in September. All being well, it could a great chance to see a band tipped to be one of 2021's great successes.
The Vaccines - No One Knows
An indie cover of Queen's of the Stone Age's 2002 alternative classic shouldn't work, should it? Yet The Vaccines make it work brilliantly. The West London band deliver an altogether different mood, a mysterious late-night vibe tempering the ferocity of Josh Homme and co's hard rock original. I've seen a fair amount of people shrug their shoulders at this effort, but with The Vaccines sixth album ready to be released any day now, it's definitely a treat to whet our appetites.
Royal Blood - Typhoons
In September 2020, Royal Blood returned after a three-year absence with their infectious "disco meets AC/DC" comeback single 'Trouble's Calling'. Equally as magnificent is their new single 'Typhoons' which will undoubtedly delight those who loved their previous single. The slicker, groove-based production may put off many of the old fans expecting a heavier sound, but this certified toe-tapper reveals promise in abundance for the new record.
Shame - Nigel Hitter
Shame's new album Drunk Tank Pink is pretty much all I've been listening to in the last week (you can read my review of it here), so it would be remiss of me not add a song from it! Their latest single 'Nigel Hitter' is one of the highlights of the new record, providing humour from the mundane and a punk rock sound inspired by Parquets Courts and Talking Heads alike. Frontman Charlie Steen recently said of this track, "'Nigel Hitter' is one of the vital organs of Drunk Tank Pink. A necessary pulse. Focused on daily routine, repetition and how extraordinary any ordinary task seemed to me after coming home from touring."
Teenage Fanclub - I'm More Inclined
Scottish indie legends Teenage Fanclub have just shared 'I'm More Inclined', the second single from their forthcoming album Endless Arcade. Their 11th album, which features 'Home' as its lead single, is now set to be released on 30 April. It was due to be released in March but they've had to delay it due to "circumstances beyond our control". As for the new single, it's a heartwarming, jangly number with a delightful chorus ("I didn't find religion/I never needed to/I'm more inclined to put my faith in you").
Our Blinded by the Floodlights indie recommendations playlist is updated every week with the latest releases and songs we have on repeat.