Corporatism is sucking the life out of independent music. Spotify famously pays $0.003 per stream, artists struggle to break even on tours, and Live Nation isn’t meeting their fate soon enough. Nothing – merch, streams, vinyl, brand deals – makes money. Things are good only if you’re already starting with fame or generational wealth. I can’t spin this positively. Artists cannot survive on their art alone.

Things are uniquely bad, but the response isn’t unique at all—music and politics have forever been in conversation. British and American post-punk was born from high living costs and neoliberal decline. Anti-Vietnam War sentiment in the 1970s pushed counterculture into the mainstream. Those same sensibilities appeared again during the Iraq War when artists raised their middle fingers to people in power. Today’s dystopia feels more omnipresent than just a blip in the timeline. What does “normal” mean in a declining empire?

Fueled by frustration and without financial backing, artists are taking matters into their own hands by producing and releasing music themselves and/or exporting these responsibilities to close friends. Scenes across the country bubble with ingenuity for the sake of doing it. Everyone wants to make money, but artists can create something groundbreaking outside the confines of what’s popular or profitable when they remove that obligation. The DIY ethic is ever-expanding, and artists feel empowered to get weird, evidenced by Lip Critic’s erratic Hex Dealer and the lush new album from METZ after a four-year hiatus, Up On Gravity Hill.

It would be remiss to talk about 2024 in music without mentioning brat by Charli XCX. Longtime fans sneered at the simplistic album art, but it’s now impossible to passively view any slimy shade of green. It’s taken over my social media feeds. Instagram and Twitter are inundated with brat generator memes, photos of neon green objects with references to “bumpin’ that,” and praise for Charli’s lyricism, which tackles the pressure to keep up with her it-girl public persona and dissects the complexities of being a “girl’s girl.” Feminism means women deserve human rights and safety from sexual violence, but it doesn’t mean they’re all my friends.

Charli is on Atlantic Records and has been a prolific figure in the music industry for nearly a decade. She’s not necessarily eating anyone’s lunch, but she and other artists on major labels set the tone for the industry as a whole. Vampire Weekend helped pioneer indie rock as we know it, but after releasing records on Columbia and Sony, it’s clear the genre no longer refers to independent, DIY music.

In order for independent musicians to be truly independent, there must be an ecosystem entirely outside mainstream standards and profit motives. Emerging artists need the freedom create something no one has ever heard before, rather than bending to corporate trends. Independent artists can still exist in an arena of their own while carrying the torch for the next generation. Here’s some of our favorites from this year so far.

Northern Transmissions favourite records of 2024 (so far) in no particular order

 

St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

St. Vincent Returns with an authentically Badass album that is cinematic, innovative and transformative. All Born Screaming evolves with every listen. The artist’s first self-produced record is a stunning and widely dynamic-sounding batch of songs that ebb and flow within her sonic universe. The introduction to this record sucks you out of reality, where you feel taken from your daily life and put into a landscape of the unknown.

The album opener “Hell Is Near” is an immediate instant classic. “Hell Is Near” can feel elusive while being rooted in reality. It is reminiscent of Radiohead’s Infamous LP “Kid A” in that it changes your expectations and immediately grounds you in the world that the artist creates. Read more Here

 

Diiv – Frog In Boiling Water

In their first album since 2019’s Deceiver, DIIV return with their most meticulously crafted album to date, Frog in Boiling Water. Said to be the bands most collaborative and first fully democratic endeavor, Frog in Boiling Water pushes the bands ethos and breaks new ground in their storied career. Alternative tunings, tape loops, drum samples, the band’s first acoustic-led song, and some of their most striking lyrics yet fill out the album’s edges, and leaves the listener floored.

Opening track “In Amber” begins with what might be the most dissonant, evil sounding guitar riffs in all of DIIV’s catalog. Reminiscent of the guitar work of Jesu or Slint, it pulls at your ear and draws you in before quickly dropping out to a single strummed guitar, then shortly thereafter, the whole band. The soft, layered vocal delivery from Smith contrasts the unnerving, anxiety drenched feeling that the instrumentation in the song presents. Read more Here

 

Cindy Lee – Diamond Jubilee

Cindy Lee’s latest album, Diamond Jubilee, emerges as a mesmerizing odyssey into the depths of ethereal melancholy, crafted with such exquisite mastery that it transcends mere music, resembling instead a timeless reverie. From the initial chords to the fading echoes of the final track, it ensnares the listener in a haunting embrace, weaving a tapestry of sound that defies conventional categorization.

At its essence, “Diamond Jubilee” is an enigmatic mosaic, blending influences from across the musical spectrum into a seamless continuum of sonic exploration. Attempting to confine it within the constraints of a single genre or era would be a futile endeavor, akin to trying to capture a fleeting dream in the palm of your hand. Instead, its magic lies in its fluidity, inviting listeners to immerse themselves fully in its landscape. Read more Here

 

Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven

One of the things I search for when listening to a band is to find little moments in each song that feel special and surprising. And it’s no surprise that every song on this album fits that category. The energy and dynamics on this album are impressively cohesive and interesting with tracks that hit you at breakneck pace well others feel more like a traditional mid tempo indie rock track, that being said no matter what the vibe is of each song they all carry a weight in them and a strong energy throughout. Read more Here

 

The Smile – Wall Of Eyes

Less than two years after releasing their debut album A Light for Attracting Attention, the Smile—Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, as well as drummer Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet, Floating Points, Kano—return with the much more spacious Wall of Eyes. Unlike A Light for Attracting Attention, as well as most of Yorke’s work, Wall of Eyes was produced by Sam Petts-Davies rather than Nigel Godrich. But the results are equally robust and absorbing.

A Light for Attracting Attention drew so much from Radiohead’s ramshackle rock sensibilities that many hailed it as the best Radiohead side project, high praise considering that every member of the living alt-rock legends has at least one side project. But if A Light for Attracting Attention flat out rocked, for the most part, Wall of Eyes moves with restrained energy. Read more HERE

 

The Lemon Twigs – A Dream Is All We Know

The Lemon Twigs, the rock-pop duo from New York, have done it again with their latest album, A Dream is All We Know. This album is a nostalgic trip back in time, crafted with intricate vocal harmonies and a rich tapestry of instruments that make it an instant classic. Listening to this album feels like discovering a lost treasure from the 60s, a hidden gem that somehow slipped through the cracks.

The Lemon Twigs have a sound that seems to be plucked straight out of Studio 2 at Abbey Road and transported into the modern day. Their music is a delightful blend of The Byrds, California’s Beach Boys, and England’s The Beatles. This fusion is achieved through their meticulous use of analog recording techniques and their talent for layering harmonies. The result is a modern take on 60s rock that feels both fresh and familiar. Read more HERE

 

Charli XCX – Brat

One of BRAT’s first lyrics is a lie.

On the bouncy, giddy opener “360,” Charli XCX namedrops A.G. Cook, her frequent producer, attests to her own “city sewer slut” aesthetic, and spits, “I don’t fucking care what you think.” This is, of course, not true, mainly due to the things she says and the things she does. On her previous album’s deluxe version, too, she shouts, “I don’t give a fuck what you think about me, what you think about me, so yeah! Fuck you!” Not quite the sound of apathy.

Charli is, for better or for worse, the most interesting pop star working today — her recent stunts have included name-searching on Twitter to argue with her fans about being called ‘mother,’ eventually labeling one a ‘cunt,’ calling the paparazzi on herself, donning a shirt proclaiming that ‘they don’t build statues of critics,’ and explaining BRAT’s cover by saying, “I wanted to go with an offensive, off-trend shade of green to trigger the idea of something being wrong… Why are some things considered good and acceptable, and some things deemed bad?” (not an egregious offense, just a very funny insistence of nuance that isn’t there). Read more HERE

 

Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown

Beth Gibbon’s Lives Outgrown is her debut solo album and quite an interesting work. It is a nice album that grows on one with its unique style and sound, which mimic, as the artwork and title might suggest, a look into Gibbons’ life and its many layers. It almost feels like a look into where she has been. The atmospheric tone of Lives Outgrown mainly succeeds in conveying the scope of her mind and life, but it falters due to points of incoherency, resulting in a somewhat monotonous and mindless examination. Read more HERE

 

Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future

Adrianne Lenker will make you cry with her new album. And that’s not because it’s sad, although in ways it is. It’s because you can feel the natural and honest emotion radiating from the room of Adrianne’s double infinity studio with each song.

Adrianne spells her heart out word by word on Bright Future: “You have my heart, and I want it back.” The 32 year old Songwriter sings on the heartbreaking track “Evol.” To give a bit of a context, this album was not originally intended to be an album. Its early intention was to be an experiment of songs with no external expectations. Adrianne paired up with past collaborator Phillip Weinrobe and a handful of some of her favorite musicians and friends to endure this experiment in songwriting. Read more HERE

 

Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us

Vampire Weekend’s highly anticipated fifth studio album, slated for release this Friday, is a meticulously crafted masterpiece that captivates from the first note. It marks a triumphant return for the band, showcasing their trademark fusion of genres and skillful songwriting. As you delve into the album, it’s like visiting your childhood home, only to find it subtly transformed by the passage of time. The exterior has been painted, and the hedges have grown, creating an intriguing atmosphere of discovery. Each track invites exploration, beckoning you to uncover the emotions tied to old memories. Read more HERE

 

English Teacher – This Could Be Texas

In the midst of a year brimming with noteworthy album releases, English Teacher’s, “This Could be Texas,” emerges as a standout addition to the musical landscape. Following in the wake of recent releases from bands like Vampire Weekend and Lizzy McAlpine, the British ensemble presents a collection that demands attention.

While singles like “R&B” and “Nearly Daffodils” were heralded with anticipation, they merely scratch the surface of the depth and resonance found within this album. Each track, meticulously crafted by the collective talents of Lily, Douglas, Lewis, and Nicholas, serves as a reflection on themes ranging from political unrest to mental health struggles and societal prejudices. Remarkably, amidst such weighty subject matter, the album remains thoroughly engaging and enjoyable. Read more HERE

 

The Last Dinner Party – Prelude To Ecstasy

Like stumbling upon a captivating piece of artwork in a gallery, ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ by The Last Dinner Party is timeless, destined to be remembered as one of this decade’s defining masterpieces. The orchestral opening song, “Prelude to Ecstasy” serves as The Last Dinner Party’s bold proclamation of their presence in the music scene and preps the listener for a musical renaissance.

The odyssey gracefully transitions between different styles, offering a taste of Victorian elegance on “Nothing Matters” and a reminiscent nod to an 80s pop movie vibe on “Caesar on a TV Screen.” Each track becomes a dynamic expression, akin to capturing fleeting moments in a Renaissance painting, where the nuances of each brushstroke contribute to the overall masterpiece. Read more HERE

 

Jessica Pratt – Here In The Pitch

Here In The Pitch, the fourth album by Jessica Pratt, is finally here. Her latest effort, undoubtedly her boldest and most unique LP yet, finally greets us. Here In The Pitch represents not only a high point in a true masterful artist’s career but also a future classic. It is a melodic and quite hypnotising work with its vocals and sounds, conveying a distant dream almost in its unique tranquility. It’s simply a work of sound that demands attention.

Each track here has vocals that hook you in with every verse. The opening track, “Life Is,” makes this most clear with the beautiful and alluring vocals that sooth you into a quiet and undeniably unforgettable kind of experience. The vocals evoke memories from decades past, evoking a sense of distance and tenderness akin to that of a lullaby your parents might sing to you. Read more HERE

 

Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood

Singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield delivers sentimental, memorable country songs on Waxahatchee’s 6th album Tigers Blood.

Hymn-like chords make way for Katie Crutchfield’s warm, southern delivery on the album opener “3 Sisters.” “It was never the love you wanted / and it’s a state of mind / you defined / you take anything that you want,” Crutchfield preaches. Her delivery is forlorn, and remorseful, yet full of wisdom. For all 4 minutes “3 Sisters” builds upon itself, building layers and layers of lush country instrumentation till its final strum.

On Tigers Blood, Crutchfield wastes no time in showing off her strong, poignant lyricism. Her lyrics utilizes an array of unique language that constantly keeps the listener engaged. “You let me fill every room / wax poetic and presume / your principles ripen into / a fragile tomb, watch it split in two,” Crutchfield sings on “Evil Spawn,” a line that is beautifully visual and lyrically dense. Read more HERE

 

Kim Gordon – The Collective

Kim Gordon’s sophomore solo album The Collective blends bass heavy trap beats, and experimental, fuzzed-out guitars, with Gordon’s signature avant-garde poetry.

The Collective opens with the lead single “BYE-BYE.” I remember first hearing this and, in the best way possible, being completely caught off guard. Having not heard her debut solo effort No Home Record, also produced by Justin Raisen (Lil Yachy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Charli XCX), I would have guessed that Gordon would’ve continued making the fragmented, dissonant, alt-rock that indie-pioneers Sonic Youth were known for. But, somehow, I think this might make even more sense. “BYE-BYE” delivers a bed of distorted bass, abrasive synth leads and harsh guitars for Gordon to share what sounds like a checklist for some sort of getaway bag. Read more HERE

 

SPRINTS – Letter To Self

Dublin band SPRINTS have been a going concern since 2019, with a 2016 festival appearance by Savages providing Karla Chubb and her cohorts with the spark to get together and form a band. Their first year was spent getting going, and it has to be said: they picked a pretty rough year to actually release a debut single, with incendiary offering ‘The Cheek’ arriving in mid-2020, three months into lockdown. In spite of that timing, getting started was the key—they haven’t slowed down since, with a signing to homegrown label Nice Swan and two endlessly replayable EPs (2021’s Manifesto and 2022’s A Modern Job) providing them with enough momentum to springboard to City Slang (El Perro Del Mar) at the start of last year. Read more HERE

 

Cloud Nothings – Final Summer

The alt-rock underground heavyweights Cloud Nothings are back with Final Summer, the Band’s Ninth studio album. It is a strong album filled with Earwormy melodies and huge guitar sounds. The band continues their no-miss reputation with a set of huge-sounding tracks that significantly represent the current era of the band. While most bands take a lengthy break from record to record, Cloud Nothings has the opposite approach: they just keep the ball rolling and have fun.

The first song and self-titled track, Final Summer, opens up with some tension-building synth arpeggios and pads right before the band transitions into the driving song that takes up the bulk of the track. Sees the band playing with different instruments such as saxophones and luscious 80s synths. The second track, “Daggers of Light,” is a slightly slower tune with some cool dynamics and guitar playing. Read more HERE

 

Ducks Ltd. – Harm’s Way

In some ways, you know what you’re getting with the new record from Toronto duo Ducks Ltd. Tom McGreevy (vocals/bass/rhythm guitar) and Evan Lewis (lead guitar) have been making music together since 2019, initially under a name you can probably guess—let’s just say they had to limit their number of ducks. Amounts of avians aside—not to mention their career hitting the skids due to the pandemic—the duo used 2021 as a reset point: getting signed, re-releasing their wonderful debut EP Get Bleak and making plans for their debut album, which finally arrived near the end of that year. Modern Fiction found them making up for lost time, really getting a handle on their trademark juxtaposition of breezy melody and downcast lyricism. Read more HERE

 

Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement

Kamasi Washington has returned with an albA lot of bands were cheated out of their moment by the events of March 2020, and Los Angeles quartet glass beach had been building up to theirs; it was undeniable that they were on to something big. Before the pandemic hit, their sprawling debut, aptly titled the first glass beach album, took off online, a word-of-mouth sensation that mashed up chiptune, facets of classic and current emo, mid-century jazz and the complexity of prog’s heyday into something that could only exist in the present day.um that is both plentiful, mesmerising, and resilient. Fearless Movement shows Washington as not only one of the most creative artists making music but also one of the most innovative. With each track on Fearless Movement, he lets his brilliant ideas fly. Or, in simpler terms, he lets loose so many elements into one staggering body of work.

Excessive instrumentation and a mystical use of vocals best characterise the opening track, “Lesanu,” creating a transfixing song that is a highlight of Fearless Movement. This song excels in its ability to transcend genres, a trait that permeates all of Fearless Movement. It’s a nine-minute journey, giving everything to each track. Another fascinating aspect of this song is its production, which gives each instrument, from the saxophone to the piano, its own spotlight. It is an opener that clearly sets the stage for Fearless Movement and only further enhances it. Read more HERE

 

Glass Beach – plastic death

 

A lot of bands were cheated out of their moment by the events of March 2020, and Los Angeles quartet glass beach had been building up to theirs; it was undeniable that they were on to something big. Before the pandemic hit, their sprawling debut, aptly titled the first glass beach album, took off online, a word-of-mouth sensation that mashed up chiptune, facets of classic and current emo, mid-century jazz and the complexity of prog’s heyday into something that could only exist in the present day.

Making enough of a splash to get them signed to Massachusetts label Run For Cover (Runner, Citizen, Fiddlehead), who reissued the album at the start of 2020, the band were set for what should have been a big year… and then, well. Forced into isolation in LA, the band released a couple of loosies while largely remaining silent, going back into writing mode as soon as they could and moving in together as the form of the second glass beach album and not the second glass beach album? took shape. Read more HERE

 

Friko – Where we’ve been, Where we go from here

 

“Cause every coward looks away / from all the light crashing through.” Chicago chamber folk meets post-punk band Friko, made up of duo Niko Kapetan and Bailey Minzenberger, are starting off the year right. In an album that reminds me of Arcade Fire’s incendiary entrance onto the modern rock stage in the early aughts—except turn the hards up even harder, and the softs down even softer!—they offer what promises to be one of the best releases of the year.

“Where we’ve been, Where we go from here,” is the phrase that almost opens and almost closes their album of the same name. They’ve said that in their live shows, people dance like a pogo stick to one song and cry like babies in the corner to the next. That is one of the absolute selling points of this record and this band, that they make you feel all the feels humanly possible, in a short span of time. Like their chamber folk song, “For Ella,” (“Ella, Ella you’re a shooting star / a floating ballerina through the yard,”) with it’s classical sounding piano and strings, or their hit single, “Crimson to Chrome,” (“I’m sitting here writing the same sad song / with the cogs on fire,”) with its Arcade Fire-like gang vocals and searing guitars. Read more HERE

 

Metz – Up On Gravity Hill

 

The kings of dissonance and pummeling energy Metz are back with Up On Gravity Hill, a cathartic and melodic record hosting some of the band’s most groundbreaking songs to date.

Up On Gravity Hill is the band’s first album in four years and it is very apparent the band has really worked on their sound and evolved it into this beautiful yet noisy batch of songs. The album opens up with the 6 minute all killer no filler rager “No reservation/ Love comes,” a song that’s not only a perfect opener but a well-executed introduction to the world Metz has created on Up On Gravity Hill. After the sonic decimation of the opening track, we are hit with one of the best cuts off the record, “Glass Eye,” an angular and beautifully angry song that has all the elements I love from Metz with a slightly more evolved and emotionally charged core to the songwriting. Read more HERE

 

Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia?

 

Dive into the auditory surrealism that is Yard Act’s latest album, “Where’s my utopia?” This musical journey defies categorization, much like trying to pin down a shape-shifter in a hall of mirrors. James Smith’s vocals channel a Beck-esque vibe, playfully flaunting their status as “post-punk poster boys” in tracks like “We Make Hits.”

But it’s not just about catchy hooks and clever lyrics; this album is a sonic collage, weaving in samples from diverse sources, reminiscent of hip-hop’s experimental heyday. The use of samples adds layers of nostalgia, with nods to 80s and disco vibes given a modern twist in songs like “The Undertow” and “Dream Job.” You can catch echoes of Gorillaz, Beck, The Fall, Pavement, and more, all swirling together in a kaleidoscope of sound. Read more HERE

Words by Giliann Karon

with Ethan Rebalkin, Ben Lock, Gareth O’ Malley, David Saxum, Gareth O’Malley, Chris Patterson, Leslie Ken Chu, Zara Hedderman, Greg Walker, Conor Rooney, Tuhin Chakrabarti, Giliann Karon