Newer Music:

The War on Drugs :  I Don’t Live Here Anymore

The new record from The War on Drugs delivers precisely what their fans want–a potent collection of heartfelt peak-Dadrock gems about growing older. For those familiar with The War on Drugs impressive output of the past decade, there are not many new developments on this latest record I Don’t Live Here Anymore. There is still a hefty amount of channeling of Springsteen, Petty, Dylan, etc. to transport you back to the ‘80s. More than enough expertly deployed synthesizer to push just the right nostalgia buttons. And those earnest Adam Granduciel vocals that seem to have been engineered to speak directly to any middle-aged man’s soul. If you are already susceptible to such charms, you are almost certain to love this album. Good luck making it through the second half of the album (Old Skin and Rings Around My Father’s Eyes!) without experiencing both goosebumps and tears.

Standout Tracks: I Don’t Live Here Anymore; Living Proof; Harmonia’s Dream; Rings Around My Father’s Eyes; Wasted

Parquet Courts :  Sympathy for Life

Prolific American indie rock band Parquet Courts marked their 10th anniversary with the release of their seventh LP Sympathy for Life. Originally from Texas but now based in NY, Parquet Courts has impressively matured from a scruffy, manic, underdog indie punk outfit to a polished, confident, relaxed indie punk outfit. The new record Sympathy for Life, likely the strongest top to bottom album in their catalog, showcases this transformation with its perfect mix of standard operating procedure highlight singles Walking at a Downtown Pace, Just Shadows, and Homo Sapien juxtaposed against tracks like Plant Life and Marathon of Anger that demonstrate a greater comfort-level with broader sonic experimentation and a groovier approach.

Standout Tracks: Walking At A Downtown Pace; Homo Sapien; Just Shadows; Marathon of Anger; Plant Life

Clinic : Fantasy Island

The English band Clinic was one of the buzziest indie bands operating in the early ‘00s. What greater proof of their cool factor do you need than that they were asked to support Radiohead to support them on tour? Their first two albums Internal Wrangler (2000) and Walking With Thee (2002) were both excellent, acclaimed albums and then they sadly started to drift off slowly into less relevance with each successive album until they decided to take a break in 2012. That break lasted seven years until the release of a new record in 2019 called Wheeltappers and Shunters that failed to make too big of an impression. Impressively, the revered indie label Domino has stayed with Clinic for their entire career. 

They recently released their latest LP Fantasy Island and it feels like a return to form. The title track revives the retro organ and synth-driven indie sound of their early output. The whole album has a fun, casual vibe fitting with the island theme. Hopefully, this record leads to a return to greater relevance for a storied indie band.

Standout Tracks: Fantasy Island; The Lamplighter; Refractions (In the Rain); Dreams Can Come True; Fine Dining

Throwback Selection: 

 Deerhunter : Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter are one of the best and most productive indie bands of last 15 years. I’ve been hoping that Bradford Cox and crew have been busy during the pandemic preparing some new music to unleash upon the world. Deerhunter released their debut record Cryptograms in 2007, but it was their 2008 follow-up Microcastle that secured their place in the top echelon of the indie rock world led by the instant classic anthem Nothing Ever Happened, a track that has lost none of its force. 

Deerhunter released their masterpiece Halcyon Digest in 2010, an amazing year in music also featuring classic albums from Arcade Fire, Kanye West, and LCD Soundsystem. Halcyon Digest is a poster child for the concept of appreciating an entire album as a complete, single artform and consuming it in one sitting without distraction. This brilliant record opens and ends with hypnotic and psychedelic bookends Earthquake and He Would Have Laughted. In between are a collection of top shelf highlight tracks that are a true embarrassment of indie rock riches.

Deerhunter has gone on to released several more worthy records in subsequent years including their most recent excellent record Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared released back in 2019 (but it feels like 5 years ago at least!). Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox has also released several great albums with solo project Atlas Sound and guitarist Lockett Pundt’s side band Lotus Plaza is a solid project as well. 

Standout Tracks: Memory Boy; Revival; Don’t Cry; Coronado; Desire Lines; Helicopter

More Related Music You Should Also Check Out: Kurt Vile : Waking on a Pretty Day; The Black Lips : Good Bad Not Evil; A Place To Bury Your Strangers : Exploding Head; Atlas Sound : Parallax