indie-rock
These are the best indie-rock artists featured on Release Wave.
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Heaven
Heaven is a New York City-based band formed in 2010 by Mikey Jones (drums), who played with the Big Sleep and Swervedriver, and Matt Sumrow (vocals/guitars) of Dean & Britta and the Comas. After a stint playing in Adam Franklin's backing band, Bolts of Love, the pair came together, along with Fan-Tan's Ryan Lee Dunlap (keyboards), to create a drifting and dense sound that falls somewhere between the worlds of melodic dream pop and shoegaze. Heaven debuted their psychedelic blend in 2013 with their first full-length, Telepathic Love, released on Goodnight Records followed by "All Love is Blue" in 2018. The band will return with their 3rd LP and 1st in over 7 years in April of 2024. RIYL: Swervedriver, The Lemondheads, Teenage Fanclub
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Kestrels
Kestrels are a dreamy and jangly noise-pop band from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada incorporating elements of classic 90s shoegaze, dreampop, and jangly indie rock/pop with big melodies and hooks.
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Gleemer
Fort Collins, CO based band Gleemer mixes indie / alt rock with dream pop, shoegaze and a splash of emo. The band is heavily influenced by the melodic guitar rock sounds from the 90s and is centered around Corey Coffman's layered and fuzzy guitar tones and melancholy vocal delivery. The band has released 4 full length LP's and 2 EPs, all of which are consistent while offering something new to their sound. The band is signed to Other People Records and are now gearing up to release their 5th LP in December 2024. Fans of Balance and Composure, Death Cab for Cutie, DIIV, Cloakroom and newer bands like Downward and Glare will enjoy Gleemer.
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High Vis
High Vis delivers aggressive and artful punk, drawing inspiration from London underground acts like Chubby And The Gang and The Chisel. Their intense live shows and politically charged lyrics echo their hardcore roots, while also exploring post-punk textures reminiscent of older UK bands such as Gang Of Four and Joy Division. They are part of a new crop of bands seamlessly blending genres like street punk, jangly indie sneer, brit pop, post punk, hardcore and shoegaze with a sonic landscape, big melodies, and anthem hooks.
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Wild Pink
Wild Pink is an American indie rock band from the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. The band has released 4 studio LPs and is gearing up to release their 5th album in September of 2024.
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Dead Bars
Dead Bars began in Seattle when punk drummer John Maiello ditched the sticks, picked up a guitar and started writing short blasts of no-bs-power-punk-rock in 2013. Soon after, NJ punk drummer C.J. Frederick joined to play drums and guitar. They quickly recorded and released five 7-inches, toured all over & made festival appearances, and eventually recorded their debut album, Dream Gig in C.J. 's home kitchen which saw a release in 2017. At the time, DIY punk zine Razorcake wrote of the album, "Dead Bars make something impossible to duplicate look so simple and attainable." The next phase of the band introduced Jon Oddo from Kansas City on bass guitar. The three started making their next album Regulars which was released in 2019. Shortly after, Elliot Thordarson and Paul Davis came in to fill out the lineup on guitar and drums respectively. 2023 marks the 10-year anniversary of the group and starts the next phase of the Dead Bars story. The future is unwritten. The family is growing, and the universe is vast. The band is now gearing up to release their third LP "All Dead Bars Go To Heaven" via Iodine Recordings in March 2025. Dead Bars offers a raw, melodic and energetic sound drawing inspiration from anthemic punk and power-pop influences with singalong hooks. RIYL: Joyce Manor, The Mengzingers, The Replacements,The Lawrence Arms, Japandroids
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Bob Mould
Bob Mould (born October 16, 1960, in Malone, New York) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for influential punk rock band Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and alternative rockers Sugar in the 1990s. He also has released a number of records under his solo project as Bob Mould.
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Michigander
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Fish Narc
fish narc is the musical moniker of Olympia, WA-based songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Funkhouser. The album combines timeless songwriting with '90s alternative grit and heart-on-sleeve lyricism to show off a whole new side of fish narc's world. Funkhouser has an expansive catalog of work as a rap producer and a solo artist–one that’s often distinguished by its sonic references to his background in the Pacific Northwest DIY punk scene. Now with the latest fish narc moniker and forthcoming LP, Funkhouser has teamed up with Calvin Johnson’s legendary record label, K Records, to fully embrace the guitar-forward indie rock songwriting of his youth. It’s a return to his roots that has inadvertently created a new beginning for fish narc.
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Japandroids
Japandroids is a Canadian rock duo from Vancouver, British Columbia formed in 2006 combining elements of anthemic punk, post-punk, and rock with monster hooks and shout along choruses. The group consists of Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums, vocals).After self-releasing 2007’s All Lies and 2008’s Lullaby Death Jams EPs to little attention, the band was effectively broken up by the end of 2008. In January 2009, Japandroids signed to Unfamiliar Records for the release of their debut LP Post-Nothing, deciding to continue on temporarily. The album quickly and unexpectedly rose to wide critical acclaim after its April release. King and Prowse were subsequently signed to Polyvinyl and toured extensively throughout 2009 and 2010, playing more than 200 shows in 20 countries and earning praise for their extremely energetic live performances. A compilation of Japandroids’ self-released EPs, entitled No Singles, as well as a series of three 7″ singles, “Art Czars,” “Younger Us,” and “Heavenward Grand Prix” were released in the meantime. The tour ultimately concluded on October 27, 2010. After working on new material throughout 2011, Japandroids announced in March 2012 that their second LP, Celebration Rock, would be released internationally on June 5, prefaced by the single “The House That Heaven Built” on May 15. Similarly to its predecessor, Celebration Rock was also widely acclaimed by critics. Their third album, Near to the Wild Heart of Life, was released on January 27, 2017, by ANTI-. The album experimented with some new sounds while still maintaining true to their roots, and was also a critical success. Now after 7 years, the duo have finally announce they will release their final LP titled "Fate & Alcohol" in October of 2024, before parting ways for good.
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Suburban Eyes
Bad Neighbour
Brisbane's Bad Neighbour, an emo/indie rock band formed in 2018, draws inspiration from bands such as PUP, Modern Baseball, Blis., and The Menzingers. Their upcoming debut LP "Millions" is set to release on September 20, 2024, showcasing their catchy self proclaimed "sad rock" combining catchy nostalgic emo, post-hardcore and alt rock with anthemic hooks, heavily influenced by bands from the early and mid 2000's/2010s and with a rejuvenating take on the sound.
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Suzzallo
Rocky Votolato has formed a new band called Suzzallo, revealing their debut album "The Quiet Year" with a release date of May 2nd, 2025. Departing from Votolato's acoustic roots, Suzzallo offers a cathartic blend of fuzzed out alternative rock, exploring themes of grief and healing following a personal tragedy.
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Momma
Momma is an alternative / indie rock band from Calabasas, California based in Brooklyn, New York. The band formed in 2015 by Etta Friedman (songwriter/guitarist/vocalist) and Allegra Weingarten (songwriter, guitarist, vocalist), who have been friends with each other since meeting at Viewpoint School. The band also consists of Aron Kobayashi Ritch (producer/bassist), and Preston Fulks (drummer). The band is currently signed to Polyvinyl Records. Momma released their first album in 2018 through Danger Collective Records, titled Interloper. On February 24, 2020, Momma announced their second album, Two Of Me, alongside a new song, "Double Dare". On April 6, 2020, Momma shared another song from the album, "Biohazard". The album was recorded during summer break while the members were attending college.The album was described as a concept album "about small-town life in an alternate reality". The band went on to release their third album, Household Name, on July 1, 2022 via Polyvinyl and Lucky Number to critical acclaim with a sound reminiscent of 90s inspired guitar rock with big melodies and hooks, similar to bands like Veruca Salt and The Breeders, while also sharing similarities to newer bands like Soccer Mommy and Wishy.
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The Murder Capital
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Some Fear
some fear began as a solo endeavor in 2021 in Oklahoma City, OK when Branden “Bran” Palesano released a rough demo on Bandcamp. The project, initially driven by his solitary songwriting process—where he dwells on his thoughts and crafts chord progressions in one sitting—soon evolved into a full band. Bran’s vision was realized with the addition of Ray Morgan, Lennon Bramlett, and James Tunell, who added another dimension to the sound. The band’s sound can be described as chill and melancholic, a blend of slowcore and lo-fi rock that resonates with a profound sense of introspection. From a solitary project to a dynamic quartet, some fear continues to carve out a unique niche in the music scene with their deeply personal and genre-blending approach.
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Karate
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Heart to Gold
Formed in 2017, Minneapolis, Minnesota indie/punk band Heart to Gold strike a chord with their swaggering, scrappy Midwest punk that prioritizes the strength of the collective over the individual. There are obvious influences from bands like The Weakerthans, American Football, Weezer, Husker Du, and more, but Heart to Gold is really doing their own thing with it and that's in part due to Grant Whiteoak, lead singer and guitarist. Both on a songwriting and a vocal delivery level, his voice and his lyrics can often times feel like two distinct instruments––and part of the band's magic is in how they're able to masterfully weave it all together. The band is singed to Will Yip's Memory Music and will release their a new LP in November 2024.