Indie Around the World
Indie (short for Independent) has become a pretty popular and saturated genre in the States, known for its diverse influences and autonomous sound (many artists independently produce their music). Indie has manifested itself in different ways around the world, and in this article, I’m just going to drop some Indie artists from around the world (including North America) along with my favourite tracks/albums. Enjoy!
North America
Quinnie: One of my favourite underrated indie artists. Check out all her tracks, but especially her album “Gold Star.” Can’t pick a favourite from that album cause they’re all amazing.
Serena Isioma: Known for “Sensitive,” Isioma is an artist rapidly on the rise. I prefer her track “Do I Make You Nervous” though, for the variation in tempo and mood halfway through.
French
Juniore: An all-girls French band that takes inspiration from the 60s era in France. Known for it’s black and white aesthetics (check out the music video for “A La Plage” here), Juniore has a distinctly retro sound paired with smooth vocals. Tracks I enjoy: “Je fais le mort,” “Le cannibale”
La Femme: Rock’n’roll band that experiments with many genres–psychedelia, surf rock, electronica, krautrock, etc–La Femme is a band rapidly growing in popularity in France. Tracks I enjoy: “Où va le monde,” “Cool Colorado”
Spanish
English songs mixed with Spanish lyrics are already pretty commonplace in American Indie (see: Cuco), but here I’ve tried to narrow it to Spanish-only songs.
Bratty: Dreamy Folk-Pop, Jenny Juárez is one of the more visible women in the Mexican Indie wave. Jnown for “Honey, No Estas,” she has also collaborated with Ed Maverick, a household name in Mexican pop, for “Ropa de Bazaar.” I prefer one of her earlier songs, “Todo Esta Cambiando,” for its upbeat vibe, or “Cruel,” just because.
The Marias: I know I said I’d try to narrow it to Spanish-only, but The Marias are too good to pass up. A bilingual band with songs in Spanish, English, and a combination of both, The Maria’s approach to language in music is unique and much-needed in today’s music world. I love all their songs, but “Carino” and their cover, “...baby one more time,” are all-time favourites.
Unfortunately, this pretty much exhausts my experience of Indie around the world. Let me know if you have any suggestions, cause I’d love to listen to them. Otherwise, peace out.