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Hardcore music lovers are having a hell of a year. Between Paramore’s new album, This Is Why, Blink-182 reuniting and announcing a worldwide tour, and Arctic Monkeys releasing their seventh anthology, The Car, nobody can deny rock’s mainstream resurgence. Bold and brash is back.
Now with the twenty-year trend cycle condensing, thanks in part to social media, fans can indulge back into Alex Turner’s (Arctic Monkeys’ frontman and singer) recognizable baritone voice on some fresh hits. The four-piece band from the UK is known for experimenting with their sound every release cycle. Their first record, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am Not (2006), has a pulverant yet fluid lo-fi garage rock revival vibe. Jump ahead to their popular fifth collection, AM (2013) – rhythm reigns supreme and hints of hip-hop influence can be found in instrumental farrago. Layered vocals add breadth and fullness to give the songs a sleeker finish than their previous work.
Streaming services like Spotify have changed the game and made it effortless for us to uncover similar bands and singers to the one we were just listening to on repeat. However, nothing beats the adrenaline rush of coming across a smaller scale yet prolific musical maverick on your own. After all, what’s more satisfying than saying “this band? Well… you probably never heard of them” and claiming artistic discovery dibs first?
Below, a few indie artists you’ll love if you’re an avid fan of the Arctic Monkeys. Thank me later.
Image: Dominic Record Co.
Image: Infectious Music.
Kicking off the list with one of Arctic Monkey’s own influences, Bloc Party is an English quartet band formed in 1999 whose debut album, Silent Alarm (2005), was a mishmash of post-punk, rock and electronic dance music. Frontrunner Kele Okereke’s intimately warm yet forceful voice pierces through the fun beats of such songs like “Positive Tension”. They released Alpha Games (2022) in April 2022 after a long gap in music, with plenty of tracks that sound like a nod to their earlier days of upbeat yet biting energy.
Image: Courtesy of Sony.
Another British band, The Vaccines have been active since 2010 with five records under their belt. Their inaugural compilation, What Did You Expect From the Vaccines? (2011), has a mix of bouncy west coast high-fi with busy guitars for a brighter take on alternative rock. The sunny feelings continue onto Combat Sports
(2018), with buoyant tracks like “Surfing in the Sky” and “Someone to Lose”. If you want catchy charismatic indie rock, this is it.
Image: Don’t Ever Call Me Doll Entertainment.
If you’re pissed at the world because of its paradoxical reality, well, so is Gardenia. It’s eerie how uncanny the New York-based vocals and sound echo an even grittier Arctic Monkeys. This up and coming talented duo, with Ryan Zakin on vocals/bass and Tamir Malik on drums, formed in 2018 with a few EPs under them to boot. Zakin’s layered and purposefully abrasive voice lends a rich totality against sharp snare staccato and minor-scale based riffs. Unapologetic, cheeky and brazen—their recent release, Smile For the Camera (2022), features gorgeous orchestral instrumentals that transition beautifully into loud rock on “Mattress Actress” to the catchy, you-won’t-be-able-to-get out-of-your-head “Red Flag”.
Image: Metric Music International.
Metric is a Canadian quartet that’s been around since 1998 that seamlessly blends rock, indie-pop, post-punk and new wave. Emily Haines on lead vocals manages to use her buttery smooth, sweet voice as a prominent feature against the fun synths/bass/percussion. Their eight-record repertoire starts with Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (2003), including dancey head-banging hits like “Succexy”, to Synthetica (2012), which dives headfirst in the electronic indie rock sound. Their latest endeavor, Formentera
(2022), is a critical look at their own nearly two-decade long careers delivered via loud anthems and ballads.
Image: Dreamy Life Records.
Hailing from Texas is the four-piece Ting Tang Tina. They first started playing shows in 2017 with a dreamy take on indie rock. Singer Ruby Lewis has an old-school flair on tracks such as “Heart Eyes”, while instantly switching it up to a buoyant feel on “Kill Courtney.” With two albums in under their belt and sanguine mixed with sassy feels all over their songs, Ting Tang Tina isn’t going to fly under the radar for long.
Image: RCA Records.
Ever heard of The Strokes? The Voidz is lead singer/songwriter Julian Casablancas’s musical side project, created with members from both coasts of New York and Los Angeles. The American rock band’s forte is in experimental mish-mash of what happens when Casablancas truly does what he wants. Garage rock is prevalent in singles such as “Leave It In My Dreams” from Virtue (2019), while lo-fi vintage “Did My Best”, produced by fellow indie legend Mac DeMarco, shines in its near-obscurity harmonies and nostalgia.
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