Rock music, for so long lauded as “the music of the people,” has been pretty “out of touch” with the people for quite some time. But it seems that’s all changing now.
A couple of really great bands from the indie rock scene are putting out some good tunes, but they aren’t quite getting the attention they deserve. I think most of it has to do with their obscurity — not necessarily to the general public, but to bands who have been around for a while and have already earned acclaim.
Indie bands are some of the most rocking bands you’ll hear. Many of them don’t have major funding or record labels, so their music tends to be exceptional. You can hear a lot of great music on independent indie radio stations or through your local venues. Here’s a short compilation to get you started, check out the artists individually and follow our playlist called Bright Rocking Compilation of Indie Goodness by TopMusic.News.
1) PROVE YOU WRONG – Get Out Of My Head
Prove You Wrong is a band that has been around my list of new tracks to listen to. They are a hard rock and heavy metal band with influences from classic rock, stoner rock, alternative, and classic metal.
Their latest single is called Get Out Of My Head and it’s a great example of what Prove You Wrong can do when they get their hands on a good song. The track starts out with drums that will make you feel like you’re listening to something from the 70s or 80s before launching into some hard-hitting guitar riffs that will have you nodding along in no time.
The vocals are strong but not overpowering on this track, which allows the music to be fully appreciated by listeners who may not be fans of screaming vocals. The bass line is catchy and memorable; it’s hard not to get drawn into this song by its rhythm alone!
I’m looking forward to hearing more from these guys; hopefully, we’ll see an album from them soon! Please follow them on Spotify.
2) 9 O’CLOCK NASTY – Darker Star
I love when a band can take the energy of punk and combine it with the feeling of post-punk. That’s what 9 O’Clock Nasty does with their track “Darker Star,” and they do it well.
It’s dark and moody, but there’s also undeniable energy to it that seems to come from nowhere—it’s like you’ve been sitting in your room all day watching TV or playing video games or whatever, and then suddenly you realize that you’ve got a fever and are running at full speed down the road while laughing maniacally at nothing in particular. Just listen to the police car sound in the beginning and you understand what I’m talking about.
It’s hard to describe exactly what makes this song good for my years. It just is! The lyrics are a little muddy (and frankly pretty weird), but my guess is that they’re about social differences. Hey, it’s punk, that’s exactly what we expect, that kind of weirdness brought on purpose.
The music … well, let’s just say that I haven’t heard anything else like it before or since—which is saying something because I listen to as much music as possible every day!
Just try it out, listen to the band and follow them on Spotify.
3) THE KID AND I – Fade Away
The Kid and I have a new track out, and it’s a doozy.
The song is called “Fade Away,” and it’s a 90’s rock song with an alternative pop twist. The vocals are male, with hard rock lyrics that really speak to the grunge era.
The track starts off with an intro that feels like you’re walking into a dark room with only one light source—you can see everything in front of you, but it’s hard to distinguish exactly what it is. Then, gradually, more lights turn on until there’s a full glow in front of you. This is the same way that “Fade Away” starts out: It begins slow and soft, but soon builds up into something much bigger than what was first heard with the drums acting like a storm.
As the song progresses through verses, choruses, bridges—and even an interlude—it gets more intense as well as more familiar-sounding; like something from your childhood (if you grew up listening to grunge). But then again maybe not if you grew up listening to Britpop!
Overall this is an excellent track from The Kid and I: It has all the elements of great 90s rock music; emotionality. Listen to their tracks and follow the band on Spotify.
4) NOON LAYER DRIVE – The Wheel Is Spinning But The Hamster Is Dead
I discovered the band NOON LAYER DRIVE while listening to a list of upcoming bands from the Indie Rock world. I was blown away by their sound, which is a perfect blend of grunge rock and hard rock with a dash of 90’s alternative rock.
The EP The Wheel Is Spinning But The Hamster Is Dead is full of songs that will have you tapping your foot and singing along, it’s 5 in total. My favourite track is Our Basic Ways—it has such an anthem feel to it that it could easily be a song played at sporting events or rallies, Rock radios and stuff like that.
The lead singer has a voice that reminds me of classic Rock bands from the 90s. He has a beautiful tone and he sounds like he’s really pouring his heart out when he sings.
This band is UK based, but if you’re looking for an artist that sounds like all your favourite bands from back in the day but with something new and exciting added to the mix, then check out NOON LAYER DRIVE!
Follow the band on Spotify and listen to the whole EP, it’s worth it!
5) ANTISOLAR – Drifting
Antisolar is an alternative rock band that’s been around for a while, and their new single, Drifting, is just as good as the rest of their music.
Drifting is a great song that has a lot of energy and passion. The drums are solid, the guitars are catchy, and the vocals are amazing.
The song ends with an instrumental break that showcases the band’s skill at making interesting rhythms with simple instruments. This track is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something new in your musical library!
If you like alternative rock with a side of angst, then you’ll want to check out ANTISOLAR’s new single today. This song would be perfect for anyone who likes alternative rock music with an indie rock feel! Follow the band on Spotify.
6) VAMPIRE LIVER THERAPY – Low Resolution Entity
VAMPIRE LIVER THERAPY is an experimental electronic rock band from Santiago, Chile. They just made their second release, part 2 of a double album available on Spotify, they are Low Resolution Entity and High Resolution Entity, which explores the human subconscious and transhumanism.
The first album (2021) consists of 12 tracks, while the second one (2022) has 14 tracks. The first album is called Low Resolution Entity and it has a gothic, experimental sound. It is a very dark album with many industrial influences. It’s also very ambient and leftfield at times, even though it doesn’t have any trip-hop or drone elements. It features some electronic elements as well as drums that are very industrial in nature.
The second part of this double album is called High Resolution Entity and it has an ambient electronic sound overall with some industrial elements present on certain tracks as well (but these don’t dominate). The music here is much less dark than on Low Resolution Entity; so if you like those experimental Rock genres then this might be for you.
Check out both albums now, my favourite song is Like Ashes Without Complaints from the second album, and please follow the band on Spotify.
7) CALL IN DEAD – Patriarchy
CALL IN DEAD is a band that makes you feel like you’re high, even if you aren’t. Their single “Patriarchy” is a hardcore track that will make your ears bleed with its screaming vocals and heavy drums, related to the LGBTQI+ community and transgenderism acceptance.
The song starts out with a quick, loud guitar riff that sounds like it’s going to be dissonant—but then it explodes into a heavy drum beat and an even heavier vocal line. The singer has an incredible range, from low growls to high screams, which gives the song a lot of depth and texture.
The band members were all male but had the lead singer replaced by a powerful woman, they don’t let their gender get in their way when it comes to making music: they’re loud and abrasive, but also melodic enough that you can hear every note clearly.
Their influences include Hardcore Punk and Heavy Metal bands from the United States. The song Patriarchy is one of my favourites from them because it’s so intense. You can feel all of the rage coming out through their lyrics and the way they play their instruments, I can say it’s violent, in a good way. If you’re looking for something new and hardcore, give these guys a listen!
Follow the band on Spotify as well, they deserve it.
8) KARGYR – The Abyss
When I first heard The Abyss, I was immediately drawn in. There was something about the way that KARGYR‘s music was so melodic but also so metal, and how it had this world-class avant-garde feel to it yet kept me feeling euphoric.
I mean, I’m not sure what else you could ask for in a single. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to listen over and over again, and really dive into what they’re saying and what they’re trying to convey with their music, even being said with that classic screaming voice.
To me, that’s the mark of an artist who has really honed in on their craft—one who can bridge these seemingly disparate worlds and come out with something that feels like a seamless whole.
If you haven’t listened yet, do yourself a favour: take some time out of your day for some KARGYR!
I highly recommend checking out their other songs as well—they’re all great and follow the band on Spotify.
9) BRINGER OF LIGHT – What Does The Fox Say?
I just became a fan of the band Bringers of Light, and I’ve been following their career since they released their first single on Spotify. They’ve come a long way, and they’ve had to work hard to get where they are now.
Their second single, “What Does the Fox Say?”, is a great example of what makes this band so special: it’s got all the elements of classic metalcore, but with an added layer of melodic heaviness that gives it an extra punch.
The lyrics are sarcastic but sincere—it’s easy to interpret them as critical of the current state of our world, but also sound like a fighter, pushing hard to make things get better.
The guitar work is fast and furious, while also managing to have some real emotion behind it—you can tell by listening that these guys really care about what they do.
And then there are the drums! The percussion on this track is so full of life and energy that it practically dances along with you as you listen.
All in all, “What Does The Fox Say?” is a song that gets better every time you hear it—and it never gets old!
Obviously, it’s for fans of heavy metal, with that flavour of screamo on it, coming from the US band’s influence.
Follow them on Spotify and check out their other single.
10) COLLECTIVE FEAR – Foster
I just listened to the EP Foster by COLLECTIVE FEAR, and it’s amazing. The band is a rock alternative band bringing a bit of dream-pop and shoegaze combination that does a great job of mixing all of these genres together.
The guitar parts are definitely washed-out and shoegaze inspired, but they also have strong post-punk influences as well.
The third track on the EP “Foster”, Victimless Crime, starts off with a slow tempo that builds up throughout the song into an explosive chorus. It’s got a lot of build-ups before the choruses start, which makes me think of how sometimes when you’re writing songs, you should leave space for your listener to breathe between sections instead of cramming everything together into one giant mess. I can say this track is very well organised in terms of musical structure.
The second song on the EP is called “Part of The Plan,” and this one was my favourite track on the album. It has this really fun guitar part that sounds like it could’ve come straight off of an 80s movie soundtrack! It’s got that kind of vibe where you can just imagine being in your favourite leather jacket at night driving down an empty highway after taking down some bad guys or something like that… It’s a heavy metal that clearly works well in the years of fans of other genres, even pop.
Now check their EP and follow the band on Spotify, you will not regret it.
- Daph Veil’s Sonic Mastery – An Alt Rock Pop Sensation from Texas
- Harry Kappen’s Where the Volcano is Awake Defines a New Era in Alternative Rock
- The Sidleys Are Back: Embrace the Soulful Vibrance of Their New Album Sugar Kingdom
- Rick Lee Vinson Group Drops “Normal”: Alt-Country and Americana Bliss
- Pini Gurfil’s “Final Romance” Brings the Magic of Art Rock and Retro Guitar Rock Pop to Life in a Way You’ve Never Heard Before