Alice Phoebe Lou’s latest single, “Better,” released on November 8, 2024, is a testament to her evolving artistry and ability to craft intimate, reflective music. With its rich, analog-inspired production and thoughtful lyrics, “Better” feels like a modern-day ode to the smooth textures of 1970s vinyl, yet it remains entirely in step with the current indie music landscape.
The Chicago-based five-piece delivers a sound that’s both delicate and crushing, as if walking a tightrope between despair and defiance. This track is grungegaze at its finest, combining raw, visceral power with a kind of melancholy beauty that lingers long after the final note.
There’s nothing else out there like “Dog and Pony (The Anarchy)”—and that’s precisely why you should listen. Stoney Forde’s latest single isn’t polished. It doesn’t shimmer. Instead, it staggers into your ears like a half-drunk raconteur at a dive bar, spinning tales that feel both absurd and profound. If music exists to challenge, to provoke, and to offer something utterly new, then Stoney has succeeded on all fronts.
Batu Akdeniz’s latest single, The Reason, is the sound of resilience, a high-octane anthem crafted for the stage, where it can thunder through a crowd. Akdeniz, already a rock sensation in Turkey, has pushed his sound even further with the help of iconic drummer Simon Kirke, the force behind bands like Free and Bad Company. With Kirke’s drumming powering the track, Akdeniz brings a gritty edge that amplifies his signature blend of rock and lyrical intensity, creating something that feels both urgent and deeply personal.
SkyCall’s Stop Living With Closed Eyes takes a firm stand, bringing old-school rock riffs roaring back into the conversation about today’s world. After SkyCall’s split in 2023, Fabrice Duval, who’s equally at home diagnosing minds as he is dissecting classic rock, took on the task of finalizing the band’s LP entirely on his own. The result is a track that sounds like it time-traveled from a 1970s garage jam but with the clarity and polish of a modern studio.
We’ve seen Mary Knoblock’s work before on Da Da Da Music, with her previous release, Halo, a haunting neo-classical dive into surreal, almost spiritual depths. Her sound, drenched in echoes and reverb, seems to blur the line between traditional music and an immersive art installation. With Excuse Me While I Go Fall in Love, she steps onto a different path, though it’s still uniquely her own, with a lightness that feels like a prelude to Halo—a reverie before the storm.
Chinese American Bear, a Seattle-based duo comprising married musicians Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten, has been steadily carving a niche in the indie pop scene with their unique fusion of Chinese mando-pop and Western indie sensibilities.
In “SHELL ( OF A MAN ),” Saya Gray delves into themes of self-reflection and personal evolution. This track serves as the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, SAYA, set for release on February 21, 2025, via Dirty Hit. Gray describes the album as a documentation of her journey through various transitions, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery and growth.
In “I remember how your hands felt on mine,” Wisp delves into the complexities of holding onto past relationships and experiences. Released on October 31, 2024, this track marks her first offering since the April EP Pandora. The song encapsulates the internal debate of whether to let go and move on, capturing the fear that releasing these memories might mean losing those feelings forever.
In “LEECHES,” Ledbyher crafts an intense, introspective dive into the complexity of relationships and personal growth within a world where everyone seems to take more than they give. Known for her experimental blend of bedroom drill and introspective pop, Ledbyher has quickly risen in the UK music scene by transforming raw emotion into immersive, atmospheric soundscapes. This track sees her taking an unflinching look at her own journey, exploring resilience and boundaries in a way that feels genuine and grounded. Her approach allows listeners to experience the push and pull of internal conflict while her lyrics act as a quiet but pointed confrontation against those who drain one’s energy without remorse.
In “Hiraeth,” Stillwater Blackball dives into a deeply personal exploration of identity, place, and the diverging paths that shape us. The song, born from the realization that a childhood friend had gone on to win Miss Wales, captures a sense of wistful introspection, merging memories of a shared beginning with the poignant curiosity about what might have been. It’s a conversation with a friend who’s drifted into another life, and with a version of the artist himself that could have been. This theme of duality runs through the song’s lyrics, leaning on imagery borrowed from Dylan Thomas’s Fern Hill, lending the track a nostalgic yet complex literary quality.