Well... 2025 has been a complete and utter shit show so far, so I've decided to start the "new year" in Feb! In 2024, I got completely burnt out on my usual playlists. In effort to feel something, lol, I found myself gravitating towards a lot of heavier sounds in the alternative realm. So behold, here are my top albums and singles. It's never too late right? This playlist leans on the heavier/heady side, with hints of pop, folk and fun stuff. Cheers~
Featured Genres: Art Rock, Industrial Punk, Egg Punk, Hyper-pop, Dance-Punk, Experimental Rock, Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Garage Punk, Indie Electronic, Indie Sleaze, Pysch, Alternative Folk, Jangle Pop, etc
TABLE OF CONTENTS (screw sorting by ranking these - they're all amazing)
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Indie Sleaze/Alt Rock/Indie Pop
Crumb - AMAMA
A lush and expansive psychedelic journey with jazzy undertones. Lila Ramani's dreamy vocals blend seamlessly with intricate instrumentation, creating a sound that's both ethereal and grounded, influenced by 60s psychedelia and modern indie rock.
Sounds Like: Tame Impala, Men I Trust, Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Dream Pop, Indie Rock
Select Track(s): "AMAMA", "Crushxd", "XXX"
The Dare - What's Wrong With New York?
The Dare offers a Gen Z take on Indie Sleaze, fusing hard beats and catchy hooks in a way that's both danceable and edgy, influenced by LCD Soundsystem and the early 2000s scene.
Sounds Like: LCD Soundsystem, The Hellp
Genre: Indie Sleaze, Dance-Punk, Electronic, Alt-Pop
Select Track(s): "Girls", "Perfume", "Good Time"
Nilufer Yanya - My Method Actor
A blend of indie rock, soul, and jazz with a touch of art-pop experimentation. Yanya's distinctive vocals and introspective lyrics are at the forefront, supported by intricate guitar work and subtle electronic elements.
Sounds Like: Bnny, Saya Gray
Genre: Indie Rock, Art Pop, Soul, Alternative
Select Track(s): "Like I Say", "Mutations"
Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
Imaginal Disk finds Magdalena Bay crafting a collection of super-charged bangers that'll get stuck in your head for days. It's a shimmering, maximalist landscape, blending sugary pop hooks with experimental sonic textures.
RSounds Like: 100 gecs, Yelle, Charli XCX
Genre: Hyperpop, Synth-Pop, Indie Electronic, Art Pop
Select Track(s): "Image" & "Death & Romance"
mk.gee - Two Star & The Dream Police
Think dreamy synths, subtle R&B grooves, and introspective lyrics that feel both intimate and strangely expansive. A total 80s throwback in the best way possible.
Sounds Like: Loukeman, Toro y Moi, MJ Lenderman
Genre: Indie Rock, R&B, Electronic
Select Track(s): "Are You Looking Up", "Alesis"
Dehd - Poetry
Driven by dueling male/female vocals and a minimalist, guitar-driven sound, Poetry explores themes of love, loss, and longing with a disarming vulnerability. Their music is both catchy and cathartic.
Sounds Like: Pale Hound, BRONCHO, Freak Slug, Wombo
Genre: Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Country
Select Track(s): "Mood Ring", "Loner"
Being Dead - EELS
EELS is a catchy and raw jangle-pop with lo-fi aesthetics, creating catchy melodies and raw emotionality.
Sounds Like: Horsegirl, Peal Dream, Cola
Genre: Indie Rock, Jangle Pop
Select Track(s): "Van Goes", "Godzilla Rises"
Noise/Punk/Garage/Psych/Shoegaze
Mount Kimbie - The Sunset Violent
I hate playing favorites, but this is my absolute #1 album that I played on 50% of my walks
After a long hiatus, Mount Kimbie returns with The Sunset Violent, marking a bold shift towards noise pop, shoegaze, and experimental rock. Expect a landscape of distorted guitars and dreamy vocals, with unconventional song structures creating a disorienting, yet immersive, sound. This album signifies a notable departure from their earlier electronic style.
Sounds Like: Blood Orange, King Krule, Have a Nice Life
Genre: Noise Pop, Shoegaze, Experimental Rock
Select Track(s): "Dumb Guitar", "Fish Brain", "Shipwreck"
Amyl & the Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness
Straight from Australia, Amyl & the Sniffers deliver a raw and chaotic burst of high-energy punk. Amy Taylor's vocals are fierce, the guitars are shredding, and the dance-punk beat will make you want to stomp around and break things.
Sounds Like: Viagra Boys, IDLES, Snooper
Genre: Punk Rock, Garage Punk, Thrash
Select Track(s): "Jerkin"
Osees - Intercepted Message
Intercepted Message is a fusion of egg punk's raw energy and psychedelic rock's expansive soundscapes. This album delivers pulsing rhythms, distorted synths, and a frenetic energy, all while retaining a layer of tripped-out psychedelia.
Sounds Like: Ty Segall, Wand
Genre: Garage Rock, Punk Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Select Track(s): "Earthling"
Spirit of the Beehive - YOU'LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING
An album that defies easy categorization, blending elements of noise pop, shoegaze, and experimental rock into a unique and disorienting sonic tapestry. Their music is both abrasive and beautiful, creating a captivating and unsettling listening experience.
Sounds Like: My Bloody Valentine, Deerhunter, Have a Nice Life
Genre: Noise Pop, Shoegaze, Experimental Rock
Select Track(s): "1/500", "I'VE BEEN EVIL", "LET THE VIRGIN DIE"
Folk
Friko - Where We've Been
Chicago rock duo that blends post-punk, folk, indie rock, and classical influences with the vocal intensity reminiscent of Jeff Buckley. Their sound is both raw and sophisticated, with intricate arrangements and emotive performances.
Sounds Like: Jeff Buckley
Genre: Emo Folk, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Art Rock,
Select Track(s): "Where We've Been", "Get Numb to It"
Abby Sage - The Rot
The Rot is a deeply personal and intensely confessional work of art. It is a lush, layered alternative pop gem where Sage's silky vocals kaleidoscopically twirl over dreamy synth-and-guitar melodies.
Sounds Like: Wet Leg, beabadoobee
Genre: Indie Folk, Alternative Pop,
Select Track(s): "Milk", "Three Floors, Three Doors", "Hunger", "Soak", "Obstruction", "Back & Bone"
Porridge Radio – Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me
A raw and emotionally charged album that leans into repetition and cathartic intensity, capturing themes of burnout, heartbreak, and survival. It balances delicate arrangements with explosive vocal performances.
Genre: Indie Rock, Post-Rock, Folk Punk
Select Tracks: "Anybody," "God of Everything Else," "In a Dream I'm a Painting"
Electronic/Heavy/Experimental
Kassie Krut - Kassie Krut (EP)
Kassie Krut's debut EP features intense beat drops, surreal electronics, and hypnotic vocals, creating a sound that's both wacky and experimental. The EP smudges starkness and filth from front to back, influenced by the London grime scene.
Sounds Like: SOPHIE, Sleigh Bells, ESG
Genre: Industrial Pop, Hyper-pop, Electronic, Experimental, Art-Pop, Indie Rock
Select Track(s): "Reckless", "Racing Man", "Blood"
Kim Gordon - The Collective
Kim Gordon lays it on thick with spoken rap poetry over aggressive, heavy instrumentals. Noisy with pounding rhythms leave you alone in a stark emptiness. The album has a menacing atmosphere with a dark hip-hop undercurrent, influenced by contemporary trap.
Sounds Like: Death Grips, Dälek
Genre: Industrial, Experimental, Art Rock, Electronic
Select Track(s): "Bye Bye", "The Candy House", "Dream Dollar"
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Honorable Album + Single Mentions
Not from 2024, but Absolute Bangers (Mainly from 2023)
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