March Checkup: You’re Low on Alternative Indie

That’s right, it’s still winter and, before you know it, you’re out of alternative indie music to keep you warm. If you’re a regular over here, you don’t need us to answer questions such as “What is considered alternative indie?” or “Is indie the same as alternative?”. In fact, if you live and breathe indie music like us, you don’t have to answer these questions.

Very much like getting that medical checkup, you don’t start questioning, “What is considered a medical checkup?” or “Is a general practitioner the same as an internist?”, you simply go because you know you need it and it’s good for you. The same thing happens with our monthly playlists (crafty, right?).

Without further ado, let’s jump right into that March indie alternative playlist!

March 2023 Alternative Indie Songs

All we can say is that we’ve definitely enjoyed putting together this playlist that includes some of the best alternative indie artists and bands today. Whether you’re into Bedroom Pop, Slacker Rock, Jangle Pop, Indie Pop, Indie Surf, Indie Rock (We could be here all day…), it won’t matter. You’ll either end up jumping up and down and reaching for those headphones to go for a walk.

“Saturday” by Yot Club

Our playlist starts strong with Yot Club’s “Saturday”, same name as the album. It’s interesting to note that behind this creative name is Ryan Kaiser, a 25-year-old that sprung out of his anonymity with “YKWIM?” which helped him get this song more than 114 million views on Spotify alone. Not bad.

It’s no wonder that you’ll only hear optimistic and positive words:

“Yes, I believe don’t fail

Yes, I believe in us starting again

It gets so much darker alone

Can’t help but call up your phone”

But it’s not just about what he says, it’s what he does in that guitar solo 1’ and 20’’ into the song. We guarantee you won’t wanna miss it.

“Glue Song” by beabadoobee

If you still don’t know who beabadoobee is, she’s pretty awesome (there’s a reason why she’s the featured image of this blog post!). This song pays justice to its name, because as soon as you start listening to that clean and tender voice, it’ll stick for at least a whole weekend. Wanna bet?

“I’ve never known someone like you

Tangled in love, stuck by you from the glue

Don’t forget to kiss me

Or else you’ll have to miss me

I guess I’m stuck forever by the glue

Oh, and you”

Before you start doubting the healthiness of this relationship, pay attention to the sweetness and naiveté of her vocals. More than a dependent relationship, she’s talking about someone, a lover, that makes it easier for her to write these lyrics.

“Finding the right words

To use for this song

I have you in mind

So it won’t take so long”

See? We also have room for love of the sweet and healthy kind. 

“Girlfriends” by High Tropics

Picture this: you’re driving, windows down, and the sunbeams are reminding you that the best part of winter is at the end. Exactly, those sunny days in which you can spend hours outside exploring the world. No rules. And f*** scheduling.

What’s more, it reminds us that it’s not just women that suffer from bad relationships or heartache. Band’s creator, Josh Stewart, claimed that “Girlfriends” is a love song that was written through a time of healing and lifting oneself up again. And if it’s with a drink in hand, even better:

“If you’re down on your luck or you just don’t give a fuck, 

and you feel like giving up, grab a seat and fill your cup”

The name of the song is not just about a girlfriend or that ex-lover, it’s about losing yourself in someone else’s opinion and although it’s less toxic to forgive, we shouldn’t forget that:

“Girlfriends, everybody knows girlfriends

always gotta be right, always got to be right

Sunsets, looking over the beaches,

I went walking with you, I went walking with you”

Stay tuned for this Aussie retro-fresh band, cause they’re going to have a lot more to say.

“I GOT THE LOVE” by Tommy Richman, Nat Dae, and Merlyn Wood

At this point, you’ve rocked, popped, and funked to the playlist, but we never forget that R&B and Hip-Hop is prescribed by any doctor. And although we know that the official month of love has passed, we’re sure you haven’t approached it with the same groove and infectious lyrics as Tommy Richman’s “I got the love I need it”:

“I got the love I need it

You got the love I need it

I had it once I’m leaving”

Joined by Nat Dae and Merlyn Wood, two emerging artists; the first burst into the scene in 2017 while the second is one to watch out for and we can guarantee that both will feature in our future monthly playlists.

“Ring of Past” by Men I Trust

“Ring of Past” may put some in a sad mood, others in a nostalgic one, and others may even feel like standing up and start levitating to the song (or, judging by the cover image, maybe even roller skating). We can always expect a good dose of bedroom pop from Men I Trust and, this time, they’ve met expectations by adding a hint of boogie:

“Spin in a ring of past

Solace in believing that we will repeat

What might be and what’s lost

The thought of the one I loved most brings me heat”

It’s still winter, so we couldn’t think of a better way to close than with “heat”; it gets even warmer if it’s uttered with Emmanuelle Proulx’s soft vocals.

We hope you enjoyed the variety of new alternative indie sounds, artists, bands, and – above all – moods. Stay tuned for April!