New Indie/Alternative August 2022 by Indiemono ☀️

July is already over, and we’re kicking off the start of this month by giving our NEW Indie/Alternative playlist an update with some fresh new tracks perfect for the end of summer. From surf and psyche-rock-inspired tracks to upbeat and bubbly songs with a jazzy twist, our curated Indie/Alternative August 2022 playlist is sure to get you through the dog days of summer. Find our latest drop for our curated Indie/Alternative playlist on Spotify and Apple Music for easy listening.

To get you a little more hyped up for our NEW Indie/Alternative August playlist update, we’re sharing our top ten tracks and what we love about them:

 1. TVI – Surf Curse

Coming in hot on the top of our list is the latest single from Surf Curse. TVI is full of their signature West Coast, Punk-meets-Surf-Rock sound, yet feels more urgent. Since breaking out of years of relative obscurity by randomly blowing up on Tik Tok, Surf Curse is continuing to ride the wave of accidental internet fame. TVI is one of the singles preceding their upcoming album Magic Hour (scheduled for release on September 16th), and if the full album is as much of a banger as this track, we’ve got a lot to look forward to. 

“TVI is an anthem about trying to stay out of trouble, whatever your trouble might be,” says lead vocalist and drummer Nick Rattigan. “The chorus chants ‘take your time / free your mind / I can do this everyday’ as the mantra but by ’10 o’clock TVI give me mine take me away’ you’ve succumbed… the ultimate loss of self and control… letting go.”

Take your time
Free your mind
I can do this every day
10 o clock TVI

 

 

2. Bumblebee – Dora Jar

A favorite artist from previous NEW Indie/Alternative playlist drops, we just can’t get enough of Dora Jar over here. In her self-directed music video for Bumblebee, Dora Jar replicates visions of sunny childhood when times were easier – moving between past and present by playing with different camera angles and replicating home-video style footage in a ballet studio set. Summery, upbeat, and full of funky guitar riffs, Bumblebee by Dora Jar makes us feel nostalgic for the present, in a good way.

“Bumblebee the song is an attempt to escape the painful reality of human experience and trade it with the perspective of a bumblebee, a creature who can see a higher frequency of light, a creature who has wings and can fly off the cold hard ground, a creature that lives in service of nature. My problems seem silly when I remember the existence of these intelligent creatures who could never be bothered by the trivial things that bother me.”

Ring around the rosie
I’m always the first to fall down
Wanna make it cozy
But I’m on the cold, hard ground

 

3. Paradise – Briston Maroney

An ode to cutting through the bullshit of the mundane, Paradise by Briston Maroney dreams of a deeper connection. Clever lyrics and turns of phrases are woven all throughout this high-energy psychedelic track which is made even more mesmerizing with vocal fuzz and high distortion guitar riffs. If you’re looking to take a trip, check out the technicolor acid-fantasy of a music video for Paradise below. 

 

Honestly, I wanna give you every little
Part of me and if the tide comes back
And takes me with it, I hope you know
It’s not love if you can’t let go

 

 

4. Recycled Paper Planes – Pixey

Influenced by The Verve, The Prodigy, De La Soul, and Grimes, Recycled Paper Planes by Pixey is an existential anthem in the style of a bedroom pop indie song. Touching on that feeling of being recycled and replaceable – merely a copy of a copy – Recycled Paper Planes professes the need for constant reinvention throughout one’s life to keep things moving. Groovy, early 2000s-inspired rhythms make this track feel sunny and nostalgic despite the rather poignant lyrics, which makes this breezy summer track a bit more complex and nuanced than may initially appear on a first listen.

Fold it Hold it
Work it
Fold that paper to my surface

 

5. Holy Hell – Ginger Root

Heavily inspired by the city pop movement and 80’s commercial advertisements, Ginger Root’s new single Holy Hell is upbeat, self-aware, and unafraid to use kitsch as its guiding aesthetic principle. Despite being focused on heartbreak, Ginger Root delivers the lyrics in a hyper-upbeat manner that reads delightfully tongue-in-cheek, like we’re in on the joke. Bright and bubbly synth sounds with funky baselines make this nostalgic track feel cohesive in a nonchalant-yet-genius kind of way. Don’t miss the music video for Holy Hell – it made us love this track about 100x more. 

You never wanted anything
Well, are we over? Tell me again
No matter what our hearts will bring
It’s over, it’s over, I think

 

6. menace – mazie

If you’ve been fighting the summer blues, this confident and ruthless track is perfect for getting you out of a rut. Fuck morals. Fuck the system. This life is yours for the taking! 

I’m a menace everything I want yea you I know I’m gonna get it
whether it’s your fame or your cable knit sweater you might
done it first but I know I do it better yea I said it

 

7. Sitting In The Corner – Cuco

Part of Cuco’s latest album Fantasy Getaway, Sitting in the Corner is a dreamy song about the disillusion of a relationship. But it doesn’t sound as sad as it seems: the expert mix of modern Latin pop and Mexican traditional music with dreamy bedroom pop makes this song feel layered and energetic. Staying true to the album’s title, Cuco gives a classic story of falling out of love a fantastical twist in the music video for Sitting in the Corner – we won’t spoil the surprise, we’ll just check it out for yourself.

Me duele que ya no estés aquí
Cuando mi vida daba por ti
Yo no sabía que tú eras así
Solo te aprovechaste de mí

8. Sunny Day – Beabadoobee

Coming off her new album, Beabadoobee’s track Sunny Day touches on the feeling of getting out of a haze and stepping into the sun. Beabadoobee delivers the touching and honest lyrics with a breathy, 2000’s inspired intonation while the poppy guitar-driven instrumentals harken back to that iconic pop era. If you’re looking for a song to motivate you to be your best self, this is the one for you. 

Keep me here with your skin on mine again
While you’re there
It’s easy if I pretend

9. Cornflakes – Banji

Fresh and funky with an intricately layered production, Cornflakes by Banji has to be one of the most distinctive songs on this top-ten list. Distorted vocals and vibrant synth-driven riffs paired with in-your-face vocals make this song feel post-ironic but in a cool way. Yep, you heard it – there’s even the crunching of titular cornflakes at the beginning of the tracks. For the full experience, be sure to check out their official 3D animated experience. 

And I told you, “I’ll see you soon”

(I guess I have to take it, I’m deteriorating)

Feelin’ blue (I’d rather have a meaning, and it looks appealing)

10. Weeds – Beach Bunny

Weeds is the final pop-rock single of Beach Bunny’s last album “Emotional Creature”. Through rich vocal harmonies, punchy guitar riffs, and pop-punk-inspired rhythms, Weeds is about processing the heartbreak of the loss of a relationship, and coming out on the other side more self-assured and empowered. The visuals and music are the final part of a sci-fi-themed trilogy, and we can’t wait to see what’s coming next in the Beach Bunny universe. 

I’m tired of giving, giving, living like a lady in distress
But I don’t need someone to save me
Not your Polly Pocket in your lover’s locket
You can’t hold me down
I’m a bursting bottle rocket

 

Check out the rest of our NEW Indie/Alternative August 2022 playlist for more amazing tunes! Feel like your song might be a good fit? Submit your released song for FREE for a chance to be curated on our Spotify and Apple Music playlists.