IRC has been watching and rating new 2021 indie rock videos sent into us in the past couple of months by indie artists and bands across the U.S. and around the world.
This is the first batch of five new indie music videos that we’ve been digging in the cafe (we never close). It goes without saying that a music video needs a great song to start with but it also needs to be a good video. A huge advantage nowadays for musicians is that video equipment – both hardware and software – is smaller, cheaper, better than ever before.
These videos are not in order of best to ‘least’ best. You can always rate which are your favorites though! NOTE: IRC puts more emphasis on the song than the video itself, however, we aim to present the best songs and their accompanying music videos.
Bands Featured in This Edition
- Messier – Helsinki, Finland
- Present Company – Minneapolis, Minnesota
- DUMMY – Hillsborough, New Jersey
- Atalhos – Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Frozen Mind – London, England
Messier – “Salt Water Flush”
Released: 02/02/2021
HELSINKI, Finland
Genre(s): Indie rock
Balancing beauty and anger, hope and despair, tension and release, Finnish trio messier’s exhilarating debut single, “On Malaise,” is an explosive mix of indie rock, alt-pop, and classic punk energy fueled by instantly memorable hooks and airtight vocal harmonies. The band was founded in 2020 by Lauri Huumonen (vocals, guitar); Antti Orajärvi (vocals/bass) and Kristian Jokilahti (drums). The song is the title track from the band’s upcoming album.
Present Company – “It’s Not Looking Good”
Released: 2/12/2021
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota
Genre(s): indie, alternative, post-punk, pop, synth rock
Influences: The National, Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Gary Numan, Joy Division, The Smiths
Eddie Chisham (lead vocals, guitar, synth) and Christian Nelson (lead vocals, guitar, synth) came together in 2018. They were joined by Seth Lemmon (bass) in 2019 and Berin Joseph (drums) in 2020. They are influenced by post-punk bands like Joy Division, The Smiths, Gary Numan, and Talking Heads as well as modern alternative bands like LCD Soundsystem, The National, Radiohead, and Dry Cleaning.
DUMMY – “Suddenly”
Released: 1/22/2021
HILLSBOROUGH, New Jersey
Genre(s): Indie pop-rock
Influences: The Smiths, Sad Lovers & Giants, U2, and The Cure.
Five-piece New Jersey-based indie pop-rock band DUMMY formed in 2019 with vocalist and bassist Ben Nelson and guitarist Jeff Fetzko getting things off the ground by writing songs to “old riffs and rough melodies.”
The duo brought on some musician friends to record and integrate alt. rock, indie, new wave and surf rock to create a sound of 80’s and 90’s nostalgia. Therefore it is no surprise that the band is influenced by artists like The Smiths, Sad Lovers & Giants, U2, and The Cure.
Atalhos – “Mesmo Coração”
Released: 01/02/2021
SAO PAULO, Brazil
Genre(s): Dream pop, post-rock
This spiraling, at times minimalistic, instrumental from Brazilian indie sextet Atalhos is one of the best instrumentals we’ve heard this year. The self-described dream-pop outfit recorded the track and dropped it in late December – qualifying it for 2021 considerations. We considered and we approve.
Frozen Mind – “Lockdown”
Released: 1/22/2021
LONDON, England
Genre(s): Indie Pop, alt. pop
London musician Aaron Sibley, aka Frozen Mind, dropped this sweet little number at the beginning of the year as his ode to 2020. He also created and produced the video’s visual effects, as he says, “within my humble home.”
Sibley first attracted fans after placing as a finalist in the 2017 Pride’s Got Talent contest which culminated in a performance in Trafalgar Square. In 2018 the single “Once Upon a Time” qualified in the Eurovision National Finals in Moldova and in 2020 the track “Wildfire” was also named. His six-song debut EP, Holiday Love, was released in 2019.