# Best indie rock and DIY songs, artists, bands, playlists - Link: https://indierockcafe.com/ - Published: 2021-03-05T04:21:05-05:00 - Author: IRC Staff Loading latest posts… Latest Posts [⌊ripmagic⌉⌊ripmagic⌉[ [IRC Weekly Roundup — RIP Magic, Driveway Ceiling, Radio Free Alice](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/11/irc-tuesday-roundup-rip-magic-driveway-ceiling-radio-free-alice-las-animas/) 11/04/2026 New indie releases, overdue discoveries and a reason to buy music this Friday. November’s first IRC roundup starts with a… [⌊Dove-Ellis-indierock⌉⌊Dove-Ellis-indierock⌉[ [Artist Spotlight – Dove Ellis receives kudos for debut release](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/11/artist-spotlight-dove-ellis/) 11/02/2026 The Galway-born songwriter brings a bold voice and restless folk-rock ideas to one of 2025’s most acclaimed debuts. Dove Ellis,… [⌊mary in the junkyard⌉⌊mary in the junkyard⌉[ [Best 2026 Indie Debuts, Vol. III: Mary in the Junkyard](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/best-2026-indie-debuts-vol-iii-mary-in-the-junkyards-strange-spellbinding-world/) 10/24/2026 Mary in the Junkyard spent years on London’s small stages before making their first album. On Role Model Hermit, the… [⌊ovven⌉⌊ovven⌉[ [Best 2026 Indie Debuts, Vol. II – ‘Gnawing at the Cord’ by Nashville’s Ovven](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/best-2026-indie-debuts-vol-ii-nashville-ovven/) 10/23/2026 Songwriter Owen Burton records as Ovven. His debut album, Gnawing at the Cord, brings a love of guitar music and… [⌊irc-five-indie-bands-to-watch-2027⌉⌊irc-five-indie-bands-to-watch-2027⌉[ [5 Bands to Watch in 2027 – Girl Scout, Hiding Places, Bleary, Mildred and TGAB](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/5-indie-bands-to-watch-in-2027-girl-scout-hiding-places-more/) 10/23/2026 Five debut albums, ten songs to start with, and new discoveries for fans of indie rock, shoegaze, jangle-pop and Americana.… [⌊Elias Avila⌉⌊Elias Avila⌉[ [Best 2026 Indie Debuts, Vol. I – Loose’s ‘Life Is Really Not So Good’](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/best-2026-indie-debuts-vol-i-eclectic-la-musician-looses-life-is-really-not-so-good/) 10/21/2026 Some debut records arrive after years spent helping other people get their music onstage. That’s the background behind Loose, the… [⌊frampton⌉⌊frampton⌉[ [Music documentaries: Peter Frampton and supergroup Hollywood Vampires](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/10-lives-studios-music-documentaries-about-peter-frampton-and-supergroup-hollywood-vampires/) 10/21/2026 If your idea of a good festival weekend involves guitars, band stories and a few familiar names doing something unexpected,… [⌊new-indie-release-stenn-deare⌉⌊new-indie-release-stenn-deare⌉[ [Style-diverse New Zealand musician Stenn Francis-Deare’s ‘There’s A Lot To Give’](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/style-diverse-new-zealand-musician-stenn-francis-deares-theres-a-lot-to-give/) 10/20/2026 New Zealand songwriter Stenn Francis-Deare grew up in rural Whatawhata surrounded by musicians and artists, with a range of styles… The Ultimate Road Trip Playlist [IRC's Essential Roadtrip Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Mcj4ZtsknC3Bsk6hRvJ5d?si=6fe5720fe8ed4b67&nd=1&dlsi=f9b968960a794621) Mega road-trip playlist carefully curated, with love, over many years, featuring IRC's favorite indie music and artists, as well as phenomenal world music, classic rock, blues, country and some oldies. A Decade Ago: 2016 Indie [⌊firetothestars-staydown2⌉⌊firetothestars-staydown2⌉[ [Best Indie Rock DIY Debuts of 2016, Vol. III – Fire to the Stars, CrashDive, Paper Monsters, The Falling Birds, Cave Wars](https://indierockcafe.com/2017/03/2016-best-indie-diy-debuts-vol-iii/) 03/03/2017 The first two installments of the Best Indie Rock DIY Debuts of 2016 (That You Probably Didn't Hear), Vol. I… [⌊best indie debuts⌉⌊best indie debuts⌉[ [Best Indie Rock Debuts of 2016, Vol. II – Peyote Coyote, Candy Cigarettes, Economy Island, Hiels, and COUNCIL](https://indierockcafe.com/2017/02/indie-rock-debuts-2016-vol-ii/) 02/03/2017 There were so many under-the-radar indie and DIY debut albums dropped in 2016 that we need to share some more… [[ [Best Indie Rock DIY Debuts of 2016, Vol. I – Buttness, Small Culture, Them Coulee Boys, Marvelous Mint, Nervouschain](https://indierockcafe.com/2017/01/best-indie-rock-debuts-albums-2016/) 01/05/2017 It's amazing how quickly everyone gets back to the day-to-day right after the end of the winter holidays. And especially… DIY - Hypebot ![Loading RSS Feed](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-retriever/ inc/imgs/ajax-loader.gif) [more fest news →](https://indierockcafe.com/music-festival-2023) #### WTF!#@? Santa?! Alternative Christmas Playlist HallowScream Halloween Indie PL Albums of the Week ![Loading RSS Feed](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-retriever/ inc/imgs/ajax-loader.gif) Check out a collection of some of IRC's most popular album reviews over the past nearly 20 years. [more album reviews →](https://indierockcafe.com/new-releases) [⌊ripmagic⌉⌊ripmagic⌉[ [IRC Weekly Roundup — RIP Magic, Driveway Ceiling, Radio Free Alice](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/11/irc-tuesday-roundup-rip-magic-driveway-ceiling-radio-free-alice-las-animas/) 11/04/2026 New indie releases, overdue discoveries and a reason to buy music this Friday. November’s first… [⌊Dove-Ellis-indierock⌉⌊Dove-Ellis-indierock⌉[ [Artist Spotlight – Dove Ellis receives kudos for debut release](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/11/artist-spotlight-dove-ellis/) 11/02/2026 The Galway-born songwriter brings a bold voice and restless folk-rock ideas to one of 2025’s… [⌊mary in the junkyard⌉⌊mary in the junkyard⌉[ [Best 2026 Indie Debuts, Vol. III: Mary in the Junkyard](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/best-2026-indie-debuts-vol-iii-mary-in-the-junkyards-strange-spellbinding-world/) 10/24/2026 Mary in the Junkyard spent years on London’s small stages before making their first album.… ![Loading RSS Feed](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-retriever/ inc/imgs/ajax-loader.gif) [more uk music →](https://indierockcafe.com/uk-indie-rock-music) Best of IRC Archives * [IRC Weekly Roundup — RIP Magic, Driveway Ceiling, Radio Free Alice](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/11/irc-tuesday-roundup-rip-magic-driveway-ceiling-radio-free-alice-las-animas/) * [Artist Spotlight – Dove Ellis receives kudos for debut release](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/11/artist-spotlight-dove-ellis/) * [Best 2026 Indie Debuts, Vol. III: Mary in the Junkyard](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/best-2026-indie-debuts-vol-iii-mary-in-the-junkyards-strange-spellbinding-world/) * [Best 2026 Indie Debuts, Vol. II – ‘Gnawing at the Cord’ by Nashville’s Ovven](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/best-2026-indie-debuts-vol-ii-nashville-ovven/) * [5 Bands to Watch in 2027 – Girl Scout, Hiding Places, Bleary, Mildred and TGAB](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/5-indie-bands-to-watch-in-2027-girl-scout-hiding-places-more/) * [Best 2026 Indie Debuts, Vol. I – Loose’s ‘Life Is Really Not So Good’](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/best-2026-indie-debuts-vol-i-eclectic-la-musician-looses-life-is-really-not-so-good/) * [Music documentaries: Peter Frampton and supergroup Hollywood Vampires](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/10-lives-studios-music-documentaries-about-peter-frampton-and-supergroup-hollywood-vampires/) * [Style-diverse New Zealand musician Stenn Francis-Deare’s ‘There’s A Lot To Give’](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/style-diverse-new-zealand-musician-stenn-francis-deares-theres-a-lot-to-give/) * [5 Indie Bands to Watch in 2027](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/5-indie-bands-to-watch-in-2027/) [more genres →](https://indierockcafe.com/indie-alt-genres) [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) [Notable Indie Debut Albums](https://indierockcafe.com/category/notable-indie-debut-albums/) ## 󠀁[5 Bands to Watch in 2027 – Girl Scout, Hiding Places, Bleary, Mildred and TGAB](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/5-indie-bands-to-watch-in-2027-girl-scout-hiding-places-more/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[5 Indie Bands to Watch in 2027](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/5-indie-bands-to-watch-in-2027/)󠁿 [DIY Releases](https://indierockcafe.com/category/new-releases/diy-releases/) [Top 10 Songs](https://indierockcafe.com/category/top-10-songs/) ## 󠀁[Top 10 DIY Songs, Jan. 2022 – No Suits in Miami, Darksoft, Marquee Sullivan, 8Bit Wizrd &more](https://indierockcafe.com/2022/02/top-10-diy-songs-jan-2022/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[Band to Watch: Two Truths](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/11/band-to-watch-two-truths/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) [In Dee Mail](https://indierockcafe.com/category/in-dee-mail/) ## 󠀁[In Dee Mail Band Series 2021, Vol. I – Bliss Williams, Monrad, Hazey, Venray, Fletcher Milloy](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/05/in-dee-mail-band-series-2021/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[Band to Watch: Blue Vervain](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/05/the-enchanting-sultry-sounds-of-blue-vervains-north-carolina/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[Band to Watch: Hear In Color](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/05/local-band-spotlight-hear-in-color/)󠁿 [2020 Indie Songs](https://indierockcafe.com/category/2020-indie-songs/) [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[Band To Watch: Norwegian Surf Punk Duo The Bundy Bunch](https://indierockcafe.com/2020/01/norwegian-surf-punk-duo-the-bundy-bunch/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[Band to Watch: Cedarsmoke](https://indierockcafe.com/2019/12/band-to-watch-cedarsmoke/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[Band to Watch – Marble House](https://indierockcafe.com/2019/10/band-to-watch-marble-house/)󠁿 [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[Band to Watch: Ukrainian Indie Outfit Blake Maloka](https://indierockcafe.com/2019/08/bands-to-watch-ukraines-blake-maloka/)󠁿 [DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[2018 Band to Watch – Austin Indie Rockers Arrows to Fire](https://indierockcafe.com/2018/04/band-to-watch-austin-arrows-to-fire/)󠁿 [7 Bands You Gotta Hear](https://indierockcafe.com/category/indie-rock-mixtapes/7-bands-you-gotta-hear/) [Bands To Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[7 Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, Vol. VI – Analog, The Lukewarm, Bee Caves, The Post Age, The Revies, Stereo Off, Danny and Caroline](https://indierockcafe.com/2015/11/7-bands-youve-gotta-hear-vol-vi-analog-the-lukewarm-bee-caves-the-post-age-the-revies-stereo-off-danny-and-caroline/)󠁿 [DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. IX – Twin Peaks, Royal Forest, Thundercat, Drift Wood Miracle, Sensual Harassment](https://indierockcafe.com/2014/01/5-breakout-bands-in-2013-twin-peaks-royal-forest-thundercat-drift-wood-miracle-sensual-harassment/)󠁿 [DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. VIII – Hospital, Get Inuit, Mary Goes Wild, The Unassisted and Rascal Experience](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/12/5-overseas-diy-bands-to-watch-vol-v-hospital-get-inuit-mary-goes-wild-the-unassisted-and-rascal-experience/)󠁿 [2013 Best New Releases](https://indierockcafe.com/category/new-releases/2013-new-releases/) [DIY Releases](https://indierockcafe.com/category/new-releases/diy-releases/) ## 󠀁[Best Indie Singles, July 2013, Vol. I – Robert Pollard, Editors, Whirr, Twin Peaks](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/best-singles-albums-july-2013-vol-i-robert-pollard-editors-whirr-twin-peaks-the-march-divide-thundercat/)󠁿 [DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. VII – Dash, Cozy Danger, Timberhawk, Carry The Tradition and Flash Riot](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/5-diy-bands-to-watch-2013-vol-vii-dash-cozy-danger-timberhawk-radiation-city-and-flash-riot/)󠁿 [DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. VI – Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation, Controller, The Gallery, Daybreak Gentlemen, False Pterodactyl](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/5-diy-bands-to-watch-to-2013-vol-vi-jim-platts-rhythm-section-controller-the-gallery-daybreak-gentlemen-false-pterodactyl/)󠁿 [DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. V – Copies, Plastic Animals, Carson, Monkeybird, Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/04/5-diy-bands-to-watch-vol-v-copies-plastic-animals-carson-monkeybird-sictor-valdana/)󠁿 [DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/) ## 󠀁[5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. IV – White Like Fire, Aware Wolf, Peace Arrow, Raheem Cohen, and Spoons & Chopsticks](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/03/5-diy-bands-to-watch-vol-iv-white-like-fire-aware-wolf-peace-arrows-raheem-cohen-and-spoons-chopsticks/)󠁿 Pitchfork Reviews ![Loading RSS Feed](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-retriever/ inc/imgs/ajax-loader.gif) Bands to Watch * [5 Bands to Watch in 2027 – Girl Scout, Hiding Places, Bleary, Mildred and TGAB](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/5-indie-bands-to-watch-in-2027-girl-scout-hiding-places-more/) * [5 Indie Bands to Watch in 2027](https://indierockcafe.com/2026/10/5-indie-bands-to-watch-in-2027/) * [Band to Watch: Two Truths](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/11/band-to-watch-two-truths/) * [In Dee Mail Band Series 2021, Vol. I – Bliss Williams, Monrad, Hazey, Venray, Fletcher Milloy](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/05/in-dee-mail-band-series-2021/) * [Band to Watch: Blue Vervain](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/05/the-enchanting-sultry-sounds-of-blue-vervains-north-carolina/) * [Band to Watch: Hear In Color](https://indierockcafe.com/2021/05/local-band-spotlight-hear-in-color/) * [Band To Watch: Norwegian Surf Punk Duo The Bundy Bunch](https://indierockcafe.com/2020/01/norwegian-surf-punk-duo-the-bundy-bunch/) [more indie bands →](https://indierockcafe.com/indie-bands-artists/) Indie That Will Last the Ages... ![Loading RSS Feed](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-rss-retriever/ inc/imgs/ajax-loader.gif) [more DIY bands →](https://indierockcafe.com/indie-bands-artists) **19 years 100% independent. A leading blog of the bloggers' era. Served posts and playlists to tens of millions of music lovers worldwide. One of the few truly DIY blogs still being hosted - mostly for archival reasons.**