Indie Basement is a weekly column on BrooklynVegan focusing on classic indie and alternative artists, “college rock,” and new and current acts who follow a similar path. There are reviews of new albums, reissues, box sets, books and sometimes movies and television shows. I’ve rounded up January’s best music, highlighting my favorite songs and albums, plus links to relevant features and news, a monthly playlist, and more.
Somehow we’re already a month into 2026 and it’s off to a bang, musically. This was an especially fertile one for new songs. I reviewed 14 here — a mix of seasoned vets and newcomers — but I probably could’ve taken it up to 20. As far as albums go, I kept it to 10 which meant Sleaford Mods and Dry Cleaning didn’t quite make the cut.
I also made a playlist with those 14 songs, tracks from my albums of the month, and the rest of the great songs January had to offer and it’s available on three different streaming services. (Should I add Qobuz?) Listen to that below.
Meanwhile, the BV Interviews podcast is back in action after a holiday break, and so far we’ve got interviews with Sleaford Mods, Dry Cleaning and The Cribs.
And if you’re really behind on your music, here’s the Indie Basement Best of 2025 list.
Arctic Monkeys – “Opening Night”
If you ever wished Arctic Monkeys sounded more like Steely Dan, here you go: a thick tapestry of harmonies worthy of Pretzel Logic. After nearly a decade in the lounge, Alex Turner and crew are heading back to the rock club — albeit of the Fagen/Becker variety — and it suits Turner’s oblique wordplay and melodic instincts far better than that rumpled tux ever did. The first single from the HELP2 charity compilation, “Opening Night” isn’t tied to an upcoming Arctic Monkeys album. Some are theorizing this could be the band’s swan song, but I’m hoping it’s actually the opening salvo of a new era.
RIP Magic – “5words”
RIP Magic, the UK band led by Sorry’s electronics and production man Marco Pini, made their US live debut last December opening a run of LCD Soundsystem’s Knockdown Center shows. They were selling a white-label 12″ at the merch table with a handwritten note that read: “Produced by James Murphy.” Now out for everyone to hear, “5words” is a slow-build banger, heavy on the rhythm section before gradually incorporating layers of keyboards and electronic production. With its mix of organic and synthetic elements, it’s a perfect fit for DFA and makes me very eager to hear more.
Kim Gordon – “NOT TODAY”
In 2024, Kim Gordon released The Collective, an album unlike anything she’d made in her 40-year career. Her new album PLAY ME, once again made with producer Justin Raisen, continues her move into uncharted territory — but in a very different direction, if this first single is any indication. Where The Collective was glitchy and jagged, “NOT TODAY” is warm and melodic, and much of that comes down to Kim’s voice. “I started singing in a way I hadn’t sung in a long time, this other voice came out,” she says. “Pop” isn’t exactly the right word, but it’s not the wrong word either, and this style suits her beautifully.
Holy Fuck – “Evie”
Toronto band Holy Fuck have been mashing rock and dance together for over 20 years, and they’re still doing it better than just about anyone. The first single from their forthcoming sixth album is a monster, full of Can-like dynamism, oomph, and groove in the drums, a funky, driving bassline, and plenty of atmospheric touches. They describe the sound as an “infinity loop,” and you get what they mean, but they keep things engaging with dubby guitar lines, swirling synths, and distant vocals.
Robber Robber – “The Sound It Made”
’90s electronic music seems to be having a moment. Kneecap have been going all in (see elsewhere on this list), and here’s Vermont band Robber Robber, who channel Aphex Twin and The Prodigy — in a rock context — on “The Sound It Made.” They’re riding the throttle hard, but Nina Cates’ cool delivery provides a welcome contrast to the track’s maximalist tendencies. “As is the case with most of our music,” they say, “we were trying to let our instinct guide us and make something that felt visceral and immediate.” Mission accomplished. Come to daddy.
Hannah Lew – “Another Twilight”
After a decade leading minimal wave–inspired Bay Area band Cold Beat (and the knotty Grass Widow before that), Hannah Lew has gone solo. As in her previous projects, her clear, breathy vocals and delicately layered harmonies take center stage, perfectly matched to the ’80s-but-modern synthpop she crafts. “‘Another Twilight’ is a goodbye song,” says Lew. “It’s about coming to terms with change and being OK with it.” She makes parting sound like the sweetest sorrow.
Katie Alice Greer – “Expo ’70”
While she was a full-on wailer in Priests, Katie Alice Greer is taking a calmer path on her recent solo material. Inspired by the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka and made with producer and sound engineer Megan Searl (Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift), “Expo ’70” floats on a cloud of mellotron flutes and Greer’s multitracked harmonies. When the acoustic guitars enter, the song really lifts off into the unknown. “Should I be living with my eyes closed?” she sings, making the proposition sound oddly appealing.
ADULT. – “No One Is Coming”
“You have two choices in this hellscape we’re living in right now, which is either fight or be depressed,” says Adam Lee Miller, one half of long-running Detroit electro duo ADULT. “Either one is OK. But the choice was simple.” His other half, Nicola Kuperus, makes things even clearer, chanting “No one is coming to your rescue!” over a fierce, frenetic beat that recalls John Lydon’s early PiL days or any number of Belgian bands circa 1987. Time to fight.
Kneecap – “Liar’s Tale”
Kneecap have been through a lot in the past year, including — but not limited to — drawing the ire of Sharon Osbourne and others for waving a Palestinian flag, Mo Chara being arrested on (ultimately dropped) terrorism charges, and getting banned from Canada. They’ve funneled all of that into their new singles, including “Liar’s Tale,” the first taste of their second album FENIAN. I’m not entirely sure what they’re saying — it’s mostly in Irish, though it sounds like British PM Keir Starmer is not a fan — but the fury comes through loud and clear. Producer Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg) sharpens the group’s love of rave into an irresistible, white-hot banger.
Jessie Ware – “I Could Get Used To This”
Jessie Ware is the reigning queen of lush, sophisticated, and unapologetically horny disco, but after two albums of tasteful hedonism, she dials things back slightly on the first single from her anticipated new album Superbloom. Floral imagery abounds on “I Could Get Used to This,” as Ware settles into the comfort of a fulfilling relationship. The flutes and strings recall Minnie Riperton, though the track remains firmly dancefloor-ready. I could get used to this, too.
deary – “Seabird”
After a handful of singles and an EP on shoegaze-centric label Sonic Cathedral, London trio deary have made the jump to Bella Union, run by former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde. Comparisons to his old band are hard to avoid on “Seabird,” as singer Dottie layers ethereal harmonies atop Ben Easton’s tidal wave of cerulean guitars. It may not quite be the Voice of God — and they’re clearly doing their own thing — but deary sound like they’ve got a direct line.
Penny Arcade – “Rear View Mirror”
I still miss Ultimate Painting, one of my favorite bands of the 2010s, who dissolved into a mysterious mist just before releasing their fourth album (which never officially came out but can be found out there). Both main members have stayed busy, though: Jack Cooper with the jazzy Modern Nature, and James Hoare sticking closer to his old band with Penny Arcade. That’s just fine. The hushed tones and minimal arrangements — especially those interlocking guitar lines floating over a vintage rhythm box — sound as warm and inviting as ever on “Rear View Mirror.”
Buck Meek – “Gasoline”
“Making words up while we made love / One month and she’s in my blood.” What a wonderful, sweet, and supremely intimate song this is, as Buck Meek captures that dizzy early rush of connection before asking, “Will it be me or will it be her to say I love you first?” He’s joined by backing vocals from former partner and current Big Thief bandmate Adrianne Lenker, and when Adam Brisbin’s ripping, ragged guitar solo hits, it’s the sonic equivalent of fireworks from that unforgettable first kiss.
MEMORIALS – “Cut Glass Hammer”
A wave of undulating synth arpeggios sounds like engines revving at the starting line before duo MEMORIALS explode into motion with motorik drumming, heavy acid-rock organ, and the ethereal twin vocals of Verity Susman (Electrelane) and Matthew Simms (Wire, It Hugs Back). “Nothing is exactly as it seems,” they sing on “Cut Glass Hammer,” inspired in part by a Yoko Ono exhibition at London’s Tate Modern. This precision-built machine is both powerful and fragile, hitting with maximum force while remaining beautifully delicate.
INDIE BASEMENT – 5 BEST ALBUMS OF JANUARY 2026
Lande Hekt – Lucky Now (Tapete)
Former Muncie Girls singer/guitarist Lande Hekt just keeps getting better with each solo album. Her third long-player is loaded with shimmering janglepop indebted to Flying Nun kiwi pop, Heavenly, The Pastels, Dolly Mixture, and other music you could call “twee,” which also matches Lande’s cardigan-clad style on the album’s artwork. That word is generally used as a pejorative, but Lucky Now is the best kind of twee — full of fantastic songs and confident performances that are winsome and thensome. Lande made the album with producer Matthew Simms of MEMORIALS (also Wire and It Hugs Back), who really nails the sound here — keeping her voice, harmonies, and melodies at the center, while the instrumentation remains appropriately sweet but not without muscle and moments of swirling atmosphere. It would be hard to make a bad record with songs like “Favourite Pair of Shoes,” “A Million Broken Hearts,” “My Imaginary Friend,” and the soaring title track. With Lucky Now, Lande is on par with The Beths and Alvvays.
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The Cribs – Selling a Vibe (Sonic Blew / PIAS)
Formed by brothers Ryan, Gary and Ross Jarman in the West Yorkshire city of Wakefield, The Cribs were one of many mid-’00s UK guitar bands to spring up in the wake of The Strokes and The Libertines — a scene they were often lumped in with but never quite felt part of. Survivors who made it through falling out of fashion, a stint with Johnny Marr as a second guitarist, moves to NYC (Ryan) and Portland (Gary), and more than a little record label bullshit, their bond has kept the trio together and remarkably consistent for over 20 years. Selling a Vibe is their ninth album, their first in six years, and further proof of The Cribs’ resilience and distinctive sound: perfectly shambolic guitars, melodies that pull from the earliest days of rock n’ roll, and their signature use of a spirited “Whoa-oh!” to punctuate a chorus. What’s heartening about The Cribs is both how little they’ve changed and how good these songs still sound.
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Plantoid – FLARE (Bella Union)
Brighton trio Plantoid made a strong impression with their 2024 debut album Terrapath, which mixed genres with wild abandon and refused to be constrained by labels. Well, maybe one genre united them all: “prog.” It was the kind of record where fans of Primus, Yes, Porcupine Tree, and Faith No More could find common ground. They’re now back with their second album which, at first glance, looks like more of the same — complete with a Stonehenge-esque rock formation and ancient runes on the cover. But the proggiest thing about this one is the album art. FLARE finds Plantoid focusing their sound into something less gangly. Make no mistake, Plantoid’s dazzling musicianship and love of unusual time signatures are still very much on display, but these nine songs feel like tentacles working in tandem, mixing skronky math rock with passages of jazzy, ethereal beauty. FLARE is somehow both further out and more grounded than their debut. Where you once had to give them credit for their chops — even if it was giving you whiplash — this album is a genuinely impressive, enjoyable listen.
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Whitelands – Sunlight Echoes (Sonic Cathedral)
“A few people on Reddit have been complaining about the state of shoegaze singers,” says Etienne Quartey-Papafio of London band Whitelands, “but I think that’s where Whitelands shines.” It’s hard to argue with that. Etienne says listening to Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter changed the way he sang after releasing the band’s 2024 debut, and he’s definitely not your average shoegaze frontperson. Born in Ghana before moving to the UK and discovering Slowdive, Etienne notes that people often assume he’s in a reggae band — but his powerful vocals are one of the most striking things about Whitelands and their excellent second album. While initially lumped in with the new shoegaze scene — and still signed to Sonic Cathedral, a label that focuses heavily on the genre — Sunlight Echoes finds them taking flight into pillowy dreampop territory. Some use “shoegaze” and “dreampop” interchangeably, but no one would confuse the gossamer beauty of “Songbird (Forever),” resplendent in swirling strings, with My Bloody Valentine or even Slowdive. Whitelands still pull off a loud-quiet-loud trick, though, via Etienne’s vocals: beautifully breathy in the verses, then going full-throated technicolor in a knockout chorus that practically demands you close your eyes and sway as it envelops you. Alongside Deary, Whitelands are the most exciting thing to happen to shoegaze in a while — even if they’ve already escaped its confines.
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Hot Face – Automated Response (Speedy Wunderground)
London trio Hot Face’s debut album opens with a song titled “Defenestration,” which is one of those words — like “triskaidekaphobia” — that I’m not sure why I know what it means, or why there’s a word for it at all. It means “the act of being thrown out a window,” and in this case it’s a perfect introduction to an album that starts with a smash and keeps flying through its breakneck 10-song, 25-minute runtime. Their snarling style is rooted in early UK punk (The Damned, The Adverts), by way of the ’00s rock revival (The Hives, The Libertines), and Automated Response ripples with electricity. That’s partially due to how Automated Response was made. Speedy Wunderground owner and indie megaproducer Dan Carey stumbled upon the band and, while at a festival in Amsterdam, pitched them an idea: record the album live to tape in three takes, with the final take performed in front of a live audience. Then came a twist — he later called to say he’d secured time at Abbey Road Studios the following week. They indeed bashed it out in a day, with Carey manipulating the sound live and leaving in any blemishes. Automated Response barrels ahead with a tightly curated tracklist where songs flow into each other like a relay race played with hot rods. Designed with the live show in mind, the album is wildly effective — and should sell a few concert tickets in the process. Come to the US, boys!
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Here’s the Indie Basement Best of January 2026 playlist in TIDAL (best sounding, less morally dicey), Apple Music, and for those who haven’t left it yet, Spotify:
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