I’m not trying to cosplay as an angry drunk 1900’s author clacking away at the typewriter, but I’m writing with a drink in front of me for the first time and feel like Ernest Hemingway. I’m not an acclaimed novelist, or angry, just peeved that I didn’t love the new Steve Lacy.
Here’s an indiewave round-up of the best songs that released during the second quarter of 2026 (April 1-June 30):
Kurt Vile – “Zoom 97”
The new album Philadelphia’s been good to me is like a hangout movie where there isn’t a defined plot, but you enjoy tagging along because it’s fun to watch cool things happen to cool people. Each song settles into a new pocket of slacker rock and twangy pop before a feeling of spontaneity takes the wheel. The verses often feel more like chatting than singing. If he thought of a 1-2 liner he liked, maybe he’d talk it out a handful of times, but it never feels like a classic hook. It’s not all just an avant garde haze though. There are moments, like this, where the hitmaker in him shines through and makes you wanna roll around town with your windows down echoing “jump in my whip!”
Justend – “1997 camry”
“My baggy jeans size 48 / My Camry 1997 / Got family stuck up in the heavens / Grandma funeral service I was yelling at the reverend…”
This snippet looped through my Instagram like a scuffed vinyl so when the song finally dropped it was already a sing-along. It’s sticky like that, but also raw and introspective. He flows with a scrappy edge that reminds me of early Kanye, all the way down to the warped vintage soul production from frequent collaborator loe4t
Nirosta Steel – “BOSS TRIX (BENNY’S SONG)”
It feels weird to call a 69 year old man the it boy, yet Nirosta Steel is one of the buzziest names in the e-streets after the release of MY SKYSCRAPER. The album is quirky, which is to be expected of an Arthur Russell confidant, but it’s oozing with authenticity and feels like watching a documentary about the 1980’s NYC underground. “BOSS TRIX” is the star of the show. It’s effortlessly groovy and club ready if the place is cool enough. Elsewhere, there are patches of the record that unfold like gritty takes on the nocturnal ballads of The Blue Nile
Teilz – “17”
Allie Teilz is better known as a DJ and fashion designer, but every few years she drops her first name and puts out some swanky pop music that sounds like it should be mixed between The Ting Tings and LCD Soundsystem in an Indie Sleaze playlist. She’s got a nonchalant air, but between this and “Type of Girl” (2024), it’s clear she’s got an ear for what’s catchy
Josh da Costa – “Cordelia”
After years of steering Brooklyn cult favorites Regal Degal, Josh da Costa dropped his debut solo album New Wave Graveyard. He’s manned the kit for two of my favorite bands, MGMT and Drugdealer, so it makes sense that the drums hooked me. The new wave branding also tracks. I definitely get flashbacks to listening to New Order and The Cure to impress my dad, but there’s a brooding undercurrent as if Robert Smith was asked to score a stylish horror film
JW Francis – “I Guess I Really Needed You”
During my conversation with JW Francis, he told me that he was excited for people to hear a more serious side of him, so it’s no surprise that he led the album with this song. There are still glimpses into his usual bounciness once it gets going, but it’s lonely and vulnerable. I can picture him piecing it together while floating along the river in the darkest part of the night
That Graduate – “My Life”
Bromotion Bendencies is a 4-pack of B-sides so good that it’s hard to believe they originally got left on the cutting room floor. This one blends indie pop and 2000s indie rock, like Japanese Breakfast producing a Modest Mouse record
Jaguar Sun – “Let Go – veronicavon Remix”
This was already a standout from his March album Daisy, and veronicavon spins it into a web of warm electronics that could stick on a deluxe edition of the 2020 Washed Out album Purple Noon
Scotch Mist – “I Survived”
Their rendition of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” was one of the best songs I heard live in 2025. Long live Baby’s. Here, the Brooklyn trio trades Bowie for their own neon-soaked take on an 80s dancefloor
Minus 2 – “We Will Always Be”
LA-based duo of former Iowa State football players breaking down jock stereotypes one laid-back groove at a time. They offer something slick and surfy to the bedroom soul community
Nu Genea, Tom Misch – “Onenon”
I guess I’m officially a Tom Misch fan. He’s found a place in indiewave’s 2024 and 2025 year-end lists with his jazz-tinged soft rock where I went as far as to hail him as this generation’s John Mayer. His DJ alter ego Supershy is all over my seldom-used club mix. Now, he joins Italian duo Nu Genea to split the middle on one of my most played songs of the summer
Jungle – “The Wave”
If you gravitate toward feel good stuff that fuses retro grooves with warm electronics, then Jungle is canon. They’ve been running the mimosa soul lane since the 20-teens, and they’re clearly still refining the mix
Tim Atlas – “Anchor”
Indie hits “Wallflower” and “Courtside” made him a darling in the funky bedroom pop world, while most of the new EP Reverso explores his softer side. “Anchor” falls somewhere in between, sounding like a Mark Ronson remix of one of his own soul songs
Modern Nomad – “Interpretations”
There’s a pocket of 70s music that doesn’t fit cleanly into the classic, yacht, or southern rock buckets. A smarter man would know the name of the genre, but I’m thinking of Doobie Brothers, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Band. Modern Nomad joins Sam Evian and Djo in the growing wave of artists helping bring that sound back
Human Barbie – “Paradise”
Bon Iver fans will feel at home listening to his new album, but the title track is where the folky haze gives way to an easy groove. It’s the most approachable moment without leaving the experimental atmosphere
Darryl Rahn – “Hold Me Together”
For a while he’s been a prolific voice in indie twang, but this song personifies his new album Darryl, which takes on a slicker approach without straying too far
Beans – “Resister”
Australia is a hotbed for guitar music right now, so it’s not shocking that my favorite riff of the year comes from down under. This is real meat and potatoes psych rock
CASTLEBEAT – “Stay With Me”
Between Spirit Goth Records and CASTLEBEAT, Josh Hwang is one of the great modern purveyors of melancholic lo-fi pop music. Here, he takes a shot of optimism with glimmering guitars and a love filled plea
GRAZER – “A Wretch Like You”
Going from Spirit Goth head to Spirit Goth signee. I dragged my girlfriend to a Wild Nothing show a few weeks ago and now she won’t listen to anything else. I’m fairly confident I could slip this song into the mix without her noticing
After Louise – “Crybaby”
Proof that sometimes music is best when you keep things simple. She got her start on TikTok sitting on the floor with a keyboard and wired microphone, and I imagine that’s how this song was made, but it’s crisp and emotive without needing extra fluff
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