Awesome Alternative

Lorde provides her take on Talking Heads’ cover of Al Green’s Take Me to the River. It’s chill and minimalist, but you can still chicken bop to it. The single is part of A24’s upcoming tribute album, which will feature covers of songs that Talking Heads played in their 1984 concert fil Stop Making Sense. The list of artists is on A24’s Instagram page.

On 3.11.2024, NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert dropped this excellent short performance by alt-rock band 311. Lead singer Nick Hexum and his bandmates sound as good as ever, with a four-song set that includes Beautiful Disaster, All Mixed Up, Amber, and Down. We always loved the way they blened rock, reggae, and funk sounds.

Musician Alex Melton is known for taking popular songs and changing up their genres. His cover of Van Halen’s Jump is unlike any we’ve heard before. His toned-down indie pop arrangement of the track imagines what the song might have been like if John Mayer or Hozier sang it. Melton’s version could totally be a hit on its own merits.

The twangy sound of a pedal steel guitar is invariably associated with country and bluegrass. But as Noah Faulkner proves, it’s perfectly capable of playing alternative and pop music in the hands of the proper musician. Sit back, click play, and enjoy his covers of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence, the Cure’s Just Like Heaven, and Don’t Dream Iit’s Over by Crowded House.

Radiohead and The Smiths are both English bands, and they’ve both taken up political and social causes in their music. But sonically, they couldn’t be more different – until now. Musician Desmond Doom took the restrained sounds of No Surprises and gave it the jangly guitar and vocal stylings of This Charming Man.

The Foo Fighters’ tune Everlong is damned near perfect the way it was recorded back in 1997. But if you slow it down to just the right speed, it might even be better. Maybe it’s just that we get to enjoy the song a little longer, but ARK’s speed-adjusted version of the track is simply stellar.

1980s and 1990s music fans will remember MTV’s 120 Minutes as the go-to show for the latest in alternative music. Thanks to fan Chris Reynolds, there’s now a YouTube playlist featuring the more than 2500 music videos that ran on the show between 1986 and 2003. We’re assuming he had a little help from this website.

“It’s been a long time since I made a new friend… waiting on another black summer to end.” The Red Hot Chili Peppers just dropped their first new song in six years. The intro track off their album Unlimited Love also marks the return of producer Rick Rubin and guitarist John Frusciante. The album drops 4.1.22.

(Flashing Images) Filmmaker Páraic McGloughlin’s abstract music video serves as the perfect complement to the driving rhythm and headphone-worthy sounds of Weval’s track Someday. The imagery and sounds reflect the fragility of our planet, and humanity’s desire to hold on.

Come for another enveloping tune by alt-folk singer/songwriter Tom Rosenthal, stay for the fantastic and eyecatching visuals by animator/illustrator Chloe Jackson, who blends a sort of 1970s Yellow Submarine sensibility with something uniquely her own.

“Have you ever seen a prawn cause a world war?” Indie pop band Superorganism brought their irresistibly cute music and performance to NPR Music. They played The Prawn Song, Night Time and Something for Your M.I.N.D., all from their self-titled album.

“How does it feel, to be your own deceiver? Signals raised, then lost to the aether.” People hide from an omnipresent light before succumbing to it in the music video for Son Lux’s Dangerous, from their awesome post-truth protest EP Remedy.

Eighteen year old frontman Pablo Muñoz and the rest of Boy Pablo stupidly look into the sun in their silly music video for Everytime. The Norway-based band’s dream pop is as näive, chill, and effortless as their demeanor here.

“Change my life just upon a whim, jump into the ocean and learn to swim.” The indie Indian duo’s bittersweet, yet fluffy sounds not only belong in a Wes Anderson movie, their music videos look the part. Don’t believe us?

“Oh, but I can hear you, loud in the center. Aren’t we made to be crowded together, like leaves?” Fleet Foxes’ latest album pushes the boundaries of folk while conducting a hopeful exploration of the dull blades of life.

If The Strokes and Cake had a baby, their offspring would be Car Seat Headrest. The band deftly melds founder Will Toledo’s sharp vocals and lyrics with raw garage rock, trumpet and trombone in this track from the new album Teens of Denial.

Band of Horses lets their freak flags fly in Ben Fee’s video for their awesomely catchy new single, set at a party filled with strange and wonderful creatures. It’s like the alt-pop version of Cantina Band. Lyrics here.

A trap track about drug addiction. Fiend is a collaboration between Troy Samuela and Monsoonsiren. It’s published by the Foreign Family Collective, the new music and visual arts label founded by electronica duo Odesza.

Milwaukee garage trio Violent Femmes’ first new original song in 15 years. We’re bummed original drummer Victor DeLorenzo is gone, but singer Gordon Gano’s distinctive voice has always been the hook for us. From the EP Happy New Year.

A decidedly more experimental effort from wonder producer and songwriter Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange, Cupid Deluxe features contributions from Clams Casino and Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors among others.

Come for the animation, stay for the song in the official music video for Massimo Giangrande’s alt-folk Paper Plane, brilliantly animated by Gianluca Maruotti, with paper-cut illustrations by Felicita Sala. Go behind the scenes here.

The Danish band Mew and B&O Play created an app that lets you hunt for and string together sounds to form a new song by the group. Sensory Spaces is a must if you’re already a frenger but fun for new listeners too.

One of two new songs included in Direct Hits, the upcoming greatest hits compilation by Vegas alt-rockers The Killers. If it sounds familiar, you must be a fan of M83: Shot at the Night was produced by Anthony Gonzalez.