Indie + Electronic New Music Discovery

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - What’s new: KEXP’s weekly "New Music Reviews" (9/1, 9/8, 9/15 — and grouped on the Read/Archive pages) is a reliable, genre-spanning discovery feed highlighting notable new releases (examples below) and editorial picks DJs may add to rotation — read these for fast recommendations and short, reviewer-contextualized reasons to listen. (See KEXP: 9/1, 9/8, 9/15 /read index.)
- What’s useful for learners: three recent YouTube lessons give focused craft guidance — one argues against the myth “just do what sounds good” and urges structured study, another catalogs “famous” chords with usage examples, and a third delivers seven rhythm exercises to access polymeter and complex grooves — watch these for practical songwriting/rhythm workouts. (See videos linked below.)
- Why read/watch originals: KEXP gives curated listening leads across styles and new-artist comebacks; the videos give concrete, playable techniques (chord examples, exercises, a sample progression and tabs) that are directly actionable.
- Trend to note: heavy emphasis on genre-blending releases and on treating songwriting/rhythm as learnable skills (not purely inspiration/“magic”). Confidence: High.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS (max 5)

1) Weekly curated discovery remains a strong source for new releases
- Summary: KEXP’s "New Music Reviews" posts concise picks each week across indie, rock, jazz, electronic, punk and world-influenced releases — useful for quick discovery and for what DJs are adding to rotation.
- Sources: KEXP New Music Reviews (9/01/2025) — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/1/new-music-reviews-91/ ; (9/08/2025) — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/8/new-music-reviews-98/ ; (9/15/2025) — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/ ; Read index — https://www.kexp.org/read

2) Genre-blending is prominent in recent album releases
- Summary: Reviewers flag many albums that mix post‑punk/jazz/noise, psych/city‑pop/disco, jazz-hip-hop reimaginings and global fusion — a moment of cross-genre experimentation.
- Sources (sample mentions): Maruja — Pain to Power (post‑punk/jazz/noise) — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/ ; Kassa Overall — CREAM (jazz reworkings of hip-hop) — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/ ; Venna — MALIK (jazz/soul/Bossa/R&B) — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/8/new-music-reviews-98/

3) Notable comebacks and long-delayed releases are surfacing
- Summary: Several established acts released first albums in years (Algernon Cadwallader after 14 years; Ivy after 14 years; Prolapse after 26 years), signaling renewed activity and catalog interest.
- Sources: Algernon Cadwallader — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/ ; Ivy — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/8/new-music-reviews-98/ ; Prolapse — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/1/new-music-reviews-91/

4) Artists are shifting business strategies / labels noted in reviews
- Summary: Reviews call out independent label moves and new imprints (e.g., Hayley Williams launching Post Atlantic post–major label split), providing context for artist direction.
- Source: Hayley Williams — Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party / Post Atlantic — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/

5) Practical songwriting education pushes back on “do what sounds good” myth
- Summary: A YouTube lesson explicitly argues that telling beginners to “just do what sounds good” discourages study; it recommends learning, analyzing, and practice as the route to confidence — complemented by separate videos that teach named chords and rhythm exercises.
- Sources: “The BAD Advice That Musicians LOVE To Repeat” video — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJtA0REI7c ; “Famous Chords With Weird Nicknames” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHwYlzpdsRI ; Rhythm exercises — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoBTWll93yE

FACTS (verifiable)

• Statement: KEXP publishes weekly "New Music Reviews" summarizing new releases for rotation.

• Source Reference: KEXP — "New Music Reviews (9/1)" — "Each week, Music Director Chris Sanley and Associate Music Director Alex Ruder share brief insights on new and upcoming releases for KEXP's rotation." https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/1/new-music-reviews-91/

• Statement: Maruja released the album Pain to Power on Music For Nations (reviewed 9/15/2025).

• Source Reference: KEXP — "Maruja — Pain to Power (Music For Nations)" (review) https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/

• Statement: A YouTube video titled "The BAD Advice That Musicians LOVE To Repeat" was published 2025-09-22 and argues that telling beginners "do what sounds good" is harmful.

• Source Reference: YouTube video description/transcript, published 2025-09-22 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJtA0REI7c

• Statement: One video lesson catalogs ten chords/progressions with historic names (Neapolitan, backdoor, augmented sixth, Hollywood chord, Royal Road, Picardy third, etc.) and demonstrates using them in a composed progression.

• Source Reference: "Famous Chords With Weird Nicknames" video (2025-09-02) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHwYlzpdsRI

OPINIONS (subjective, attributed)

• Statement: "Maruja… True innovators, they deliver an intoxicating blend of post-punk, jazz, noise, and prog."
• Author: Chris Sanley (KEXP Music Director)

• Source Reference: KEXP New Music Reviews (9/15/2025) — https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/

• Statement: "I get legitimately angry when I hear people give this advice to beginning songwriters that they should just do what sounds good."

• Author: (YouTube video author) — from "The BAD Advice That Musicians LOVE To Repeat"

• Source Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJtA0REI7c

• Statement: "This chord progression (Royal Road) is immensely popular in Japanese music today and it has been for decades."

• Author: (YouTube video author) — from "Famous Chords With Weird Nicknames"
• Source Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHwYlzpdsRI

DISAGREEMENTS / CONTRASTS

• Concept: Beginner songwriting advice — intuition vs. study
• Source A Position: The YouTube lesson argues that telling beginners "just do what sounds good" is condescending and harmful because it discourages study; it recommends structured learning and practice as the reliable path to improvement.
  • Source: "The BAD Advice That Musicians LOVE To Repeat" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJtA0REI7c
• Source B Position: The same video acknowledges that experienced composers, when composing, "just do what sounds good" — i.e., intuition operates at later stages.
  • Source: "The BAD Advice..." — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJtA0REI7c
• Note: This is less a cross-source contradiction than a nuanced inside-source tension: intuition is fine for experienced makers; structured learning is recommended for beginners.

ADDITIONAL NOTES / HOW THIS HELPS “Music (just curious)” - If you want quick recommendations and what indie/public radio DJs are listening to: scan KEXP’s weekly "New Music Reviews" and the Read index (links above). They deliver concise pointers across many genres.
- If you want to learn songwriting technique or rhythm: watch the three YouTube lessons for concrete exercises, chord vocabulary and a counter-argument to the "talent-only" myth — they include examples, tabs, and a demo progression.
- Good starter questions to follow up with these resources: Which of these new releases appeared on KEXP charts? (KEXP charts link on each review page.) Which chord or rhythmic concept from the videos can I try this week in a 30‑minute practice session? Where can I find tabs/audio promised in the video (Patreon/links in video descriptions)? See the original pages for those follow-ups.

Primary sources (read/watch originals) - KEXP — New Music Reviews (9/1/2025): https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/1/new-music-reviews-91/
- KEXP — New Music Reviews (9/8/2025): https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/8/new-music-reviews-98/
- KEXP — New Music Reviews (9/15/2025): https://www.kexp.org/read/2025/9/15/new-music-reviews-915/
- KEXP Read index (latest & archive): https://www.kexp.org/read
- YouTube — The BAD Advice That Musicians LOVE To Repeat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvJtA0REI7c
- YouTube — Famous Chords With Weird Nicknames (SONGWRITING + MUSIC THEORY): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHwYlzpdsRI
- YouTube — 7 Simple Musical Exercises That Unlock Advanced Rhythm and Complex Groove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoBTWll93yE

Confidence: High in factual attributions to KEXP and the cited videos; interpretive syntheses (trends/implications) are high-confidence but intentionally concise.