How do you categorize a cultural movement in the wake of a seismic event? In New York City, the appalling attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 created a climate in which disparate musicians combined a sense of apocalypse with an urge to party like it was 1999. In hindsight, that movement came to be known as “indie sleaze.”
In the wake of September 11th, dozens of New York-based bands – including LCD Soundsystem, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Rapture, LIARS, Interpol and TV On The Radio – sprang up with a vengeance. A sense of unity in a dark time sparked a rampant creativity that was felt across the country and around the globe. International groups such as the Faint, CSS, Bloc Party, the Libertines, MSTRKRFT and Chromeo shared the New Yorkers’ aesthetics, blending the discopunk styling of Gang of Four with the rock ethos of the Velvet Underground and a tinge of the slacker indie-rock vibes of Pavement and Guided By Voices.
Fast-forward a couple of decades: the punk-inspired movement of the early Aughts caught a new spark during the dark, uncertain times of the pandemic. This time, instead of local scenes emerging IRL with warehouse parties and sweaty nightclubs, platforms including SoundCloud and social media are fueling a return of the spirit of 2001 with a modern twist, fusing hyperpop and vaporwave with the punky, dance-y ethos of the turn of the millennium.
Playing a pivotal role in catapulting the subcultural movement’s next wave into the mainstream, Charli XCX’s sixth solo album ‘Brat’ is infiltrating everything from trending-again Y2K aesthetics to the 2024 political landscape, with the single “Von dutch” pulling from elements of hyperpop, bloghouse and electroclash to bring a high-energy burst of indie-sleaze-infused nostalgia to the masses.
Elsewhere at the center of this resurgence is the dare, a Brooklyn-based musician who boldly leans into the electroclash rhythms that soundtrack the best late-night warehouse parties. New York City’s Fcukers are making waves with their house beats, booming basslines and the effortlessly cool vocal stylings of the group’s lead singer, Shanny Wise. Across the pond in London, Master Peace leans into his edgy pop-meets-vaporwave approach. And Snow Strippers, a duo that formed in Detroit in 2021, embrace elements of hyperpop and electropop. We’ve compiled a collection of tracks that loosely (and unconventionally) define the next wave of indie sleaze, transporting you to a dark DIY dance party in a city far away.
LISTEN TO THE INDIE SLEAZE'S NEXT WAVE PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
the dare, “Good Time”
The one-man band of Harrison Patrick Smith doesn’t mince words: “Let’s have some fun tonight/’Cause we’re all on the brink of suicide”
Master Peace, “Santiladang”
Rolling Stone UK aptly describes this track as splitting the difference “between Pete Doherty and M.I.A.”
Charli XCX, “Von dutch"
Appearing on the explosive ‘Brat’ album, the EASYFUN-produced single sees the UK phenom callback to the iconic 2000s fashion brand, boasting on the chorus, “Von Dutch, cult classic, but I still pop”.
Snow Strippers, “So What If I'm A Freak”
The duo of Tatiana Schwaninger and Graham Perez were featured on Lil Uzi Vert’s “Pink Tape” album in 2023.
Fcukers, “Bon Bon"
Nineties dance is the North Star for this fast-rising New York City band.
she loves boon 🖤, “boy of your dreams”
The artist behind this one-man project writes about “insecurities of not being enough and insecurities of being bigger than life”.
Riovaz, “crying at the Orgy”
This Jersey City newcomer got his first taste of connection when his very first song (at age 13!) scored 60,000 listens on SoundCloud.
babymorocco, “Really Hot”
The English producer first found notoriety with a performance art project called “Art School Stole My Virginity”.
Tommy Fleece, “Safer Sex”
He established himself as a resident artist at Assemble Sound, a collaborative studio in an old church in Detroit.
MISOGI, “Endless (Crash Into Me)”
This London-based creative borrowed his stage name from the Japanese purification ritual of washing the entire body.
MISOGI, “GOSSIP (AIKA Remix)"
He’s inspired by a huge range of styles, from trap to showgaze.
damon r., “blush [2019]”
Talk about a throwback: “I’m a mall rat,” the producer repeats on this definitive 2019 track.
aldrch, “afters”
Signed to Epitaph, the artist born Sam Richman finds freedom in marrying “genres that otherwise wouldn’t be combined”.
4evr, “Affect”
The Minneapolis producer Michael Santoni studied social media marketing and digital strategy at Santa Clara University.
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