# 1 - Sigur Rós
I'll just go ahead and get this one out of the way. If you're a big fan of indie music, you've likely already heard of Sigur Rós. The critically acclaimed Icelandic post-rock group released their debut album Von in 1997; while this album went relatively unnoticed, it laid the groundwork for future releases like Ágætis Byrjun and () which launched the group into superstardom. To this day, Ágætis Byrjun is one of my favorite albums of all time. This band's music isn't just good; it's extraordinary. It's well-crafted. It's ambitious. It's spiritual. They certainly deserve a spot in your rotation.#2 - Rosalía
If you kept up with my 2018 Albumpalooza and/or read my review of James Blake's Assume Form, you're familiar with the name Rosalía. Rosalía is a fairly popular and immensely talented singer-songwriter from Catalonia, Spain. Her debut album Los Ángeles was a conceptual and breath-taking collection of folk songs—rooted in flamenco tradition, but reimagined through a contemporary lens. Her newest release El Mal Querer took the same idea even further, resulting in an extremely successful and impressive crossover between flamenco and contemporary pop. Rosalía is a forward-thinking artist with a very special career ahead of her. I recommend you come along for the ride.
#3 - Gwenno
Gwenno Saunders is an indie pop artist from Cardiff, Wales. She started off as a member of the indie pop group The Pipettes, but her solo career has since taken off. While her 2012 solo breakout EP Ymbelydredd was written entirely in Welsh, she's also fluent in Cornish—a newly-revived language that's been nearly extinct for over 200 years. In fact, her 2018 record Le Kov was written entirely in Cornish. The album explores Cornish culture and serves as a protest to the British government cutting funding towards the Cornish language. Gwenno is such a thoughtful and talented artist. If dreamy, psychedelic electropop with infectious vocal melodies is your cup of tea, Gwenno is an artist you should know about.
#4 - Pascal Pinon
Pascal Pinon is another prodigious band from Iceland. Twin sisters Ásthildur and Jófríður Ákadóttir formed the group about ten years ago, and the rest is history. They have yet to release a lackluster record. Their self-titled debut was a collection of thoughtful and soothing acoustic ballads, often accompanied by graceful flutes and glockenspiels. Stylistically, the group's sophomore album Twosomeness was in the same vein; however, it was distinguished by its noteworthy improvements in production and overall quality. Even still, their latest release Sundar is the pinnacle of their career thus far. It's fragile and melancholy—distinguished by the twins' breathtaking harmony. Don't let this group fly under your radar.#5 - Chinese Football
Chinese Football is an indie emo/math rock group hailing from Wuhan, China. If you're like me, you might be wondering what the correlation is (if any) between this group and the band American Football. Chinese Football frontman Xu Bo actually did an interview with Fecking Bahamas where he addressed this pretty thoroughly. If you're interested, you can read that interview here. While this group's music is by no means groundbreaking and avant-garde, they're great at what they do. Their self-titled debut and 2017 EP Here comes a new challenger! are both jam-packed with gorgeous melodies and tight rhythms. Go check them out!
#6 - Maria Arnal and Marcel Bagés
Like Rosalía, this dynamic indie folk duo is also from Catalonia, Spain. Their diverse musical backgrounds play a big part in their unique sound. Arnal grew up listening mostly to zarzuela and Christmas music, while Bagés was inspired by everything from sardana to free jazz. It's amazing what this duo accomplishes using only a voice and a guitar; Arnal's vocals are arresting and Bagés's guitar playing is phenomenal. The music they create is remarkably dynamic. Their full-length debut 45 Cerebros y 1 Corazón is an emotional record centered around the Spanish Civil War, and it's one of my favorite albums of 2017. I can't wait to see what's next for these two.
#7 - Natalia Lafourcade
Hailing from Mexico City, Natalia Lafourcade is easily one of the biggest Latin American pop rock singers of our time—and for good reason. Her music is top-tier. She has an incredibly extensive musical background; both of her parents were both renowned musicians, and she's been studying music most of her life. Her solo debut in 2003 garnered a lot of attention, and she's shown nothing but growth since. Her past two releases are installments in a series called Musas: Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de Los Macorinos (translated: Muses: A Tribute to Latin American Folklore in the hands of Los Macorinos). Both of these records serve as magnificent and euphoric tributes to Latin American folk music. Musas Vol. 2 was the first album I ever heard from her and I was tremendously impressed. Natalia Lafourcade is unbelievably talented and versatile; I'd recommend her music to just about anyone.
#8 - Mid-Air Thief (공중도둑)
I actually didn't know who this artist was until earlier this year, but his newest album stopped me in my tracks. Mid-Air Thief is a South Korean indie solo artist who wonderfully melds folk with experimental electronic music. While the producer has released several projects in the past under different monikers (Hyoo and Public Morality), it wasn't until 2018 that he released his first album under the moniker Mid-Air Thief. Crumbling (무너지기) is a critically-acclaimed collaborative record between Mid-Air Thief and Korean singer Summer Soul. The two artists complement each other exceptionally well—layering beautiful harmonies over astonishing soundscapes. I've been obsessed with this album ever since I discovered it. In fact, I'm going to listen to it right now. If exquisite indie folktronica is in your wheelhouse, Mid-Air Thief is an artist you should be listening to.
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