10 Rising Indie Rock Bands Killing It in 2017

In recent years, rock music has become an afterthought in the popular spectrum. And regardless of the official tally, there's no denying that genres like rap and country music have exploded in popularity, while rock music has leaned on established groups to carry the torch. 

But before penning your next "rock is dead" hot take, consider this list. Even if rock stars aren't topping the charts or clogging your timeline with arena tours, that doesn't mean there's not a thriving scene built on raw energy and mainstream resistance. Rock music is a thriving force in cities like Philadelphia and D.C., and the sound is spreading. Get familiar with a few of the bands leading the charge.

Philadelphia's Sheer Mag have graduated from the basement show circuit and are destroying stages across America. The band has been releasing EPs since 2014, and its all built to this moment: Their debut album, Need to Feel Your Love, arrived on July 14. The run-up was marked by two singles—"Just Can't Get Enough" and the awe-inspiring title track. Their songs are tight, riff-heavy constructions that orbit lead singer Tina Halladay's searing vocals and Kyle Seely's guitar, tornadoes of distortion touching down amidst some truly impressive songwriting.

Sheer Mag is the raw material of a thriving DIY scene, and they're transitioning to a national audience seamlessly. They released the Compilation (I, II, & III) album in March, giving new fans a chance to catch up on their material thus far, before the album dropped. Then they channeled '80s rock legends Thin Lizzy with "Just Can't Get Enough" in May, but the album itself shows a breadth of skills and influence that has this quintet poised for long-term success.

Crumb turned heads with last year's self-titled EP, and last month's "Plants" might be their strongest release to date. The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Boston quartet combines creative bass lines and crisp guitar work for a truly unique sound.

Lead singer Lila Ramani's vocals and lonesome lyrics are a perfect fit for the off-kilter chord changes, but this is truly a group effort. "Plants" is a necessary to any downtempo summer playlist. Their Locket EP displays the full breadth of their talent—the band is taking chances with tempo, time signature, and performance, and it's all working beautifully. 

Back in 2013, Michelle Zauner, the front woman of Philadelphia indie punk band Little Big League​, released a tape called June as Japanese Breakfast, packed with a track written each day that month. It wasn't until last year that she released her debut album as Japanese Breakfast, and this year's Soft Sounds From Another Planet is special.

As Japanese Breakfast, Zauner shows off her ear for sparkling pop melodies, and although the heavy use of reverb recalls shoegaze bands, her voice is never lost in the swirling clouds of sound. With cutting lyricisim and a gentle intimacy, Soft Sounds From Another Planet is slowly emerging as one of 2017's most addictive albums.

Stephen Hall created Pinegrove while at Kenyon College, and their debut album Cardinal quickly marked the group as one of rock's exciting new voices. This year the band returned with Elsewhere, the live performance album partner to their debut. Like any great rock band, they've already realized the paramount importance of the live show. Pinegrove comes from the venerated rock haven of Montclair, New Jersey, and they're on track to be one of its biggest names, thanks in no small part to Hall's deceptively devastating lyrics. Get familiar with Cardinal below:

HINDS has been one of our favorite new rock bands for some time now—after the release of last year's excellent Leave Me Alone, they've been busy touring the world, getting major soundtrack placements, and recording their second album. There's an undeniable positive energy to HINDS' music—they're playing their hearts out at every show, and all signs point to this next release taking HINDS to the next level. 

Get to know HINDS in our digital cover story.

It takes some guts to drop out of high school and pursue music full-time, but Public Access TV's lead vocalist and guitarist John Eatherly did just that. He started by playing drums with the Nashville band Be Your Own Pet before heading to NYC and starting his own band. The wheels started turning almost immediately, as Public Access TV's debut single "Monaco" paved the way for 2016's excellent Never Enough album. Since then, Public Access T.V. has toured the East Coast and the U.K., opening for acts like Weezer, The Strokes, and The Killers along the way. 

Political disarray and activism take center stage on Priest's latest studio album, Nothing Feels Natural. This is their first studio album, though the D.C. punks have proved their worth on previous EP's like Tape 1 or Tape 2, both of which have words for elected officials. But there's a new energy and anger in this February release that make it a must-listen. Tracks like "Jj" and "Pink White House" have the band spreading their wings to incorporate pieces of surf and indie rock. It's an ambitious album, and they pull it off in style without sacrificing the band's punky core. 

Girlpool's 2015 release Before the World Was Big landed on year-end lists throughout the internet, a breath of fresh rock from two L.A. teens just figuring shit out. Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad returned in 2017 with a more polished version of their signature guitar-and-bass sound with Powerplant, a full album of quirky, catchy hooks and a newly acquired intensity.

Songs like "Soup" and "Static Somewhere" sound more like Nirvana than Kimya Dawson, but they've retained the breezy style that made their early work so inviting: the first ten songs on Powerplant are all under three minutes long and include anthemic tributes to heartsickness like "123" and "Your Heart." But Powerplant is an album of surprising depth despite the short runtime, a perfect combination for our impatient age. 

When it comes to indie rock, CENDE has the makings of a supergroup. The Brooklyn band boasts members from Porches (Cameron Wisch) and LVL UP (Greg Rutkin), and is rounded out by Dave Medina and Bernard Casserly. The four have been playing music for a few years, but 2016's self-titled EP set the stage for bigger things. 

Their debut album arrived in May—#1 Hit Single is a flurry of driving drums, bendy guitars, and soaring vocals. It's one of the best rock releases of the year. 

Snail Mail's lead singer and guitarist Lindsey Jordan was only a junior in high school when she penned the tracks for the band's debut EP Habit. Led by the drowsy, youthful power of "Thinning," the Maryland-based singer and her band have spent the last year mesmerizing live audiences, most notably at SXSW.

Habit is only six tracks long, but each song showcases the band's wide-ranging abilities—Jordan's sleepy vocals are capable of passionate, ferocious crescendos, and the bare, jangly interplay between guitar and percussion is the perfect bleak backdrop. Check out the video for "Thinning" below and listen to Habit available on Spotify and Apple Music.