Did You Hear Blondshell’s Album? Inside a Great Year for Indie-Rock

Boygenius-mania was only the most visible sign of the fantastic year indie-rock had in 2023, with strong albums from newcomers (Blondshell, Kara Jackson), established stars (Mitski) and veterans (Wilco, the National). In the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, we go through some highlights of the year in indie albums.

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Jon Dolan, Angie Martoccio, and Simon Vozick-Levinson join host Brian Hiatt for the discussion. Among many other topics, we touch on Mitski’s surprise hit “My Love Mine All Mine,” which our panelists agree isn’t even the best song on the album it came from, This Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We. The panel spends some time talking about Blondshell’s sharp, witty self-titled debut — and whether she’s poised for Boygenius-level success. Also discussed: albums by Bonny Down, Ian Sweet, Wednesday, and many more. To hear the full episode, go here for the podcast provider of your choice, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or just press play above.

Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone‘s weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). Check out six years’ worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth, career-spanning interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Halsey, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Ice Cube, Taylor Hawkins, Willow, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Dua Lipa, Questlove, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Charlie Puth, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, and Gary Clark Jr. And look for dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters.