Indie Album Recommendations

Mandy, Indiana is a noise rock band with French and English members Valentine Caulfield, Scott Fair, Simon Catling, and Alex Macdougall. Caulfield sings mostly in French. The band formed in Manchester in 2018 and released their debut album in 2023. Their name comes from Gary, Indiana, but they changed it to "Mandy" because they liked the sound. Mandy, Indiana's second album, *URGH*, was released in 2026 and finds each member participating in the songwriting process. The album was written during a studio residency outside Leeds and recorded across Berlin and Greater Manchester. *URGH* explores self-determination and resilience. Redveil, born Marcus Morton in Prince George's County, Maryland, is a rapper, songwriter, and producer. The 20-year-old often produces his own instrumentals. *Sankofa* is redveil's fourth album. *Sankofa*, released in late 2025, sees redveil bringing in live session musicians. The album title comes from the Akan tribe in Ghana, meaning "it is not taboo to go back and get what you forgot". Critics have noted jazz rap and neo-soul influences on *Sankofa*. McKinley Dixon was born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1995. He studied animation at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Dixon's music often discusses Blackness and healing. Dixon's albums *For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her* (2021) and *Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?* (2023) preceded his more recent work. *Magic, Alive!*, released in June 2025, explores themes of death, family, community, and resurrection. The album is about three kids who lose their best friend.