New releases, music videos and album news — indie, rap, rock and pop. Always covering Ren, Chris Webby, Sam Tompkins, bbno$, CHINCHILLA, Muse, Yungblud and more.
A decade on from her iconic debut, seeing Courtney Barnett live reaffirmed that she is the foundation of modern indie
Courtney Barnett’s live performance at Bristol Beacon reaffirmed the writer’s view that her songwriting and guitar playing helped shape modern indie. A decade after her acclaimed debut, the show also highlighted how alternative music has gained greater recognition and connection with mainstream audiences.
The writer recalls how Barnett’s 2015 album, *Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit*, paired sharp, observant lyrics with music ranging from delicate to raucous. They say its themes of loneliness and anxiety resonated with millennials at a time when alternative music felt marginalised. Barnett played a one-hour-and-45-minute set; for the writer, seeing her live after years of missed chances made the occasion feel hopeful.
In short
- Barnett’s Bristol show celebrated a decade of influential songwriting.
- Her debut helped listeners feel less alone.
- The writer sees alternative music gaining wider recognition.
Explained simply
Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist whose 2015 debut album brought her wider attention. Its conversational lyrics observed everyday life and touched on loneliness and anxiety, set to music that ranged from quiet to loud.
Barnett emerged from the independent music scene, where artists and record labels often work outside the biggest commercial companies. Her guitar-led songs and direct style reached listeners beyond that scene, as alternative music became more visible to mainstream audiences. Her career offers a way to understand how those musical boundaries have shifted over the past decade.