Artists like The Thermals

Titus Andronicus is an American indie rock band formed in Glen Rock, New Jersey, in 2005. The band is composed of singer-lyricist-guitarist Patrick Stickles, guitarist Liam Betson, bassist R.J. Gordon, keyboardist Mike Carson, and drummer Chris Wilson. The group takes its name from the Shakespeare play Titus Andronicus, and has cited musical and stylistic influences such as Neutral Milk Hotel and Pulp.

The Hold Steady is an American rock band formed in Brooklyn, New York, in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn, Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), Franz Nicolay (keyboards) and Steve Selvidge (guitar). Noted for their "lyrically dense storytelling," and classic rock influences, the band's narrative-based songs frequently address themes such as drug addiction, religion and redemption, and often feature recurring characters based within the city of Minneapolis.

Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s and were at the forefront of the indie rock scene at the time. The band's lineup consists of singer-guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Laura King. They are known for their energetic, high-velocity style and strong DIY ethic.

Tapes 'n Tapes was an indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Formed in the winter of 2003 at Carleton College, the band are best known for their 2005 debut album The Loon, which featured the singles "Insistor" and "Cowbell". The band were stylistically compared to bands such as the Pixies and Pavement – and, at the time of their mid-2000s success, were compared to their then-contemporaries Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The band released three studio albums before quietly disbanding in 2012; they briefly reunited between 2019 and 2020.

Les Savy Fav is an American indie rock band based in New York City. Their style is influenced by art punk and post-hardcore. The group is known for the stage presence of lead singer Tim Harrington. The band is signed to Frenchkiss Records, which is owned by the band's bassist, Syd Butler.

The Weakerthans are a Canadian indie rock band from Winnipeg. The band, led by John K. Samson, has released four studio albums and is currently inactive.

The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band, formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Presented as a musical collective and supergroup of singer-songwriters and musicians from multiple projects, the band currently consists of Carl Newman, Neko Case (vocals), John Collins (bass), Todd Fancey (guitar), and Kathryn Calder.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (SSLYBY) were an American indie pop band from Springfield, Missouri that formed in 2002. They were named after Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Their first full-length album, Broom, was independently released in 2005. They later signed to Polyvinyl Record Co., where they remained for the remainder of their career.

Swearin' is a Philadelphia-based musical group made up of singer/guitarist Allison Crutchfield, guitarist/singer Kyle Gilbride, bassist Keith Spencer and drummer Jeff Bolt. They released two albums and an EP. The band split in 2015 and Crutchfield embarked on a solo career. In November 2017, Swearin' announced that they had reunited and would go on tour in support of Superchunk in 2018.

Menomena is an indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, made up of Justin Harris and Danny Seim. Both members of the band share singing duties and frequently swap instruments while recording. In concert, Seim plays drums, while Harris swaps between a number of instruments.

Tokyo Police Club was an indie rock band from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2005, it consisted of vocalist and bassist Dave Monks, keyboardist Graham Wright, guitarist Josh Hook, and drummer Greg Alsop. The band found early success with their 2006 debut EP A Lesson in Crime, which they followed with several popular releases including the albums Elephant Shell and Champ in 2008 and 2010, respectively. During the 2010s, they released three other studio albums. Among other nominations, the band had been twice nominated for the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year, in 2011 for Champ and in 2019 for TPC.

Screaming Females was an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, comprising Marissa Paternoster on vocals and guitar, Jarrett Dougherty on drums, and Mike Abbate on bass. They released their debut album Baby Teeth in 2006. The band were featured on NPR, Last Call with Carson Daly, and MTV. They played with bands such as Garbage, Throwing Muses, Dinosaur Jr., The Dead Weather, Arctic Monkeys, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists and The Breeders.

White Rabbits is an American six-piece indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York, originally from Columbia, Missouri. The band released its debut studio album, Fort Nightly, on May 22, 2007. Their second album, It's Frightening, was released on May 19, 2009. They released their third album, Milk Famous, on March 6, 2012. The band is signed to TBD Records.

Mates of State are an American indie pop duo, active since 1997. The group is the husband-and-wife team of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel.

Islands is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec. The group was founded in 2005 by Nicholas Thorburn and Jamie Thompson, shortly after the breakup of The Unicorns, of which both were members. Their current lineup includes Thorburn, often known by his stage name Nick Diamonds, along with brothers Evan Gordon and Geordie Gordon, and Adam Halferty. The band has released 10 studio albums, with their 10th album, What Occurs, released on June 21, 2024.

Jets to Brazil was an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, US. They formed in 1997 and were active until 2003.

Pedro the Lion is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington, United States. David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. In 2006 Pedro the Lion was dissolved as Bazan went solo and performed under his own name. Bazan reformed the band and resumed performing under the Pedro the Lion moniker in late 2017. Releasing seven full-length albums and five EPs since 1997, the band is known for its first person narrative lyrics.