Any Uniquely Crafty & Complicated New Music Out There ?
 

Looking for new stuff which doesn't loop the same 3-4 chords, the same bassline, the same exact thumping rhythms, those typical mindlessly dumb party lyrics - instead, stuff which is BUSY with the chords and harmonies, highly melodic, dynamic and strange/weird/unique/innovative/original.

Examples : David Bowie, XTC, Adam and The Ants, The Beach Boys (heavier later stuff), The Beatles (heavier later stuff), Stevie Wonder (his 1970's catalogue).

You know, that sort of progressive, imaginative, skilled songcraft where it seems as if the artist is really on their own planet, not conforming to simple minimalist trends, but is actually trying to put out some artistic depth, surprises, curveballs, mid-song shifts/transformations and an experience which really challenges the listener.

The Babe Rainbow are a band from Australia. The Young Veins were started by two members formerly in Panic! At The Disco - Ryan Ross and Jon Walker.
The Babe Rainbow - Evolution 1964


The Young Veins - Take A Vacation!

New and complicated?

Check out some of these.

The only name I recognized was Natalia Lafourcade.

Sounds like you've got some listening to do.

If you want something complicated, why don't you drop the pop stuff and go for some prog or, even better, some avantprog?

Yeah, but I still want some catchy hooks, riffs, hummable melodies, and lots of different sections (with different chord patterns) within the song - that approach was quite popular (lofty, unpredictable craftsmanship) up until the 1990's. The last pop tune to have it was Sowing The Seeds of Love by Tears For Fears - many different sections within the song, flights of fancy, exploration, but still all very comprehensible to the general public.

Is anyone thoroughly familiar with the examples I started off with ?

Django Django https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Django does a little bit of that 'unleashed' (yet catchy, accesible to the ears of the masses) creativity here :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmUX14Tkf5I

So you basically want some more musically developed pop? Sounds like you need Kate Bush in your life!

And Kevin Barnes!

Yeah, Of Montreal is great.