Whatever happened to great songs and innovative artists? The radio has become flooded with cookie-cutter sounds, forcing many music fans to pursue great music online. The problem is, it can take hours sifting through unknown music just to find a few amazing gems. Granted, different people have different tastes, but it's clear that radio does not meet the needs of people who love original music. So here are some indie artists subjectively and objectively chosen by Playlist Research to represent a place to start. There is no one strict methodology this list is based on. None of these listings are paid. They merely represent songs by independent and regional artists that deserve to be heard by a wider audience. Another thing these songs have in common is that they don't sound like the mainstream but exhibit unique qualities in lyrics and melody. Artist names are linked to artist websites and videos. If you want to suggest additions to this list please make sure it's not cookie-cutter sounding music that imitates what's on the charts. Playlist Research wants to help true music fans discover authentic, original and meaningful music. La Luz - Brainwash Peter Perrett - How the West Was Won Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener Kally O'Mally - The Wild West Medicine Show Rob Stroup and the Blame - Glass Ceilings Tommy WordSmith - Trump In Hood David Conley - Happen To Feel It 35th & Taylor - All American Nomad Adrian West Band - Safe Streets Deer Park Avenue - Over Again James Cook - Arts and Sciences - Interview Judd Starr - Skies of Orange Fire Lion Paw Media - Red Dye 40 Song Revolution of the Mind - The Big Pharma Abandon Theory - Always Late Zizi Raimondi - Cyclotron The Latenite Callers - Calaveras Dawn of Eros - Rolling and Bouncing Gentry Fox - Ascension Peach Kings - Be Around MLO - Gone With the Wind Desert Blend - Xanadu Elena Qarooni - Beautiful Big Volcano - What Are You Trying To Tell Me? Anton Barbeau - Clubbin' In Berlin - Interview The New Pornographers - War on the East Coast Judd Starr - Firefly Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes Robyn Cage - The Cave Playfellow - Your Ghost Ken Koenig - Beautiful Day Sarah Hadeka - Now I Know Unpainted Souls - Traveling Light Sleep Tights - All the Arrows Empire of the Sea - West Joy Villa - Get Your Freedom Makena Hartlin - Blue Lights Two Steps From Hell - Protectors of the Earth Dark Ambient Forest - Forest Rain Boxhead featuring Kiahna - The Days Before Manic Organica - Island Agent Young Summer - Fever Dream Dollyrots - First World Anarchist The Nowherenauts - Warned You David Conley - Time To Be a Child Sabrina Lentini - You & Me Space Waves - Older and Farther Away Kia Carra - Lady Ana Free - We Could Be Lucius - Turn It Around Dawn Luxe - Me Where do these cool indie songs come from? Several sources that range from public radio and websites where indie music is showcased such as Facebook, ReverbNation, SoundCloud, BandCamp and many other sources. Courtney Barnett - City Looks Pretty La Luz - You Disappear Project Grand Slam - Get Out! The Vics - Fourth and Clay Whitebeard - Paris Terry Ohms - Bring All To The Front Safe As Houses - Lucky Lucky AV Super Sunshine - Orange Sarah Parker - Strawberry Moon Barre - Drag Lana Blac - Suck You In True Blue - No Water No Trace featuring Glenn Travis - Vibrations Robert "Freight Train" Parker - Outside Ourselves Charlie Marie - Rhinestones Chelou - Out of Sight Our Girl - In My Head Kevin Morby - Harlem River Years of Suns - The Undertow Road 88 - Not Gonna Happen The Streets - Push Things Forward VanDeRocker - Morse Code Sophie Lloyd - Delusions Hollow Coves - Ran Away 35th & Taylor - Cut You Down Beach House - Lemon Glow Mike Farrell - Devil May Care Sahara Smith - The Real Thing Still Corners - The Trip Joe Vitale, Jr. - Fight or Self Destruct Parks, Squares and Alleys - We're Not Just Friends Surf Curse - Forever Dumb Superorgasm - Everybody Wants To Be Famous Peach Pit - Peach Pit Parade of Lights - Inside My Head Two Steps From Hell - Evergreen Carla Fleming - Weapons Down VanDeRocker - Cupid's Sting Kim Cheshire - Wake Me Up (When The War Is Over) Abandon Theory - Ocean and Waves Chris Meadors - Big Pharma Nuriel - Beautiful Day David Conley - Young Forever Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Hunnybee The Peach Kings - Fisherman 35th & Taylor - Hard Times Machineheart - Do You Love Suzanne Cook - Love Love Love Courtney Barnett - Need A Little Time Courtship - Sunroof Janani - Three Step System Dum-Chang - Atticus Finch VanDeRocker - Kissing Booth Ducktails - Surreal Exposure COAV - California Liz Hackett - Already Gone David Conley - Beautiful and Bold Michael Tracy - Stand Behind Me 35th & Taylor - Voices Alex Caruso - Layaway La Luz - Mean Dream Crussia - Crussia Andrew Shearer - Something Wild Ken Koenig - Down the Road Mitch Capone - Bad Blood White Owl Red - Sweet Jacqueline David Conley - What's Your Secret U.S. Girls - Mad As Hell Jessica Hart - In the Dark The Bitter Elegance - Calling You Out Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks La Luz - Morning High Tipling Rock - Staring Mars Water - Where the Sun Sets The Public Secret - Beautiful Emptiness Sara Haze - Beautiful Day The Boy and His Dog - I'd Be a Fool The Verbtones - Take My Hand - Rock Me Out! Motel Drive - Plastic Dashboard Jesus - $5 Tricks Julia Kay - Reaching to the Moon - Glass Box Yikes and the Bobby O Band - Superman Skeleton Madelyn Victoria - Right Here With You Derek Davis - Resonator Blues Severine - Feel The Rain Stephanie Rose - Luxury Rebecca Binnendyk - Brick By Brick Ken Koenig - Never Be the Same The Ruse - I Can't Stop - Love Sex Confusion Adrian West - Butterflies and Chameleons La Luz - Don't Wanna Be Anywhere Restwater - The First One Bump - Out of Reach - Forward Fazerdaze - Lucky Girl Hidinin - Free But Hollow Jonathan Coulton - Skullcrusher Mountain Organos - Rides Courtney Jones - Awake and Dreaming Peach Kings - Dirty Secret Kristine Mirelle - Show The World Viva Brother - A Little Soul Dark Times - Doom and Gloom Laura Cox Band - Take Me Back Home Stuck In The Sound - Let's Go Suenos Band - Let's Celebrate New Pornographers - This Is The World of The Theater Emma Klein - Six Feet In The Dirt Tripsitter - California Son Morrisson - So Cool Psychic Ills - Mind Daze Amberglance - World On Repeat La Luz - Call Me in the Day 20 Eyes - Friends Like You Jason Niemi - Chemical Reaction Simon Hudson Band - Today Marcus Alexander - Journey Ricki B - Fallen Angel Suzie Rose - Shame The Lucid Dream - Bad Texan New Pornographers - Whiteout Conditions Resonars - Places You Have Been Sheyana - Two Birds The Haymarket Squares - I Wish There Was a God Conscious Souls - American Beauty Poppermost - Swan Laura Cox Band - Good Ol' Days Arcade Fire - I Give You Power Craig Cardiff - Dirty Old Town Swirl - Rise Up Creature Canyon - Life I Know David Conley - Secret Path Sinners - Kingdom of Sound Joe Hicks - Rest Your Head Burnside & Hooker - Seasick Woman Nick Capaldi - In My Shoes Estra Berosini - Texas Tornado SWIMM - Speak Politely The Barr Brothers - Even the Darkness Has Arms Jinka - Trash From the Past Satin Jackets featuring David Harks - Northern Lights Kainalu - Love Nebula Suzanne Cook - You Don't Have To Do That Elsa & Emilie - Chains of Promises Mystic Braves - Desert Island Astronauts of Antiquity - Everywhere Devi - Howl At the Moon Jason Niemi - Time Has No Memory The L Project - It Does Get Better Francesca Lee - Goodbye Dexter Fairweather - Vacation Mike Adams - Just Say No to GMO Kevin Seconds - Hello Square One Albert Cummings - 500 Miles Roosevelt Radio - Midnight Sam Coppenger - Life Lived in Young Fashion Keilan Creech - Roaming Cat Power - Ruin May Devun - Are You In Love Today Hitsleep - Maybe a Different Day La Luz - Sure As Spring The Wooden Birds - Criminals Win Mansions on the Moon - She Makes Me Feel Beach House - Sparks Pleasure Leftists - You, You U.S. Girls - Woman's Work Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Can't Keep Checking My Phone Media Jeweler - Autopilot Abra - Roses XOXO Ira Wolf - Pictures on the Wall The Sediment Club - Psychosymplistic, Psychosymplastic Here Samantha Urbani - U Know I Know La Luz - Cicada Future Islands - The Chase Shannon and the Clams - Corvette Destruction Unit - If Death Ever Slept Heathered Pearls - Interior Architecture Software 45 ACP - Ground to Ground Mystic Braves - Bright Blue Day Haze Suzie Rose - You Promised Sabella - Loving Like This The Marias - I Don't Know You Mountain Language - Other Ends and Oblivions Totally Mind - Move On The Galleria - Calling Card Eternal Summers - Together or Alone Austmuteants - Echo Beach Summer Salt - Driving To Hawaii Arthur Russell - Ocean Movie Adam Friedman - Signals Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You Thundercat - Them Changes Blood Orange - Do You See My Skin Through the Flames? David Conley - Under the Radar The Wealthy West - Silence The Trubelos - Boomerang Girl Ottawa - Fever Lars Beck & Henri Purnell featuring Zekt - Silent Games Molly Burch - Please Be Mine Lindy Lafontaine - I Might Not Love You Ron Wright - Helen's Song Michael Tracy - Stand Behind Me Laney Jones - Run Wild La Luz - California Finally Weather Pending - The Tide Tommy Castro - The Definition of Insanity The Kimberly Trip - California Chelsea Wolfe - Iron Moon Cake - Long Time Abandon Theory - Money's Not Success X-Day - I Lie Soko - Sweet Sound of Ignorance Foxes in Fiction - Ontario Gothic Chris Hurn - If I Were You Beach House - Depression Cherry Sister Speak - Chicago Dreams Nameless Horses - Rider Psychic Reality - Island Worriers - They / Them / Theirs Deradoorian - A Beautiful Woman Dave Douglas and High Risk - First Things First Matrixxman - Augmented Dead Vibrations - Reflections Summer Salt - Candy Wrappers Sheila K Cameron - Where the Last Tide Runs Herb Stalk - Social Comment A Beacon School - It's Late The Bourgeois - Electric Shock Value Lucys - Maybe Amanda Hardy - Love Me I'm Rich Pink Wash - Cancer Money Adult Mom - Survival Ten Sleep - Darkroom Nicolas Jaar - The Three Sides of Audrey and Why She's All Alone Now Golden Teacher - Like a Hawk Nao - Inhale Exhale The above indie artists and songs were selected based on creative musical and lyrical quality. These are songs a terrestrial or internet radio programmer may be looking for. Artist links go to artist profiles and websites while song links go to iTunes where you can purchase the song or album. Most of these artists have had an impact on their regional scenes and have their music available on iTunes. Selected songs meet an artistic and overall professional level and are believed by Playlist Research to have mass appeal and hit potential. |
Interviews with Indie Artists Indie Revelations Indie artist interviews from around the United States in the first decade of the 21st century. Northern California Americana Artist Amber Snider Singer/songwriter Amber Snider frequently performs at venues in the Northern California Wine Country. Los Angeles punk musician Zebidy Tank of Drop Tank Singer/guitarist Zeb talks about her band's North American tour and how she enjoys rocking crowds with her two piece band. Atlanta Singer/Songwriter Johnny Pride Johnny talks about his new wave band The Features of Sacramento in the 80s and Pride In Peril of Los Angeles in the 90s, which appeared in the Oliver Stone film The Doors. Berlin Singer/Songwriter Anton Barbeau Anton talks about his move from Sacramento to Europe. He now lives in Berlin and has recorded over a dozen albums influenced by The Beatles and XTC. London Singer/Songwriter James Cook James discusses his love for meaningful melodic music. He has toured several parts of the world including the Europe, The United States and South America. Sacramento Singer/Songwriter Kally O'Mally Kally talks about her new album and how she balances her Americana recording projects with working in the health industry. |
|
© Playlist Research. All rights reserved.