The last few years have brought a wave of “indie” artists finding their way onto mainstream charts. Hipsters are suddenly cool, big glasses are no longer only for the likes of Steve Urkel, but now splattered across the pages of magazines like Vogue and Glamour, and cats are not just a symbol for lonely, single women anymore.
Being a little bit nerdy is, well… hip. I remember a time when listening to artists that were not on the radio could have been considered social suicide, and a “cool” kid would have never been caught not knowing every word to the latest Black Eyed Peas or Taylor Swift song. While I’m not swearing off that Top 40 genre of music totally, I am saying some great music lies with bands that fly a bit more under the radar. Not to mention, somebody has to discover the bands that eventually make their way to the Top 40 (Fun. anyone?).
I have carefully selected a group of artists that fall into this “Indie” genre, and I put “Indie” in quotes because some of these bands have the sound but are not truly on independent labels. A few of my favorites from the list are:
Myth – Beach House
Beach House makes absolutely beautiful music. This is the opening track from their most recent album, Bloom. The instruments are so soothing and often remind me of wind chimes.
Allison – Pepper Rabbit
I found this song when I was building this playlist through one of my favorite ways to find music, Spotify. Spotify (and iTunes) have a great tool that directs you to related artists when you’re on an artist’s page. This is one of the best ways to find music that’s new to you, but similar to what you may already like. I have been playing this song nonstop and certainly do not plan on turning it off anytime soon.
Water Runs – Reptar
This band already wins brownie points in my book for sharing a name with my favorite childhood dinosaur, Reptar, but besides that this is a really fun group. All of their music just makes me want to turn up the music at a party and dance with my closest friends. This song has a bit of a haunting feeling, which I absolutely love.
My Way – Kopecky Family Band
These guys (and girl!) are so fun to see live! I saw them open for The Lumineers back in April. They just recently released their new album, Kids Raising Kids, which sounds a little different than their first two, but in a great way! They have changed their sound from bluegrass-rock influence to more of an indie-rock sound. I highly suggest giving this band a listen, and if you do, notice their whistling. It may be the most beautiful whistling I have ever heard.
Same Mistakes – The Echo-Friendly
Some of you may recognize this as the song from the final scene of the finale of HBO’s Girls, which I’m obsessed with by the way. This song seems like a bit of a downer, but it’s certainly a good one. It’s a great tune, and the lyrics are so relatable to my twenty-something age group.
So next time you find yourself perusing iTunes for a good new album, consider a band that isn’t on the Top 100 and you may find yourself surprised.
By:
