While many people flocked south to Austin, Texas last week for this year’s South By Southwest festival, which showcases more than two thousand artist performances alongside label presentations, technology reveals, and discussion panels, some of us had to settle for attending Couch By Couchwest from home. I spent the past week digging through a spreadsheet of 2,121 artists who were slated to play during SXSW 2015, and after whittling down the list and listening to 622 of them, I have selected 76 independent acts that warrant further attention now that the festivities have ended. Read a short blurb on each artist below along with a prime track among their discography, or skip ahead to the full playlist on SoundCloud by clicking here. Continue reading “76 independent artists to watch following SXSW 2015”
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
The second set of my favorite albums from 2012 is a good musical microcosm of my overall tastes this year. The ten albums that follow, ranking from #40 to #31, showcase a mixed bag of indie rock, mainstream alternative, a massive pop band, a splash of country, and a bit of jazz as well. I have grown to listen to new music without as much predetermined judgment based on genre as I did in my younger years, and it has led to a greater appreciation for a large number of different artists.
Though Adele still has a firm grasp on the top two, The Band Perry jumps to #3 with “If I Die Young” as P!nk is unseated all the way down to #9. Just below, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals vault 33-10 with “Paris (Ooh La La),” followed by two debuts: “Alligator Sky” by Owl City featuring Shawn Chrystopher and “Long Goodbye” by Michelle Branch featuring Dwight Yoakam.
After a busy couple weeks, the chart is quieter this time around, with the top six fully static and one top-ten entry for Brett Dennen. The Band Perry rockets up to #12 in their second week on the chart with “If I Die Young.” Grace Potter & The Nocturnals enter at #33 with “Paris (Ooh La La).”