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sam bossley
Underrated Artists
2021-05-31
#suggestion
#music
Because I enjoy playing and creating a lot of music, it should come as no surprise that I additionally enjoy listening to a wide variety of music. I'm a fan of niche musical artists from nearly every musical genre and I want to share some of them with you. When I claim many of these artists are "underrated", what I mean is that they either deserve more recognition or do not get nearly enough merit for their talents. And with that, I'll begin listing some of these artists according to music genre. It's honestly very hard to fit any artist into a single musical genre so I'll try my very best.
I used to keep Youtube and Spotify links for every song listed here but I removed them all since a lot of them were taken down and it was too hard to manage.
Adventure outside your comfort zone of music and give some of these artists a try - if you dare :)
Metal
- System of a Down. Almost everyone has heard of their most famous song, "Chop Suey", but I can't stress enough how fantastic they are. They were the first real metal band I listened to. "Toxicity" is also a classic.
- Ghost. Ghost's music usually demonstrates a fair balance between rock and metal without overdoing it. Both "Meliora" and "Infestissumam" are amazing albums, but if I had to choose, I recommend the songs "Cirice", "He Is", and "Year Zero" to anyone interested in music a bit heavier than rock but not overbearing. I especially love "He Is" because it sounds like an innocent Christian song but it's literally talking about the glorification of Satan. Out of context music is the best.
Alternative/Rock
- Muse. Most known for Matt Bellamy's voice, Matt Bellamy's voice, and... Matt Bellamy's voice. Who can resist? They constantly produce absolute hits such as "Madness", "Supremacy", and "Knights of Cydonia", the latter of which is probably their best piece. I don't think you'll ever hear a rock band as unique and daring as Muse, not to mention their extravagant once-in-a-lifetime concerts.
- Two Feet. Two Feet specializes in unique electric and bass guitar licks. I recommend the entirety of both albums "Pink" and "A 20 Something F--k". Virtually all of his songs are good but "Love is a B-tch", "You're So Cold", and "Had Some Drinks" are some of his greatest.
Indie/Bedroom
- Toro Y Moi. Toro Y Moi creates such a unique combination of sounds, producing electronic indie masterpieces in addition to great remixes. I really like the songs "Girl Like You" and "Lilly".
- Boy Pablo. Boy Pablo is very much a hipster bedroom pop band that gives off only good vibes and happy memories. "wtf" is a classic.
- Dream Koala. Dream Koala's soothing electric indie progression music can make you feel like the king of the world at 3AM. She hasn't really made any music in the past few years but some of my favorites are "Dimension Sleeper" and "Saturn Boy", and "Architect", and "Earth".
- Saturn 17. Saturn 17 is a newer band with a great summer vibe and pleasant electric guitar. Some songs are "Could This Be Love?" and "Ur not into me".
- The Japanese House. The Japanese House is a much more laidback band focusing on wonderful vocals and a nostalgic feel to all their music. I really like "Saw You In A Dream" and "Maybe You're the Reason".
- Naomi Wild. I was first exposed to Naomi Wild from her song "Howlin" and stuck around for the rest of her songs. I especially like "Glass House" with Machine Gun Kelly, "Hope" with Tim Legend, and of course "Higher Ground" with freaking Odesza (don't worry, I'll mention them below as well!). I really like her aesthetic as well.
- Meadowlark. Meadowlark creates a really nostalgic sad atmosphere while still maintaining a steady rhythm. They remind me a lot of Oh Wonder. Their most unique piece to me is "Quicksand", but I also really like "Appetite".
- No/Me. No/Me is a newer artist and only has maybe three released songs at the time I'm writing this, but the songs she has made are fantastic and worth mentioning. I love both "Consistent" and "Savior" because they're so different from the music I normally listen to.
Pop/Alt Z
- Alina Baraz. I guess Alina Baraz is a bit more popular than any of the artists I've previously mentioned but I think her music is worth the recognition. Her voice is phenomenal and I really like her Pop and R&B blend of music. I like "Gimme the Wheel", "To Me", and "Electric". If you're really adventurous, I highly recommend this remix of "Electric" by Hippie Sabotage, who I will mention later.
- Billie Eilish. I don't want to say too much since she's gotten extremely popular recently but she genuinely deserves the recognition for her unique musical style. I recommend "When The Party's Over".
- Dua Lipa. Again, I'll refrain from going into detail since Dua Lipa has gained a lot of popularity but I absolutely love her style and voice. Check out "New Rules" (if you haven't heard it already), "Cool", and "Levitating" - or really anything from her "Future Nostalgia" album.
- Allie X. Allie X is one of my favorite artists of all time. She produces a strange, mixed up sound combining elements of Pop, Electronic, Indie, Ballad, and other genres. I highly recommend "Paper Love", "Love Me Wrong", "Suzie Save Your Love", and "Focus". I want to go to one of her concerts.
- Mothica. Mothica is such an underrated artist for her style of Electronic Pop. I really like her entire album "Heavy Heart" but if I had to select songs to recommend, I would choose "Self-Destructive", "Clear", "Heavy Heart", and "Fall".
- CHINAH. CHINAH creates really beautiful music using Fine Glindvad's voice, guitar, synth. I really like "Can't Remember How It Feels", "Away From Me", "Never The Same", and "Colder".
- Stalgia. Stagia is one of my favorite bands and creates a very unique sound with a mixture of R&B, Trap, and Pop. I cannot recommend Stalgia enough. I love "In The Trees", "Bdy" "Electric", and "Rust" - or really any track from the album "NOMAD". I also love the guitar in Joe Mason's remix of "Bdy".
- Ashe. Just a wholesome singer with positive vibes and a fantastic voice. I really like "Girl Who Cried Wolf". At the time of this writing, she just released her album "Ashlyn" (I know, it's probably been out for a while by the time I publish this) - so what are you waiting for?
- Echos. Echos uses dual male and female vocals to create a heavily nostalgic vibe. I really like their memorial cover of "Shadow of the Day", "Gold", "Vacant", and "Euphoria".
- Sweater Beats. Sweater Beats makes a lot of really cool remixes and tracks, such as "Glory Days", his remix of "Symphony", "Faded Away", "Playground", and "Enemy". I'd love to meet him in person.
Electric/Electronica/Chill
- Odesza. Odesza the king of electronic music right now. With selections of tracks making their way into video games, smaller films, and even popular commercials, it's been really cool to see them grow as a duo. I absolutely love the music they make for its sheer unique sound and atmosphere. I honestly think all of their albums are worth listening to (even "Summer's Gone" and "My Friends Never Die") and I would recommend the songs "All We Need", "How Did I Get Here", "My Friends Never Die", "Say My Name", and "Meridian". Now that I'm living on the west coast, I want to see them perform in person.
- L'Imperatrice. L'Imperatrice is a synthesizer band hailing all the way from France. All their music features funky vibes and chill atmospheres - the kind you'd listen to while strolling down the street in sunglasses. They recently released their album "Taki Tsubo" earlier this year. I especially like "Sonate Pacifique", "Anomalie Bleue", the "Fou poolside remix", and "Digital Sunset".
- M83. M83 is another French Electronic band known for their popular album "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming" and the song "Midnight City". M83's music has definitely matured over time, from vocal-based aethereal guitar to more refined delicate synth. I love both albums "Junk" and "DSVII" in their entirety and would highly recommend the song "Oblivion" (I also recommend the movie as well!), "Walkway Blues", "Solitude", "Hell Riders", "Lune De Fiel", and "My Own Strange Path".
- Danger. Danger is yet another French musician specializing in progressive house and chill tracks using numbers or timestamps as names. One of my favorites is "0:59" which transforms a simple beat repetition into a vaporwave lightcycle ride. I also like "22:39", "6:42", and "9:19". Both his "Taiko" and "Origins" albums are fantastic to listen to back to back.
- Zola Blood. Zola Blood uses higher pitched falsetto vocals and electronic synth. I really think they make a lot of fantastic pieces that are each distinct in their own way. I love "Meridian", "Eyes Open", "Infinite Games", and "Good Love". I'm also biased towards them because I reached out to them once and they actually responded ;)
- Ghost Loft. I absolutely love his music and how can be applied and remixed and still sound amazing. I love his song "So High" featuring Wiz Khalifa in addition to "Seconds" and "Over".
EDM/Future Bass/Trap
- Ramzoid. Ramzoid makes fantastic remixes and mixtapes and his voice reminds me a bit of Post Malone. He's on youtube, soundcloud, and spotify, and sometimes he streams as well! I recommend "Bcw", "World", "RED BEAMS", and "CASTLE".
- Hippie Sabotage. Wow, I don't even know where to begin. Hippie Sabotage makes the chillest beats to have a good time (or get stoned to...). I'd honestly recommend all of their songs, but I'll stick with "Devil Eyes", "Drifter", "Rogues", "Options", "Moments", their "High Enough" Halsey flip, and "Red Moon Rising".
- SMLE. SMLE makes a lot of funky dance vibes you can smile to as you dance down the street. I recommend "2 Me" and "Love Residue".
- Pham. Pham is a solo Vietnamese beat producer from Poland and is another one of my favorite artists of all time. Sometimes he'll make original tracks, collab with other artists, or remix existing tracks into something new. I love the beat in "Lightning", "Below the Surface", "No Questions", and "Mirari". I also think his album "Ugly" with Austin Paul is absolutely beautiful and his album "Nostalgia" is really solid. His Instagram is also really funny.
Lofi
- Aether. Aether is another one of my favorites because of his unique take on lofi music. His style mainly consists of chillstep beats with the occasional vocalist. I really like his albums "Nexus" and "Nexus II". Some of his best works (in my honest opinion) are only found on Souncloud, but I personally enjoy his public releases of "As She Fell Through The Stars", "Reverie", "Nothing is Forever", "About You", and "Kenji". If you want to hear his Soundcloud releases, you'll just have to look him up!
- Slipfunc. Slipfunc's style is classic lofi with a few twists and turns. I like the EP "Embrace" and recommend "Glance", "Summer Luv", and "Lovesick Hug". I know Slipfunc has appeared on Chilled Cow's Lofi Hophip livestream a great many times.
- A l e x. It's really hard to find Alex's content anywhere except Soundcloud but I recommend his entire "Growing Up" album series, consisting of hits such as "Moonlight", "Green Hills" (a Sonic lofi remix), and "Proud of You".
- Kochetkovv. Kochetkovv is a perfect representation of traditional lofi. I really like "Confusion", "Nostalgic", and "Come Right Here".
R&B/Hip Hop/Rap
- Monsune. Monsune is just a fantastic Asian-American singer with some really cool vibes. His song "Nothing In Return" is phenomenal, but I also really like "Outta My Mind" and "Jade".
- Brahny. Brahny has a very similar style to Monsune (they've actually collaborated on a few songs in the past). He focuses a bit more on downtempo bass. I recommend "Bloom", "Nirvana", and "Form + Function".
- KWAYE. KWAYE has (no exaggeration) one of the best voices I've ever heard. His music consists mainly of vocals and guitar. I absolutely love "Lost In My Boots", "Paralyzed", and "Sweetest Life".
- SIDI. SIDI gives off a very heavy punk vibe reminiscent of Stalgia. I really like her entire "Destructive" album. If I had to choose songs, I would suggest "Trip", "You", "Wars", and "Human".
- Azizi Gibson. Azizi Gibson just makes solid beats complimented with his powerful resonant voice. I really like "Barbie", "A Reaper's Tears", "Real Talk", and "Kamikaze".
- Childish Gambino. Childish Gambino is one of my favorite artists in the R&B genre because of his diverse talents as an actor, director, musician, and others. His entire "Camp" and "Awaken, My Love!" albums are memed to no end but I love them regardless. A lot of his music tends to hold very controversial messages (such as "This Is America") I recommend "All The Shine", "Sweatpants", "Sober", and "Terrified".
- Njomza. She has a very pleasant voice and similarly pleasant songs. I really like "Lucky" and "Mania is Temporary".
Kpop/Jpop/Cpop
- Kris Wu. I guess he's not officially considered Kpop or Cpop after cutting ties and becoming his own artist, but I love his music regardless. I highly recommend "July".
- BTS. BTS has grown extremely popular in the past five years, and for good reason. I really enjoy "Anpanman".
Funk/Soul/Jazz
- Curtis Mayfield. Curtis Mayfield has an absolutely amazing voice perfectly tuned for this genre of music. I was very sad after initially discovering him and realizing he had already passed away. He is one of the best artists to start listening to if you're new to the funk/soul genres. I highly recommend his songs "Move On Up", "So In Love", "Never Let Me Go", and "Tripping Out".
- Bobby Womack. His style of funk in music is just phenomenal. Check out "Across 110th Street"!
- Bobby Caldwell. His songs seem to be used in a lot of memes but I love his music regardless. My top two favorites are "Carry On" and "What You Won't Do For Love".
There were definitely a lot of artists I had to filter from this list to keep it relatively short, and all of these artists were very difficult to categorize based solely on their diverse talents and skills. If you have any music recommendations or have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them!
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