100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed in 2019

Posted on December 29, 2019 by adammarx13

Welcome to the FIFTH annual list of independent albums and EP’s that probably slipped under your radar this year. I’ve been in the music industry for over a decade at this point (I know right?!) and it continues to floor me just how much talent is out there.

Yet here we are again, with even more incredible music for you to sink your teeth into. One of the truest things that keeps me creating these lists year after year is the excitement I derive from the serendipitous discovery of these wide swaths of creativity. Sometimes the best artistry emerges from the best-kept secrets. 🤘🎸

Since 2015, I’ve given you lists of 100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed during the year. Here they are:

And so, here is the 2019 list in all its glory. I’m equally excited for the new crop of artists here as well as for those returning again. A healthy helping of the content on this year’s list is from artists I’ve known for years and who continue to crank out new material. It’s all balanced by an influx of new content from new artists whom I’ll certainly be keeping tabs on into the new year.

As with all previous lists, these 100 albums and EP’s come from artists all over the world. This year’s list includes artists from: Canada, Greece, Germany, Spain, Austria, Hungary, France, almost ALL of Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland!), Australia, Estonia, Argentina, Mexico, the Philippines, New Zeland, Indonesia, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Bulgaria, the U.K., Poland, and 21 different U.S. states. The independent world is massive.

It’s always interesting to see what each year brings in terms of style and genre, and this year’s list seems to heavily feature classic garage punk, pop-punk, shoegaze, alternative, metal, folk rock, and hard rock material.

With all that out of the way, here are 100 of the independent albums and EP’s that you probably missed in 2019. All were released during the 2019 calendar year.

As always, albums are in no particular order.

Remember, if you dig this and want to see more, follow me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and startups!

Come take a peek under the radar at the material you probably missed this year—live in my music world for a little while. 😎👍

1. What Happened To Us? (Vol. 1) — The Head — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

What Happened to Us

2. Breathe In Colours — Forever Still — Copenhagen, Denmark

Breathe in Colours

3. Ghost — Bloody Diamonds — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ghost

4. I’m The Reaper — The Beautiful Monument — Melbourne, Australia

I'm The Reaper

5. Gone Off the Earth — Felic — Helsinki, Finland

Gone Off the Earth

6. Far Canal — Fox Ache — Brisbane, Australia

Far Canal

7. Ephemeral — We Are The Catalyst — Gothenburg, Sweden

Ephemeral

8. Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones on Audiotree Live — Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones — Los Angeles, California, USA

Hannah Wicklund Live

9. Retrospective | Reactive — Have No Clue — Esztergom, Hungary

Retrospective, Reactive

10. Mourning Vibes II — DownStater — Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Mourning Vibes II

11. When Daughters & Sons Revolt — Past Tense Of Never — Graham, North Carolina, USA

When Daughters

12. Show Me Your Teeth — Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters — Cardiff, Wales, UK

Show Me Yourth Teeth

13. The Extinction of Unicorns — The Dead Love — Sydney, Australia

The Extinction of Unicorns

14. The Wood Room Sessions — Just Like Honey — New York, New York, USA

The Wood Room Sessions

15. Useless Hands — Rival Town — St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Useless Hands

16. Not So Bold — Dance Contraption — Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Not So Bold

17. Main Street Revival — Main Street Revival — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Main Street Revival

18. Crowned In Frost — Frozen Crown — Milan, Italy

Crowned In Frost

19. Come What May — Oh See Demons — Bergen, Norway

Come What May

20. How Your Life’s Played Out — Montgomery — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Howw Your Life's

21. Alone in the Dark — In Good Nature — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Alone in the Dark

22. Brand New World — Desert Queen — Tartu, Estonia

23. Asleep in the Deep End — Andross — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Asleep In The Deep End

24. It Was Beautiful — Fawner — Bristol, England, UK

It Was Beautiful

25. Traya — Set Fire — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Traya

26. Notti di Follia — Out For Summer — Moderna, Italy

Notti di Follia

27. Slice — Spo — Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Slice

28. Feeding The Void — Hysteria — Dresden, Germany

Feeding the Void

29. Here & Now (EP) — Dangerfield — Brisbane, Australia

Here and Now EP

30. Celebration — CityState — Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA

Celebration

31. Dream Living — Lost Mind — Torrelodones, Spain

Dream Living

32. So It Began — Silvernite — Greece

So It Began

33. Bridges We Build | Bridges We Burn — Teresa Banks — Helsinki, Finland

Bridges We Build, Bridges We Burn

34. Serenity — Saint Raven — Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Serenity

35. Two Sides — Dirty Rugs — Seattle, Washington, USA

Two Sides

36. ATERA — Zea Mays — Bilbao, Spain

Atera

37. LP1 — Clouds & Satellites — Savannah, Georgia, USA

LP1

38. Three on Three EP — Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions — Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Three on Three EP

39. CRAFTING EP — CRAFTING — Wilmington, Delaware, USA

Crafting EP

40. The World Conspires — Birdeatsbaby — Brighton, England, UK

The World Conspires

41. Transcend — Hello, Mountain — Denver, Colorado, USA

Transcend

42. Spiral Down — Blue Velvet Drapes — Los Angeles, California, USA

Spiral Down

43. Redeemer — Red Handed Denial — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Redeemer

44. Maladjusted — My Secret Haven — Warsaw, Poland

Maladjusted

45. Glitter Trails — Glitter Trails — Los Angeles, California, USA

Glitter Trails

46. Memorias — Carla Monterrubio — Mexico City, Mexico

Memorias

47. The Toll — DUSK — Vienna, Austria

The Toll

48. Manic EP — Lie to Life — Detroit, Michigan, USA

Manic EP

49. Genetic Nobodies — Genetic Nobodies — Los Angeles, California, USA

Genetic Nobodies

50. Skull Flower — John Tessier — Paris, France

Skull Flower

51. Unbreakable — Keep Flying — New Jersey, USA

Unbreakable

52. Scream In My Dream — Strangers In The Attic — Zurich, Switzerland

Scream in My Dream

53. Stories in Time — Time Jugglers — Sofia, Bulgaria

Stories in Time

54. A New Dawn — AltHero — Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Spain

A New Dawn

55. On A Flow — Breitenbach — Frankfurt, Germany

On a Flow

56. L’hameçon — ATHECIO — Lyon, France

L'hamecon

57. Dusky Wing — Dusky Wing — Los Angeles, California, USA

Dusky Wing

58. PALIMONY EP — PALIMONY — Gainesville, Florida, USA

Palimony EP

59. On Fences — Between Bodies — Berlin, Germany

On Fences

60. Dormancy — Playing Pretend — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Dormancy

61. Woodland Rites — Green Lung — London, England, UK

Woodland Rites

62. Peachy Keen EP — Golden Cinema — Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Peachy Keen EP

63. Thunderjoy — West Valley Shakers — Sheridan, Oregon, USA

Thunderjoy

64. Queen of the Pill — The Jackets — Bern, Switzerland

Queen of the Pill

65. After Dark — Pale Lips — Montreal, Quebec, Canada

After Dark

66. Erebus — Returned To The Earth — Nuneaton, England, UK

Erebus

67. Schizophrenia — Altersight — Saint Petersburg, Russia

Schizophrenia

68. IV — OMAHA — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

69. Egress — TopLady — Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Egress

70. Blind by Midnight — Dino Bravo — Burlington, Vermont, USA

Blind by Midnight

71. Cool Evil — Glued — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Cool Evil

72. Stressor — Wine Lips — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Stressor

73. Here It Is — Fragile Canyons — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Here It Is

74. Feels Like Forever — Pretty Bird — Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Feels Like Forever

75. Larmes Confettis — Cosmophone — Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada

Larmes confettis

76. UNO — Black Betty — Villa Maria, Argentina

UNO

77. The Ghostwriter — The Ghostwriter — Detroit, Michigan, USA

The Ghostwriter

78. Pen Name — Pen Name — Canterbury, England, UK

Pen Name

79. Hoping, Not Hopeful — Low Vault — Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Hoping, Not Hopeful

80. Planet Hunter — Planet Hunter — Wellington, New Zealand

Planet Hunter

81. Butterfly Distortion — Dive to Blue — Buenos Aires, Argentina

Butterfly Distortion

82. Take Her My Life — Castle Black — Brooklyn, New York, USA

Take Her My Life

83. Starburst – EP — Truett & The Traitors — Springfield, Missouri, USA

Starburts EP

84. Go — MoND — Bandung, Indonesia

85. A War Within — Enmy — Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

A War Within

86. The Devil You Know — The Coathangers — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

The Devil You Know

87. Manic Mood — Easy Jane — Beirut, Lebanon

Manic Mood

88. Demonstration — Floral Canyon — Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Demonstration

89. Exhale — The Sleep Department — Brooklyn, New York, USA

Exhale

90. ep — Soft Topics — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

91. SPLASH – EP — Service Delay — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Splash EP

92. Welcome to the Block — Stonewall BLVD — Denver, Colorado, USA

Welcome to the Block

93. The New Joys E.P. — The New Joys — Brooklyn, New York, USA

The New Joys EP

94. Superfuzz — Superfuzz — A Coruña, Spain

Superfuzz

95. Overnight — Insomnia — Milan, Italy

Overnight

96. EP 2019 — Dischord — Aix En Provence, France

EP 2019

97. Young & Dumb — All In Due Time — New York, New York, USA

Young and Dumb

98. Indeed EP — Indeed — Budapest, Hungary

Indeed ep

99. Mural — Mural — Cebu, The Philippines

Mural

100. No Missed Calls, No New Messages — The Ragetones — Pueblo, Colorado, USA

No Missed Calls

***

If you enjoyed this list please share and give these artists some love!

100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed in 2018

Posted on December 28, 2018 by adammarx13

Another December just about passed, and another 100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed this year. In any artistic industry, so much of the exciting content flies quietly under the radar, except for when you know where to look for it. 🤘🎸

Since 2015, I’ve given you lists of 100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed during the year. Here they are:

Now here comes 2018’s. I’m so stoked for the new crop of artists here, as well as for those returning again. A lot of the content on this year’s list comes from artists I’ve known for years, producing music for new projects they’ve put together recently. This is a different kind of excitement; I love seeing the evolution of these creatives.

As with all previous lists, these 100 albums and EP’s come from artists all over the world. This year’s list includes artists from: Canada, Greece, Germany, South Korea, Belarus, Austria, Singapore, France, South Africa, Sweden, Australia, Norway, Spain, Estonia, Ukraine, Italy, the U.K., Switzerland, Russia, and 22 different U.S. states. The independent world is massive.

It’s always interesting to see what each year brings in terms of style and genre, and 2018 seems to have been heavy on punk, pop-punk, alternative, instrumental, metal, and jazz-influenced material, both in terms of my personal taste and overall releases.

With all that said, here are 100 of the independent albums and EP’s that you probably missed in 2018. All were released during the 2018 calendar year. Music is multidimensional, and all these artists should be treated as such.

As always, albums are in no particular order.

Come expand your universe and live in my world for a little while. 😎👍

1. Satellites — Chelsea Shag — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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2. Painting with Scissors — Andy Gruhin — Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

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3. Feels — Fair Panic — Wayne, New Jersey, USA

Fair-Panic

4. Overseas — White Coven — Zaragoza, Spain

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5. Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones — Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

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6. Dreamland — Just Like Honey — New York, New York, USA

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7. Personal Issues — Oh See Demons — Bergen, Norway

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8. My Only Hope — Adam Singer — San Francisco, California, USA

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9. Mind Tricks — Brownstone Inc. — Graz, Austria

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10. Thriving, Given The Consequences — Soviet Ohio — Syracuse, New York, USA

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11. In Moon We Trust — Hālley — Paris, France

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12. What The Wreck? — Stan Stewart — Ithaca, New York, USA

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13. Poor You, Part Two — Jinxbox — Middlebury, Vermont, USA

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14. Centipede – EP — Blooming Fire — Los Angeles, California, USA

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15. The Candleman and the Curtain — The Earth and I — Warwick, New York, USA

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16. Everyone I’ve Ever Loved — Valleyheart — Salem, Massachusetts, USA

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17. Kingdoms — Coopertheband — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

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18. Self Titled — Alias May — Melbourne, Australia

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19. Make My Millennium — Resident One — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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20. FunnySexyCool — Hollywood Horses — Birmingham, Alabama, USA

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21. .ghostworld – EP — .ghostworld — Singapore, Singapore

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22. Heaven and Her Demons — BlackBeak — Johannesburg, South Africa

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23. Wherever That Is — Panhandler — Stockholm, Sweden

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24. White Roses EP — Dream Chambers — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

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25. Soul Transfer — Emphasis — Tallin, Estonia

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26. Westline Drive EP — Westline Drive — San Francisco, California, USA

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27. EP — Lampion — Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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28. Salvation — The Penske File — Burlington, Ontario, Canada

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29. Hypnotizing Euphoria — The Who Was Phone — Zurich, Switzerland

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30. Bridges – EP — For The Fire — Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

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31. Disposition — Young Animals — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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32. Glow In The Dark — Rachel Rose Mitchell — Melbourne, Australia

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33. Dear Beer — The Bombpops — Los Angeles, California, USA

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34. Aftermind — HighView — Canberra, Australia

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35. It’s History, It’s Poetry — Detour North — Chicago, Illinois, USA

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36. Voices in My Head — Failing Up — Los Angeles, California, USA

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37. Omega — Shades of Dissonance — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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38. From the Wild Sky — Halie Loren — Eugene, Oregon, USA

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39. Up in Roses — Fever — Portland, Oregon, USA

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40. Passing Years — Looking For Alaska — Regensburg, Germany

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41. Desire Paths — Turnspit — Chicago, Illinois, USA

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42. Absolution EP — Keating — Columbus, Ohio, USA

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43. The Fallen King — Frozen Crown — Milan, Italy

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44. Heartwoken EP — The Revies — Los Angeles, California, USA

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45. Amnesiatic — ODD ROBOT — Fullerton, California, USA

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46. Everything Is Temporary — Between You & Me — Melbourne, Australia

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47. Duoyu — Duoyu — Athens, Greece

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48. Six People in a Dream — Baronaqua — Melbourne, Australia

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49. Hometown Static — Second Street — Kansas City, Missouri, USA

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50. Happy Thoughts — Midfield — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

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51. Becoming a Ghost — Becoming a Ghost — Troy, New York, USA

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52. Bedtime — Pawn Pawn — Toledo, Ohio, USA

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53. Alliance — We Call The Shots — Phoenix, Arizona, USA

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54. Mother’s Keeper — Mother’s Keeper — Birmingham, Alabama, USA

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55. Is an EP — THIS — Buffalo, New York, USA

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56. Distraction EP — Paper Citizen — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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57. Nostalgia — deerfield. — Syracuse, New York, USA

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58. Street Talk — Big White — Sydney, Australia

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59. For Me This Time — Analog Heart — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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60. While We Dream — Lights & Motion — Gothenburg, Sweden

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61. Raw Sugar — L’Absence — Zaragoza, Spain

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62. Tameless — Buffalo Rampage — Moscow, Russia

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63. Never Asked for It EP — Sorry, Scout — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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64. Old Soul — Sharp Sleeves — Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

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65. Aspire — VENUES — Stuttgart, Germany

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66. From Blue to Bone — Mama Doom — Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

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67. Heart Whispers (EP) — Grace & the Midnight Angel — Clovis, California, USA

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68. Cirque Du Skank — Skunk Funk — American Canyon, California, USA

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69. Spring Silver EP — Spring Silver — Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

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70. The View From Here — Stealing Home — Concord, California, USA

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71. Weird’N’Confused — Appocaloosers — Madrid, Spain

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72. Inception — Wallbangers — Nantes, France

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73. Wanderlust EP — Growling Rabbit — Minsk, Belarus

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74. Paper Saints — Paper Saints — Dallas, Texas, USA

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75. Spinneret EP — JEM — Singapore, Singapore

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76. Cashmore Demos — Cashmore — Brisbane, Australia

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77. Dakota — Go Murphy — Fargo, North Dakota, USA

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78. Categories of Colour — Either/Or — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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79. Facade — Boxford — Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

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80. Casual Corner — Blesst Chest — Portland, Oregon, USA

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81. Paper Hearts — The Brothers Union — Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

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82. New Ruins — Candace — Portland, Oregon, USA

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83. Growing Pain — Envious View — Springfield, Missouri, USA

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84. Hangin’ On! — The Glycereens — Brisbane, Australia

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85. Digital EP — Anemoria — Fullerton, California, USA

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86. Agonize — Sever The Ear — Gwangju, South Korea

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87. Laugh It Off! — Domino & the Derelicts — San Jose, California, USA

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88. Glass Bones — WolvesMouth — Voorhees, New Jersey, USA

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89. Ashes — Led By Lanterns — Birmingham, England, UK

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90. A Quiet Riot Vol. 1 — We Are Riot — Bremen, Germany

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91. Membership Dues — Sad Girlz Club — San Francisco, California, USA

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92. Broken Codes — In Parallel — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

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93. The Deep Sleep — Unveil — Sherebrooke, Quebec, Canada

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94. The Nexstone — The Nexstone — Kramatorsk, Ukraine

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95. Comfort Zone — Superhaunted — Miami, Florida, USA

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96. Fault Lines EP — Aeve Ribbons — Manchester, England, UK

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97. Visions EP — Noise Maze — Udine, Italy

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98.The Outer Space (EP) — Fallcie — Saint Petersburg, Russia

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99. Jaren — Jenn’s Apartment — Lansing, Michigan, USA

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100. Nothing Left — My Favorite Fault — Moscow, Russia

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If you enjoyed this please share, and feel free to Tweet me. Let’s talk music and tech!

2018: A New Year with New Goals

Posted on January 1, 2018 by adammarx13

Perhaps the last picture I’ll post with my trusty iPhone 4S

2017 is over and 2018 is now here. That’s a good thing; last year was a tough one. A few very close relationships ended, and after a few years, I closed my first company. But I also learned that there is life after failure.

So here we are now in the new year, and I’m excited to start working on a bunch of new things. Here are some of the things you’ll see from me in 2018:

😎 🎸 I’m working on a new music project (company? 😎 ). That’s right — after a badly needed six-month hiatus (maybe longer?) from actually running a music-startup, I’m gathering feedback on a new idea which is incredibly exciting. So far, feedback has been very positive. Discussions with a select number of artists as well as a few journalists, founders, and confidants have yielded an ever-clearer perspective on how this can grow. I’m excited to read more people into this as the year progresses.
📝 I’m working on editing a very special document that I’m extremely excited to finish. I’m a word-nerd, and in editing this piece, I can honestly say it’s been one of the most challenging and rewarding things I’ve done in my professional writing career.
📝 🤘 I have an avalanche of new music articles written and in the works which I can’t wait to see published. Some of these will shake things up (I hope), but hey, what’s the point of being a music journalist if you’re not a little punk about it?
📝 📽️ I’m working on writing a rough draft of a screenplay (no, really!). Last year, I was kicking around an idea which I thought could be fun to work on, and over the last week, I’ve started mapping out characters and basic scene dialogue. I’ve never done a screenplay, so I am more than happy to have collaborators!
🙋 🙋‍♂️ 🙌 🤝 I will start driving harder towards being more central to the discussions on sexual harassment and how to fix the issues we have before us. This is less of a “me” thing, and more something I am incredibly passionate about; I am open to collaborating with anyone on projects which will help with the goals of creating a paradigm with more meritocracy, equality, and egalitarianism.
😎 🎙️ I’m incredibly excited (and flattered) to have an invitation to be on a few podcasts starting this year — because I don’t talk enough as it is ha!
🤔 📝 I’m working on plans for a new guide which will (hopefully) excite word-smiths everywhere; more on this project in the coming months.
📝 📖 I’m writing a pseudo-review of a book I’ve been reading which has changed my perspective on so many things, and has similarly confirmed a lot of the mantras which I try to live my life by. This will be out by the end of January.
📝 🤝 I will be releasing many new articles in my Minimum Viable Network series.
🎸 😉 I’ll be doing more work with artists (some have asked me to manage ha!) — maybe there’s a producer-credit in my future.
🤔 📖 There are a few of my past articles which I have been toying with revising into a rough pitch for a book. Let’s see what the year brings.
😄 I will be exploring more speaking opportunities.
😎 🤘With the 2017 list out, I’m ready to start working on the new “100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed” list for 2018.
😄 🙌 I’m excited to start having * Many * More * Conversations * — I’m all about creating new things, and I look forward to picking up new projects throughout the new year, both with current partners in crime and new draftees.

Thank you to everyone who helped me pull through 2017. Your support means more than you know. Now, on to 2018!

***

Find me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and business!

100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed in 2017

Posted on December 15, 2017 by adammarx13

Here we are, back in December, and everyone knows what that means: more “Best of…” lists trumpeting the best new music on the scene. And as always, so much of the independent world flies completely under the radar.

For the last two years, I’ve drawn up lists of “100 independent albums and EP’s you probably missed” during the year. Here they are:

Now it’s time for list number three, and I am so excited partly because of how the map is expanding to include places which weren’t touched in the first two lists.

As with the first two lists, these 100 albums and EP’s come from artists all over the world. This year’s list includes artists from: Canada, the U.K. (England, Scotland, and Wales), Australia, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Belarus, Romania, Slovakia, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, Greece, Myanmar, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Serbia, Austria, Argentina, Ukraine, Indonesia, Poland, and 28 different U.S. states. The independent world is very, very big.

I’m also pleased to see an evolution of my own tastes and appreciation; this year’s list includes more pop, electronic, R&B, and jazz influences, obviously mixed in with a healthy helping of alternative, rock, and metal.

So here are 100 of the albums and EP’s that you probably missed in 2017. All were released during the 2017 calendar year; imagine if the mainstream paid attention to all the artists out there, and not only the handful we hear about.

As always, albums are in no particular order.

Go expand your universe. You’d be shocked at what you discover.

1. Why Am I Swimming Around Like This? — Fishtank — London, England, UK

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2. Tube One — Okto Vulgaris — Chur, Switzerland

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3. Space — The Head — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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4. It’s Butter – EP — It’s Butter — Los Angeles, California, USA

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5. Grace Blue — Grace Blue — Los Angeles, California, USA

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6. Machine — Hello, Mountain — Denver, Colorado, USA

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7. The Hurricane EP — Morganway — Norwich, England, UK

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8. Tooth & Nail — Freya Wilcox & The Howl — Brooklyn, New York, USA

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9. Orphan Planet — Orphan Planet — Portland, Maine, USA

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10. The Truth & The Lie — Skies Collide — Brisbane, Australia

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11. Commitment Issues — Anyone’s Guess — Orlando, Florida USA

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12. Dark Matter EP — Auditory Armory — Altamonte Springs, Florida, USA

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13. Golden — The Talking Hours — Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

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14. Animals — Blue Eyed Sons — Helsinki, Finland

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15. Dark Swallows — Dark Swallows — Boise, Idaho, USA

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16. Everything You Ever Wanted — Street Pieces — Brisbane, Australia

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17. The Trouble With Teeth — Little Coyote — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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18. A Flood — Twin Strike — Brooklyn, New York, USA

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19. Bad Habit — Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disasters — Cardiff, Wales, UK

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20. Skiddish — The Fallaways — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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21. Flux — Form Constant — Birmingham, Alabama, USA

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22. Background Noise — Treading Water — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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23. Breaking the Line [EP] — The Strikes — Souchez, France

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24. Wide Open — Weaves — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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25. Eclipse Of The Sun — Liquid Sunshine — Zurich, Switzerland

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26. Worn Out Heart — Hollow Sidewalks — Portland, Oregon, USA

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27. Start a Fire — The Burn Ins — Elkford, British Columbia, Canada

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28. Coyote Gunfight — Dynamite Thunderpunch — Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

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29. Monuments EP — Stereo Honey — London, England, UK

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30. The Gang — The Gang — Bratislava, Slovakia

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31. Drive — Sidewatcher — Detroit, Michigan, USA

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32. End Times — Brother Sister Hex — Denver, Colorado, USA

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33. Speak — Honey & the 45s — Chicago, Illinois, USA

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34. With – EP — Fencer — Los Angeles, California, USA

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35. Soul Sickness — The Versa Contrast — Revere, Massachusetts, USA

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36. A Sign of the Times — Cold California — Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

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37. Auto Racing EP 2 — Auto Racing — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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38. Note to Self – EP — Ready The Prince — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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39. Decade — Fighting Jacks — San Jose, California, USA

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40. Gates Of Expression — Wildchild — Sibiu, Romania

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41. virus. — Novembervägen — Stockholm, Sweden

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42. Hypnotic Illusions EP — Living Still Life — Sydney, Australia

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43. A Show For No One — Just Noise — Des Plaines, Illinois, USA

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44. All Systems Go — CODED — Cape Town, South Africa

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45. Wasted EP — Kreepy Krush — Minsk, Belarus

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46. Better Days — The Clock Tower — Fukuoka, Japan

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47. Tales of Betrayal and Deceit — The McMiners — Belo Horizonte, Brazil

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48. Black and Blue EP — Little Raven — Nashville, Tennessee, USA

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49. Hydra Plane — Hydra Plane — Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

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50. Arcadia Feliz — Attikus Finch — Pamplona, Spain

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51. Sublimation — Gravelarks — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

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52. The Words We’ll Never Say — In Good Nature — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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53. Polaroids — A Fire With Friends — Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA

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54. Plan Of Action — The Kingpins — Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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55. No Time to Die — Daeodon — Louisville, Kentucky, USA

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56. Relics & Cycles — Before And After Science — Oporto, Portugal

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57. In Arcadia — Field Of Giants — Oxford, England, UK

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58. REM — SIAN — Tokyo, Japan

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59. Aura — Set Fire — Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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60. Karate Break EP — Karate Break — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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61. Starla — Starla — Tacoma, Washington, USA

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62. Fine Motor — Fine Motor — Reno, Nevada, USA

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63. Clones — Naked Shark — Ann Arbor, Michigan USA

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64. Salting — Keeper — Washington, D.C., USA

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65. Radio Silence — Paranoir — Thessaloniki, Greece

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66. Secret Demo — Shadow Party — Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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67. Flying High — Laneslide — Petrovsk, Russia

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68. Weight — Old State — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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69. Playground — Paranoid — Lille, France

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70. Crash The Gate — Cab Ride Home — Manassas, Virginia, USA

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71. Space and Grit — Domestic Blend — Omaha, Nebraska, USA

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72. Attic Salt — Attic Salt — Springfield, Illinois, USA

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73. Demo — Piines — Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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74. Heavy Dreaming — Painted Shut — Garden Grove, California, USA

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75. MUTT E.P. — Whorehound — Terre Haute, Indiana, USA

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76. Cinder Box — Cinder Box — London, England, UK

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77. Heavy High — Bruiser Queen — St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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78. The Endless and Unseen — Like The Ocean — San Francisco, California, USA

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79. In Plain Sight — Elastic Blur — Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA

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80. As Far As The Stars — Nine Year Sister — Queensland, Australia

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81. Fever Dreamin’ — Billy King & The Bad Bad Bad — Austin, Texas, USA

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82. Sleep — Fawner — Cheltenham, England, UK

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83. The Forge Sessions — Hot Raisin — Norwich, England, UK

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84. Primeval — Iron Heade — Rancagua, Chile

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85. Escapade — Pandelic — Yangon, Myanmar

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86. Patterns — Longclaw — Portland, Oregon, USA

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87. Defector — HEAVYCRAFT — Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA

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88. Change — Traces — Tamworth, Australia

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89. Thomas — The Shaftons — Vienna, Austria

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90. Parasite — The Coathangers — Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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91. Widower — Widower — Sydney, Australia

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92. Rock for Life — Early Grey — Moscow, Russia

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93. First Attack EP — Snappy Strokes — Krakow, Poland

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94. The Story — Oceantides — Kiev, Ukraine

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95. Forgiver EP — Shoplifters — Novi Sad, Serbia

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96. Skoll — Astro Diver — Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

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97. Alter Ego — Replica — Buenos Aires, Argentina

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98. The Best Things — Beat Off! — Kediri, Indonesia

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99. Kings – EP — August Tides — Cleethorpes, England, UK

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100. Demos 2017 — Goodnight Cairo — Seattle, Washington, USA

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Unbundled, Part III: Democratizing the Future

Posted on May 3, 2017 by adammarx13

Why democratization and identity are the future of music.

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This is the final entry in the Unbundled series on music dynamics. Read the previously published pieces here:

unbundled

Power, Gatekeeping, Scarcity, and Democratization

Which brings us back to the last step in the cycle: unbundled once again. Only this time, the unbundled dynamic refers to power and ownership. The new unbundled form of power—referenced above—removes the focus of power from the major labels and fractures it, splintering it to varying degrees among the plethora of new artists and startups now emerging.

This is the best thing that could happen because it leads to a more stabilized version of meritocracy in music. The top-heavy, unbalanced paradigm of major label control over everything that a fan is exposed to is ending, and being replaced with a much murkier—but more expansive—reality. This in turn affects scarcity and gatekeeping on a massive level.

Scarcity is obsolete; democratization wins.

Ownership

Perhaps the most prickly point here is the concept of ownership in the new age. This is a contentious topic even among friends, and no one really knows what the landscape is going to look like in the next few years. What can be surmised, however, is that concepts of ownership of musical material are evolving. Sampling and other trends in electronic and DJ music, along with self-recording and independent releases, have muddied the waters of who owns what and to what extent.

Now the action of covering or remixing someone else’s song and posting it online bristles feathers. But (most) artists who do this also attribute the proper credits to the original artist(s)—many times in the cover or remix’s title—simply because it’s the right thing to do and because it helps them to disseminate their new version.

Asserting that cover songs and remixes hurt the original artist is a cloudy and jaded argument at best.

Yet, the argument can be made that with this new overhaul in ownership orthodoxy, perhaps the right people are now able to own the things they should have been able to all along. Let us not forget the reality of master tapes (where a record label owns the rights to an artist’s original recordings) which so many artists have regretted. Controlling one’s own material, and deciding what to do with it, are the ultimate power plays an artist can make. Appealing to this new sense of power is the best avenue for emerging music startups to make.

Such a concept is fairly reminiscent of points made by bitcoin enthusiasts, wherein a control-dynamic is illustrated. Controlling access to the material—in this case, bitcoin—is the ultimate power, and any major purchaser can go directly to a bitcoin supplier (i.e. miner) and negotiate significant discounts for their volume of purchase.

In this scenario, the music fan is the purchaser, the artist is the bitcoin miner, and the service that serves as a conduit between the two is better off appealing to and providing value to the artist rather than only the fan. Both are important, but the latter controls the material which the former wants to consume.

Money and Community

One of the loudest major factors that floats around is the argument over money, from streaming, downloading, merch sales, ticket sales, etc. Let’s be clear though: streaming and downloading—the purchase of musical material—is not where the real money is for artists. It never has been. The money has always been in the merchandise and live ticket sales. What does this mean nowadays? Community.

While it is certainly arguable and many times probable that new unbundling dynamics have struck at artists’ ability to make money from the sale of their music, it is equally arguable that it has enabled them to make money from other, more lucrative, avenues.

An artist can only sell a $10 album so many times (unless you’re a major label darling). Their real bread and butter is in their community cultivation: growing their base, getting people to come out, getting people to spread their music and message, and capitalizing on those efforts. Streaming and downloading revenue is at best a holdover until a better stream is tapped.

The dynamics that exist now in this new unbundled world provide new opportunities for artists. Now, they don’t need to make their money off music sales or streams. Enough access to fans and communication/funding tools exist that they can actually give their music away for free and turn a profit somewhere else.

And this is exactly what a growing number of artists are choosing to do.

The dissemination of their material onto a global stage is much more important than a few album sales here or there, and leads to better things on the other side. A more expansive universe brings more shows, more exposure, more true fans, and more branding opportunities. These are the real things that grant artists staying power.

The Expansive Powers of Identity

Lastly, there is identity. I examined in a previous piece how we’re seeing the rise of “identity platforms” in media. Music is no exception to this. In fact, it might be the shining example of it.

Identity gives music—and by extension all art—certain powers that contribute staying power. Identity is so powerful precisely because it exists independently of genre, mainstream recognition, money, or history; it’s unique in it’s own ability to build bridges where previously there were none. Regarding music, identity brings together people on a core level that can almost supersede differences they might otherwise have.

The power identity—especially in relation to art and music—in its potential to create ever-expanding identities—to create communities. Money is certainly a factor in this, but if a shared identity which draws people towards one another, and can shield them—for better or worse—from outside forces seeking to compromise that unique, collective identity. As music is given the ability to disseminate more and more, more communities will arise around newly-minted identities, and art as a whole will become more lush and layered.

In the wake of these trends in art, music, and media, the power will lay with companies and platforms to not only cultivate these newly emerging identities, but to provide fertile ground for even more embryonic ones. Music becomes a vessel for the expansion of art and identity.

The Upswing

Where does this leave us? In unchartered territory to start with. Artists will continue to grow their power as new technologies make the opportunities possible. The companies which see this trend and capitalize on it will be the ones to stick around and do well. The others, however, who are resistant to this new set of events, will find it challenging to court artists and acquire material if they are determined to hold fast to a paradigm that was beneficial mostly to the major record labels.

Independents artists, and consumers of all strata (not merely the mainstream), will not be ignored or marginalized anymore. They will continue to experiment with the bundling/unbundling process until they find the right fit for themselves, and for their careers. There will be less of a set standard that all need to conform to, and more of a flexible set of possibilities and avenues for people to mix and match to reflect their changing personal experiences.

The future of music is three things: freedom, community, and democratization.

***

Find me on Twitter @adammarx13 and let’s talk music, tech, and business!

100 Awesome Independent Album and EP Releases You Probably Missed in 2016

Posted on December 14, 2016 by adammarx13

It’s that time of the year again — when all those “Best of…” lists come out telling us the supposed cream-of-the-crop releases in music. And as happens every year, they skate right over the slew of amazing independent releases that dropped into our lives.

Last year, I drew up a list of 100 independent albums you probably missed in 2015. Now it’s time to do the same for 2016.

In the interest of fairness, it’s important to note that most of these releases simply follow my personal taste in music genre-wise; they certainly don’t encompass all the amazing independent albums that came out this year in jazz, EDM, rap, classical, or other styles.

As with last year’s list, these 100 albums and EP’s come from artists all over the world. This year’s list has artists from: Canada, the U.K., France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, China, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Belarus, Germany, Israel, China, Mexico, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and from 20 different U.S. states. That’s how big the independent universe is, regardless of genre.

So here are just 100 of the albums and EP’s that you probably missed in 2016. All were released during the 2016 calendar year, so this gives you an idea of just how small a window into the music world the mainstream actually cuts. As always, albums are in no particular order. Do yourself a favor and go expand your universe. You’d be shocked at what you discover.

Forget About It – It’s Butter – Los Angeles, California, USA
I Talk to Strangers – I Talk to Strangers – London, England, UK
The Centauri Conspiracies: Part 1 — The Awakening — Sunshine & Bullets — Tampa, Florida, USA
Colours — Chelsea Shag — Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Good Days — Skyline — Austin, Texas, USA
Muster Point — Jeeps — London, England, UK
Scars — Forever Still — Copenhagen, Denmark
Body Wars — June Divided — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Silent Elephant — Silent Elephant — Lille, France
The Parts We Save — Heel — London, England, UK
Breaking Free — A Truth Divides — Fall River, Massachusetts, USA
Emergence — Hour 24 — Temperance, Michigan, USA
Hardly Loaded EP — PhantomHead — Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Tough Love — Bloody Diamonds — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
A Moment of Silence — The Funeral Portrait — Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Epicentre — Bouquet of Dead Crows — London, England, UK
She Speaks — She Speaks — Kildare, Ireland
Wanderer — Red Handed Denial — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dark Narrows — Lights That Change — Flintshire, Wales, UK
The ReIntroduction — Almost Kings — Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Black — Suan — Athy, Ireland
Mean Something — Kinder Than Wolves — Orlando, Florida, USA
For Your Obliteration — The Dead Deads — Nashville, Tennessee, USA
No Mirror / Baby Steps — Birdeatsbaby — Brighton, England, UK
Screech Bats — Screech Bats — London, England, UK
Five Kites — Five Kites — Uckfield, England, UK
Pow Wow — Red Apple — Madrid, Spain
Hoopdriver — Hoopdriver — London, England, UK
The Mud Lords EP — The Mud Lords — San Francisco, California, USA
Stones — Cherry Water — Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
Please Welcome Imperial Jade — Imperial Jade — Barcelona, Spain
From The Cave — From The Cave — London, England, UK
Imminent for Your Interests — People Like Us. — Los Angeles, California, USA
Otra Vez I — Sidewatcher — Detroit, Michigan, USA
Eraserhead — Eraserhead — Aurora, Illinois, USA
Alterhood — Alterhood — Tel-Aviv, Israel
Eugenia EP — Darla and the Blonde — London, England, UK
Cosmophonie EP — Cosmophone — Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
Hit the Air — Basic Land — Monterrey, Mexico
Born to Dance — Pürple — Brighton, England, UK
Double A-Side — The Mis-Made — Sydney, Australia
Refuse to Shine EP — Mr.Mountain — Portsmouth, England, UK
Gaining Perspective — Glory Days — Brisbane, Australia
The Sky, the Lie, and Who We Are Before We Die — True North — Los Angeles, California, USA
Luxury EP — Patio — New York City, New York, USA
Phantasmagoria — White Claudia — Chicago, Illinois, USA
Cruise Deal — Mirror Travel — Austin, Texas, USA
Call Me by Name — Good Fiction — Albany, New York, USA
Bipolar — Kreepy Krush — Minsk, Belarus
Good Hangs — Lauren Patti — New Jersey, USA
Copper Crown — Copper Crown — Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cuatro — Tranparentes — Alicante, Spain
It’s Too Bright Inside — Lush Vibes — Vallejo, California, USA
Ropes End — Ropes End — New York City, New York, USA
Only Roses — Carissa Johnson — Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Theories of the Universe — Haunted Ghost Town — Sunnyvale, California, USA
Soft Grudge — Mulligrub — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Dirty Lyxx — Dirty Lyxx — Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Stages — Kopacetic — Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
Much Love — Microwave — Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Metadonna — Metadonna — Valencia, Spain
Break Down the Walls — Break Down the Walls — Hawthorne, New York, USA
Stuff EP — My Cruel Goro — Iceland
Shadowbox — Vivienne the Witch — Perugia, Italy
In the Arms of the Sun — Vox Vocis — Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Discourse — Sex With Strangers — Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Sleep Tight, When You Wake Up We’ll Be Gone — The Few. — St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Harmony and Disconnect — Rising Down — Tampa, Florida, USA
Vectors — Yeah Sure Whatever — Marin, California, USA
DEVILTRAIN — DEVILTRAIN — Bamberg, Germany
Buried in the Sound — Lost Frontiers — Pomona, California, USA
Nosebleed Weekend — The Coathangers — Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The Eternal Sea — The Eternal Sea — Tauranga, New Zealand
Traces EP — Traces — Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Elevation — We Are The Catalyst — Gothenburg, Sweden
MABON SONGS — Crypt Trip — San Marcos, Texas, USA
Angel — Heroes — Los Angeles, California, USA
Swan Valley Heights — Swan Valley Heights — Munich, Germany
Abandoned — Counter Theory — Valparaiso, Indiana, USA
Ants — Ants — Rivergaro, Italy
The Journey (EP) — Rusty Joe — Casais, Portugal
Spectra — Myrrias — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Dimensionauts EP — Robot Jurassic — Edgewater, Maryland, USA
Believer — Weird Neighbours — Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Hell Is Not Other People, It’s You — The Republic of Trees — Scarborough, England, UK
The Lippies — The Lippies — Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Far Away, As We Fade — AggronympH — Yichang, China
The Departed — Summer Drive Home — Weymouth, England, UK
Mix Tape — The Hang Lows — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
SweetMeat — The BlackLava — Torino, Italy
Singularity — Fight Like Sin — Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Chasing a Phantom — Changing Scene — Bel Aton, Maryland, USA
Abandoned Homes — The Aesthetic — Seattle, Washington, USA
Connector — Fable Circuit — Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA
Inburn — Inburn — Illigan City, Phillipines
The Lost Ones (EP) — LUNGS — Sacramento, California, USA
Ambulance — The Amazing — Stockholm, Sweden
Detox — Pyke — Arendal, Norway
Start Again — The Middle Ground — Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Valley Queen EP — Valley Queen — Los Angeles, California, USA

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What Artists Can Learn from Startups, Part 2

Posted on September 7, 2016 by adammarx13

Who Do You Promote?

Recently, I wrote a post entitled, “What Artists Can Learn from Startups” in which I began looking at a number of strategies which startup companies (mainly tech) use to generate leads and interest in their products and services.

The more I think about it, the more certain strategies really stick out as things that artists should be considering and implementing. One in particular is something which holds my attention.

In tech (startups, at least), there isn’t the same reticence to publicize and promote someone else’s product or service as there seems to be in music. Among artists, there seems to be this gospel-like belief that if you promote an artist or song you don’t love with all your soul, then you’re somehow being disingenuous. In all forms of art, and music especially, the concept of reputation is taken extremely seriously. Sometimes to a fault.

Whereas I see founders from all over the startup world promoting one another, I see more resignation in the music community to follow suit, and truthfully for no good reason.

I have no qualms about promoting a product or service that I don’t use, or don’t use regularly. Before you come down on me for having a hidden agenda, though, take a moment to think about all the things you can promote someone for that have little to nothing to do with their service or product.

So often, I find myself tweeting and posting about the people behind the product, either because they’re so magnetic, so innovative in their thought process, or so willing to help others. It has so much more to do with their character than anything else. And this is something artists could so easily cash in on and make their own.

When someone helps you set up a show, helps promote your band or music online, or introduces you to someone new, tweeting out a “thank you” and promoting them isn’t being disingenuous at all. Quiet the opposite. It actually solidifies you as someone who returns favors and good karma, and thus builds your own reputation, even if it’s in the service of others (for the moment).

Positive service of others is service to ourselves, if only indirectly. Artists would do well to begin to reexamine their practices in how they promote others, from the decision process to the execution. Starting to have more fluid strategies here could greatly expand their networks in relatively short amounts of time.

More to come on this soon.

The Hit List: 20 Demos, Albums and EP’s You Need to Hear Right Now — May 29, 2016

Posted on May 29, 2016 by adammarx13

Hey from Israel everyone! So I’m not sure what my wifi situation will look like tomorrow, so I’ll just post this week’s Hit List tonight :D. A lot of great music spinning around again this week, so hit these people up and show them some love. Happy listening!

Break the Distance – The Alibi – 2014

2. Music to Forget the Future – Kick the Robot – 2015

3. Dark Narrows – Lights That Change – 2016

4. Pow Wow – Red Apple – 2016

5. Like We’re Wild – Single – Royal Street – 2015

6. Snakes and Spiders – Safe Secrets – 2016

7. Lion’s Mouth – Lion’s Mouth – 2014

8. Cruise Deal – Mirror Travel – 2016

9. No Mirror / Baby Steps – Birdeatsbaby – 2016

10. I Believe You, Ok – Post Pink – 2016

11. Slug Life EP – Atomic Walrus – 2014

12. I Don’t Mind – The Horse Traders – 2016

13. Ghosts – Fallen Edge – 2016

14. EP – Solar Tantrums – 2016

15. S L U R R S – Slurrs – 2016

16. Only Roses – Carissa Johnson – 2016

17. The Mud Lords EP – The Mud Lords – 2016

18. Errata Naturae – Phonocaptors – 2016

19. Riverlust – The High Divers – 2015

20. Believer – Weird Neighbours – 2016

The Hit List: 20 Demos, Albums and EP’s You Need to Hear Right Now — May 23, 2016

Posted on May 23, 2016 by adammarx13

Heading out of town today for a few weeks in Israel, but not before I give you all a new run-down of great music to check out. Creation never sleeps, and neither do I when there’s new material popping up, so give these people a spin. As always, albums are in no particular order. Happy Monday listening!

1. Black – Suan – 2016

2. Warpaint – Wicked Faith – 2015

3. Mean Something – Kinder Than Wolves – 2016

4. From The Cave – From The Cave – 2016

5. Snakes and Spiders – Safe Secrets – 2016

6. Only Roses – Carissa Johnson – 2016

7. Slug Life EP – Atomic Walrus – 2014

8. A Shot in the Dark – Kiss the Curse – 2015

9. Ghosts – Fallen Edge – 2016

10. Acoustics EP – Yvette Young – 2014

11. Lion’s Mouth – Lion’s Mouth – 2014

12. Demo – Great Woods – 2014

13. Cheerleading – The Sports – 2016

14. I Believe You, Ok – Post Pink – 2016

15. Cake Daze – Cannibal Kids – 2016

16. S L U R R S – Slurrs – 2016

17. I Don’t Mind – The Horse Traders – 2016

18. Evergreen / Kite Dodging – The Hazy Seas – 2016

19. EP – Solar Tantrums – 2016

20. The Beautiful Light EP – The Beautiful Light – 2016

The Hit List: 20 Demos, Albums and EP’s You Need to Hear Right Now — May 16, 2016

Posted on May 16, 2016 by adammarx13

A lot of this week’s list are artists who have rolled over from last week, which should just underscore how infectious their music really is. There are a ton of new artists too, though, and I’m overall super excited that a lot of the albums this time around aren’t from 2016. Sometimes in music, the best thing is to sniff out things that you might have missed before, and this week’s list with a ton of material from 2014 and 2015 certainly fits the bill. As always, albums are in no particular order, so hit them all for a listen and have a great Monday!

1. Of the Night – Bouquet of Dead Crows – 2015