That's right, it's back: the playlist that started it all. This year has a lot of highly-anticipated releases and great new artists on the rise, and these are just a few of them. In no particular order, read all about the 18 alternative artists to watch out for in 2018. Find all of the artists in one place in the Spotify and Apple Music playlists at the end of the article. Wishing you a very happy new year.
Groovy indie pop band Sure Sure are one of the many exciting acts rising in LA. The four-piece's memorable melodies and bright piano riffs create a blooming, warm, impossibly catchy sound. With their creativity, it comes as no surprise that their tunes "
New Biome" and "
Friends" have become so well-loved, including adds to various Spotify playlists and attention from indie greats like Vampire Weekend. They've even earned themselves a spot opening up for Hippo Campus on their upcoming winter tour. And if that's not enough of a way to start off 2018,
Sure Sure's debut album was just released yesterday.
listen to: "
Koreatown", "
Hands Up Head Down", "
This Must Be the Place (Talking Heads cover)"
This artist's fun, youthful, and relatable songs have earned her a spot on many "Best Of 2017" lists, and it's not hard to see why. Australian native Alex Lahey burst onto the scene with her EP,
B-Grade University, in 2016, which received plenty of critical acclaim. A year later, she released her debut album,
I Love You Like a Brother, which hosts clever and honest lyrics backed by a pop punk energy, dealing with themes that resonate with almost anyone who is or has been a young adult. If Alex Lahey has all of this under her belt at just 25 years old, she's definitely one to be watching out for.
listen to: "
Backpack", "
I Haven't Been Taking Care of Myself", "
I Want U"
Dan Lardner and Alex Niemetz have both been playing guitar since their preteen years, but it wasn't until they met online at 17 that they started working together. The duo released their first single, "Rodeo", in 2016, and continued to rise up through the New York City music scene as they put out song after song. In December, their debut self-titled album was released, and it barely sounds like a debut. Lardner's rich drawl and Niemetz's effortless guitar lines are reminiscent of many fellow NYC greats, like Television or The Strokes. The two-piece's sound is full of character and experience, and truly pays its respects to its hometown.
listen to: "
Rodeo", "
Cold Nights", "
Dress / Undress"
Kevin Rhomberg might seem like a new artist, but he's really been behind the scenes of the Chicago hip-hop scene for a while. After producing many tracks, and even being featured on a
Chance the Rapper song, he's finally here with a debut album of his own. A collage of breezy indie pop, sultry synth pop, and hip-hop influences, Knox Fortune's
Paradise was one of the most exciting albums of 2017. Tracks like the single "Lil Thing" highlight Rhomberg's intriguing alto range and infectious melodies. Knox Fortune's innovative alternative pop will be your newest obsession of the year.
listen to: "
Help Myself", "
Lil Thing", "
I Don't Wanna Talk About it"
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| [image by : Adele Sakey] |
EXNATIONS
This trio has creative process that exists all over the east coast of the United States. Vocalist Sal Mastrocola lives in Brooklyn, while guitarist Dan Ciarrocchi and drummer Taylor Hughes live in Baltimore, and they record their music all over the place. EXNATIONS' warm, bubbling synths, thrilling hooks, and strong vocals create an indie pop pool party that's impossible to not have fun at. This band is the perfect winter pick-me-up for anyone who's needing a bit of sunshine to start your new year. If their debut single "Never About the Money" leaves you hanging, their next single "Can't Get Hurt" is out on the 19th.
listen to: "
Never About the Money"
The name "Superorganism" is no understatement for this eight-piece band. The group began forming their uniquely DIY alt-pop by sharing files over the internet from New Zealand to America, and now all live together in a house in London, England. The mysterious band have caught almost everyone's attention with their colourful single "Something For Your M.I.N.D.", including a placement on Spotify's prestigious and highly trafficked "New Music Friday" playlist. The group aims to bring a less serious, more fun approach to pop music, and they're definitely getting there with latest release, "Everybody Wants To Be Famous".
listen to: "
Everybody Wants To Be Famous", "
Something For Your M.I.N.D.", "
Nobody Cares"
In 2015, Philadelphia indie folk-rock band Kississippi mesmerized us with EP,
We Have No Future, We're All Doomed. The title might make quite the blunt statement, but frontwoman Zoe Reynolds' raw, beautiful vocals and songwriting open up an honest emotion. The six tracks reflect on various human experiences in a way that is easy to listen to, but compels you to listen. The dreamlike nostalgia of Reynolds' art is continued on Kississippi's newest single, "Cut Yr Teeth", released December 15. The band's debut album is set to drop sometime this year, so keep an eye out.
listen to: "
Cut Yr Teeth", "
Dogmas", "
This Song Used To Be About You"
Brighton, UK's Black Honey have been successfully pumping out single after single since 2014. Their most recent 2016 EP,
Headspin, secured their status as one of the most captivating up-and-comers in indie rock. The four-piece have a gripping, cinematic sound, built by gritty guitar and frontwoman Izzy B. Phillips' larger-than-life, roaring vocals. "Dig" and "Somebody Better / Cadillac" were the group's releases of 2017, but on the last day of December, the band revealed on social media that their debut album will be coming out this year. After receiving so much critical acclaim and popularity from a few singles, this album will definitely be a must-listen.
listen to: "
Dig", "
Cadillac", "
Hello Today"
Toronto-based alt-pop-rockers HIGHS debuted with a vibrant
self-titled EP in 2013, and followed up with an intricate LP,
Dazzle Camouflage, in 2016. A euphony of carefully blended harmonies and glittering guitar lines, their music creates a personal warmth with an intoxicating allure. Each instrument pulls its weight, no one overshadowing another, forming a lush and layered blend. The five-piece have flourished in the Canadian indie scene, gathering radio airtime and touring with many Canadian indie greats. As for the future, HIGHS has been teasing on social media for the past few months with studio photos and short clips of new music, that will hopefully be coming very soon.
listen to: "
I Do, Do You?", "
Closetalkers", "
Gold Teeth"
This band has only been around since April of 2017, but their large and dedicated fanbase is growing steadily. MILKK gathered a lot of attention quickly with their debut single, "Pacific Kiss" in May. Self described on social media as an "emo boy-band" with "feel good sad songs", Pat Kiloran, Jack Vondracheck, and John Ogelby write smooth, electronic pop songs that dive in to the various emotions of being in love. Their nostalgic, California-esque sound is fostered in "Less Than 3", the band's most recent release in November. If in just a few months of 2017 this band was able to garner such a following, who knows what they'll do in the new year.
listen to: "
Less Than 3", "
Pacific Kiss", "
IDWK"
This Dallas five-piece has been making waves in their local scene this year. Tommy Stuart and Milo Cortese are childhood friends who've been playing music together since grade school, and they brought in high school friends Trevor Stovall, Landry French, and Lucas Burns to make Hall Johnson. The quintet boasts a youthful, surfy, indie rock sound with a very strong presence, as can be heard on their debut single "It's My Fault". The quintet just released their first four track EP,
Goalie, on December 30 - a stellar follow-up to their two track April release, "Upstate / City Lights".
listen to: "
Reds", "
City Lights", "
It's My Fault"
In April 2017, this LA-based three-piece debuted with "Pleaser". Since then, Wallows has been dropping single after single, steadily rising within the indie rock scene with their buzzy, jangly sound. With just four singles under their belt, it might come as a surprise that the trio has such a cohesive, established sound. As it turns out, Braeden Lemasters, Dylan Minnette, and Cole Preston have already been in multiple bands together, sharing a creative vision for years. The band have been playing many shows throughout the year in their hometown, and will be touring the US in 2018.
listen to: "
Pulling Leaves Off Trees", "
Sun Tan", "
Uncomfortable"
Birmingham, UK's The Real Cool took us "way back" with their 80s pop inspired sound on their debut EP,
Way Back! in 2017. The trio's use of dreamy synths and drum machine take listeners immediately to that musically iconic decade, but also stays rooted in the present day. Similar to artists like The 1975, The Real Cool serves as a reminder that though music is always changing, there are some sounds that just never go out of style. The band tackles romance in a modern way, mixing their retro sound with references of dating apps. The group's latest single, "Always Her", is maybe their catchiest yet.
listen to: "
Always Her", "
Way Back!", "
Home"
In case you missed it, this artist was one of the biggest breakouts of 2017. Claire Cottrill is the Boston-based 19-year-old behind Clairo, and she's gone viral for her melodic lo-fi pop and charming, DIY approach to music-making. She writes and records everything in her bedroom, currently her college dorm, using low-quality equipment and posting it all on SoundCloud. The
video for her song "Pretty Girl" captured everyone's attention in 2017, with her low video quality, silly dance moves, and a very honest video description. Clairo has won the internet's heart by just being herself.
listen to: "
Pretty Girl", "
Flaming Hot Cheetos", "
Get With U"
Loose Buttons frontman Eric Nizgretsky and guitarist Zachary Kantor have been working on music together since they were ten years old. Growing up in New York City in the early 2000s golden age of indie rock, the now four-piece have the ultimate bouncy and bubbly yet effortlessly cool sound that is so classic in their city. Their first EP,
Damage Gallery, was released in 2014, and the new EP,
Sundays, dropped early 2017. Dealing with all the haunting afterthoughts and contrasting feelings of a breakup, the group's latest four track release is just the kind of thing to get you through the ups and downs of love.
listen to: "
Tales of What I'm Used To", "
Milk & Roses", "
Thrill"
Liverpool's SPINN have only a handful of singles out, but already a well-developed, classic indie rock sound. The group has been stirring up their local scene since 2015, but recent singles "Home" and "Notice Me" have been quickly making their way around the blog circuit. Upbeat and guitar-driven with big, memorable choruses, the quartet are just impossibly fun. If you like SPINN's most recent single, "She Takes Her Time", then be sure to check out upcoming song "After Dark" on January 19th, which will lead to a debut EP sometime this year.
listen to: "
She Takes Her Time", "
Notice Me", "
Home"
Sun-kissed Newcastle act Vacations debuted in 2015 with EP,
Days. Their humid, melodic guitar lines, quick percussion, and wavy vocals deliver the perfect summer getaway. After the release of the
Vibes EP in 2016, the four-piece released single "Moving Out" in late 2017. Through a hazy melancholy of entering adulthood, the band puts forward their best effort yet. Honest lyrics and rolling guitar lines melt into the silky smooth production, creating a warm, blissful sunset of sound. Here's hoping that more like "Moving Out" is on the way for 2018.
listen to: "
Moving Out", "
No Fun", "
Away"
Last but absolutely not least, this Jacksonville, Florida quartet have been putting out summery indie tunes since their debut EP
OK Alright in 2015. After their first LP,
Melt, in 2016, Faze Wave are back on the scene with 2017's singles "Chemistry" and "Leagues" - both fantastic follow-ups to the album, building on their loveable brand of surf-rock. The band recently released a super fun
music video for "Leagues", which sees the four-piece at the most appropriate setting for their music: the beach. Faze Wave has been playing a lot of shows around the US, which they book independently, so be sure to see if you can catch them on the road this year.
listen to: "
Leagues", "
Makeout", "
Im In Hello"
Liked any of the artists you heard in this post? You can listen to them all in the Spotify
playlist here, and on Apple Music
here.
[cover image : Clairo , image from :
source]
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