Tag Archives: indie music playlist

Rock On: Holiday Tunes and Winter Moods

There’s a certain moodiness to some of the tunes on this month’s edition of Rock On! befitting the time of year. The weather has turned colder, the sun’s light has dimmed, and it’s a perfect time to go inward and reflect. There are quite a few songs here that will give you that opportunity, bookended by holiday cheer.

Of course, there are plenty of high-powered moments, as well. It wouldn’t be the Rock On! playlist if you couldn’t turn it up to 11.

Track listing:
The Mad Sugars – Christmas Wrapping
The Manic Boys and Girls Club – Blacked Out
Glamper – Back Chewer
Josh Gilligan – Anything
Aaron English ft. Francy Planet – Canada
Evan Kreutz – Dandelion
All Poets & Heroes – Dime A Dozen
Harley Olivia ft. Emily Bones – You’re Not Ready
Tell My Sons – Shot In The Dark
Fortunate Losers – Taste
Lips Speak Louder – Dog Days of Summer
Feral Minks – My Escapade
General Mojos ft. Marshall Law Band – change will come
floater. – Half-Life
Doc. Henry – Babyface
KJ Wild – Red Hot Magazine Girl
ROM COM ft. Eliza Harrison Smith – Call You Mine
westwell – Don’t Forget To Leave the Light On
Brother People ft. Bradley Rodermond – It’s a Brand New Day
Shattervox – Home for Christmas

Beats & Verses: December 2024

We’ve followed the trail to new music discovery, and we’ve once again found a bounty.

One project we’re excited about is Heru Heru‘s new album, Heruglyphics, which dropped in mid-November. The Nashville-based trio is a shining example of what it means to keep lyrical hip hop alive — but it’s far from the only example on this playlist.

From nerdcore to hardcore, from pop-rap to R&B, from new tracks to enduring favorites, there’s a full harvest of Beats & Verses for you to enjoy this month. Tap in!

Track listing:
Heru Heru ft. Nakessa & Negro Justice – Barry
Syclonus ft. KDotJay – Me, Myself and I
Gr3ys0n – Times Up
Jamar Rose – OUT THE DARK
Spence Brown – By My Lonely
Emory Jaymz ft. O.N.E. – UNOdat
Harris Hills – Cops and Strippers
RiTcH – Emotional
Lord Goldie ft. Q Shaunte – Lick
Lyrick Musiq – Winter Rainfall
Symbasyd ft. Kelly2face & Adonis – Heyyy
Brett Will – Dominoes
E.T. ft. Therese – You’re A Star
Numoon – I Hate The Sun
BEZ – Lie Detector
Intellect ft. Dave East – Too Many Losses
Usual Suspektz ft. Asun Eastwood – Tower
pher, – moon
Miles Squiers – 24 Hours
Ekelle ft. Ervin Mitchell – Games

All-Americana: Sounds of the Season (and Any Season)

Sounds of the season have begun to make their way into the fold. In fact, this month’s edition of All-Americana kicks off with a couple of holiday tunes to get you in the spirit.

In addition, we have a healthy offering of new tunes that fit any season, as well as some holdovers from our November compilation. There are gorgeous tones and heartfelt stories throughout, and this one is sure to keep you warm as the winter chill sets in.

Track listing
Andi Jane – You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch
Meghan VK – Christmas Tradition
David Tucker – Water It Down
Lauren Brabson – Notice
Max McNown – Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)
Amanda Keeley – Better Days
The Gringo Pistoleros – I Can Still Remember When
Lucie Glang and Joe Pope – Little Me
Wyman & the Wolves – Sundowner
Dylan Gerard – Need a Little Downtime
The Rebel Eves – Shake the Ground
Mikki Zip – Somethin’ to Write About
Brittany Bishop – Welcome Home
Chelsey Stallings – Give Him the Reins
Jacob Shipley – Death of Me
Dave Robertson & The Kiss List – The Green Light
Jaden Wright – East Kentucky Lady
Gary Hector – Waitin’ Around to Go Viral
Danny Himes – Las Vegas
John S. Long – Cold Stone

Poppin’ Off!: November 2024

What better way to head into the weekend, than with the playlist that promises — and delivers — big sounds and even bigger hooks!

The boundaries of pop music have once again become blurred. Independent pop artists from all over the world are innovating, combining catchy melodies and slick production with subtle nuances that will excite even the most seasoned listener. Our debut edition of Poppin’ Off! captures many such moments, leaving you with an hour’s worth of musical memories, sure to stick in your mind long past the weekend.

Track listing
CMAGIC5 – Rock Paper Scissors
Alis Vibe – Body as a Vessel
Sid Seth – Wave
Emma Driver – Try Hard
znels – future now
Daniel Arci – In My Dreams
Allison Leah – Meet Me in the Garden
Harris Hills – HATE
Alew – Loophole
Brooke Martin – bad guy
Lawrence D. – Runaway
(virtues) – U.
The Silent Room – Veins
Mary Jennings ft. Fame & Fiction – Take a Number
Streamers The Band – Don’t Look Back, Love
Lo Fi Ho Hum – Boundaries
Charity Bliss – joy algorithm
TEHYA – trap door
JULEZ – Hey There
Linn Holmes – Baby Blue

From the Soul: November 2024

The best music comes straight From the Soul. And, while all of The Playlists carry a special essence, there’s something extra tasty about this one.

There’s soul, funk, blues, R&B, and even a little bit of reggae awaiting you within this 20-track collection. It’s plenty to keep you feeling alive, feeling in love, and even (sometimes) feeling the burn. The passion behind every expressive note and thoughtful lyric is palpable!

Track listing
Miller and the Other Sinners – Better Times, Better Days
Cliff Beach – The Work
Mobley – Y’r Ghost
The Wood – Let it Loose
Groove Merchants – Real Estate
Natasha Blaine – Medicine
Beth White – Pretty Baby
Marcus King – F*ck My Life Up Again
The Late Arrivals Club – When a Lover Says Goodbye
I Nu – GLOOMY BAR
The Dip – Love Direction
Kelly Finnigan – Count Me Out
Luke Jenison – Heartbreaker
Watermelon Funk – AFRODESIAC
Fox Jackson – Like That
Chasing Daylight – One of These Days
Lyrick Musiq – Winter Rainfall
Shawney Rainne – Cry Me A River
mister pablo – Enough
Miranda Powell & Ryan Prewett – HIGH SCHOOL

Beats & Verses: November 2024

So many incredible hip hop and R&B artists have graced our pages and stages over the years, and the story continues today, with the unveiling of our first-ever Beats & Verses playlist!

We have fresh cuts from artists we’ve recently discovered, as well as a few favorites from those we’ve known for a while. One thing that is for certain: we’ve got an excellent sample of the versatility taking place across the hip hop and R&B landscape — and it keeps getting better!

How do we know? For one thing, UMC Spotlight Artist Da’ Healerz are set to release their debut record, Heal Talk, next week. So, you can count on that making its way onto the December edition of Beats & Verses. We’ve also got old friends Heru Heru — another Foundation Mecca project — dropping Heruglyphics later this month.

As we give you all of that to look forward to, let’s enjoy the present. Beats & Verses is here to stay!

Track listing
Brett Will – Dominoes
Lord Goldie – On da Line
KNEX, Foundation Mecca, and Black Cash – Amazing
E.T. ft. Therese – You’re A Star
Emory Jaymz – Sonshine
Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise – High Vibrationz
Symbasyd ft. Kelly2face & Adonis – Heyyy
Big Fav ft. Cupid – My Luv
Ah-Deli ft. THC – Good Time
Spence Brown – Indecisive
Numoon – I Hate The Sun
Malcolm DeWayne – Amethyst Nights
BEZ – Lie Detector
Intellect ft. Dave East – Too Many Losses
Usual Suspektz ft. Asun Eastwood – Tower
pher, – moon
Miles Squiers – 24 Hours
Ekelle ft. Ervin Mitchell – Games
2Four – Freak This
Gr3ys0n – Won The Game

All-Americana: November 2024

We’re one playlist in, and already, we can tell this is going to be a blast!

Let’s kick things off with All-Americana. Straight from the heartland, this playlist features the best emerging country, roots, blues, folk, and bluegrass, and will be updated reliably on the first Monday of every month going forward.

As it turns out, Americana itself paints from a vast and varied sonic palette. You’ll hear anything here from radio-ready country, to ambient folk, to stomp-along roots music — and there’s even more where that came from, including even a little bit of folk-punk!

Start The Playlists’ party with us, and stick around all week long for the rest of the musical spectrum!

Track listing
Dylan Gerard – Need a Little Downtime
David Tucker – Fighting Over Sheets
The Rebel Eves – Shake the Ground
Mikki Zip – Somethin’ To Write About
Brittany Bishop – Welcome Home
Meghan VK – Deal with the Devil
Chelsey Stallings – Give Him the Reins
Andi Jane ft. Billy Contreras – Charlotte’s Web
Jacob Shipley – Death of Me
Matthew Ryan Jacobs – Where Are You Now?
falllift – Questions I Can’t Ask
Ryan Thomas Smelle – Sad Song
Max McNown – Hotel Bible
Bjorn – You Got the Power In You
Regan Ashton – 6 1/2 Billion Hearts
Cox County Clappers ft. Lightning Jenny – Government Man
Dave Robertson & The Kiss List – The Green Light
Jaden Wright – East Kentucky Lady
Gray Hector – Waitin’ Around To Go Viral
William Harries Graham – Philadelphia

UMC20: An Explosive Start to April (April 3, 2024)

Rock and roll is alive and well, as you’ll hear throughout the first half of this week’s UMC20.

This week’s compilation is frontloaded with a variety of electric guitar sounds and turbo-powered swagger. But, as always, there’s something for everyone this week. Americana lovers will want to pay close attention to the middle of the playlist, while pop, soul, and hip hop fans will particularly enjoy the latter portions.

And, as always, we’ve got some useful nuggets from that Official Podcast of ours waiting for you at the end. Check those out — especially if you fancy yourself an artistpreneur!

Track listing
Another Dead Rockstar – 1985 (Can You Help Me)
Gloom Girl MFG – Crimes
The Mad Sugars – Lost Among the Avenues
The Fever Haze – Last Night I Killed a Man
JT Loux – look into my eyes
Lurve – Run, Get Drunk, and Fall in Love Again
Lone Tree – Miss You
OPIATE – Lay
Black Suit Devil – Passage
Medium Build – Knowing U Exist
Old 97’s – Somebody
Travis Feutz – Utah
The Flying Raye – The Ballad of Leslie Cochran
Swamp Dogg ft. Jenny Lewis – Count The Days
Annie Scherer – You Like The Blues
Eliza Hardy Jones – Counterfeit
Rex & The Rhyhtm – Umbrella
Lindsey Lomis – Long Way Down
pher, – moon
Spence Brown – By My Lonely

UMC20: The Best of March 2024

What a stacked month!

Between the 20 songs that comprise the UMC20 Best of March 2024, and the two latest, completely epic episodes of our Official Podcast, The Quinn Spinn, our end-of-month compilation contains nearly three-and-a-half hours of listening enjoyment!

Get it while it’s here. Next Wednesday, we’ll drop the first all-new UMC of April. Soak up the memories from the month that has been!

Track listing
Bootsy Collins ft. Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and Dave Stewart – The Influencers
Spence Brown – Scotch Thoughts
Miles Squiers – 24 Hours
Game Changer – Just Sayin’
Adam Paddock – Sweet Ohio Light
Izzy Rage – Wreck
TsukiMai – Selenophile
Cardiac Half – Gloom
YEARB4 – BABY I’M DYIN’
The Minimum Wage – Everyone Is
Pepperwood – Drowning
The Ghost Club – If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here For Me)
Crow and Gazelle – Take It Away
Max McNown – Dead Set
Dustin Kensrue – High Scalers
Kat & Zach – Winter Flower
Bronco Redahan – High on Lonesome
The Kentucky Gentlemen – Beg Your Parton
Mikayla Lewis – All is Well
Rome – Forever

UMC20: We Do This on Wednesdays Now (Mar. 20, 2024)

The official Wednesday debut of UMC20 gets off a funktastic start!

Yes, we happened across the latest masterpiece from Bootsy Collins in our inbox this week. Throw Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart into the mix, and we knew we had to lead off with this one!

From there, this turbo-powered artist lineup brings you the variety you’ve come to expect around here. From established artists to up-and-comers, and from Nashville locals to international flavors, no stone is left unturned this week.

Track listing
Bootsy Collins ft. Snoop Dogg, Fantaazma, Wiz Khalifa, and Dave Stewart – The Influencers
ARREIS – Straight to Hell
Alexis Donn – I Love My Birthday
Lord Goldie ft. Kyd Dynomyte & Lil Lac – Back Down
Foundation Mecca – Tribal Love
Baurkli – Growing Pains
Miles Squiers – 24 Hours
Adam Paddock – Sweet Ohio Light
Bryan Howell – Like Summer Thunder
The Minimum Wage – Everyone Is
Pepperwood – Drowning
The Ghost Club – If I Fell (Don’t Wait Here For Me)
Andrea von Kampen – Such Love Does
Maddie Zahm – little me
Fie Eike – Sad
Medium Build – Knowing U Exist
Tucker Woods – Somersault
Max McNown – Turned Into Missing You
Josh Fortenbery – Bored to Death
Tenille Townes – Thing That Brought Me Here (Truck Song)

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