10 Underrated Local Bands You Should Be Listening To

Check the end of this article for a Spotify playlist featuring my favorite tracks from all ten artists!

1. PVRIS

PVRIS is by far the least underrated artist on this list, but they’re one of my top three favorite bands, so you should still definitely be listening to them. Their third album, “Use Me,” is out May 1st, but in the meantime, you have two albums and one EP’s worth of electro-rock to tide you over. PVRIS won me over in 2015 with the sheer power their music has, and they haven’t let me go yet.

Favorite tracks: Hallucinations, Ghosts

1. Tomtsu

Fun fact, I have a mutual friend with some of the members of this group and didn’t find out until last week, months after I started listening to them! Small world, huh? Tomtsu will immediately win you over with their unique funk-indie-rock combo, chill instrumentals, and track variety, and you’ll be adding their songs to at least three different playlists by the time you’re done listening to their album.

Favorite tracks: 128, Mandible

1. Mom Rock

My roommate is basically a Mom Rock groupie at this point, and since her music taste inevitably bleeds into mine, I love them, too. Their upbeat indie rock sound will have you bopping along to every track, and they’re playing plenty of shows around the Boston area in the coming weeks, so if you want to see them live, you don’t have to go too far!

Favorite tracks: Intheinbetween, Grand Romantic Life

1. Camino 84

Camino 84 is indie “bedroom pop” with hints of jazz, rock, and disco, and their funky sound is infectious. Like Tomtsu earlier on this list, Camino 84’s songs are a mix of vocal tracks and pure instrumentals, and both styles are well worth listening to. Also they have a song called “Down to Clown,” which is automatically a plus in my book.

Favorite tracks: Oh My, Standing Back Up

1. Sidney Gish

You may know Sidney Gish from her visit to WBRS last year, or you may figure out that she featured on Camino 84’s “Oh My”. Either way, she’s a great songwriter with amazing stylistic variety. If you want a soundtrack to your coming-of-age teen movie, she’s a great place to start.

Favorite tracks: Sophisticated Space, Impostor Syndrome

1. Juliana Hatfield

With a solo career starting in the 90’s, Juliana Hatfield has quite the discography, and it’s great to hear her voice and style evolve over the years, always slightly different but always great. Her cover albums are nothing to scoff at, either, putting her own spin on some of the classics that inspired her. 

Favorite tracks: Staying In, Spit in the Wind

1. Honeysuckle

I’ve never been much of a folk person, but Honeysuckle won me over with their nostalgic instrumentals, soft vocals, and modern spin on the genre. The duo’s voices blend together incredibly well, and every song feels cozy, like the musical representation of a warm summer night.

Favorite tracks: To The Grave, It’s Getting Late

1. Coral Moons

Like many of the other bands on this list, Coral Moons is a blend of plenty of genres, and they label themselves as “retro-rock” with roots in blues and soul. They only have one EP out right now, but the sound is very promising, and I’m looking forward to whatever they do next.

Favorite tracks: Fall in Love, Dive In

1. Beeef

While looking at Beeef’s Spotify bio, I saw that some of their musical inspirations were Built To Spill and Pavement, two bands I remember my dad playing for me quite a bit when I was a kid, especially the latter. Maybe that’s why their sound feels like home to me, who knows? Either way, their music strikes the perfect balance between chill and upbeat, and you can consider me a fan.

Favorite tracks: I’m So Sorry, Slide

1. Palehound

Palehound’s music is a mix of grunge, folk, and indie rock, creating a dreamy, not-quite-pop sound lofted by the airy vocals of lead singer Ellen Kempner. Over their three albums and various singles, they hit so many different moods and emotions that you’re bound to find something you like. 

Favorite tracks: Your Boyfriend’s Gun, Turning 21

And as promised, here is the playlist!