If you are a fan of indie rock you probably have your favorite sources to locate new music. But what if you want to find the music before it even makes it to places like Spotify or Pandora? How do you find independent music as it releases? Follow blogs. Here are 25 of the best in the business for finding those indie acts you love.
1) Surviving the Golden Age – http://survivingthegoldenage.com/ – Whether you’re looking for music news or fresh new tracks, Surviving the Golden Age has it all. The design is clean with several opportunities to engage with their meaningful content.
2) MP3 Hugger – http://www.mp3hugger.com/ – Although not strictly a “rock” blog per se, the design and flow of MP3 Hugger makes it an easy to use and follow site. You’ll find great music from folks who are really helping you curate all of the music out there these days.
3) Get Into This – http://www.getintothis.co.uk/ – Get Into This is a UK-based indie rock blog that brings a wide variety of rock permutations. The site has plenty of articles with admirable depth. You could spend hours on the site.
4) God is in the TV – http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/ – Some of you are probably too young to remember the “zine” culture of indie music, but the name on this site throws back to that world. Putting forth savvy tracks that you won’t hear in many other places, God is in the TV has that perfect balance of music you know and music you need.
5) Overblown – http://overblown.co.uk/ – Overblown is the kind of blog that deserves more credit than it seems to get. It has tons of great content from solid bands you have yet to hear. The layout is intuitive and browsing the site is a joy.
6) Indie 30 – http://indie30.com/ – When you think “indie music blog” the image in your mind’s eye is probably Indie 30. The images are all abstract and captivating, most of the bands you’ve never heard of, and the writing is obsessively focused. In other words, you’re going to fall in love with this site.
7) Cougar Microbes – http://www.cougarmicrobes.com/ – From clean design to straightforward coverage, Cougar Microbes has a little something for everyone. The artful design feels more like a digital magazine than a conventional blog and that makes it good.
8) High Clouds – http://highclouds.org/ – High Clouds have a few different types of coverage, including full reviews. In this writing, there’s an obvious love for the material and critical engagement. The site lets album art persuade the visitor to click through to thoughtful writing.
9) 3 AM Revelations – http://www.3amrevelations.com/listen – 3 AM Revelations is one of my favorite names on this whole list, having had a few of those myself. That said, the site has a steady stream of songs of the day while also a nice set of longer articles for those interested. If balance and sleek design are your bag, give it a look.
10) Who the Hell – http://whothehell.net/ – Who the Hell is a graphically rich site, featuring many top quality images. The writing and curation is really nice, too. It’s definitely a top destination for discovering the undiscovered.
11) LA Record – http://larecord.com/ – Just from the look of it, you can tell LA Record is not a scrappy indie media outlet. The design shows that they are connected to professional design. That said, it’s a great place to find that grungy coverage for the LA music scene. They have a bit of everything, so if you’re close to LA at all it’s worth the follow.
12) Methods Unsound – http://www.methodsunsound.com/ – Perhaps predictably, nothing about the Methods Unsound layout is “normal.” They mix listicles with album reviews, movie reviews, and quick hits. That said, you’re sure to find something to tickle your fancy on such a uniquely designed and curated site.
13) At Cost Mag – http://atcostmag.tumblr.com/ – For full disclosure, At Cost Mag is a fellow SubmitHub blogger so we do have a connection. However, this ranking is based on the merits of the site, which has a great clean layout and plenty of intriguing coverage. The balance of art and clever writing makes for a cool follow and lots of unique music.
14) Indie Obsessive – http://indieobsessive.blogspot.com/ – Indie Obsessive is chock full of a variety of content, including the schedules of late night TV spots. That said, the coverage is really a clever blend of curation. The genres bounce around some, but indie music fans would be remiss to miss it.
15) The Line of Best Fit – https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/ – The Line of Best Fit has a really trendy design. The genre mix is not purely rock, but there’s definitely some there. More than anything, though, the site is visually a treat. Give it a look.
16) Music Savage – http://www.musicsavage.com/ – From mixtapes to rundown articles, Music Savage brings tons of volume to the audience. They clearly make their way through a lot of music to get you the good stuff. You’ll see a nice mix of familiar names and new discoveries on this active site.
17) We Close Tonight – https://weclosetonight.com/ – At We Close Tonight content is clearly king. It’s a no-frills appearance, bringing a nice straightforward way to get to each new piece of content. The writing is interesting and the music curation has its own unique flavor.
18) Indie is not a Genre – http://indieisnotagenre.com/ – I could have ranked this one on name alone because we say this all the time. That said, the site brings a nice mix of reviews and new video content to the visitor. The layout looks snazzy, keeping visitors on the site for a while.
19) Tina Drill – https://tinadrill.com/ – The spirit of Tina Drill is contrarian, even controversial. Mixing a blend of existential philosophy with their musical coverage, there’s plenty of songs of the day with longer features added. One of the most unique concoctions of “music blog” we’ve ever seen.
20) Adobe and Teardrops – http://www.adobeandteardrops.com/ – Bringing forward an unapologetic political message with the music, Adobe and Teardrops are kind of our spirit animals. The musical coverage is consistent and interesting. Using a combination of clever writing and solid curation, it’s one of those sites you want to keep an eye and ear on for the long haul.
21) Fuzzy Logic – http://www.logicfuzzy.com/ – Impressively, this regularly updated site is a “one woman show.” The content is consistent and the design is super clean. If you’re looking for buzzing “scene” type content, you can’t do better than this site.
22) Insomnia Radio – http://insomniaradio.net/category/ir-daily-dose/# – Some of you are undoubtedly already familiar with Insomnia Radio, an alt radio brand that provides a new outlet for finding music. If you scroll through the site and don’t see a single band name you know, don’t feel so bad. Insomnia have a gift for finding the truly undiscovered and bringing them to the rest of us.
23) Euphoria Zine – http://www.euphoriazine.com/ – Again with the “zine” descriptor, Euphoria is an icon in its own right. Throwing back the name to an earlier era, the clean designed easy-to-follow site has classic all over it. Bringing a nice mix of premieres from old favorites and fresh new bands, the curation is strong with these cats.
24) Fingertips Music – http://fingertipsmusic.com/ – One of my favorite features on any of these listed blogs is the short one-line descriptor for each band that Fingertips uses. It’s a way for someone who has never heard the band’s name to have a clue what they might hear when they click play. The combination of that feature with a streamlined design and regular updates makes this a killer follow.
25) Noonday Tune – http://noondaytune.com/ – With a focus on single reviews, Noonday Tune brings a wide variety of genres to your listening ears. Most sites just give a line or two about a buzzy new track, but Noonday Tune really unpack what you’re hearing and give the story behind the song. Good stuff.
