There are a lot of artists that you wouldn't normally hear on the radio who are genuine great. A lot of stuff on the radio is not that great, some of it is but there are a lot of great bands that are not usually even on the alternative radio stations that I listen to often (as I wake up to J-105 in the AM) there are several bands that I really enjoy and several solo artists that make the cut on this list enjoy:
10. Matthew Sweet: His music is genuine, fun, upbeat, and genuinely caring. Girlfriend is a gem and I have listened to a few of his other songs and think that it's great. One of the most genuine artists around.
9. Violent Femmes: Yeah they are on the radio sometimes and are semi-well known but in terms of alternative they are kind of not as well-known as some others. Their kind of genuine attitude and catchy lyrics make them a great band to listen to. And I'm proud to say that they are wonderful!
8. Dead Or Alive: Kind of a one-hit wonder (You Spin Me Round And Round) but they are an amazing band with kind of catchy lyrics and while their song is making a comeback they are not super well-known. They are pretty good though.
7. Lady Lauryn: Kind of popular only with her song Getting Nasty and that is only popular with the Zumba crowd but it is totally amazing song (and Ian-appropriate) nonetheless. It is a fun song and some of the rest of her music that I've listened to (the other song or two) is incredible.
6. Indigo Girls: not a well-known band and one of the last super-popular folk bands and it was only popular in the '90s. nonetheless they are an incredible band with some pretty interesting lyrics and great messages. Bonus points for them being an out band before being outed was socially acceptable.
5. Gayle Chapman: The only Idaho artist on the list besides number 4, she is an incredibly talented singer and one of the most genuine folk artists on the planet because of what she sings about. She is a supremely talented artist and I am lucky that my Mom has an interest in her because otherwise I wouldn't have heard of her.
4. Built To Spill: Simply an incredible band and a wonderful kind of spirit. Extra points for being a fave band of a family member and a simply colossally good run as a band. They are the best Idaho-bred band in history in my opinion and I'm grateful that they have made many good songs that are genuine and catchy.
3. Ryan Higa (a.k.a. Niga Higa): OK, so his name is racist and I don't know how he's not shot yet but his music is catchy and humorous because of his past and it is simply some of the best most genuine lyrics out there. He talks about real life and has a genuine interest in making things better and continuing to shine light on a lot of problems. His music is wonderful too.
2. Nerdcore: The only rap group on the list (although Ryan Higa does some rapping too), Nerdcore raps about all sorts of scientific and pop-culture and smart things. They are rappers that rap about challenges (Yachtbirds a.k.a. You've Got Aspergers), financial abundance (A Million Dollars), trends in jokes (Your Momma), scientific items (Entropy), Star Wars (Bobba The Fett), Little John (Get Crunk) and other items that are culturally relevant. Extra points for being creative rappers.
1. They Might Be Giants: Everyone knows how me and my 35-year old sister feels about them. They are genuinely long-lasting, smart nerdy sense of humor, pop-culture abundant (including Tiny Toons and Malcolm In The Middle songs and a song from Austin Powers), can play almost any kind of genre of music, and have a varying style from dark/creepy tone to a more happy tone of disco and rapping and some stuff that is almost like country. They are an incredibly versatile group and I'm lucky to call them my all-time fave band. Extra points for creativity in their music and pattern songs.
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